AP* Summer Institute Advanced Placement English Literature
*AP, College Board, AP Vertical Teams, Pre-AP, the Advanced Placement Program and the Acorn logo are registered trademarks of
the College Board. Used with permission.
Instructor: Gabriel Ceci MA
Course Description
total of 32 hours class work
This course will develop strategies for High School Advanced Placement English Literature Teachers to use
in preparing their students to take the Advanced Placement English Literature exam. Participants will work
collaboratively and individually to:
o familiarize teachers with the AP exam structure and ETS's grading criteria.
o create a syllabus acceptable to the College Board Audit
o select suitable literature for teaching the AP course
o devise methods of instruction that prepare students for the AP English Exams
o Study Knowles' A Separate Peace and King Lear for possible class use.
Course Goals
o To develop a syllabus that meets the English AP standards.
o To select suitable literature for teaching the AP English Literature course.
o To identify, develop, and refine AP teaching strategies.
o To train teachers to write AP level multiple choice and essay questions.
o To train teachers to evaluate student essays as an AP Reader would.
o To become familiar with A Separate Peace and King Lear for teaching.
o To improve student performance on the Advanced Placement exam.
o To prepare students to pass AP level multiple choice exams.
o To prepare students to pass AP level free response essays exams.
o To identify and foster skills and attributes that prepare students for college courses in English.
o To demonstrate teaching strategies that give students challenging reading and writing tasks.
o To focus on classroom environment in developing student thinking and communication skills.
o To provide opportunities for teachers to work in teams to design AP level curricula.
Learner Objectives
1. Develop Key Instructional Strategies including but not limited to:
o Drawing inferences
o Teaching levels of questioning
o Title-Occasion- Purpose-Audience- Subject - Speaker (TO PASS) strategy for analyzing poetry.
o Dialectical notebooks/journals
o Conjunctive Adverbs for writing arguments.
o Synthesizing perspectives from different points of view
2. Develop or redesign a plan of attack for the participant’s AP English class.
3. Select literature “of literary merit” to use teaching AP concepts and skills.
4. Generate a vocabulary list to be taught for the school year.
5. Develop a set of rubrics for teaching and evaluating student essays.
6. Learn to write multiple choice questions similar to those on an AP exam
7. Be able to evaluate teaching materials (textbooks, websites, other resources) in terms of their
usefulness for AP English classes.
8. Learn how to have students write MC questions of AP quality.
Required Materials/Texts/Reading
Participants will bring the anthologies and other texts currently used in their course. They will also bring copies
of A Separate Peace and King Lear. They will also use the Professional Development Workshop Materials
2014 and Special Focus 2014 by College Entrance Examination Board.
General Methodology
Lecture, discussions, assigned readings, presentations, and both collaborative and individual projects.
Course Outline See below
Evaluation Criteria for the course:
All participants will be required to create an outline for a course syllabus, generate a vocabulary list, one lesson
plan for teaching poetry, one plan for teaching a novel or short story, and one plan for teaching writing. The
lesson plans may be worked on collaboratively. The lesson plans will be presented to and shared with the entire
group on the last day of class for discussion and evaluation. A Powerpoint presentation may be used as one
plan.
All participants will critique their current reading lists, textbooks, and anthologies and present this
information to the class.
Course Outline
Session I
8.5 hours
Morning
o Introduction of instructor, participants, course objectives and expectations
o Sharing AP questions, concerns, and fears
o Choosing literature for AP English Lit and Comp – Less is More
o Finalization of goals for the course, w/ input from participants
o Familiarization with College Board materials (booklets)
o Review of AP English Lit. Exam and its components
o A look at the math behind AP scores
o Review of ETS grading criteria for MC and Essays
Afternoon
o Presentation of information about the AP English exam and how it is scored
o Introduce A Separate Peace and King Lear
o Description and explanation of question writing and its benefits.
o Begin team selection and activities
o Explanation of final project to be completed by Thursday morning
FINAL PROJECT FOR PRESENTATION TO CLASS
Choose one project – you may work alone or in small groups. Projects must be ready for class presentation by
noon Wednesday.
