AP English Language and Composition
Keller Course Syllabus 2015-2016
Course Overview
AP English Language and Composition is a yearlong, college level course designed to engage students in becoming
skilled readers of prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts, and in becoming skilled
writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Through writing, reading, speaking, viewing, and listening, we will
study the interactions among the author’s purpose, the audience’s expectations, the subjects being discussed, and the
context in which these interactions take place, as well as the conventions and resources of language that contribute to a
message’s effectiveness. For each unit of study, we will read closely a number of texts of different varieties, taking
frequent quizzes on comprehension. We will complete independent vocabulary work and participate in regular in- and
out-of-class writing and discussion activities. The papers you write will include literary, rhetorical, and visual text
analysis; argumentative writing; research synthesis; and a variety of expository writing geared toward responding to
readings, quotes, questions, current events, cartoons, and film. Major writing assignments will ask you to conduct and
synthesize research, develop arguments, revise for sophisticated syntax, and demonstrate skill with various rhetorical
techniques including controlling tone, establishing and maintaining voice, and achieving appropriate emphasis through
diction and sentence structure. This course is designed around the assumption that you will take the AP English
Language and Composition exam in May 2015.
Because our school’s platform is technology (every student is issued an Apple computer the first week of school), many
assignments will be Internet based, and students will be expected to utilize the Internet in and out of school. We will
operate Google Docs/Google Groups, Edmodo, and Teacherweb (teacher’s website) to support and assist our learning.
Many assignments will utilize technology-learning communities where the students will interact with each other
and/or the teacher via the Internet. Additionally students will be expected to utilize flipped learning, when directed by
the teacher.
According to the Advanced Placement Course Description, upon completing the AP English Language
and Composition course, you should be able to:
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analyze and interpret samples of good writing, identifying and explaining an author’s use of rhetorical strategies
and techniques;
apply effective strategies and techniques in your own writing;
create and sustain arguments based on readings, research, and/or personal experiences;
produce expository, analytical, and argumentative compositions that introduce a complex central idea and develop
it with appropriate evidence drawn from primary and/or secondary sources, cogent explanations, and clear
transitions;
demonstrate understanding and mastery of standard written English as well as stylistic maturity in your own
writing;
demonstrate understanding of the conventions of citing primary and secondary sources;
move effectively through the stages of the writing process, with careful attention to inquiry and research, drafting,
revising, editing, and review;
write thoughtfully about your own process of composition;
revise a work to make it suitable for a different audience;
analyze image as text; and
evaluate and incorporate reference documents into research papers.
Caveat:
Teacher reserves the rights to change, edit, or augment the assignments in this document to best serve the educational
directives of the students and the course.
Textbooks Utilized- students will be informed to purchase or download:
Thank You For Arguing- Jay Heinrichs (summer reading assignment to be utilized)
The Language of Composition, Shea, Scanlon, Aufses
5 Steps to a 5 500 AP English Language Questions to Know by Test Day
Writing America- David Jolliffe and Hephzibah Roskelly
Everything is an Argument- Andrea A. Lunsford
Other texts TBA instructor- see Teacherweb
Guidelines for Assessment:
Essays will be graded according to the AP Language and Composition Rubric
9/8=A
7=A6=B/B5=C
4=D
3= D2/1=F
Tests/Quizzes will be graded on a 4 point scale (or 100 point) and converted to a letter grade :
100-95/ 4.0-3.75= A
79-77 / 2.4-2.25= C+
62-60 /.9-.75 = D94-90 / 3.6-3.5 = A76-73 / 2.0
= C
<60 / 0
=F
89-87 / 3.4-3.25= B+
72-70 / 1.9-1.5 = C86-83 / 3.0=
B
69-67 / 1.4-1.25 = D+
82-80 / 2.9-2.5 B66-63 / 1.0
=D
***First Quarter: End of August to Middle October- Weeks 1-9***
Introduction to Rhetoric and Writing- Weeks 1-3: Summer reading test
Rhetorical triangle/situation and SOAPS chapter 1The Language of Composition, Shea, Scanlon, Aufses
Review course and syllabus and explanation of the AP Language Rubric
Practice with SOAPS and finding author’s purpose- whole class activity
APUSH/Honors History connection with readings- see highlighted texts below
Grammar Intensive- Quarter 1- Grammar Diagnostic
Grammar reviews, preparation for college entrance exams, grammar in writing
Rhetorical Analysis Project with Technology- Weeks 2-8
 One will be a whole class (wc) sample analysis guided by the teacher- many times an AP
practice essay
 One is a homework (hwk) assignment (that will be collected at the end of the quarter as a
journal of rhetoric- you will do a SOAPStone analysis),
 The third piece will be used by each cooperative group (cg) in their weekly presentation
Presentation:
Students will be randomly placed in groups according to skill and text. The teacher will provide the
class with a reading guide based on certain rhetorical analysis skill(s). Each cooperative group is
responsible “to teach” the rhetorical analysis of each piece via ProBoard and online sharing:
First and foremost these questions must be answered: What is the author’s purpose? Who is the
audience? What is the overall tone of the piece? (TAP)
 Present notes to the class about the skill,
 Present annotations of the analysis of that skill, and
 Present a visual text as a connection (this could be a mnemonic, a connection to the everyday,
connection found in pop culture/current events).
