Download 2015-2016 AP Syllabus

AP Language and Composition
Mr. Benjamin Isaac
Email: [email protected]
Mission of AP Language:
The mission of this course is to provide a challenging, rigorous curriculum to adequately prepare
students for college work with the added opportunity to gain college credit. It is my philosophy
to work tirelessly to meet the needs of each student to make this education worthwhile and
applicable. Education is the most important aspect we can add and control to our individual lives
to add meaning, to give back, and to share with others. By taking this class, you are subjecting
yourself to the best option available to develop you into a successful, contributing member of
society. Time spent in this class will be worth the challenge in many ways.
This course is intended to mirror the intellectual challenges, expectation, and work load of a
typical undergraduate college English course. A grade of 3, 4, of 5 on this exam is considered an
equivalent to a 3.3 – 4.0 GPA scale at the college level. A student who earns a 3 or above on this
exam is awarded college credit at the majority of colleges and universities. A grade of 2, while
not earning college credit, shows that the student is well-prepared for the demanding, rigorous
work awaiting him or her at the college level.
With this information in mind, the following pages outline detailed descriptions of procedures,
expectations, assignments, grading scales, resources, and a tentative course outline and pacing
guide. This is an overview; a detailed calendar will be distributed before each unit.
Additional Information:
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The American literature course is required of all 11th graders; therefore, the syllabus
reflects a blending of American literature with various other selections from different
sources.
We are mandated by the CCGPS standards set forth by the State of Georgia. The AP
curriculum far exceeds those standards.
Students must be dedicated to reading and writing.
Reading materials used for this class are often for a mature audience and will be handled
as such.
A thorough study of readings and the use of rhetoric are major components of this class.
Writing is a critical component of this course. Feedback is provided in a timely manner,
and ample time is given to draft, revise, and publish.
AP grades are weighted .05 per nine weeks grading period.
Grading Scales for each nine weeks: 45% Tests (written and performance based); 45%
Essays and Compositions; 10% Homework, Quizzes, Daily Work.
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Textbooks Used:
Cohen, Samuel. 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology. 2nd Edition. New York: Bedford/St.
Martin’s, 2007. Print.
Pearson Common Core Literature – The American Experience. Hoboken: Pearson Education,
2015. Print.
Shea, Renee H., Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. The Language of Composition.
New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2008. Print.
Welcome! Reading is a crucial and mandatory component of this class; therefore, you must read
assignments before coming to class. Be prepared for a quiz, group activity, or writing prompt on
any reading assignment. Also, you may receive an AP objective sample activity or AP writing
prompt at any time. Adhering to deadlines is of the utmost importance. Diverse opinions are
respected in this class; remember since your voice is important, so are other voices. Our goal is
to learn much and to expand our horizons – so let the journey begin.
Units for this class are broken up into sections organized by a central theme. The literature is
taken from a variety of different time periods in order for you to gain a complete textual
understanding of context and writing situations. Novels will be embedded into these thematic
units as well, and advance reading will be required for all novels. Abbreviations for the
textbooks are: Pearson (P), The Language of Composition (LC), The Bedford Reader (Bedford),
and 50 Essays (50).
On-Going Student Assignments
Articles Portfolio:
Materials Needed: 1 one inch three ring binder with dividers to organize by theme or 1
composition notebook
Each student will read, summarize, and analyze articles (Rhetorical Précis) and editorial cartoons
(OPTIC) on social and political issues throughout the year. Each course unit will have students
submit a total of 5 articles/cartoons (either 3 articles and 2 cartoons or 3 cartoons and 2 articles –
configuration should not be the same for each unit) selected from newspapers, magazines,
journals, and online information and news sources. Approved sources: US News and World
Report, The New Yorker, Time Magazine, National Geographic, The Washington Post, The New
York Times, The Chicago Tribune, ABC National News, CBS National News, NBC National
News, and The British Broadcasting Company (BBC). Sources need to be of a caliber expected
for AP Language. In other words, Yahoo News is not going to cut it. Students must focus their
reading and analysis to the themes presented in each unit in order to connect our readings and
studies. Portfolios should be organized as follows: print a copy of the article or cartoon on one
page, on the next page write the Rhetorical Précis or OPTIC analysis. Portfolios will remain
with the students until called for evaluation during the final week of each of the course’s units.