1. Read the material on working together to produce multiple choice questions. Choose one of the
following poetry AND one prose selections or, with prior approval, you may substitute literature from
your classroom:
POETRY “GROUNDHOG”
“CENTAUR”
“EVENING HAWK”
“WORK OF ARTIFICE
A PASSAGE FROM KING LEAR
PROSE
JUDGE PYNCHEON
THE STREET
THE PUPIL
A PASSAGE FROM A SEPARATE PEACE
FASTING – FEASTING
Write a series of multiple choice questions that will require students to read the selection closely.
2. Choose one short story and write a plan for teaching it as part of the AP course.
3. Choose one play and write a plan for teaching that play as part of the AP course.
4.
Write a unit to introduce skills for poetry analysis. List the poems you plan to use for each skill you
will teach.
Evening


Assigned reading in A Separate Peace and King Lear
Visit AP Central website. First: Register for the site, if you haven't done so. (Go to:
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/, follow instructions for free registration). Second: Go to
the AP English sites to see what is available.
Rubric for evaluating the Final Project is at the end of this syllabus.
Session II
8.5 hours
Morning
Tasks:
o Evaluate actual student essays from AP exams
o Develop methods for evaluating your own students’ essays
o Discuss methods for teaching poetry
o Discuss CB website & AP exam. How did you do?
o Introduce lessons to teach Fact vs. Opinion and then Inference
Afternoon
Tasks:
o Start putting together vocab list including terms used in discussing literature
o Introduce SOAPS, DIDLS, and TO PASS IT for teaching poetry
o Discuss relationships and POV in A Separate Peace
o Write AP level Essay Questions about your own literature choices
o Develop AP Vocabulary lists
o Teach writing by using rubrics for pre-writing.
o Introduce levels of questions
o Write AP style multiple choice questions based on grade level appropriate literature
o Close reading of King Lear Acts I and II
Evening
Homework:
 Write 2 level one and 2 level two questions about the story “Ordinary Day with Peanuts”
 begin organizing your course outline/syllabus and preparing activities
Session III
8.5 hours
Morning
Tasks:
o King Lear Acts III, IV and V
o Writing about King Lear
o Teach Irony by using past AP essay questions and “The Chaser”
o Use short stories to augment novels
o Teach higher levels of writing proficiency
o Develop methods for correction, feedback, evaluation and testing with AP essays
o Discuss with examples for teaching Point of View using “Yesterday”
Afternoon
Tasks:
o Easing the burden of correcting written work
o Using rubrics for teaching as well as evaluation
o
Writing about parallel plots in King Lear
o Group discussion of individual projects – Q and A, sharing ideas
o Work with teams on lesson plans for teaching irony
o Work with teams on lesson plans for teaching writing
Evening
finish your course outline/syllabus and meet with your team for project presentations
tomorrow
Session IV
o
o
o
o
6.5 hours
Final questions about AP
Discussion of your course outline and types of classroom activities you will use
Presentation and discussion of your team’s project and lesson plans
Final Comments
Bibliography
Bain, Carl E. and Jerome Beatty, J. Paul Hunter, Norton Introduction to Literature 4th edition. New York,
NY: W.W. Norton and Company, 1986
Booth, Wayne C. The Rhetoric of Fiction 2nd edition. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1983
Gold, Robert S. Point of Departure, New York, NY: Dell, 1981
Hunter, J. Paul. Norton Introduction to Poetry 6th edition. New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Company, 1996
Roberts, Edgar V. Writing About Literature 8th edition. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995
A Separate Peace by John Knowles any edition
King Lear, any edition - but preferably the Folgers Library
Point Value
RUBRIC
A = 25-23
FOR EVALUATING
B = 22-20
CLASS PARTICIPATION
C = 19-18
D = 17-16
Minimally
Fair
acceptable
U = 15-10
Unacceptable
F - 9-0
Total
failure
Excellent
Good
COMMENTS
Volunteered
thoughtful, appropriate
comments
on discussion topic.
Volunteered
thoughtful, appropriate
comments
on discussion topic.
Occasionally
volunteered
comments.
Was attentive but
rarely volunteered
comments.
Randomly
mumbled
"whatever."
Screamed "BINGO"
after hearing 10
educational
buzzwords.
QUESTIONS
Asked interesting,
pertinent questions.
Responded to
questions from other
participants. Played a
major role in
discussions.
