AP LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION – Spring 2012
Karen Heilman,
(919) 837-2251
This college level course is extremely demanding. We will read challenging texts and respond to those texts through even more challenging methods. By the time you complete AP Language and Composition, you should have the reading, writing and research skills to not only succeed at any college or university you attend, but also to understand and respond thoughtfully to any information you may encounter during the rest of your life.
This course will prepare you for the AP Language and Composition exam, which will be held on May 16, 2012. Depending on the college or university you plan to attend, your score on this national exam may qualify you to exempt introductory English classes at that college or university. You are expected to receive a passing score on this exam and should put forth the effort during this course to do so.
Required Materials
For this class, you will need:
n A 3” binder divided into: Vocabulary, Text Analysis, Writing Portfolio and AP Exam Practice
n 3x5 index cards for research and study (you won’t need these every day, but it’s good to have some on hand)
n Access to a computer, the Internet and a printer (the ones in the library included)
n Pens, pencils, highlighters and plenty of notebook paper
n Summer reading books
n Class textbooks, as issued by the instructor
Suggested Materials
n Barron’s AP Language and Composition, 3rd or 4th eds.
n Dictionary
n Thesaurus
n MLA Style Handbook (these reference materials will come in handy in college, too)
College Board Goals of the AP Curriculum
· The course teaches and requires students to write in several forms (e.g., narrative, expository, analytical, and argumentative essays) about a variety of subjects (e.g., public policies, popular culture, personal experiences).
· The course requires students to write essays that proceed through several stages or drafts, with revision aided by teacher and peers.
· The course requires students to write in informal contexts (e.g., imitation exercises, journal keeping, collaborative writing, and in-class responses) designed to help them become increasingly aware of themselves as writers and of the techniques employed by the writers they read.
· The course requires expository, analytical, and argumentative writing assignments that are based on readings representing a wide variety of prose styles and genres.
· The course requires nonfiction readings (e.g., essays, journalism, political writing, science writing, nature writing, autobiographies/biographies, diaries, history, criticism) that are selected to give students opportunities to identify and explain an author's use of rhetorical strategies and techniques. If fiction and poetry are also assigned, their main purpose should be to help students understand how various effects are achieved by writers' linguistic and rhetorical choices. (Note: The College Board does not mandate any particular authors or reading list, but representative authors are cited in the AP English Course Description.)
· The course teaches students to analyze how graphics and visual images both relate to written texts and serve as alternative forms of text themselves.
· The course teaches research skills, and in particular, the ability to evaluate, use, and cite primary and secondary sources. The course assigns projects such as the researched argument paper, which goes beyond the parameters of a traditional research paper by asking students to present an argument of their own that includes the analysis and synthesis of ideas from an array of sources.
· The course teaches students how to cite sources using a recognized editorial style (e.g., Modern Language Association, The Chicago Manual of Style, etc.).
· The AP teacher provides instruction and feedback on students' writing assignments, both before and after the students revise their work, that help the students develop these skills:
o A wide-ranging vocabulary used appropriately and effectively
o A variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of subordination and coordination
o Logical organization, enhanced by specific techniques to increase coherence, such as repetition, transitions, and emphasis
o A balance of generalization and specific, illustrative detail
o An effective use of rhetoric, including controlling tone, establishing and maintaining voice, and achieving appropriate emphasis through diction and sentence structure
Course Foundations
As in any English class, AP students will consistently focus on various concepts of language and literature throughout the course. Acquiring vocabulary, understanding grammar, writing in a variety of formats, and reading critically are the basis of a successful class.
Vocabulary
Students will become familiarized with procedures for acquiring new vocabulary. Initially, students will be given lists of terms important to analyzing text and composition. Gradually, students will learn to discover their own vocabulary from their reading and create a comprehensive list of newly acquired terms. Students will keep their found vocabulary graphic organizers and activities in their binder that will be checked and graded periodically. Students will continue vocabulary work throughout the semester.
Writers’ Workshop and Portfolio
All writing assignments will be based on the National Writing Project model. Students will work throughout the semester in a three -to -four-person writing group, designated by the instructor. Students will draft assignments, bring those assignments to their groups to workshop their ideas, present on given dates throughout the semester, and submit final copies to the instructor. Students will be graded just as heavily on the process as on the final product. Points will be awarded for:
n Workshop participation, based on a rubric
n Prewriting. The teacher will provide initial instruction on organizational structures, such as graphic organizers and outlines to help establish coherence. The teacher will model various formats and supply essays for discussion and review.
n Research methods (use of note cards, academic Internet search resources, appropriate books and journals)
n Conventions (proper use of sentence formation; standard usage – agreement, tense and case; and mechanics – capitalization, punctuation and spelling)
n Use of illustrative detail. Students must not only state their ideas but also support them with specific evidence from their readings, their experience, and the world around them.
n Revision. The teacher will guide students through various revision techniques that can be used within the writing workshop. For example, students may highlight sentences of their paper in alternating colors – sentence one in blue, sentence two in pink, sentence three in blue, sentence four in pink – to analyze sentence variety. Students may also circle verbs to analyze their usage patterns, perhaps replacing “to be” verbs with stronger verb choices.
n Final drafts, based on a rubric that includes comments pertaining to the students’ understanding of all of the above criteria. Check the class FusionPage or wikispace for the AP ELC essay rubric.
