AP English Language and Composition (2013-2014)

Woodlawn School

Course Overview

“An AP course in English Language and Composition engages students in becoming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of rhetorical contexts, and in becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Both their writing and their reading should make students aware of the interactions among a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects, as well as the way genre conventions and the resources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing” (The College Board).

This course is designed to engage students in a beginning study of a college-level composition course as per the guidelines prescribed the College Board for an Advanced Placement course. Students will be asked to read closely, discuss openly, and write thoughtfully each day, and will be expected to work to develop continued sophistication in all of these areas, with special attention to developing a broader and deeper understanding of rhetoric and how language works. Students will hone their ability to work with language with a greater awareness of purpose and strategy. Course readings feature a wide range of works: expository, analytical, personal, and argumentative, from a wide variety of authors, historical contexts, and subjects.

Students will be expected to write often, with an emphasis on expository, analytical, and argumentative writing that forms the basis of academic and professional communication. The writing assignments should help students gain textual power, making them more alert to an author’s purpose, the needs of an audience, the demands of the subject, and the resources of language: syntax, word choice, and tone.

Students will prepare for the AP English Language and Composition Exam, and may be granted advanced placement, college credit, or both as a result of satisfactory performance.

Supplemental literature of this course will focus primarily on European literature from the 18th century to the present.

Materials Required in Class

One folder or section of a 3-ring binder for English class handouts

Pens and pencils

Composition book (marbled or other type with sheets that do not tear out)

Laptop

Texts

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen (summer)

Sophie’s World, Jostein Gaarder (summer)

The Turn of the Screw, Henry James

MacBeth, William Shakespeare

Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift

The Grand Inquisitor, Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Heartbreak House, George Bernard Shaw

1984, George Orwell

Everything’s an Argument (5th Edition), ed. Andrea Lunsford **

Rhetorical Devices: A Handbook and Activities for Student Writers, ed. Paul Moliken **

Assorted supplementary materials

** These will function as course textbooks; they are recommended by the College Board for use in the Advanced Placement English Language and Composition course.

Reading

The basic expectation is that students read every assignment closely and on time. To be successful in this class (and for the class to be successful as a whole), students must come to class prepared to discuss and analyze the reading. Contribution to classroom discussion will be a significant part of each student’s final grade, and the class will discuss and develop techniques to guide each student toward successfully contributing to class on a regular basis (asking probing questions, you will discover, is as important as offering answers and insight).

You are expected to read actively in order to best prepare yourself for discussions, in-class writing, and essay writing. Essentially, this means reading with a pen or pencil in hand in order to jot ideas and questions and to identify key or confusing excerpts of text.

Assessment

Each student’s grade will be based on the following:

1. Writing: For the purposes of organization, the writing you will do in this course is divided in three sections: in-class, short essays, and major papers. The emphasis on the three sections is roughly equal. It is important that you are prepared to workshop and share everything that you write (with the exception of certain more personal essays and/or reflections). With the exception of in-class writing that is completed in your English journal, all of your work should be typed, double-spaced, spell-checked, and rigorously proofread. I am unsympathetic of typos, grammar errors, and misspellings. All relevant research and textual evidence should be documented using MLA standards.

  • In Class: You will write in your journal most days. Frequently, this will be in the form of a 5-10 minute entry at the beginning of each class, the purpose of which is to encourage you to write thoughtfully about your reading and to prepare you for class discussion. Occasionally, you will have a short reading quiz (unannounced).
  • Short Essay: Generally, you will publish or workshop a short essay (1-3 pages) each week. We will model these essays on those that you are reading. At times, you will be asked to emulate a specific author or technique; however, you will always be encouraged to discover and cultivate your own writing voice. Additionally, you will write several timed, in-class essays (between 30 and 55 minutes each). These essays will frequently be based around the text you are reading. Other times, they will be in response to an excerpt of text that is handed out with the essay assignment. Several times each trimester you will be given an AP-based examination essay, helping you to develop important skills that will allow you to organize and develop a clear essay in a short period of time.
  • Major Papers: You will each write several major papers in response to literature or to a specific writing “purpose.” Although each assignment will be different and have its own set of guidelines and expectations, in general, you will be asked to develop an original thesis, use strong rhetorical techniques, and utilize textual evidence and/or research in order to analyze a specific work or topic.

2. Tests: There will be about two tests per trimester, each worth 100 points. You will be given approximately a week’s notice before all tests.

3. Quizzes: There will be several quizzes per trimester, both announced and unannounced. Quizzes are usually worth 10-50 points each.

4. Participation:Participation is crucial in English class. Disruptive behavior, failure to contribute consistently, and/or repeated unpreparedness will negatively impact your overall grade. Participation will be assigned a numerical grade at the end of each trimester.

5. Exam: At the end of each trimester, you will take a 2-hour exam worth approximately 200 points. These exams are cumulative and everything covered in class up to that point is fair game.

Late Work

On overnight homework assignments: A student who fails to complete his/her homework assignment before the beginning of the class will receive a zero for the assignment and will not be given an opportunity to turn in the work late. If a student has not done the assigned reading prior to the beginning of class, he or she will be asked to leave the room. For policies regarding late work and absences, see the Woodlawn School Student Handbook.

Honor Code

The Honor Code applies to all work and conduct at Woodlawn School. Students are expected to display honesty and integrity in all of their activities on campus. Honor Code violations, and disciplinary issues relating to cheating, lying, and inappropriate behavior, will be handled immediately by the school administration.