Advanced Placement English Language
CLASS INFORMATION & GENERAL SYLLABUS, 2015 - 2016
Powdersville High School—Dr. Rosenberg: email - [email protected]
COURSE DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES
Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition is a college level course that
deals in recognizing, analyzing, and expressing ideas. Students will spend the year
considering important ideas advanced throughout history as they test their own ideas
against those of others. Due to the challenging nature of Advanced Placement coursework,
this course demands each student’s best effort, all the time.
Specifically, AP English Language is intended to engage students in becoming skilled readers
of prose from various periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts, and in becoming skilled
writers who compose for a variety of purposes. It brings into focus the interactions among
a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects, as it promotes examination of the
conventions and resources of language that contribute to effective writing.
Students in AP English Language and Composition will work towards an appreciation of the
rhetorical and aesthetic dimensions that contribute to rich and effective writing. Students
will take the AP examination in May (possibly earning scores that lead to college English
credit) and will continue to develop as appreciative life-long readers and effective writers
who think deeply and analyze critically. According to guidelines promoted by The College
Board, students should be able to do the following upon completion of this course:
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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 writing;
create and sustain arguments based on readings, research, and/or personal
experience;
write for a variety of purposes;
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 writing;
demonstrate understanding of the conventions of citing primary and secondary
sources;
effectively research, draft, revise, and reflect upon personal writing;
analyze image as text; and,
evaluate and incorporate references into researched essays using an established
format.
—Course Description: Advanced Placement English, The College Board (2006).
REQUIRED TEXTS & MATERIALS
Primary Texts: The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric, Renee H.
Shea, Lawrence Scalon, and Robin Dissin Aufses, editors (Beford/St.Martins, 2013)
and 50 Essays, Samuel Cohen, editor (Bedford/St.Martins, 2004) [Teacher resource
Teaching Nonfiction in AP English, Renee H. Shea and Lawrence Scanlon (Bedford/St.
Martins, 2005) used with 50 Essays]
❑ Supplemental Texts and Resources: *Thank You for Arguing, J. Heinrichs; The Lively
Art of Writing, Lucille Vaughn Payne (Mentor Books, 1965); Letters of a Nation,
Andrew Carroll, editor (Broadway Books, 1999); and various instructor-provided
handouts and texts (to include guides essays, stories, poems, speeches, journal
entries, letters, and assorted photographs, cartoons, and illustrations); Writing
America: Language and Composition in Text, David A. Jolliffe, Hephzibah Roskelly,
editors (Pearson, 2014)
Novels and Plays: *The Road by Andrew McCarthy, *Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte,
Frankenstein (Mary Shelley); The Things They Carried (Tim O’Brien); Things Fall Apart
(Chinua Achebe); Fences (August Wilson); Trifles (Susan Glaspell); and Lady
Windemere’s Fan (Oscar Wilde) [Note: Novels and plays will may be individually
checked, purchased, or provided by instructor from class sets]
❑ Bound composition book for in-class writing
❑ Loose-leaf paper and binder with the following sections:
▪ Vocabulary
▪ Notes
▪ Handouts
▪ Homework
❑ Pencils
❑ Ink pens (black ink only, please)
❑ Highlighters (several colors)
❑ Other materials as needed for projects
❑ iPad
*Denotes summer reading assignment
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USE OF iPAD IN ADVANCED PLACEMENT LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION CLASS
The iPad will not be used for writing timed essays in class. The actual AP exam requires
students to write essays in a 40 minute time period using both pen and paper. Novels may
be downloaded on Ebooks on the iPad and used to read outside of class. At no time may
students play games or listen to music in AP Language and Composition class. This is a
college level class environment and students are expected to both work and learn at the
college level.
ACTIVITIES & ASSIGNMENTS OVERVIEW
This class will be structured to integrate reading, composition, and discussion with a series
of topical workshops addressing various factors relevant to written and oral expression.
Readings each quarter will primarily include essays, speeches, letters, and non-fiction
selections arranged in two thematic units per quarter. Some poetry and fiction, including at
least one novel or play will also be covered each quarter.
While class discussion will often focus on critical analysis strategies applied to current
reading, instructional time will be also be devoted to composition, vocabulary, and relevant
study of historical, biographical, and cultural information.
Composition
1) Informal writings, such as ungraded free-writes, reaction papers, and journal entries,
will provide regular and frequent opportunities to engage in informal exploratory
writing. They also allow for reflective writing that connects reading to personal
experience and enables students to examine the
process of their own writing. Composition books (“in-class journals” that will remain
in the classroom) will be used for frequent free-write responses to prompts related
to class reading. Students will also use these journals to analyze and reflect on
weekly quotations and visual texts (cartoons, paintings, graphs, and illustrations)
that are often related to thematic reading.
