AP English Language and Composition
Syllabus
Course Overview
Advanced Placement Language and Composition is a course in literature and writing
which prepares students in their junior year of high school to participate in the AP
examination in May. Through the course’s accelerated readings and writings,
students will learn how to identify, analyze, and utilize the power of rhetoric to
persuade an audience. The course involves an interdisciplinary study of literature,
and students will connect readings and writings to history, art, music, and other
disciplines in order to more completely understand rhetorical structure. Because of
its rigor, the course should be considered writing and reading intensive with a
substantial and demanding workload. In order to be successful in the course,
students must be organized and disciplined. Students will be expected to manage
in-class activities, outside readings, and long-term assignments simultaneously.
The course provides students with the skills and strategies in reading and
composition to prepare them for the rigor of a collegiate setting. By the end of the
year, students should be able to analyze and synthesize information from primary
and secondary sources, [C7] as well as to write in lean, tight, and fluid prose. In
order to accomplish this goal, students will annotate works in order to develop close
reading skills. As part of this reading process, students will study various modes of
writing, such as expository, narrative, persuasive, and technical. [C1] Students will
study these texts for the author’s use of style through syntax, diction, tone, mood,
character, structure, perspective, imagery, figurative language, and theme. In
addition to these tools of prose, students also will study the tools of rhetoric,
especially in the context argumentation and persuasion, including the study of
logical fallacies, propaganda, organizational patterns, and rhetorical devices. During
the discussion of rhetoric, the course will include art, photography, film, and
advertisements so that students can understand the ways in which rhetoric can be
used in other media. [C6] Students will implement these tools and strategies into
their own creative, analytical, and persuasive works. [C4] [C7] When students write,
they will participate in a complete writing process, including first drafts, workshops,
rewriting, teacher commentary/conferencing, [C9] and final composition. Students
will be expected to cite properly according to MLA and APA guidelines. [C2] [C8]
The content of the course corresponds with district curriculum, state standards, and
Advanced Placement objectives. But beyond the academic training, the course also
challenges students to push themselves personally by examining their own lives
critically through the study of classic and contemporary American literature so that
students can develop a clearer, fuller vision for themselves. [C3]
Central course textbooks include The Norton Anthology of American Literature
(Shorter 7th Edition); Everyday Use: Rhetoric at Work in Reading and Writing; How to
Read Literature Like a Professor.
The course is constructed in accordance with the guidelines described in the AP
English Course Description.
Course Organization
The course is organized by themes. (See Course Overview)
Each unit requires students to acquire and use rich vocabulary, to use standard
English grammar, and to understand the importance of diction and syntax in an
author’s style. Therefore, students are expected to develop the following through
reading, discussion, and writing assignments:
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a wide-ranging vocabulary used appropriately and effectively;
a variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of subordination
and coordination;
logical organization, enhanced by specific techniques to increase coherence,
such as repetition, transitions, and emphasis;
a balance of generalization and specific illustrative detail; and
an effective use of rhetoric including controlling tone, establishing and
maintaining voice, and achieving appropriate emphasis through diction and
sentence structure. [C9]
For each reading assignment students must identify the following: [C5]
 Thesis or Claim
 Tone or Attitude
 Purpose
 Audience and Occasion
 Evidence or Data
 Appeals: Logos, Ethos, Pathos
 Assumptions or Warrants
 Style (how the author communicates his message: rhetorical mode, rhetorical
devices, which always include diction and syntax)
 Organizational patterns found in the text, i.e., main idea detail,
comparison/contrast
 Cause/effect, extended definition, problem/solution, etc.
 Use of detail to develop a general idea
For each visual image/viewing students must identify the following: [C6]
 Ethos, Pathos, Logos
 Archetype vs. Stereotype
 What is the historical, cultural, social or economic context of the visual? How
might I determine it? How does absence of or misunderstanding of this
context contribute to misreading?
 Do I feel compelled to speculate about the creator’s gender, ethnicity, creed,
age, etc. as I interrogate the work? How might answers to these questions
change or complicate my reading?
 What is the work’s creator trying to accomplish; can I summarize the work’s
purpose or message?
 Why did the creator organize the work in the way that s/he did? What clues
do I have to answer this question?
 What feature of the work first captured my attention and why? How might
that response be made relevant to the reader?
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What do I like best/least about the work? Is my personal “reaction” relevant
to the assignment? If not, can I reframe that response with scholarly
assessment criteria?
