AP Language and Composition/English III 2015-16
Instructor:
Email:
Classroom:
Phone:
Rebecca Leaphart
rleaphart@helenaschools.org
CHS Room 112
406-324-2533
Course Description:
You’ll find AP Language and Composition to be a unique English class. Instead of novels, our
focus will be on analyzing and evaluating non-fiction, though we will also cover a few pieces of
classic American literary fiction. You will write a great deal, but many of the writing assignments
(and readings!) will be quite short. Our goal is to become super wordsmiths.
AP Language and Composition focuses on the development and revision of evidence-based
analytic and argumentative writing and the rhetorical analysis of nonfiction texts. This class
prepares students to take the AP Language and Composition Exam which offers college credit to
passing students.
Course Content:
The AP English Language and Composition course is designed to help students become skilled
readers and writers through engagement with the following course requirements:
• Composing in several forms (e.g., narrative, expository, analytical, and argumentative essays)
about a variety of subjects
• Writing that proceeds through several stages or drafts, with revision aided by teacher and
peers
• Writing informally (e.g., imitation exercises, journal keeping, collaborative writing), which
helps students become aware of themselves as writers and the techniques employed by other
writers
• Writing expository, analytical, and argumentative compositions based on readings
representing a variety of prose styles and genres
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• Reading nonfiction (e.g., essays, journalism, science writing, autobiographies, criticism)
selected to give students opportunities to identify and explain an author’s use of rhetorical
strategies and techniques
• Analyzing graphics and visual images both in relation to written texts and as alternative forms
of text themselves
• Developing research skills and the ability to evaluate, use, and cite primary and secondary
sources
• Conducting research and writing argument papers in which students present an argument of
their own that includes the analysis and synthesis of ideas from an array of sources
• Citing sources using a recognized editorial style (e.g., Modern Language Association, The
Chicago Manual of Style)
• Revising their work to develop
o A wide-ranging vocabulary used appropriately and effectively;
o A variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of subordination and
coordination; o Logical organization, enhanced by techniques such as repetition,
transitions, and emphasis;
o A balance of generalization and specific, illustrative detail; and
o An effective use of rhetoric, including tone, voice, diction, and sentence structure.
Materials:
Students will need the following supplies for this class:
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Writing utensils
Sticky notes
20-25 index cards
Devoted AP Lang binder
Devoted AP Lang notebook
Devoted AP Lang folder in Google Docs/Office 365 and/or an AP Lang
thumbdrive
Turnitin account and ActivelyLearn Account (We’ll create in class)
Required Texts:
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AP Language Course Pack
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2004.
Gladwell, Malcom. Outliers. New York: Back Bay Books, 2008.
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Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: Harper Perennial,
2013.
Lawrence, Jerome and Robert E. Lee. Inherit the Wind. New York: Bantam Books, 1960.
O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. Boston: Mariner Books, 2009.
Schwegler, Robert A., ed. Patterns of Exposition. New York: Pearson, 2007.
Various essays, articles and short texts
Attendance and Participation
Attendance and participation are critical elements of this class and are truly the keys to success.
Some in-class work, such as discussions and group-work, cannot be made up.
Absences (particularly school-related absences!) should be reported to me prior to class; it is the
student’s responsibility to contact me about missed work. Chronic or unexcused absences will
adversely affect the student’s grade.
Participation will count for 10% of your grade. Simply attending class is not the same as
participating in a meaningful and productive way. To receive full participation credit, you will
need to come prepared, listen, work well alone as well as in small groups, ask questions,
volunteer ideas and opinions, and present in front of the whole class. You will also need to turnin your prep work for “Found Reading Friday” discussions on most Fridays.
Assessments and Grading
Daily Assignments, Short Essays & Quizzes 30%
Essay Revisions, Presentations & Exams
60%
Participation
10%
Grading Scale:
93-100%
90-93%
87-89%
83-86%
80-82%
77-79%
73-76%
70-72%
67-69%
63-66%
60-62%
59-below
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Vocabulary
We will have vocabulary assignments and quizzes most weeks for the first three quarters of the
course. The content of the vocabulary will be varied and include common ACT/SAT words as
well as some literary/rhetorical terms.
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Essays
Students will write a minumum of 8 full process pieces (proceeding through several stages and
drafts) over the course of the year. In addition, they will write shorter, less formal essays that
will not necessarily need to be revised.