2) Special writing assignments coordinated with writing workshops will enable students
to practice rhetorical strategies, sentence combination, subordination/coordination,
paragraph organization, and the use of transitions. Particular emphasis in these
workshop activities will be placed on balancing generalization and specific
illustrative detail and incorporating direct quotes. These components of effective
composition will also be reinforced in regular peer-revision activities and instructor
feedback response. The analysis and effective use of voice and tone will often be
reviewed and practiced through in-class journal exercises from Voice Lessons (Nancy
Dean) and other activities.
3) Students will complete Critical Reading Portfolios (CRPs) for each novel and play.
Each portfolio requires students to engage in analysis, reflection, and evaluation.
Students examine structure, style, tone, characterization, plot, theme, imagery, and
symbolism. Students are also expected to explain biographical, social, and historical
concerns and values that are relevant to the novel/play. The final sections of the
CRP require students to select and comment on important quotes and evaluate the
work and its significance.
4) During each quarter students will write a minimum of three essays, some of which
will be timed, in-class essays. At least one of these per quarter will be composed in
conjunction with a writing workshop and will be revised following peer-editing and
instructor feedback. These essays will include expository, analytical, and
argumentative assignments. Scores for all essays, with the exception of the formal
researched essay, will be based upon the general AP rubric provided.
5) Students are required to write one formal MLA-format extended essay that is
persuasive in nature and answers a question at issue by synthesizing researched
support.
6) In the spring semester students will select compositions that will be used to build a
portfolio. Required writings will include college application essays, the research
essay, and several analytical and evaluative essays. Portfolios should also include
sample projects and a written reflection that will be completed prior to taking the
AP exam.
Vocabulary
1) Students will maintain a vocabulary journal in their class notebooks, defining and
correctly using in sentences five unfamiliar words from reading selections each
week. Word root discussions and mnemonic stories will be used to enhance
vocabulary awareness and usage skills.
2) Each week an average of ten terms (a combination of student-submitted words and
instructor-provided relevant rhetorical terms and words commonly appearing on AP
and SAT exams) will be added to vocabulary journals. These lists will be the basis for
vocabulary quizzes (mostly sentence completion and paragraph composition)
administered four to five times per quarter.
3) Appropriate word choice and correct use of vocabulary is expected in written
assignments. The use of wide-ranging denotative and richly connotative language is
rewarded.
Other Projects and Assessments
1) Homework will usually consist of reading and informal writing assignments,
including SOAPStone analyses, journal entries, and reaction papers.
2) Students should expect regular reading checks and quizzes that require a working
knowledge of textual details from assigned reading. Quizzes will often provide
opportunities answer multiple choice questions that require students to answer
reading passage questions similar in approach and format to those on the AP English
Language exam.
3) Tests, administered quarterly, will be similar in format to the AP English Language
examination and will include multiple choice passage analysis items and in-class
essay response.
4) Students will occasionally prepare projects and presentations to enhance class
experience and foster greater appreciation of reading selections and their historical,
social, and cultural significance. Students are encouraged to incorporate technology
(power point presentations, digital photography, and digital video) and art
(illustration, music, and, dramatic performance) into projects when appropriate.
QUARTERLY SCHEDULE
Readings are grouped thematically around two or three broad issues each quarter and will
primarily include essays, speeches, and letters. Often these will be supplemented by the
viewing of various non-print media resources. Poetry, short stories, and a novel and/or play
are also included each quarter to help demonstrate how various effects are achieved
through rhetorical and linguistic choices made by writers. A number of workshops aimed at
helping students understand and apply rhetorical theory, grow as readers, and enhance
writing skills will be provided throughout the year. Rhetorical strategies, vocabulary, and
composition skills explored in workshops will be applied and practiced in a variety of formal
and informal writing assignments. Listed below is a quarterly breakdown of some of the
focal works students will read, workshops that will be facilitated, and representative writing
assignments that will be completed:
FIRST QUARTER
Theme I—“War, Peace, and Politics”
Readings: The Things They Carried (Tim O’Brien); “The War Prayer” (Mark Twain);
“Introductory Notes to The Crucible” (Arthur Miller); excerpts from The Prince (Niccolo
Machiavelli);,”Thoughts on Peace in an Air Raid” (Virginia Woolf); “National Prejudices”
(Oliver Goldsmith); “Military-Industrial Complex Speech/1961 Address to Congress” (Dwight
D. Eisenhower); “Politics and the English Language” and “Shooting an Elephant” (George
Orwell); “Every Dictator’s Nightmare” (Wole Soyinka); “The Gettysburg Address” (Abraham
Lincoln); other instructor-selected essays, letters, and speeches; student-selected essay(s);
counterpoints and miscellaneous readings
Theme II—“On Writing”
Readings: Excerpts from One Writer’s Beginnings (Eudora Welty); excerpts from On Writing
(Stephen King); “How to Write a War Story” (Tim O’Brien); selected sections from Thank
Your for Arguing (J. Heinrichs) The Lively Art of Writing (Lucille Vaughn Payne); excerpts
from On Writing Well (William Zinsser); “How to Say Nothing in 500 Words” (Paul McHenry
Roberts); other instructor-selected essays, letters, and speeches, student-selected essay(s);
counterpoints and miscellaneous readings
First Quarter Workshops:
o “The College Board and the AP Examination”—Information about the
program, format of the AP exam, and use of the scoring rubric; students will
take a diagnostic AP exam from released materials.