What is the overall tone and mood of the work?
What is the point of view of the work; how might I infer it?
Can I infer the creator’s state of mind when s/he drafted this work? What
role, if any, should biographical knowledge of the creator play in my reading
of the work?
How does the work reveal the creator’s attitude toward the subject and its
audience? Why did the creator choose this medium rather than another?
Is the message of the work specific or universal? Can a case be made for
both?
Is there a secondary message in the work? If the creator included print text,
how does that text add to or possibly complicate the visual text?
If the work was constructed with color, what do the hues convey?
How can this visual further a claim I want to make in my argument?
Course Overview
In addition to each unit presented below, students will have a weekly schedule with
reoccurring practices. Each Monday, students must submit an APQ (See Teaching
Strategies) in which they will provide rationales for Multiple Choice questions taken
from past AP exams. The response will utilize written paragraph form and follow
with discussion. [C9] On Tuesdays, students will come to class having read Foster’s
How to Read Literature like a Professor. For the first ten minutes of class, students
will participate in notetaking and discussion [C9] concerning various aspects in
literature that Foster presents. On Fridays, students will practice biweekly timed
writing (See Teaching Strategies) [C1] based on past AP exams. First quarter will
focus on persuasion, second quarter on analysis, and third quarter on synthesis. On
the other biweekly Fridays, students will workshop, peer review, and edit the timed
writes [C2] with lessons in writing the specific forms for twenty-five minutes. The
other half of class will be devoted to student-led Rhetorical Devices presentations
(See Teaching Strategies). These presentations will enable students to take
ownership of the material and provide AP study material for other class members.
Unit 1:
Course Orientation/Intro to Close Reading/Grade Calibration
Summer Readings:
Salinger, J.D., The Catcher in the Rye
McCarthy, Cormac, The Road
Hemingway, Ernest, To Have and Have Not [C5]
Readings:
Foster, Thomas, How to Read Literature Like a Professor (throughout
course) [C5]
Viewings:
Cormac McCarthy Interview on Oprah’s Book Club
The Road – film version [C6]
Assessments:
Quizzes: Students are given a quiz on most readings. These
assessments check for understanding of meaning and
strategies.
Class discussions over readings
Test: Rhetorical Modes and Devices
Composition: Expository [C1] [C4]
Prompt: Select one of the three options –
1. In quality literature, no scene of violence exists for its own sake. In a
well-organized essay explain how the scenes of violence in your
summer reading novel are not merely sensational but are used to
develop the author’s characterization and theme.
2. In some works of literature, mothers or the concept of motherhood
(or lack thereof) play central roles. Write a well-organized essay in
which you discuss a maternal character and the specific ways the
character and the concept of maternity relate to the larger themes of
the work.
3. In many novels, a character experiences a rift and becomes cut off
from “home,” whether that home is the character’s birthplace, family,
homeland, or other special place. Write an essay in which you analyze
how the character’s experience with exile is both alienating and
enriching, and how this experience illuminates the meaning for the
work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.
Unit 2:
Foundations of Freedom
Readings:
Henry, Patrick, “Speech in the Virginia Convention”
Paine, Thomas, from “The Crisis, Number 1”
Jefferson, Thomas, The Declaration of Independence
Lincoln, Abraham, The Gettysburg Address
Kennedy, John, “Inaugural Address” [C5]
Viewings:
Kennedy, John, “Inaugural Address”
Trumbull, John, The Declaration of Independence (Mural in the Capitol
Building, Washington, D.C.)
Patrick Henry Arguing “the Parson’s Cause” (c. 1830, oil painting
thought to be the work of George Cooke; the Virginia Historical
Society, Richmond)
Theme-related photos, video clips, and/or cartoons from current
periodicals will be discussed as these become available.
Students may contribute selections for viewing with teacher’s
approval. [C6]
Assessments:
Quizzes: Students are given a quiz on most readings. These
assessments check for understanding of meaning and
strategies.
Class discussions over readings
Test: American Documents and Speeches
Composition: Argumentative [C1] [C4]
Prompt: Reading Henry, Paine, Jefferson, Lincoln and Kennedy, one
gets a similar view of mankind but with different suggestions for its
management. Using your own critical understanding of contemporary
society as evidence, write a carefully argued essay that explains your
support of one of the authors. Be sure that your essay is well
organized and that it moves smoothly from one idea to another, so
that your reader can easily follow your development of each point.
