October 13, 2016
Dear Parent/Guardian(s) of students in AP Composition:
An exciting part of the AP course this year is our analysis of the rhetoric used in a variety of sources (both visual and written) with respect to this year’s presidential election. This election provides ample opportunities for me to teach important components of argument, including the use of satire and parody which have often been covered on the A.P. exam.
In that light, I would like to show the students some recent clips from Saturday Night Live (October 1 episode) and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (September 26 episode) that satirize the first presidential debate. All students were required to watch the first debate of September 26, and we have discussed and written our own opinions of the debate, as well as analyzed the opinions of journalists. The video clips I have chosen will provide them the opportunity to see how parody and satire can be an effective means of asserting arguments about serious issues. While much of the opening segment of Saturday Night Live is lighthearted in its humor, there are some statements that may be considered racy in nature. I intend to address that issue with the students, and also use it as a means to discuss why satire can sometimes be offensive and disturbing. However, if you feel you do not want your child to be exposed to this clip, I will provide them an alternative option for learning satire for that portion of the class.
I want to commend your children for the maturity and intelligence they have brought to our class discussions about a highly-charged election. I plan to use this unit on satire to continue such mature and college level discussions, and will utilize our work to introduce our first A.P. level essays for the course.
Please complete the form on the back side of this letter, so I may honor your decision. Please be sure that your child returns this to me tomorrow, as it is a required homework assignment.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at (516) 203-3600, ext. 3231 (English Office) or email me . Thank you for your time and support. I look forward to our continued work together.
Sincerely,
Ms. Gulitti
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Please choose and fill out ONE of the options below:
I DO give my child ______permission to
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view the clips from Saturday Night Live in AP Composition.
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OR
I DO NOT give my child ______permission to
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view the clips from Saturday Night Live in AP Composition. Please provide an alternative option for that time in class.
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Parent/Guardian’s Signature______