o “Rhetorical Foundations”—An examination of Aristotle, the rhetorical
triangle, rhetorical appeals, rhetorical strategies, and rhetorical modes;
students will recognize logical, ethical, and emotional appeals in formal
writing and popular media; students will also be able to analyze and evaluate
rhetorical strategies in essays.
o Composition Workshop I: “Responding to the Prompt”—A look at the
process of turning a statement prompt into a question that can be answered
in a clear and specific thesis statement; students will practice responding to
prompts in short writing assignments, then apply skills to essay assignments.
o Composition Workshop II: “Getting Organized”—Suggestions for going
beyond the five-paragraph theme and writing strong introductions,
conclusions, and transitions; students will apply strategies to in-class and
out-of-class essays.
o Composition Workshop III: “A Balancing Act: General Ideas/Specific
Details”—An in-depth consideration of the importance of going beyond plot
summary by supporting abstraction and general ideas with textual reference
and concrete details; students will examine an essay and use four colored
highlighters to mark generalizations, abstractions, and textual references
made through paraphrase and direct quotation; students will then revise the
essay, demonstrating the ability to balance generalization and details,
correctly incorporating direct quotes.
o Composition Workshop IV: “The College Application Essay”—Discussion of
the college application process and particulars of the application essay;
students will bring in sample college application essay prompts, brainstorm
ideas, and begin essays for at-home completion.
Compostion Prompts:
o Informal Writing/Visual Image Response: Find three magazine or newspaper
advertisements, each of which illustrates at least one of the three basic
appeals (logic, ethics, emotion). Clip the ads and write an analysis of how the
advertiser appeals to the public.
o Informal Writing: A good poem may be similar to a good essay in the way it
uses images and literary or rhetorical devices to make a point about an issue.
Identify an issue Robert Lowell addresses in “For the Union Dead” and
analyze his use of images and strategies in the development of his ideas. 1)
What is the question you are to answer? 2) What is your answer? 3) Write a
one-two sentence answer to this question. Be sure your answer is specific
and insightful. 3) Write a bulleted list of supports/quotes. 4) Why is the
issue addressed in the poem important? How is it relevant today? How can
you or others connect to this issue?
o Informal Writing: How are most politicians perceived today? Why are they
perceived in these ways? Discuss your thoughts in a seven-minute freewrite. [connect to Orwell’s “Politics and the English Language”]
o Informal Writing: For next class, respond in writing to our weekly quote by
explaining the point it makes and discussing whether you agree or disagree
with the opinion expressed. List and explain your reasons. Quote: “What
difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether
the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy
name of liberty or democracy?”–Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), "NonViolence in Peace and War"
o Out-of-Class Essay: In paragraph seven of “Shooting an Elephant” George
Orwell observes that “when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom
that he destroys,” and that “He wears a mask, and his face grows to fit it.”
Consider the implications of these statements about human nature and write
an essay in which you support, refute, or qualify Orwell’s paradox and
metaphor. Use your own reading, knowledge, and/or experience to support
your argument.
o Creative Writing: Write an essay that is imitative of Tim O’Brien’s “The
Things They Carried” and details the things that you carry as a student, son,
daughter, or young adult.
o Timed In-Class Essay: Compare and contrast paragraph fourteen of “Politics
and the English Language” with the paragraph from Toni Morrison’s 1993
Nobel Prize acceptance speech (see page 541, Language of Composition).
o Revision: Revise your timed in-class essay to correct mechanical problems
noted in peer and instructor feedback. Using strategies discussed in our
composition workshop, strive in your revision to improve organization and
provide more detailed textual support of generalizations.