Unit 3:
Obligations within a Society
Readings:
Thoreau, Henry David, “Civil Disobedience”
King, Martin Luther, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
Malcolm X, “Necessary to Protect Ourselves” (Interview)
Kennedy, Robert. “On the Death of Martin Luther King” (TV
Statement) [C5]
Viewings:
The final debate scene in The Great Debaters
Three photographs: an anti-nuclear weapons protest, Rosa Parks on a
bus, a women’s suffrage demonstration
Three photographs: Martin Luther King in a jail cell at the Jefferson
County Courthouse in Birmingham, Birmingham police turning
fire hoses on civil rights demonstrators, 1968 civil rights
marchers in Memphis passing National Guard bayonets. [C6]
Assessments:
Quizzes: Students are given a quiz on most readings. These
assessments check for understanding of meaning and
strategies.
Class discussions over readings
Composition: Synthesis [C1] [C4]
Prompt: What is the individual’s duty to his government? What is the
government’s duty to the individual? In an essay that synthesizes and
uses for support at least three of the readings from this unit, discuss
the obligations of individuals within a society. Remember to attribute
both direct and indirect citations. Refer to the sources by authors’ last
names or by titles. Avoid mere paraphrase or summary.
Unit 4:
Fear of Non-Conformist Ideas
Readings:
Ginsberg, Allen, “America”
Guthrie, Woody, “Jesus Christ” (Song/Poem)
Walt Whitman, “Pioneers, O Pioneers”
Emerson, Ralph Waldo, Self-Reliance (excerpts)
Dunbar, Paul Lawrence, “We Wear the Mask”
Ulrich, Laurel Thatcher, “The Slogan: ‘Well-Behaved Women Seldom
Make History’”
Kesey, Ken, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest [C5]
Viewings:
Guthrie, Woody, “Jesus Christ” (Song/Poem)
Levi’s Commercial “Go Forth Campaign” (TV Commercial)
Film excerpts - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest [C6]
Assessments:
Quizzes: Students are given a quiz on most readings. These
assessments check for understanding of meaning and
strategies.
Class discussions over readings
Test: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Composition: Synthesis [C1] [C4]
Prompt: Who are considered outsiders in our society? Why are they in
this position? How does society treat them? Should society be more
tolerant of them? Using at least four sources from this unit, including
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, write an essay that discusses the
position of the outsider in society. Remember to attribute both direct
and indirect citations. Refer to the sources by authors’ last names or
by titles. Avoid mere paraphrase or summary.
Unit 5:
Nature of Man
Readings:
Whitman, Walt, Song of Myself (excerpts)
Dickinson, Emily, “I’m Nobody! Who Are You?
Plath, Sylvia, “Daddy”
Nathanial Hawthorne “Young Goodman Brown” or “The Minister’s
Black Veil”
Green, John, The Fault in Our Stars [C5]
Viewings:
Escher, MC, Hand with Reflecting Sphere [C6]
Assessments:
Quizzes: Students are given a quiz on most readings. These
assessments check for understanding of meaning and
strategies.
Class discussions over readings
Test: The Fault in Our Stars
Composition: Memoir [C1] [C4]
Prompt: Select a moment from kindergarten – 11th grade that has
stayed with you. In a well-written essay, re-create that experience,
and show how the moment has shaped you into the individual you are
today.
Unit 6:
Man versus Society
Readings:
Carr, Nicholas, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”
Robinson, Edwin Arlington, “Richard Cory”
Robert Frost “Nothing Gold Can Stay”
Fitzgerald, F. Scott, The Great Gatsby
Palahniuk, Chuck, Fight Club [C5]
Viewings:
Simon & Garfunkel, “Richard Cory”
Film clips from The Great Gatsby (Baz Lurhmann)
Film Clips from Fight Club [C6]
Assessments:
Quizzes: Students are given a quiz on most readings. These
assessments check for understanding of meaning and
strategies.
Class discussions over readings
Test: The Great Gatsby and Fight Club
Composition: Argumentative [C1] [C4]
Prompt: Which character would prevail in our society: the narrator of Fight
Club or Jay Gatsby? Why? Present your choice in a logical and clear thesis
with supporting evidence from the text. Remember to use our society as the
context and not the society in the book. Cite specific examples from the text.
Bear in mind the character you do not choose and include a sound counterargument to support your thesis.