Please follow MLA style guidelines for all essays: 12” font, Times New Roman, 1” margins.
Students will turn essays in through Turnitin.com, though in extenuating circumstances I
can also accept essays through Gmail/Google Docs, Office 365, or hard copy. With so many
options, technological glitches should not prevent you from turning your essays in on time.
Over the course of the year we will practice all three types of Timed Writes that will appear on
the AP Exam: the argumentative essay, the rhetorical analysis essay and the synthesis essay.
Practice Timed Writes are meant to help students prepare for the exam. I will score those to give
students a sense of their progress, but I will not include those scores in the gradebook as grades.
(Exception: At a few points in the year I will assign students to revise a timed write and I will
grade the revisions).
Revisions
You will revise a number of essay for credit/grade improvement, and may revise additionally for
feedback. Revisions will:
•be submitted in print, attached to all previous drafts of the essay containing peer and teacher
comments, with changes highlighted
•reflect significant, serious, thoughtful revision.
To ensure that revisions don’t waste students’ time or mine, I reserve the right not to accept
revisions that do not meet these requirements.
Late Work
This syllabus includes a tentative schedule for the year; more specific assignments will be posted
in the room on a weekly basis. Students are expected to come to class prepared to meet each
day’s requirements, including homework, tests, etc. Late work is disrespectful of my time. Late
homework will be penalized one letter grade per day unless you clear the tardiness
with me in advance. Essays can be turned in late for full credit, but I will not offer
any comments or the opportunity to revise. Students cannot pass the course
missing two or more major writing assignments.
Classroom Structure and Expectations
Above all else, be respectful. I expect open-minded, kind, and tasteful behavior in class and on
the page.
Academic Honesty
Capital High adheres to high standards of academic integrity. Plagiarism, cheating and
other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited. In the event that a student’s work is
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academically dishonest, the student will receive a zero/F on the assignment and his or
her parents will be notified. Depending on the nature of the assignment and infraction, a
student may have the opportunity to revise for credit.
Plagiarism is the act of stealing someone else’s words or ideas and passing them off as
one’s own (not crediting the source). We will discuss plagiarism throughout the year so
that students feel confident avoiding it; if students have questions regarding plagiarism,
they should consult me before submitting an assignment.
Electronic Devices
CHS Policy prohibits electronic devices in classrooms. In my classroom, there will be
times when electronic devices are relevant and useful to an assignment or activity. I will
let you know when an exception to the normal rule applies; ask if you’re unsure.
Otherwise, keep them silent and out of sight.
Tardies
If you’re not in your seat and ready to roll when the bell rings, you’re tardy.
Food and Drink
Drinking water from a container with a secure lid is acceptable during class. Healthy
snacks are encouraged during homeroom; otherwise, no food in the classroom.
The AP Exam
This year’s exam will take place on Wednesday, May 11 at 8:00 am.
All students are encouraged to take the exam, which will cost $91. Assistance is available for
students who cannot afford the cost of the test
In the weeks leading up to the test, we will do intensive writing practice and have the
opportunity to review.
AP English Language and Composition Exam: 3 hours 15 minutes
Assessment Overview: The AP English Language and Composition Exam employs multiplechoice questions to test students’ skills in rhetorical analysis of prose passages. Students are also
required to write three essays that demonstrate their skill in rhetorical analysis, argumentation,
and synthesis of information from multiple sources to support the student’s own argument.
Although the skills tested on the exam remain essentially the same from year to year, there may
be some variation in format of the free-response (essay) questions.
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Format of Assessment
Section i: Multiple Choice: 52–55 Questions | 60 Minutes | 45% of Exam Score
• Includes excerpts from several non-fiction texts
• Each excerpt is accompanied by several multiple-choice questions
Section ii: Free Response: 3 Prompts | 2 Hours 15 Minutes | 55% of Exam Score
• 15 minutes for reading source materials for the synthesis prompt (in the free-response section)
• 120 minutes to write essay responses to the three free-response prompts Prompt types
Synthesis: Students read several texts about a topic and create an argument that synthesizes at
least three of the sources to support their thesis.
Rhetorical Analysis: Students read a non-fiction text and analyze how the writer’s language
choices contribute to his or her purpose and intended meaning for the text.
Argument: Students create an evidence-based argument that responds to a given topic.
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