SECOND QUARTER
Theme III—“Humor and the Art of Satire”
Readings: “A Modest Proposal” (Jonathan Swift); “The Rape of the Lock” (Alexander Pope);
“Hasty Pudding” (Joel Barlow); Lady Windermere’s Fan (Oscar Wilde); “Lost in the Kitchen”
(Dave Barry); selected essays from The Onion; selected excerpts from comic routines by
Andy Sedaris, Jerry Seinfeld, Lewis Black, and other comedians; other instructor-selected
essays, letters, and speeches; student-selected essay(s); counterpoints and miscellaneous
readings
Theme IV—“Women and Society”
Readings: “Women’s ‘Brains” (Stephen J. Gould); “There is No Unmarked Woman”
(Deborah Tannen);”Ain’t I a Woman?” (Sojourner Truth); “Barbie Doll” (Marge Piercy);
Trifles (Susan Glaspell); “I Want a Wife” (Judy Brady); (Virginia Woolf); “The Yellow
Wallpaper” (Charlotte Perkins Gilman); other instructor-selected essays, letters, and
speeches; student-selected essay(s); counterpoints and miscellaneous readings
Theme V— “The Nature of Art”
Readings: “The Writing Life” (Annie Dillard); “Listening” (Eudora Welty); “In Praise of a
Snail’s Pace” (Ellen Goodman); “Introduction to Poetry” (Billy Collins); “The Ways We Lie”
(Stephanie Ericsson); “The Death of the Moth” (Virginia Woolf); “Speech to the Graduating
Class” (Tim O’Brien); “The Idea of Order at Key West” (Wallace Stevens); “Show and Tell”
[graphic essay] (Scott McCloud); other instructor-selected essays, letters, and speeches;
student-selected essay(s); counterpoints and miscellaneous readings
Second Quarter Workshops:
o Composition Workshop V: “Words, Words, Words”—Consideration of the
importance of rich and varied vocabulary that conveys meaning and
establishes clear voice and appropriate tone; students will analyze their class
writing up to this point, focusing on word choice and recognition of pet
words and vague diction, then rewrite passages/essays to improve clarity
and voice.
o Composition Workshop VI: “The Sentence”—Examination of syntax,
sentence combination, and sentence emphasis, paying particular attention to
coordinating equal ideas and subordinating less important ones; students will
practice strategies in a current essay assignment.
o Composition Workshop VII: “How to Write a ‘9’ Essay”—Exploration of AP
essay prompts, including a look at strategies for each question; students will
write timed AP essays and practice scoring using the general AP rubric.
o Composition Workshop VIII: “Format and the Critical Essay”—A review of
research and synthesis strategies that involves work with MLA format and
considers other format styles; students will consider potential topics through
exploratory free-writing, and begin work on their formal persuasive synthesis
essays.
o “Images and Graphics as Text”—An exploration of various visual arts and
graphic illustration as alternative texts; students will view, analyze, and
respond in writing and art to a wide variety of images and graphics.
Composition Prompts:
o Out-of-Class Essay/Visual Image Response: Read/view the graphic essay
from Show and Tell by Scott McCloud. Respond to the following prompt
from Language of Composition: Charles McGrath, an editor of The New York
Times Book Review, wrote in a 2004 essay “Not Funnies,” that comic books
are what novels used to be—an accessible, vernacular form with mass
appeal.” He says that if “highbrows” are right, they are a “form perfectly
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suited to our dumbed-down culture and collective attention deficit.” Based
on your consideration of McCloud’s graphic essay, how might he respond to
McGrath and the “highbrows”?
Timed In-Class Essay: From talk radio to television shows, from popular
magazines to Web blogs, ordinary citizens, political figures, and entertainers
express their opinions on a wide range of topics. Are these opinions
worthwhile? Does the expression of such opinions foster democratic values?
Write an essay in which you take a position on the value of such public
statements of opinion, supporting your view with appropriate evidence.
(2006 AP Language and Composition exam)
Informal Writing/Visual Image Response: Examine the “Cathy” cartoon by
Cathy Guisewite on page 405 in your Language of Composition text. Briefly
discuss the “story,” then state the point Guisewite is making in this strip. The
cartoon is clearly meant to be funny, but should the humorous tone be
described as more ironic, acerbic, sarcastic, witty, or amusing? Explain.
Extended Formal Essay: Identify a local, regional, national, or global question
at issue to analyze in an eight-ten page essay formatted according to MLA
guidelines. Evaluate, use, and cite appropriate sources that support an
opinion you are persuading your audience to accept as a “solution” to this
issue. References to a minimum of five outside sources should be correctly
incorporated and cited.
Revision: Revise one timed in-class essay to correct mechanical problems
noted in peer and instructor feedback. Use strategies discussed in our
composition workshops to improve diction and eliminate vague or less than
effective word choice.