As part of this model, students will begin working on writing portfolios. Portfolios will compile all work done on each writing assignment, as well as reflections on their process and that of their workshop group during each assignment. This information will be kept in folders in crates in the classroom and will be referred to on a regular basis during writing conferences. Students will continue work on the portfolios throughout the semester.
Textual Analysis
Students will read not only classic novels, but also non-fiction essays and articles, poetry and non-print texts. In preparation for the critical comprehension required for the AP Language and Composition Exam, students will practice a variety of analysis primarily focused on the rhetorical triangle: ethos, logos and pathos. These include, but are not limited to:
§ SOAPSTone (developed by Tommy Boley). SOAPSTone is a mnemonic device that encourages readers to evaluate all texts according to the: Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, and Tone. Students will be given modeled instruction on analyzing texts for the listed elements. Students will compile Cornell Notes on each reading text according to SOAPSTone throughout the semester.
§ Double-Entry Journals (developed by Maureen McLauglin and Mary Beth Allen). Students respond to texts in a two-column journal, documenting quotes that inspire them and the text-text, text-world and text-self connections they make with those quote
§ OPTIC: (developed by Walter Pauk in How to Study for College). OPTIC is a mnemonic device that encourages viewers to respond to a visual by: Overview, Parts, Title, Interrelationships, and Conclusion. Students will be given modeled instruction on evaluating visuals and graphics according to the listed elements. Students will compile Cornell Notes on each visual according to OPTIC throughout the semester.
§ Various schools of literary criticism: Based on the structures for teaching literary theory, as outlined in Critical Encounters in High School English: Teaching Literary Theory to Adolescents by Deborah Appleman. As Appleman explains, “the guiding assumption ... is that the direct teaching of literary theory in secondary English classes will better prepare adolescent readers to respond reflectively and analytically to literary texts, both ‘canonical’ and multicultural” (2). Specifically, students will read and analyze primarily non-fiction texts through the lenses of Reader-Response Criticism, New Historicism, and Psychological and Psychoanalytic Criticism.
The instructor will provide all reading materials, unless otherwise noted.
Summer Reading
Students who enroll in AP English III must complete the summer reading project as outlined on the school website.
The Exam
Students are expected to take the AP Language and Composition Exam on Wednesday, May 16 at 8:00 am. The 3 hour and 15 minute test is divided into two parts:
· Section I (One Hour) --Fifty to sixty multiple-choice questions based on your reading of four or five non-fiction passages about anything from history and science to art and language.
· Section II (Two Hours and 15 Minutes) --Three essays. The first analyzes the style, rhetoric and use of language in a prose passage. The second asks you to argue for or against an opinion expressed in a statement or short passage. The third – the synthesis essay – asks you to use given sources to support a point of view on a given issue.
The exam is scored on a scale of 1-5,
5 Extremely well qualified
4 Well qualified
3 Qualified
2 Possibly qualified
1 Not recommended for AP credit
AP scores are generally mailed to your home during the summer after the exam.
There is also a final exam for this course at the end of the semester.
Class Procedures
This is a college-level course. Therefore, I expect all AP students to behave on a college level, not just in this class, but also in all aspects of life. Students should be familiar with the school handbook regarding absences, tardies, and discipline.
Expectations for classroom behavior:
· Respect your classmates and teacher
· Be prepared
· Be on time
· Follow directions
· Participate
· Put forth your best effort
Classroom Policies:
· Bathroom passes: Students will be allowed to use the bathroom pass two times per six weeks. Unused passes may be turned in at the end of the six weeks for extra credit (5 points per pass). No student may leave the classroom without a pass.
· Cheating and Plagiarism: Plagiarism is a violation of the school code of conduct. Any violations of this policy will result in a grade of zero for all parties involved and an office referral.
Evaluation
Late work will not be accepted, even if you are absent. Be prepared to email your work to the teacher. Always include your name, date, class, and a title for every document submitted.
Tests/Writing: 80%
Homework/Quizzes/Classwork: 20%
Students are expected to attend tutoring sessions after school and during Empower Hour to assure mastery of the curriculum and in preparation for the exam.
Access weekly plans, homework assignments, test dates, project descriptions, and other course material online at www.chathamcentralenglish.wikispaces.com or visit our class website at http://www.cchs.chatham.k12.nc.us/
Please sign and return this syllabus for a 100 as a homework grade. Signing indicates you have read and understood the syllabus for this course.
Parent Signature______Date______
Student Signature______Date______