Unit 7:
Cultural Analysis in America
Readings:
Schlosser, Eric, Fast food Nation
Hooks, Bell, “Love as the Practice of Freedom”
Jonathon Kozol, The Shame of Our Nation (excerpts)
Franklin, Joey, “Working at Wendy’s”
Etzioni, Amitai, “Working at McDonalds” (Logical Fallacies)
Snoop Dogg, “Tha Doggfather”
Eighner, Lars, “On Dumpster Diving”
Ehrenreich, Barbara, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
[C5]
Viewings:
Morrison, Toni, Remember: The Journey to School Integration (Various
Images) [C6]
Assessments:
Quizzes: Students are given a quiz on most readings. These
assessments check for understanding of meaning and
strategies.
Class discussions over readings
Composition: Research Paper [C1] [C7] [C8]
Prompt: Write an issue-based research paper by selecting a
prominent cultural issue, conducting independent research,
incorporating a minimum of three nonliterary sources, and at least
one of the selected readings from the unit. The paper must be
presented according to APA guidelines and articulate a coherent,
persuasive position on that issue.
Semester Exams:
Students have 90 minutes to take their semester exam; it is worth 20 percent
of the full-year GPA average.
Part 1: Multiple Choice
This section is interpretation of new material. Students read four
passages and answer 45 to 55 questions. Reading selections and
questions are similar to those on the AP Released English Language
Exam.
Part 2: Free Response
Students have one hour to write an in-class essay. The prompt asks
for rhetorical analysis, comparison/contrast, or argumentation. This
essay is graded on the AP rubric, or nine-point scale.
Student Evaluation
Our district uses 90/10 grading to plan assessments and calculate grades in all
classes. This policy assures that 90% of each report card grade reflects students’
mastery of the subject matter with 10% being allowed for assessment of students'
work habits. Traditionally, this ratio has been determined by each individual
teacher. This approach to grading causes grades to have a more common, consistent
meaning across subjects and grade levels, which increases their usefulness as tools
for understanding students' learning, intervening appropriately and communicating
with parents. This syllabus reflects 90/10 guidelines. [C9]
Student performance in connection with important course components contributes
to each student’s final grade for the course in the following manner:
A+ = 100-97
A = 96.9-93
A- = 92.9-90
B+ = 89.9-87
B = 86.9-83
B- = 82.9-80
C+ = 79.9-77
C = 76.9-73
C- = 72.9-70
D+ = 69.9-67
D = 66.9-63
D- = 62.9-60
F = Below 60
Final grades will be replaced with the designation “credit/no credit" on report cards
and transcripts on credit-bearing courses. Because GPA is calculated from semester
grades, it has no effect on students.
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For each full-year course, credit will be awarded when the student has
earned BOTH a passing GPA for the course (on the scale above) and two
passing grades in the second semester.
Full-year course GPA calculation: Q1 (20%) + Q2 (20%) + Exam1 (10%) + Q3 (20%)
+ Q4 (20%) + Exam2 (10%)
Students are evaluated on the basis of major papers, homework, quality and
character of class participation and involvement, [C3] and AP-style writing prompts.
Major papers count a great deal toward each quarter’s grade, but other elements are
also significant.
Students earn both numbered scores and grades on AP prompts they take during
the year. The grade associated with particular AP essay scores varies according to
the time of year that is, a very good essay written in October earns a higher grade
than a similar essay written in April. That’s because students are at work building
the skills needed to succeed as the year proceeds.
In this course, student thinking, writing, reading, listening, and speaking are at the
center of class activity. Grading is viewed in this context. The teacher will routinely
observe and assess student knowledge and ability. Student products, such as
finished written pieces, [C1] timed writing, homework, tests and quizzes, reading
responses, and class notes, will regularly be collected and assessed. [C9] One goal of
evaluation is to enable students to become more comfortable with self-assessment.
[C3]
Grading Standards
These will vary slightly, as my expectations rise throughout the year.*
√+, √, or √-: you will sometimes see these on ungraded assignments. They correlate
generally to As, Bs, and Cs and are designed to give you an idea of how your work
compares to your peers’. [C9]
A level papers: especially great ideas, and no major writing problems
A+ = this paper is extraordinary – ambitious, original, and beautifully written -- and
it has taught me something new. Thank you.
A = this paper is virtually perfect, or so outstandingly original its tiny flaws don’t
matter.
A- = this paper has made the leap into something special; it is outstandingly original
or insightful; but it has some minor writing flaws (ie, occasional word choice
problems, a misunderstanding of one aspect of the text).