THIRD QUARTER
Theme VI: “The Individual Spirit”
Readings: “This I Believe” essays (National Public Radio); “Self-Reliance” (Ralph Waldo
Emerson); “Resistance to Civil Government” (Henry David Thoreau); “Learning to Read”
(Malcolm X); “Learning to Read and Write” (Frederick Douglass); “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry”
(Walt Whitman); other instructor-selected essays, letters, and speeches; student-selected
essay(s); counterpoints and miscellaneous readings
Theme VII: “Science & Nature”
Readings: Excerpts from Sand County Almanac (Aldo Leopold); excerpts from Bartram’s
Travels (William Bartram) excerpts from A Walk in the Woods (Bill Bryson); excerpts from
Silent Spring (Rachel Carson); excerpt from Nature (Ralph Waldo Emerson); “Message to
President Pierce” (Chief Seattle); “Against Nature” (Joyce Carol Oates); “The Method of
Scientific Investigation” (Thomas Henry Huxley); “The Reach of Imagination” (Jacob
Bronowski); other instructor-selected essays, letters, and speeches; student-selected
essay(s); counterpoints and miscellaneous readings
Theme VIII: “Race and Culture in America”
Readings: “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (Martin Luther King, Jr.); Love Medicine (Louise
Erdrich); “Aria: Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood” (Richard Rodriguez); “What You Pawn, I
Will Redeem” (Sherman Alexie); Fences (August Wilson);
excerpts from Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison); other instructor-selected essays, letters, and
speeches; student-selected essay(s); counterpoints and miscellaneous readings
Workshops:
o Third Quarter workshops will include reviews and advanced work in areas of
concern or difficulty for students.
o Composition Workshop IX: Individual Conferences—One-on-one reviews of
student work up to this point; students will meet with instructor to discuss
individual work.
Composition Prompts:
o Informal Writing (from Weekly Quote Board): Ralph Waldo Emerson writes
in Self-Reliance that “a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,
adored by little statesmen, philosophers, and divines.” Free-write on what
this assertion means to you and whether you agree with it or not. Explain
and illustrate your thoughts with examples from your experience, reading, or
awareness of social/political issues.
o In-Class Writing (from Vocabulary Quiz): Use five of your vocabulary words
for this week in a cohesive paragraph that demonstrates your understanding
of the meaning and usage of each term.
o Out-of-Class Essay: Using our reading of “This I Believe” essays that aired on
National Public Radio, write your own essay which expresses a belief
important to you. Follow guidelines for submission provided by NPR.
o Timed In-Class Essay: Some novels and plays seem to advocate changes in
social or political attitudes or traditions. Note the particular attitudes or
traditions that Ralph Ellison apparently wishes to modify in Invisible Man.
Then analyze the rhetorical techniques Ellison uses to influence the reader’s
or audience’s views.
o Timed In-Class Essay: Read the following speech delivered by Alfred M.
Green in Philadelphia in April 1861, the first month of the Civil War. African
Americans were not yet permitted to join the Union Army, but Green felt
that they should strive to be admitted to the ranks and prepare to enlist.
Read the speech carefully. Then write an essay in which you analyze the
methods that Green uses to persuade his fellow African Americans to join the
Union forces. (2003 AP Language and Composition exam)
o Revision: Revise one timed in-class essay to correct mechanical problems
noted in peer and instructor feedback. Use strategies discussed in our
composition workshops to establish clear voice and appropriate tone.
FOURTH QUARTER
Theme IX: “Faith & Reason”
Readings: Things Fall Apart (Chinua Achebe); excerpts from Decolonising the Mind (Ngugi
wa Thiongo); “The Second Coming” (W.B. Yeats); “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema”
(“Horace Miner”); “Salvation” (Langston Hughes); “Allegory of the Cave” (Plato); “The
Lowest Animal” (Mark Twain); “A Good Man is Hard to Find” (Flannery O’Connor); other
instructor-selected essays, letters, and speeches; student-selected essay(s); counterpoints
and miscellaneous readings
Theme X: “Fact, Fiction, Journalism, & Memoir”
Readings: “Graduation” (Maya Angelou); excerpts from In Cold Blood (Truman Capote);
“Corn-Pone Opinions” (Mark Twain); excerpts from Walden (Henry David Thoreau); “On
Being a Cripple” (Nancy Mairs); “Mt. Holyoke Commencement Address” (Anna Quindlen);
other instructor-selected essays, letters, and speeches; student-selected essay(s);
counterpoints and miscellaneous readings
Workshops:
o “Oral Presentation”—Discussion of speech delivery and oral presentation
strategies; students will practice and incorporate guidelines and strategies
into class presentations of persuasive essay topics.
o “Exam Preparation Review”—Recap of multiple choice and essay strategies
related to each type of essay question (defense/ refutation/qualification,
analysis of rhetorical strategies, and synthesis); students will take a released
exam that may be used as a final exam for the class.
o Composition Workshop X: Final Individual Conferences—One-on-one
reviews of student work up to this point; students will meet with instructor
to discuss individual work.