Asked pertinent
questions. Usually
responded to
questions from other
participants. Played a
major role in
discussions.
Asked some
questions. Sometimes
responded to
questions from other
participants. Usually
joined in discussions.
Seemed interested
but rarely asked
questions.
Occasionally
participated in
discussions.
Asked off-topic
questions. Ignored
questions from others
in class.
Started off-topic
discussions with
neighbors.
Asked for help with
Sudoku puzzles. Kept
asking what the time
was.
Yelled, "Can I get out
of here now?"
GROUP
WORK
Worked cooperatively
with other participants
on group projects.
Assumed leadership
role at least once.
Worked cooperatively
with other participants
on group projects.
Worked cooperatively
with other participants
on group projects.
Worked
cooperatively with
other participants
on group projects.
Tended to draw
the group off-topic.
Started a Bunny-hop
line out of the room.
ATTITUDE
Took positive,
professional attitude
toward solving
problems and
addressing issues.
Took positive,
professional attitude
toward solving
problems and
addressing issues.
Took professional
attitude toward solving
problems and
addressing issues.
Tended to be
negative, but still
worked with the
class solving
problems and
addressing issues.
Down-played problems
presented by others.
Complained about
things but didn't look
for solutions.
Ran around room
shouting, "We're all
doomed."
DEPORTMENT
Friendly, professional,
and appropriate.
Courteous and
attentive to others.
Friendly, professional,
and appropriate.
Courteous and
attentive to others.
Friendly, professional,
and appropriate.
Courteous and
attentive to others.
Friendly,
professional, and
appropriate.
Occasionally
talked over others.
Slept in class,
sent text messages,
answered phone calls,
returned late from
breaks.
Snored, passed
around cell phone
photos of cats playing
the piano, played
Angry Birds, didn't
return from breaks.
RUBRIC
Point Value
FOR EVALUATING
FINAL PROJECT
A = 35-32
B = 31-28
C = 27-23
D = 22-20
U = 19-17
F - 16-0
Excellent
Good
Fair
Minimally
acceptable
Unacceptable
Total
failure
USES IDEAS
FROM CLASS
Explained the use of
each idea with explicit
examples of how and
reasons for why.
Explained the use of
each idea with explicit
examples of how and
reasons for why.
Explained the use of
some ideas with some
examples of how and
why.
Only listed ideas
with few examples
of how and little or
no why.
."General list with no
explanations.
Ignored this
requirement
PROJECT
SHOWS
PLANNING AND
RELEVANCE TO
ACTUAL HIGH
SCHOOL CLASS
WORK
Explicitly links ideas to
student needs. Sets
goals for what students
will practice and learn.
Evidence of linking
ideas to student needs.
Mention of what
students would learn
and practice.
Some evidence of
linking ideas to student
needs. Mention of what
students would learn.
Some evidence of
student needs.
Mention of what
students would
learn.
Very general with only
passing reference to
student needs.
Poor or no plan for
using this project.
PRESENTATION
OF PROJECT TO
THE GROUP
Presentation was wellorganized. Handouts
were clear and easy to
understand. Visual aids
added to presentation.
Generated productive
discussion.
Presentation was
organized. Handouts
were clear and easy to
understand. Visual aids
added to presentation.
Generated productive
discussion.
Presentation was not
organized. Handouts
were clear and easy to
understand. Visual aids
added little to
presentation. Generated
some discussion
Presentation was
disorganized.
Handouts were
unclear or not
discussed clearly.
Visual aids added
little to presentation.
Group discussion
was downplayed.
Presentation was
disorganized. Handouts
were vague and poorly
written. Visual aids were
distracting or not used.
Lacked any
semblance of
preparation or failed
to show up.
HANDLING OF
QUESTIONS
FROM THE
GROUP
Took positive,
professional attitude
toward answering
without becoming
defensive. Used
questions to add
pertinent material and
generate discussion.
Took positive attitude
toward answering
without becoming
defensive. Used
questions to add
pertinent material or
generate discussion.
Took positive attitude
toward answering
without becoming
defensive. Used
questions to add
pertinent material or
generate discussion.
Tended to react
negatively, but still
worked to address
the questions.
Down-played questions.
Became very defensive.
Had no solutions.
Was not prepared
for questions. Used
the words "you
know" or "whatever"
several times.