B level papers: good ideas, but some writing problems
B+ = a very good, well-written paper, but doesn’t have the spark of originality
necessary to put it in the A range; or a brilliantly original paper that would normally
be an A- but the writing flaws are too great (frequent word choice problems, a lot of
passive voice, a poor conclusion).
B = a good paper, solid, well-organized and well-supported. Flaws are usually
sentence level, but they run throughout the paper (passive voice, word choice, tense
problems, comma problems, simple declarative sentences, unsatisfying intro or
concl.).
B- = good ideas, but writing problems are apparent. Flaws are starting to appear at
the level of structure (organization and paragraphing may be shaky), or the
problems I’ve listed for a B paper are here but in a more serious form.
C level papers: acceptable but problematic ideas, and real writing problems
C+ = ideas are acceptable, and you’ve done some work, but there are real writing
problems at the level of thesis, organization, etc. A major self-contradiction, an
entire lack of documentation, no thesis, systematic sentence fragments, or problems
with comprehensibility can put you in the C range.
C = ideas are acceptable, but it needs a lot more work. This paper may have any of
the problems of the C+ range but the problems are worse, and there may be
substantial misreading of the text.
C- = barely acceptable, and I take it only because there’s some glimmer of some
effort in it.
These tend to be hastily dashed off, badly misunderstand the text, and have serious
writing problems.
D, F level papers: unacceptable ideas and writing
D = not really acceptable -- very serious writing problems and inadequate ideas.
Basically: you handed in something that more or less looks like the assignment, so
it’s not an F. I don’t give
D+ and D-, on the grounds that a D is already so low it’s ludicrous to make
distinctions.
F = not acceptable at all.
* If you do not understand a grade on your work, please see me for a conference. Arguing your grade
will not guarantee a higher score.
Tests and Quizzes
Students are not permitted to retake tests or quizzes.
Rewrites
As teachers of writing, we recognize that writing is a process that is recursive in
nature. This process requires students to not see writing as an end product, but a
process of pre-writing, drafting, revision, editing, and publication. [C2] The
following steps need to be taken in order for the writing to be reevaluated:
1. The paper was turned in on time.
2. The student must submit the original work in conjunction with the newly
written work and a letter reflecting on the process. (Detailed sheet posted on
teacher website.)
*If the original assignment was turned in late, the student relinquishes the
opportunity for reassessment.
Late Work Policy
Extenuating circumstances do occur and may interfere with work being turned in on
time. Because of this, it is recognized that learning should still take place. Therefore,
students who turn in assignments that fall within the 90% portion of academic work
will have 5 days to demonstrate his/her knowledge with 10% removed from the
grade. (Weekends do count in the five days.) After the five-day timeframe has
expired, the grade will result in a zero. Work turned in late that falls within the 10%
portion of the class work will be given a zero.
Required Materials
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3 Ring Binder – 2 ½ inch
Dividers (For the binder) labeled as such:
o APQ
o Rhetorical Devices
o Timed Writings
o Notes
o Other
One packet of college-rule notebook paper (loose leaf)
Pens
Folder with pockets (to hold work currently in process)
Flash Drive
Textbook
Various novels (to be announced and purchased at student’s expense)
Behavior Expectations
If the teacher expects students to behave and learn at a high level, the students will
almost always reach the goal. Overall, the teacher requires students to act like
contributing ADULTS. By acting in such a manner, the students will demonstrate
respect for themselves and others. Please see the high school student handbook
regarding cell phones, dress code policies, etc.
Academic Honesty
Integrity of scholarship is essential for an academic community. The district expects
that both staff and students will honor this principle and in so doing protect the
validity of AP intellectual work. For students, this means that all academic work will
be done by the individual to whom it is assigned, without unauthorized aid of any
kind.
Plagiarism is using another person’s thoughts and accomplishments without proper
acknowledgment or documentation. It is an unconscionable offense and a serious
breach of the honor code. In keeping with the policy, students will receive a zero for
the plagiarized work.
Teaching Strategies
Even though students in an AP English Language and Composition course may be
strong readers and writers, they still need a bank of strategies to draw from as they
encounter challenging text. The most effective strategies are those that teach
students how to infer and analyze. [C9]
Subject-Occasion-Audience-Purpose-Speaker-Tone (SOAPSTone)
This is a text analysis strategy as well as a method for initially teaching
students how to craft a more thoughtful thesis. The SOAPSTone strategy was
developed by Tommy Boley and is taught at the AP Summer Workshops.