Composition Prompts:
o In-Class Timed Essay: Read the excerpt from a letter written by the
eighteenth-century author Lord Chesterfield to his young son, who was
traveling far from home. Read the passage carefully. Then, in a well-written
essay, analyze how the rhetorical strategies that Chesterfield uses reveal his
own values. (2004 AP English Language and Composition exam)
o In-Class Timed Essay: Using the seven print and non-print sources in the
packet provided, write a synthesis essay on how important individuality is in
a democratic society. You must synthesize at least three of the sources for
support.
o Out-of-Class Essay: In preparation for our final individual conferences, write a
two-page reflection on the writing you have done in this class. Have you
grown as a writer? If so, how? What are some problem areas that may still
require conscious effort on your part as you write? How do you feel about
your literary analysis skills at this point?
o Revision: Revise one timed in-class essay to correct mechanical problems
noted in peer and instructor feedback. Use strategies discussed in our
composition workshops to improve sentence structure and
subordination/coordination issues.
GRADING
Grades assigned in AP English Literature & Composition will be categorized by type and
weighted accordingly. Unless otherwise noted, essays will be scored using the AP general
rubric and homework, and project work will be scored using the participation rubric.
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Homework, participation, reading checks and quizzes
Essays, tests and projects
35%
65%
Mid-Term & Final Exams count as 10% of each semester grade. Be sure to note the grade
weighting used for AP classes as specified in the state grade point average conversion table
provided in your school handbook.
POLICIES & PROCEDURES NOTES
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Primary texts, current works being studied, notebook, and pen/pencil should be
brought to class each day unless otherwise instructed.
Class assignments, including CRPs, and homework will not be accepted late.
Major assignments such as projects and essays and will be subject to the
Powdersville High School policy for late assignments; no major assignments or
test make-ups will be accepted after one week past the due date without
approval. This is a college level class and college level work is expected.
Students will be expected to read longer works mostly outside of class, take
appropriate notes, answer assigned questions, prepare a Critical Reading
Portfolio (CRP) entry, and be prepared for class discussion by the specified date.
Most essays grades will be evaluated using our AP English Language &
Composition General Rubric.
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Class discussion in AP is extremely important. Each student is expected to keep
up with all assignments and contribute to class discussion as much as possible.
Students and parents should be aware of the challenging nature of AP
coursework. Parents are asked to sign the form at the bottom of the attached
letter and are encouraged to contact Dr. Rosenberg if there are any questions or
concerns about the class or our syllabus.
WEB RESOURCES
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about.html
AP Central: Information for students and parents about AP courses and testing college
information
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
An online writing lab
http://www.usd.edu/engl/resources_ac.html
Links to online writing labs, Thesaurus, dictionaries, research tips, and timed writing tips
http://www.bartleby.com/141/
Stunk and White’s Elements of Style
http://www.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citation.htm
Best site for documentation guidelines; includes APA, MLA, and other citation styles;
includes guidelines for incorporating documentation into an essay
http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
Grammar review for specific areas of language usage; allows for individualized instruction
on grammar usage
http://www.wordcounter.com/
Type in a paper and the software will analyze it paper for overused words
AP English Language & Composition
Critical Reading Portfolio Guidelines
For each novel and drama we read in class, you will prepare a Critical Reading Portfolio
(CRP) entry. It is important to read each work of literature with pen and/or highlighter in
hand to take notes in the text or in your notebook. You will use your notes to prepare CRP
entries, which should be word-processed and turned in for Level 2 grades by each
submission deadline. Please print TWO copies of each entry—one for your own portfolio,
and one for a class portfolio. These CRP entries will be used for class discussions and
writings, but they will also come in handy as review material to use prior to the AP Exam.
Each entry should have the following ten numbered and labeled sections:
Section I: Significance of Title
Briefly discuss the significance of the title. Is it an allusion to an event or another work?
How is the title thematically connected to the body of the work? Does it have multiple
meanings? Explain.
Section II: Author
Briefly discuss the author and how the work reflects the concerns of its creator. Who is the
author? What are his/her major themes issues? How does the work demonstrate concerns
important to the author and the social issues, values, and culture of his/her time?
Section III: Setting
Describe the time and place in which the action occurs. How is it related to the time period
in which the work was written? What is significant about the setting? How is the setting
connected to thematic concerns?