The teacher will meet with each group to assist the group with an orderly presentation and equitable
distribution of work. Each student will submit their individual work via Google Group in order to
grade each student on his or her effort and precision.
Week 2:
Review of Summer Reading: “Learning to Read and Write,” Frederick Douglass - (wc reading)
Rhetorical Analysis Exemplar and SOAPStone “In Praise of the Humble Comma” by Pico Iyer (wc
& SOAPSTone Journal)- example for project
Week 3: Diction and Tone- Puritan influence and pre-Revolutionary Sentiments:
CG: “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards (questions for hwk and cg);
SOAPSTone: “Speech to 2nd Virginia Convention” by Patrick Henry (hwk SOAPSTONE and MC);
WC: The Rattler” (wc/sample AP prompt/classwork/skill- the paragraph)
Week 4- Imagery & Figurative Language- The Slave Trade (and Native Americans):
CG: The Way to Rainy Mountain” by N. Scott Momaday” (cg and homework)
SOAPSTone: “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano” (hwk SOAPSTone/text)
WC: Santa Ana Winds” Joan Didion (wc/sample AP prompt- skill the paragraph)
Week 5- Ethos, Pathos, logos- Revolutionary America:
CG: Paired works: “The Declaration of Independence” by Thomas Jefferson and others
(hwk questions in textbook) and the original draft- by Thomas Jefferson (thesis activity)
SOAPStone: “Remember the Ladies” Abigail Adams to John Adams
“Common Sense” excerpt by Thomas Paine (practice mc 2),
WC: “Letter to Thomas Jefferson” Benjamin Banneker (wc/sample AP prompt)
‘The American Crisis Number 1” Thomas Paine (sample and exemplar- in textbook)
Week 6- Syntax- The Era of the First Administration:
Spotlight on Syntax: revisiting Iyer’s “In Praise of the Humble Comma”
CG: George Washington’s “Farewell Address” (SOAPStone and cg)
WC: “The Death of Benny Paret” by Norman Mailer (wc and sample prompt)
Week 7- Structure/Organization- WC will get questions to answer as assessment
Cooperative Group: focus on organization and specific skill
Jefferson’s “First Inaugural Address”- joint assignment with history- tba
Compare/Contrast: “They Shut My Grandmother’s Door” by Andrew Lam
Definition: “I Want a Wife” Julie Brady
Process Analysis: “On Dumpster Diving” Lars Eighner
Cause Effect (and organization): “Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie
SOAPStone- ““Superman and Me”
Week 8- Irony and SatireCG: “Me Talk Pretty One Day” by David Sedaris (cg),
SOAPStone: A Modest Proposal by Johnathan Swift or Advice to Youth (Twain)
WC: “Environmentalists” (2009) from the Future of Life (2002) Edward O. Wilson (sample AP
prompt)
Week 9- Summative Exam (sample AP Prompt) and Journal due
Vocabulary of the AP Language Test- Weeks 1-9: Summer Assignment: Present the Tone Project.