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Speaker: the individual or collective voice of the text
Occasion: the event or catalyst causing the writing of the text to occur
Audience: the group of readers to whom the piece is directed
Purpose: the reason behind the text
Subject: the general topic and/or main idea
Tone: the attitude of the author
Syntax Analysis Chart
A syntax analysis chart is an excellent strategy for style analysis as well as an
effective revision technique for a student’s own writing. One of the key
strategies mentioned in The AP Vertical Teams® Guide for English, published
by the College Board, the syntax analysis chart involves creating a fivecolumn table with the following headings:
• Sentence Number
• First Four Words
• Special Features
• Verbs
• Number of Words per Sentence
This reflective tool not only helps students examine how style contributes to
meaning and purpose but also helps students identify various writing
problems (repetitiveness, possible run-ons or fragments, weak verbs, and
lack of syntactical variety). In addition, students are made aware of their own
developing voices and diction.
Overview-Parts-Title-Interrelationships-Conclusion (OPTIC)
The OPTIC strategy is highlighted in Walter Pauk’s book How to Study in
College and provides students with key concepts to think about when
approaching any kind of visual text. [C6] A sample OPTIC lesson would
include the following steps:
1. Provide students with a single visual text that presents a position
or point of view on an issue. One example is James Rosenquist’s
1996 painting “Professional Courtesy” (Seeing and Writing, 588),
which portrays handguns as instruments of violence.
2. Pair students and lead them through the OPTIC strategy, step by
step.
 is for overview—write down a few notes on what the visual
appears to be about.
 P is for parts—zero in on the parts of the visual. Write down
any elements or details that seem important.
 T is for title—highlight the words of the title of the visual (if
one is available).
 I is for interrelationships—use the title as the theory and the
parts of the visual as clues to detect and specify the
interrelationships in the graphic.
 C is for conclusion—draw a conclusion about the visual as a
whole. What does the visual mean? Summarize the message of
the visual in one or two sentences.
3. Debrief the effectiveness of the strategy in analyzing visuals.
4. Compare and contrast the visual with a piece of expository text
dealing with the same subject but perhaps a different position. In
Seeing and Writing, Gerard Jones’s essay on “Killing Monsters”
presents the author’s viewpoint on why children are helped, not
harmed, by viewing images of imagined violence. Both these texts
could be used to discuss different positions on the effects of
violence on children and young people.
Timed-writing
Students regularly practice timed-writing strategies: pacing, structure, and
execution, engaging in one 50 minute timed-write, on average, biweekly
during the entire course until the AP test. (Focus: 1st quarter – Persuasion;
2nd quarter – Analysis; 3rd quarter – Synthesis.) [C1] Prompts are taken from
past AP exams as well as teacher-written prompts reflecting material used in
class with prompts parallel to those used on the AP exam. Students regularly
engage in peer-evaluation [C2] following the timed-writes as well as
reflective analysis of their performance.
Formal Essays and the Recursive Writing Process
Students are assigned seven major papers over the course of two semesters
which address a variety of skills aligned to state standards and AP Central
Collegeboard objectives (see Course Overview). Each paper emphasizes the
recursive writing process: prewriting, outlining, first draft, revision, and
publishing. [C2] [C8]
Rhetorical Devices
Biweekly, each student in the course will be responsible for teaching a 20
minute presentation to the class on an assigned rhetorical device. The
presentation must utilize multimedia, creativity, and various usage examples.
[C9] In addition, the student must provide a study sheet handout for each
member of the class on the rhetorical device project. All handouts will be
placed in the students’ binders to form a study pack for the AP test in May.
APQ
Each Monday, the teacher will post a Multiple-Choice question that reflects
the Multiple-Choice section of the AP exam. The question will have the
answer provided. Students are responsible for researching WHY the answer
is correct, and WHY the other choices are incorrect. Students must formulate
their research into a paragraph response, which is due the following Monday.
[C9] The process will repeat weekly throughout the entire course.
Discussion
Students regularly engage in whole class discussion as well as small group
work. Elements of effective discussion are practiced early and often in a
structured Socratic Forum. [C9] This process involves active listening,
cooperative questioning, and verbal and non-verbal validation with the
opportunity for peer criticism.
DIDLS
Using the acronym DIDLS helps in remembering the basic elements of tone
that should be considered when evaluating prose or poetry. Diction, images,
details, language, and sentence structure all help to create the author's or
speaker's attitude toward the subject and audience. [C9]