Section IV: Plot
Briefly summarize the plot, using standard formats of basic plot structure as they may
apply: exposition, initial incident, rising action, turning point, climax, falling action, and
resolution. Discuss conflict and any other devices that significantly impact plot.
Section V: Point of View
From what perspective is the story told? From what perspective does the author approach
the story? How does point of view affect your understanding of the work? How does the
choice of narrator impact the theme(s) of the work?
Section VI: Characterization
Identify the characters in order of importance (starting with protagonist and antagonist)
and describe them and their roles in the work. Discuss any characters that have a
significant impact on the work. Be sure to include physical and psychological details in your
descriptions.
Section VII: Theme
What are some of the issues presented? Identify and discuss any important messages and
ideas the author communicates in the work. Remember that themes are important ideas
conveyed—in order for an idea to be important (and, therefore, thematic) it must be
repeated.
Section VIII: Symbols & Literary Devices
Identify and discuss symbols and literary devices used in the work. How did these affect
your understanding of the work? How are they important in their connection to theme and
meaning in the work? You should consider such devices as symbolism, diction, metaphor,
imagery, irony, and humor whenever they have a meaningful impact on any part of the
work.
Section IX: Quotes
Select and list three to five quotes that illustrate an important theme or idea in the work.
Discuss the element of theme, plot, setting, or literary device connected to each quote. Be
sure to use quotation marks and include a page number.
Section X: Response
Discuss your response to this work. Did you enjoy it? Why/Why not? What elements of
the book did you enjoy/not enjoy? What is your appraisal of the work and its place within
the canon of world literature? Would you recommend it to someone else? What type of
person would enjoy this work most? Most importantly, what connections are there
between this work and the world that you live in?
AP Holistic Grading Rubric
This is a general rubric based upon Advanced Placement English scoring. It will be used for
all essays, including those written as a part of a major test. Ten points per day late will be
deducted for the overall score of essay assignments not submitted in class on the day they
are due. Low number scores in the two-number descriptions listed below will receive
scores that that are lower in the score range.
9-8 essays have an excellent thesis that is supported with strong evidence and examples.
They are specific in their references, cogent in their definitions, and free of summary that is
not relevant to the question. These essays need not be without flaws, but they demonstrate
the writer's ability to discuss a work of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry with insight and
understanding and to control a wide range of the elements of effective composition (e.g.,
mechanics, organization, and vocabulary). At all times they stay focused on the prompt,
providing specific support--mostly through direct quotations--and connecting scholarly
commentary to overall meaning. In 9/8 essays the student voice comes through. (95-100)
7-6 essays are less thorough, less perceptive or less specific than 9-8 papers. They are
very well-written but with less maturity and control. While they demonstrate the writer's
ability to analyze a work of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, they reveal a more limited
understanding and less stylistic maturity than do the papers in the 9-8 range. Though the
elements of composition demonstrated in these essays may show some flaws or lapses,
they are still well done overall. (84-94)
5 essays are safe and “plastic”; superficiality characterizes these essays. Discussion of
meaning may be formulaic, mechanical, or inadequately related to the chosen details.
Typically, these essays reveal simplistic thinking and/or immature writing. They usually
demonstrate inconsistent control over the elements of composition and are not as well
conceived, organized, or developed as the upper-half papers. However, the writing is
sufficient to convey the writer's ideas, stays mostly focused on the prompt, and contains at
least some effort to produce analysis, direct or indirect. (76-83)
4-3 essays are likely to be unpersuasive, perfunctory, underdeveloped or misguided. The
meaning they deduce may be inaccurate or insubstantial and not clearly related to the
question. Part of the question may be omitted altogether. The writing may convey the
writer's ideas, but it reveals weak control over such elements as diction, organization,
syntax or grammar. Typically, these essays contain significant misinterpretations of the
question or the work they discuss; they may also contain little, if any, supporting evidence,
and practice paraphrase and plot summary at the expense of analysis. (64-75)
2-1 essays compound the weakness of essays in the 4-3 range and are frequently
unacceptably brief. They are poorly written on several counts, including many
distracting errors in grammar and mechanics. Although the writer may have made some
effort to answer the question, the views presented have little clarity or coherence. (1-63)
0 indicates that no essay was written. (0)
[Adapted 2001/Rev 2006; assembled using the collective input of AP English teachers on
the AP EDG and from AP Institutes]
ASSESSMENT AND GRADING
A= 93-100
B = 85-92
C= 77-84
D= 70-76
F= 69 or below
Students must exercise good judgment and time management with regard to assignments.
