AP English Language and Composition
2016-2017
Welcome to Advanced Placement English Language and Composition. I am pleased that you have chosen to take on the challenge this class will provide for you. As an AP student, you are between two worlds; an AP course is college-level work, but it is taken while you are still in high school.
Your previous high school English courses were focused on the study of literature by genre. Our focus will be on argument, appeals, and rhetoric. The AP Language course is focused on the study of non-fiction in all its varied forms—essays, narratives, speeches, articles, current events. Non-fiction is a literature of fact, but it is also a literature of variety and creativity. The writing that you do will primarily emulate and analyze these texts.
This class is intended to prepare you for the AP exam next spring, where a score of 3 or higher can provide you with possible exemption and/or credit from all or part of your college freshman English composition requirements. However, and more importantly, you are here to become a better writer, reader, speaker, and thinker—skills that will help you in all areas of your academic life.
Our reading will consist of a sampling from different genres, styles, time periods, and cultures, as well as selections from past AP exams. Note that this class is run as a college-level course, and therefore some of the material we will read and discuss will be more mature than what is generally encountered in high school textbooks. Because you have chosen this course, keep in mind that the topics and issues addressed may be provocative and complex, not unlike those discussed in a college-level course.
Upon completing the course, students will be able to
- interpret and analyze samples of good writing, identifying and explaining an author’s use of rhetorical strategies and techniques;
- employ effective strategies and techniques in their own writing;
- create and sustain arguments based on readings, research, and/or personal experience;
- demonstrate understanding and mastery of standard written English as well as stylistic maturity in their own writings;
- write in a variety of genres and contexts, both formal and informal, employing appropriate conventions;
- produce expository and argumentative compositions that introduce a complex central idea and develop it with appropriate, specific evidence, cogent explanations, and clear transitions; and
- move effectively through the stages of the writing process, with careful attention to inquiry and research, drafting, revising, editing, and review.
Success will be measured in terms of enhanced critical reading abilities, as evidenced in class discussion, the reading/writer's notebook and other interpretive writing, and in terms of clearer, more effective, more cogent writing generally. Students should focus on developing the following:
- critical reading strategies and practices;
- a wide-ranging vocabulary used appropriately and effectively;
- a variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of subordination and coordination;
- a logical organization in writing, enhanced by specific techniques to increase coherence, such as repetition, transitions, and emphasis;
- a balance of generalization and specific illustrative detail; and
- an effective use of rhetoric, including controlling tone, establishing and maintaining voice, and achieving appropriate emphasis through diction and sentence structure.
Rewarding Excellence: From time-to-time, students ask about extra-credit work. It is part of my teaching philosophy and practice not to offer extra-credit work. College level learning is challenging enough. If students are unable to keep-up with the regular workload, they certainly do not have the time to complete extra work. Instead, I reward excellence points to students whose efforts and participation are exemplary.
TEXTS:
- The Language of Composition (Shea, Scanlon, Aufses)
- 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology (Cohen)
- Everything’s An Argument (Lunsford, Ruszkiewicz, Walters)
- Thank You For Arguing (Heinrichs)
POTENTIAL READING:
- Endurance (Alfred Lansing)
- The Last Lecture (Randy Pausch)
- Into the Wild (Jon Krakauer)
- Candide (Voltaire)
- Independent nonfiction book
- I am Malala
SUGGESTED LISTENING:
91.7 WVXU-Morning Edition (beginning at 5 AM M-F); All Things Considered (4 PM- 6:30 PM M-F); A Prairie Home Companion (Saturdays at 6 PM, Sundays at Noon)
SUGGESTED VIEWING:
Sunday Morning News Shows (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC)
National Evening News (ABC, CBS, NBC) or CNN/FOX Headline News
BBC World News - Check local listings for Public Television
Prime Minister's Question Time - CSPAN - Sundays at 9 PM and Midnight (when Parliament is in session). Check local listings.