Students will present their Tone Words (2 students a week). Every 25 words will quiz. Will give a schedule
first week of school.
Multiple Choice Practice- 5 Steps to a 5 Multiple Choice- Weeks 1-9
In class assignment 8/30, 9/13, 9/30 and so on-- every other week (bi-weekly)
Students read text silently and annotate (5 minutes), work in small cooperative groups to arrive at
answers (15 minutes) and submit one paper for grade.
Review answers with whole class, modeling test taking skills and MC strategies.
Connections with APUSH: John Locke, John Stewart Mill, Thomas Paine, Patrick Henry,
Groups will receive a quiz grade for their work.
Assessment:
 End of Quarter Exam- Week 9- Sample Rhetorical Analysis Essay. Review will ensue.
 End of Quarter Journal Due Week 9- Collate all homework assignments (SOAPStone)
 Rhetorical Analysis Project: Weeks 3-8 (see individual pieces above)
***Second Quarter- Weeks 10-19- Mid-October to Mid-January***
Vocabulary Study- 125 “Tone” WordsContinue Tone Word Presentations and quizzes
The Rhetorical Precis/Visual Document Project- Weeks 10-16
One of the three essays you will write on the AP exam will require you to provide evidence for a given
argument from your own prior knowledge and understanding of national, world, and historical
events. This assignment is designed to make you aware of the affairs of the world. Students will
choose an editorial from an approved list of sources, but is not limited to- The New York Times,
Boston Globe, The Nation, Miami Herald, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Time,
Newsweek, National Review (or other equitable sources).
After practice in class (with our readings from the Transcendentalists) and examples from the
Internet, students will complete one MLA style Precis per week focusing on thesis, claim, author’s
purpose, and audience. Grading will be based on a rubric citing these four qualities.
(http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl201/modules/rhetoricalprecis/sample/peirce_sample_precis_c
lick.html)
This will be a joint project with APUSH. Separate information and directions will be given with
practice, in-class assignments.
Rhetorical Analysis and Argumentation Unit: The Philosophy of America- Weeks 10-13
Textbook: The Structure of Argument and college websites utilized
The Transcendentalists, Lincoln, Gandhi, and Dr. Martin Luther King
Analysis and assignments from excerpts of “Nature” and “Self Reliance,” Emerson;
excerpts of “Walden” and “Civil Disobedience,” Thoreau; “The Gettysburg Address,”
Lincoln; “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” King
Culminating Activity- “This I Believe” NPR- writing a belief statement (claim) and a personal
essay
Argumentation and the Synthesis Essay- Weeks 13-16
 The Toumlin/Rogerian method- Claim, Support, Warrant- practice with different pieces

“Entering the Conversation” Synthesis Project/Paper from The Language of Composition,
Students are split into groups based on the 10 topics in the textbook.
 Students read all essays for each topic (similar to AP exam- 4-6 sources). For each source, the
student individually outlines the author’s claim and support (graded assignment).
 Then, the students meet in a cooperative group to write an original thesis that defends,
challenges, or qualifies the topic at hand. The teacher will approve each group’s thesis.
 Each student writes his or her own essay using the group’s thesis, MLA style- and adhering to
the AP test standards. This essay will be written over Winter Break and reviewed in class the
first weeks of January.
 Students experience editing and revising peers’ essays and their own essays before
submitting a final draft to the teacher.
Novel Study- Satire- Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain- December to end of January
 Language project- satire- students will analyze excerpts from their reading to understand and
appreciate language and satire. Students will receive a reading guide (that includes genre
and satire) for the novel. There will be multiple-choice quizzes during the reading of the
novel and a culminating multiple-choice/short answer test.
 Quarterly Assessment- Weeks 28-29
The culminating activity for this unit will utilize Huckleberry Finn for an AP English Language
and Composition Synthesis Essay Question on censorship, a Rhetorical Analysis essay that
utilizes an excerpt from the novel (or a reading), and a free-response/open-ended essay
based on the major themes and satire in the novel.
