AP Language and Compo-sition

COURSE DELIVERY

This course is designed to prepare students to earn college credit in introductory English and to help students develop the critical thinking skills of interpreting, evaluating, and analyzing a text. Students will use writing as a tool for developing and presenting their own understanding of the basic elements of rhetoric, with emphasis placed on developing a mature personal writing style. While this course primarily focuses on non-fiction texts, some short fiction and poetry may be incorporated into the thematic units..

Objectives:

As described in the College Board 2010 Course Description:

  • Students will write for a variety of purposes and audiences including an informal journal or discussion pieces. researched essays of argumentation correctly integrating and documenting primary and secondary sources. essays to analyze selected texts for author’s rhetorical strategies and techniques. meta-cognitive reflections on their own development as writers.
  • Students will develop their abilities to write essays which establish an insightful thesis. Develop the thesis with relevant, specific details from a variety of sources. demonstrate a logical organization within and among paragraphs of the essay using repetition, transitions, and parallel structure. use an appropriate, wide-ranging vocabulary. include varied sentence structures. use and maintain an appropriate voice.
  • Students will improve their skills in revision and editing of their own writing, including their abilities to develop a concise and insightful thesis. evaluate the relevance of details for inclusion. revise organization of sentences, paragraphs, or the essay as a whole to improve clarity. modify word choices to make them more effective. balance generalizations about the text with specific details from the text.
  • Students will evaluate a variety of sources for relevance, credibility, and tone.  Students will analyze graphics and visual images as text.

Course Outline

  • Introduction
  • Course Description
  • Assignments and Assessment
  • Understanding Plagiarism
  • The AP Exam
  • AP Multiple-Choice Pre-test
  • Handout: Multiple Choice Pre-test
  • Handout: Answer Sheet
  • Assignment: AP Pre-test
  • MLA Formatting MSWord 2007
  • MLA Documentation updates
  • MLA Citation
  • MLA Incorporating Sources
  • Writing about Literature
  • Using the Right Words
  • Grammar and Punctuation
  • Writing for the AP Exam
  • AP Exam Rubric
  • Editing Strategies
  • Proofreading
  • Organization
  • Usage and Sentence Structure
  • Spelling
  • Finished Paper
  • Worksheet: Editing Strategies Worksheet
  • SOAPSTone Method
  • SOAPSTone continued
  • Basics of Rhetoric
  • Handout: Note Taking Rhetoric
  • Assignment: Rhetoric notes
  • Argument and the Rhetorical Triangle
  • Practice
  • Assignment: SOAPSTone practice
  • Critical Reading
  • Tools for Close Reading
  • Practice
  • Assignment: Close Reading Practice
  • Analyzing Images
  • Practice
  • Assignment: Analyzing Images Practice
  • Research Writing
  • Synthesis Essay
  • Handout: Writing a Synthesis Essay
  • Determine the Topic
  • Evaluate the Sources
  • Assignment: Argument Outline
  • Check Yourself
  • Beyond Ethos, Pathos, and Logos
  • Practice
  • How We Communicate
  • Assignment: Journal
  • The Art of Conversation
  • Handout: The Art of Conversation
  • Assignment: The Art of Conversation
  • Conversation in a Technical Age
  • Handout: Conversation in a Technical Age
  • Assignment: Conversation in a Technical Age
  • AP Synthesis Essay
  • Essay: AP Synthesis Essay
  • Cause and Effect Essay
  • Essay: Cause and Effect Essay
  • Quiz: Verbs and Verbals
  • Defining Education
  • Assignment: Journal
  • How Much Education
  • Handout: How Much Education
  • Assignment: How Much Education
  • “Fixing” Education
  • Handout: “Fixing” Education
  • Assignment: “Fixing” Education
  • AP Synthesis Essay
  • Essay: AP Synthesis Essay
  • Personal Narrative
  • Essay: Personal Narrative
  • Quiz: Nouns and Pronouns Quiz
  • Multiple-Choice Exam
  • Work Ethic
  • Assignment: Journal
  • Benefits of Hard Work
  • Handout: Benefits of Hard Work
  • Assignment: Benefits of Hard Work
  • Benefits of Hardly Working
  • Handout: Benefits of Hardly Working
  • Assignment: Benefits of Hardly Working
  • AP Synthesis Essay
  • Essay: AP Synthesis Essay
  • Description Essay
  • Assignment: Description essay
  • Quiz: AdjAdv Prep & Conj
  • Defining Censorship
  • Assignment: Journal
  • Censorship and Society
  • Handout: Censorship and Society
  • Assignment: Censorship and Society
  • Censorship and Technology
  • Handout: Censorship and Technology
  • Assignment: Censorship and Technology
  • AP Synthesis Essay
  • Essay: AP Synthesis Essay
  • Process Essay
  • Essay: Process Essay
  • Quiz: Phrases and Clauses quiz
  • Conformity versus Individualism
  • Assignment: Journal
  • A History of Rebellion
  • Handout: A History of Rebellion
  • Assignment: A History of Rebellion
  • The Needs of the Many
  • Handout: The Needs of the Many
  • Assignment: The Needs of the Many
  • AP Free Response Essay
  • Essay: AP Free Response Essay
  • Comparison Essay
  • Essay: Comparison Essay
  • Quiz: Subject Verb Agreement quiz
  • A Changing Country
  • Assignment: Journal
  • On Race
  • Handout: On Race
  • Assignment: On Race
  • On Religion
  • Handout: On Religion
  • Assignment: On Religion
  • AP Free Response Essay
  • Essay: AP Free Response Essay
  • Definition Essay
  • Essay: Definition Essay
  • Quiz: Case Quiz
  • Defining Celebrity
  • Assignment: Journal
  • Famous for Being Famous
  • Handout: Celebrity Culture in America
  • Handout: Famous for Being Famous
  • Assignment: Famous for Being Famous
  • Celebrity as Role Model
  • Handout: Celebrity as Role Model
  • Assignment: Celebrity as Role Model
  • AP Free Response Essay
  • Essay: AP Free Response Essay
  • Classification Essay
  • Essay: Classification Essay
  • Worksheet: Punctuation Quiz
  • Avoiding Plagiarism
  • Assignment: Avoiding Plagiarism
  • Conducting Research
  • Evaluating Sources
  • Thesis Statements
  • Style
  • Final Assignment
  • Essay: Research Essay
  • Final Portfolio & Reflection
  • Essay: Final Portfolio
  • Exam Preparation
  • Multiple-Choice Post-Test
  • Handout: AP Multiple-Choice Sample Exam
  • Handout: Answer Sheet
  • Assignment: Multiple-Choice Post-Test
  • Course Survey
  • Handout: Course Survey
  • Assignment: Course Survey