Advanced Placement English Language & Composition

2016-2017 Course Syllabus

Teacher Information

Mr. Mulkey

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:

  • 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;
  • move effectively through the stages of the writing process, with careful attention to inquiry and research, drafting, revising, editing, and review;
  • revise a work to make it suitable for a different audience;
  • analyze image as text; and
  • evaluate and incorporate references into researched essays.

College Board’s AP language & composition course description

Georgia Standards of Excellence

Materials Needed

  • Pens (no pencils)
  • Paper
  • Binder (1 inch is fine)
  • Highlighters (at least 3 different colors)
  • The Crucible by Arthur Miller
  • Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer
  • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

To save money, I recommend that youpurchase USED copies of the above books on Amazon.com or Thriftbooks.com (all of these are usually available used for $0.01 on Amazon, which equates to about $4.00 total with shipping). Likewise, I usually give a 2-3 week notice when we are transitioning to these books so that you have time to acquire them if you do not want to purchase them all at once.

If purchasing these books is not an option, please discuss this with me AS SOON AS POSSIBLE so that we can work out a plan to acquire the books.

GRADING

Grades assigned in AP English Literature & Composition will be categorized by type and weighted according to three major categories as indicated below. Unless otherwise noted, essays will be scored using the AP general rubric and homework, and project work will be scored using the participation rubric.

  • Summative Grades (EssaysProjects)50%
  • Formative Grades (see sub-sections below)30%
  • Skill Grades (writing, participation, daily work, MCQ practice)
  • Content Grades(reading quizzes & homework)
  • Milestone Exam20%

LATE WORK & MISSED ASSIGNMENTS

Excluding excused absences, LATE WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

It is your responsibility to see me regarding make-up work. If work is not made up within three days after your absence, your grade will become a zero. If you miss an in-class essay, you should plan to write it the day you come back after school.

MAKE UP & REVISION POLICY

During the first semester, students are allowed to rewrite three essays for up to ten points higher on their grade if they have scheduled an appointment with me to review their initial essay. It is up to my discretion as to how many points will be added to the original essay grade depending on the quality of the rewrite. During the second semester, students may choose one essay to rewrite.

TUTORING POLICY

I am usually available after school for tutoring on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday until approximately 5:00pm.

ACTIVITIES & ASSIGNMENTS OVERVIEW

This class will be structured to integrate reading, composition, and discussion with a series of assignments addressing various factors relevant to written and oral expression. Readings each quarter will primarily include essays, speeches, letters, and non-fiction selections arranged into thematic units per nine-week grading period. Some poetry and fiction, including at least one novel or play will also be covered each nine-week grading period. 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)During each nine-week grading period, students will write a minimum of four essays, many of which will be timed, in-class essays. At least one of these per nine-week grading period 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 a formal researched essay, will be based upon the general AP rubric provided

2)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. Online journals will be used for frequent free-write responses to prompts related to class reading.

3)Students will complete Critical Reading Portfolios (CRPs) for each novel and play read outside of class. 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)In the spring semester students will select compositions that will be used to build a portfolio. Required writings will include narrative writing, 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.

Discussion

1)Discussion will be a major component of success in the AP Language classroom. Through conversations inspired by assigned readings, sample writings, and reflections of their own work, students will hone their skills as critical readers and writers of literature. Socratic seminars will be used to facilitate student discussion, and students will receive formal discussion grades at least once a quarter.

Vocabulary

1)Students will maintain an online vocabulary journal, defining and correctly using unfamiliar words from reading selections each week.

Other Projects and Assessments

1)Homework will usually consist of reading and informal writing assignments.

2)Students should expect regular reading checks and quizzes that require a working knowledge of textual details from assigned reading.

3)Tests, administered at least once a semester, 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.

CLASS SCHEDULE

Readings are grouped thematically around four or five 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 to help demonstrate how various effects are achieved through rhetorical and linguistic choices made by writers.

Unit One
Introduction to rhetoric and argument
Theme: The nature of language & power
Extended Text: 1984
Unit Two
Rhetorical Analysis & Critique
Theme: American Anxiety
Extended Text: The Crucible / Unit Three
Rhetorical Analysis & Argument
Theme: American Identity
Extended Text: Quicksand
Unit Four
Research & Synthesis
Theme: The American Dream
Extended Text: The Great Gatsby / Unit Five
Putting it all together
Theme: American Idealism
Extended Text: Into the Wild

TARDY POLICY

See NMHS policy

RESTROOM POLICY

Students should use the restroom before or after class (barring any specific medical issues).

OTHER POLICIES, PROCEDURES, EXPECTATIONS, ETC.

  • Current works being read, notebook, and pen should be brought to class each day unless otherwise instructed.
  • Students are expected to read almost all assigned works outside of class.
  • In a college course, the majority of class time centers on rich, meaningful discussion, so participation in class discussions is essential. All students are expected to participate in discussions by adding thoughtful and meaningful interpretations of the readings and current events. Both formal (structured) and informal (daily) discussions will occur, and it is expected that students come to those discussions prepared and ready to participate.
  • Please come to me to discuss any concerns or issues you may be having in class. While I am demanding in many regards related to this course, I am also very reasonable; I will help you in whatever way that I can to ensure your success.

ONLINE RESOURCES

  • Teacher website (link will be posted under my name @ NMHS website)
  • NMHS website
  • Engrade.com