The Daily Show / The Colbert Report (Comedy Central, check local listings)
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
- One three-ring binder
- Three-subject notebook
- Three (manila) file folders for timed writings, stamped papers, and current events assignments
- Package(s) of Post-It Notes
- Index Cards
- Paper, pens (some colored), highlighters, and pencils
CLASS FORMAT:
Throughout the year, we will read a variety of mostly nonfiction texts. Our primary focus will be rhetoric and argument. Some reading will involve full-length books, while others will be essays, articles, graphics, speeches, and current events. We will also examine synthesis and research writing, primarily in MLA format; you will create correct works-cited entries as well as good parenthetical documentation. Smaller researched essays will be assigned throughout the academic year.
Class participation will be an important aspect to our daily schedule, and it is important that you stay on top of reading assignments. In this course, you are expected to be an active participant, as well as an active listener. Your attendance and ability to work well with your peers on assignments is imperative to your success in this class.
WRITTEN WORK:
This is a college-level English course. You are a junior or a senior, but you will be treated like a college student. A primary goal of most college freshman composition courses is to provide rigorous instruction and practice in writing. The pieces we read for this course should be used as examples and models.
- WRITER’S NOTEBOOK: Informal writing is a great way to record thoughts on readings, observations, and ideas. It is a place for DEEP THINKING and INTELLECTUAL IDEAS and should be at least 250 words per entry. We expect depth of thought, response to reading/class issues, voice/style, and length. Use your notebook to peel away the layers and get into the deeper issues of the course. Merely writing 250 words does not guarantee full credit.
- TIMED ESSAYS: You will complete 40-minute timed analytic, argument, and synthesis essays that will be graded according to the 9-point AP English rubric. These will be completed in class.
- STAMPED ESSAYS: You will write essays that emulate, synthesize, or analyze pieces of writing.
Writing is a process, and everyone has different strengths and abilities as a writer—We want to see you grow this year. Everyone will start and end in different places. We will work together to strengthen your writing, and we will also work together as a class to help each other. Use your readings as well to emulate the writing of different styles that you find effective in both argument and style.
Formal essays should always be typed, double spaced, in an easy-to-read font (12 point), titled, with no more than 1.25 inch margins, and submitted according to your teacher's instructions. On all assignments you turn in, head your papers in proper MLA format. Always save a copy of your paper for future revision.
READING:
The goal of AP English Language is to encourage you to read widely and to consider the ideas of others. We will read from a variety of sources, old and new. We will not always agree with the writer, but it is important to consider how the argument is developed and how it impacts our own positions. Rhetoric also involves the beauty and power of words—and we will study that as well.
Reading is an active process. You are to read with a pen or pencil in hand so that you can record your thoughts and reactions. You should read very carefully and take note of how an author’s argument is developed and how he/she is effective in moving the reader. Don’t be afraid to read twice—most pieces will need more than one reading; you will notice much more the second (or third) time through. Some of readings will require for you to log on notebook paper; on occasion, a class discussion or roundtable will follow the reading, and you must present a log in class to participate in the
discussion (both the log and the discussion will be worth credit).
GRADING:
You are capable of doing well in this class. Your grades may be lower than what you are normally accustomed to earning, but if you continue to challenge yourself all year, you will find growth in your reading, speaking, and (especially) your writing abilities. Remember that a good attitude is more important than aptitude. As long as you are working to the best of your abilities, you will do well. We will not baby you—but we will support you. The grading scale of this district will be used. Understand that this is a challenging course, so the work it required of you to get an A or a B in previous English classes may not get you those grades in AP.
We expect students to complete each assignment to the best of their ability, regardless of whether they plan to take the AP Exam in May. The grading is broken into two categories: Practice and Assessment.
Practice - 20 percent
- Unless otherwise indicated, these homework and classwork assignments provide an opportunity for student learning and will therefore be given points. A loss of points will result for cheating, lack of effort, or turning in late.
- Students will demonstrate mastery of skills and content through various assessments. These may include tests, quizzes, writing, projects, etc.