Conferences are available for students who may need assistance, but deadlines are firm
and help should be sought BEFORE due dates. The analytical papers assigned through the
year will reflect the type of academic writing required of students in college courses. Writing
will be the foundation for this course, and the AP 9-point rubric will be used to assess most
essays. The 9-point scale will be converted to numerical grades as shown in the following
tables:
1st SEMESTER
2nd SEMESTER
AP Score
%
Comment
AP Score
%
9
100
brilliant
9
100
brilliant
8+
99
extraordinary
8+
99
extraordinary
8
98
impressive
8
98
impressive
8-
96
excellent
8-
96
excellent
7+
95
7+
95
7
94
7
94
very strong
Comment
very strong
7-
93
7-
93
6+
92
6+
92
6
91
6
91
6-
90
6-
90
5+
89
5+
88
5
86
5
85
5-
84
5-
84
4+
82
4+
80
4
80
4
78
4-
78
4-
76
3+
76
3+
74
3
74
3
72
3-
72
3-
70
2+
70
2+
68
2
68
poor
2
66
poor
1
60
barely attempted
1
50
barely attempted
strong
good/creditable
barely creditable
weak; not creditable
strong
good/creditable
barely creditable
weak;not creditable
Letter grades will be determined according to the following weighted categories:
Major (Summative) Assessments……………………………..………60% of grade Minor
(Formative) Assessments…………….………………...…>…….…...…40% of grade
Major grade assessments (65%) may include Practice AP Tests, Timed Writings, Research
Paper, Unit Tests, and Projects
Minor grade assessments (35%) may include Reading Check Quizzes, Homework, Class
Participation
Homework will consist of reading assignments and responses, formal and informal writing
assignments, and group and individual projects.
FREQUENTLY USED ASSESSMENTS
Students will demonstrate their understanding in a broad variety of ways, including but not
limited to the following:
Reading Check Quizzes are used primarily to assure that students understand the content
of the selection. For those who are motivated by grades, reading check quizzes are a good
reason to do daily reading outside of class. These quizzes will not be announced.
AP Multiple Choice and Free Response Questions about literary selections we are reading
in class will be graded as quizzes instead of practice.
Unit Review & Reflection Essays will be used at the end of a series of reading selections to
determine the students’ level of understanding of the themes conveyed in those
selections.
Literary Analysis Papers will assess students’ ability to interpret and explicate literature, and
in some cases, apply scholarly theories to their own interpretations.
Timed Writings will assess students’ ability to read critically, organize, and compose a
response in a short period of time as required on the AP exam.
College Research will assess students’ ability to locate information using the internet,
college catalogues, and personal interviews.
Vocabulary Quizzes will test students’ recall and ability to effectively use literary terms and
reading vocabulary.
BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS
A good classroom atmosphere depends on mutual respect. Rest assured that I will have the
utmost respect for every student in my class. In turn, I ask that you respect each other’s
opinions and interpretations, you respect your instructor, and that you have a healthy
respect for the material and the class in general. Together we will be on time for class, be
prepared for class, learn a great deal from each other, and laugh often.
MATERIALS
Three ring binder (section to keep graded “timed essays” and practice AP exams
Notebook paper
Pens/pencils Highlighters
Variety of Post-it Notes
Flash drive
Outside Novels (please check Ebooks for titles that can be downloaded)
Please print the following two pages, sign where appropriate and return to Dr.
Rosenberg within the first week of class. Please let me know if you would like for me
to send home a copy for your signatures.
STUDENT AND PARENT ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AP LANGUAGE SYLLABUS
Student Name:____________________________________________________________
_____ I have read Dr. Rosenberg’s syllabus in its entirety, and I agree to the following
policies and procedures. I understand what is expected of an AP Literature & Composition
student. I will succeed in AP Literature & Composition.
_____ I understand that Advanced Placement Language and Composition is a college level
class and playing games or listening to music on my iPad during classroom instruction is
unacceptable.
_____ I understand a passing score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP Language and Composition
Exam will allow me to receive college credit.
The score I aim to make on the AP Language & Composition Exam in May:
_____ 5
_____ 4
_____ 3
Student Signature ______________________________________Date: _________
[Continued on next page]
I have read Dr. Rosenberg’s syllabus in its entirety, and I will make sure my child is doing
his/her best to succeed in AP Language & Composition. I am aware there will be lessons
posted on MyHomework and class information will be posted on Dr. Rosenberg’s web page.
I understand what is expected of my child.
Name(s):Parent/Guardian ___________________________________________
Parent/Guardian
Email(s):_________________________________________________________
NOTE: I send home emails on a weekly basis and depend on the email address you have
listed in Parent Portal to be current. Please let me know if your email changes at any time
during the school year to ensure you are receiving AP Language information from me.
Please let me know of any circumstances that might prevent your child from working to his
or her fullest potential. This information is confidential.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________