Multiple Choice Practice- 5 Steps to a 5 Multiple Choice-(continues) bi-weekly Weeks 10-16- Special
emphasis- argumentation
Assessment: End of quarter (week 17-19)
Practicing the Synthesis Essay- Final Draft of their “Entering the Conversation”
Practice Multiple Choice Test
***Third Quarter: Weeks 20-29- The Argument (and Synthesis) ***
Visual Literacy Project- Weeks 20-22- Using art as a medium and practicing the synthesis essay
As a school field trip, the AP class will visit one of Miami’s Museums- this year, the
Wolfsonian. After a guided tour by the Educational Programs Manager (EPM) and
practice with visual literacy at the museum (students taking pictures of each major work discussed),
the museum’s librarian will give the students an overview of primary and secondary documents they
have in house. In cooperative groups, students choose one of the major pieces (works of art) as their
guiding “topic.” Then, as a group, they will write their guiding questions (AP exam style) that will
allow the reader to defend, challenge, or qualify their topic. Either in the museum library or
independently, the students will choose 5 other sources that help the reader/write formulate an
argument. For the final project, the group will assemble their sources and information- imitating the
AP test formatting and style. They will submit the assignment and the class will assess each project
using a rubric.
The Nuances of the Argument –Quarter 3
 Practice formulating thesis statements and assertions using test prompts. Analyzing sample
College Board student essays.
 Logical Fallacies cooperative group project. Each group will find a logical fallacy or
create one of their own. Will be done as a shared Google Doc, similar to the Tone
Vocabulary Project
Novel Study- The Great Gatsby- Argument and Rhetorical Analysis- Weeks 23-29
 Language project- argument and analysis- students will analyze excerpts from their reading
to understand and appreciate language. Students will receive a reading guide for the novel.
There will be multiple-choice quizzes during the reading of the novel and a culminating
multiple-choice/short answer test.
 Quarterly Assessment
The culminating activity for this unit will utilize The Great Gatsby for an AP English Language
Rhetorical Analysis essay that utilizes an excerpt from the novel (or a reading), a free
response Argumentative Essays (ownership) illustrating the techniques for using literature
as evidence, the “Gatsby” Synthesis essay, and practice with multiple choice test questions.
Vocabulary Study- 125 “Tone” Words continues, quiz bi-weekly 20 words from list
***Fourth Quarter- Weeks 30-36- Gearing Up and Extending our Knowledge***
Entering the TIMED ZONE (not Twilight)- Weeks -30-35 (six weeks)
 Weekly, the students will practice a Multiple Choice section and a practice essay. Each week
will focus on a different skill sets for multiple choice and different essays- synthesis,
rhetorical analysis, and argumentation.
 Students will review their strengths and weaknesses to formulate an individual study plan
for the exam. Individual and cooperative group experiences.
Week 36- AP Exam- Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Week 37- Review and Course Analysis and Evaluation (finally view The Great Gatsby)
Week 38-39- Introduction to Poetry- Dead Poet’s Society, Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes
Independent Novel Study- Culminating Project About Language- Weeks 36-38
Weeks 30-38, students will read one of the following novels, each chosen for a specific topic or genre: Amy
Tan, Joy Luck Club- immigration/assimilation; Ernest Gaines, A Lesson Before Dying- death penalty; F. Scott
Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby- American dream/Gilded Age; Michael Cunningham, The Hours- connection to
Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway/women’s studies;
During reading, students will choose excerpts from (“sections”) the beginning, middle, and end of the
novel to present final presentation. Each project will cover the following topics:
 Research- Provide an Annotated Bibliography with MLA citing. Your sources will answer the
following questions:
o What historical/cultural influences lead your author to write this novel? (at least 2-3 sources)
o What critical reception did this novel receive (at least 2 sources from credible sources)
o Did the author contribute to the movie (screenplay) and what reception did this movie
receive and why? (at least 2-3 sources)
 Rhetoric- At least 2 examples from each “section” that illustrate author’s use of language (students
ability to rhetorically analyze and present language). Teacher will provide a worksheet to guide
students on this assignment.
 Creative aspect- Projects will vary