ATTENDANCE and MAKE-UP WORK:
It is understandable that as an upperclassman, you will have a busy year of honors/awards, extracurricular events, and other class obligations that may take up your time and attention, but I expect that you honor your commitment to this class. You are ultimately responsible for time management of your obligations. It is also expected that you will be in class every day; excessive absences, excused or otherwise, have an inherent negative effect upon your grade, as you will miss valuable learning experiences that cannot be made up. Your peers are depending upon you to be present in class to help us all learn together.
If you are absent and miss a due date for a project, paper, or test, you will be expected to complete/hand in the assignment on the day you return (of course, since most will be created on Google Docs, you should share it with me if you are absent on the due date). Make-up assignments have the same number of days you were absent until they are due. If you are absent for an in-class prompt, you will be expected to complete the prompt after school in my room from 3:00 to 3:40 within one week, or you may not receive credit for the assignment. Because stamped papers are part of an ongoing process, you must meet those deadlines. Computer issues are no excuse for late work; all assignments are due at the beginning of class (there will be no printing in class). If you have a known absent, please turn work in on time (field trip, leave school early).
IT IS NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY TO REMIND YOU OR ASK YOU ABOUT HANDING IN / COMPLETING ANY MISSED ASSIGNMENTS.
LATE WORK:
It is my responsibility to prepare you for college and the rigor expected at the collegiate level. Because of this, I have a very strict late work policy.
- If you are absent the day something is due, we expect you to turn this work in THE DAY YOU RETURN TO SCHOOL. [clarification: field trips/leaving early (aka known absences) should turn work in before they leave on field trips/go home.]
- I do not encourage late work; however, I will accept late work for a maximum of 50 percent credit. After two weeks, you will automatically receive a zero.
PLAGIARISM:
I expect you to compose essays and projects of your own thoughts, ideas, and words. When referencing the words or ideas of others, you are to quote or paraphrase, giving credit to that writer. Otherwise, you are stealing (plagiarism), and it will result in a rewrite for 50 percent.
On the flip side, the occasional use of Sparknotes or other research sources is acceptable if you are stuck or confused on a concept or a plot line of a story or book. However, the repeated use is an academic crutch; do not let these sites do all of your thinking for you. We would prefer that you come to class with questions or topics that confuse you. The learning process involves letting others in class help you to figure out these things—this is what a classroom community is for.
STUDENT EXPECTATIONS:
Class rules are as follows:
1. Respect others and their belongings, including that of this school.
2. No swearing or offensive language or behavior.
3. Be here on time. Work until the bell rings.
4. Bring materials with you to class. You may not be allowed to get it from your locker.
5. Follow directions the first time they are given.
6. Use integrity and honesty in all assignments.
7. Bring your Chrome Book every day.
8. Absolutely NO CELL PHONES unless I have given explicit permission.
Our classroom culture:
1. If you have noticed, we are using we/us in much of this syllabus. This is intentional; We will be doing much of the same work as you are. We cannot discuss a book unless we have read it, too. We won’t be perfect, but we don’t expect you to be perfect either.
2. YOU HAVE TO TALK IN THIS CLASS. Silence is no longer an option for some of you. And for the “chatterboxes,” take a break sometimes and allow others a chance to speak as well.
3. Slacking, procrastinating, or being “stressed out”—these are not excuses. Just do the work.
4. Maintain a positive attitude—think of this Advanced Placement class as an adventure.
EXTRA HELP:
Please understand that I am here to help you and to support you. We have much work ahead of us, and you will be taking on what may be a (new) role in your own learning. You are encouraged to come to me if you need help—we can meet anytime. Don’t wait until the last minute and expect miracles; ask me for assistance as soon as you feel you are struggling. I can come early and stay late to help you if you need it. And you can always email me if you need help. I am here to support you. And if you see someone who is struggling or slacking off, reach out to him or her and help.
AP TEST:
Taking the AP test is encouraged as the research shows that students who take AP tests are more likely to graduate from college. However, the test is optional, and the fee of $90 is the student’s responsibility. The AP English Language test is Wednesday, May 10 (A.M.). 2017 Exam Schedule
AP LANG SYLLABUS SIGN OFF:
Students and parents must read and complete the course sign-off sheet. Students must return the completed form to class.