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Notebook:
Materials Required: 1 three ring binder, loose leaf college ruled paper, 8 section dividers
Students are required to organize a notebook intended for this course only with the following
sections distinguished by dividers. The Handouts section will comprise papers utilized
throughout the duration of the course while the remaining table will organize information
distributed and used during each unit. Organize your sections as follows:
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Course Handouts
Intro to AP Language – Courage
Unit 1: Conformity
Unit 2: Rebellion
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Unit 3: Identity
Unit 4: Ethics
Unit 5: Investigation
Graded Papers
Course Organization:
Each unit lasts 4-6 weeks throughout the course and students will be assigned an extended text
that correlates with each unit’s theme. Two of the extended texts will actually be read in class.
Annotation, vocabulary, and inquiry writing (Dialectical Journaling) will be assigned for each
novel that will count as component grades in the units. Student will read with the unit focus in
mind in order to bring discussions to the table from multiple viewpoints. Students are
encouraged to purchase texts on their own so that they can physically connect with the texts as
they will do in college. Inexpensive copies of the text can be found on Amazon and at Second
and Charles. If purchase is not attainable, the school has copies for you to borrow but not write
in. Each unit requires students to acquire and use rich vocabulary, to use Standard English
grammar, and to understand the importance of diction and syntax in an author’s style to discuss
overall author purpose in writing.
Students are expected to develop the following through reading, discussion, and writing
assignments:
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A wide-ranging vocabulary used appropriately and effectively; a variety of sentence
structures, including appropriate use of subordination and coordination
Logical organization, enhanced by specific techniques to increase coherence, such as
repetition, transitions, and emphasis
A balance of generalization and specific illustrative detail
An effective use of rhetoric including controlling tone, establishing and maintaining
voice, and achieving appropriate emphasis through diction and sentence structure
An understanding of peer revision and multiple drafts
For reading assignments students must identify:
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Thesis or Claim
Tone or Attitude
Purpose
Audience and Occasion
Evidence or Data
Appeals: Logos, Ethos, Pathos
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Assumptions or Warrants
Style (how the author communicates
his message: rhetorical mode,
rhetorical devices, which always
include diction and syntax)
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Organizational patterns found in the
text, ex. Main idea, detail,
comparison/contrast
Cause/Effect, extended definition,
problem/solution, etc.
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Use of detail to develop a general
idea
Course Unit Division, Calendars, and Tentative Pacing Guide:
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Deviations in pre-decided course readings, examinations, and unit lengths may be made
by the instructor if deems necessary. Deviations and changes can occur due to the nature
of the educational process. I will attempt to adhere to this schedule very closely;
however, if deviation becomes necessary, changes will be announced as soon as possible.
Students will be given a detailed calendar at the beginning of each unit spanning each day
for the unit’s entirety. Indicated on this calendar will be the pacing of principle texts
within the unit, due dates for extended text reading and Article Portfolio submission, predecided paper due dates, and other pre-determined assignments. Other formative
assignment (homework, quizzes, informal analyses, etc.) due dates will be determined as
the unit progresses. Because of this organizational calendar distributed to students,
responsibility and dependence is highly expected in terms of meeting all due dates.
Introduction to AP Language – Courage
“True courage is not the absence of fear but the mastery of fear.” – John F. Kennedy
The beginning days will focus on studying the theme of courage found in the required summer
reading texts. Students will use these summer texts to initiate focus into critical analysis and
inquiry. Students will also receive preparation for the Georgia High School Writing Test
through this unit as well. Persuasive and rhetorical writing centered on topics from these works
will occur in the initial days of the course.
An introduction to rhetoric and argument with an emphasis on present day issues that are cause
for debate will be explored through Aristotelian Rhetoric – the structure, concepts and terms;
overview of Toulmin’s argument model and terminology; SOAPSTone tool of analyzing rhetoric
and OPTIC tool of analyzing visual text; and Vocabulary introduction and acquisition through
textual annotation and AP Vocabulary.
Extended Texts:
Profiles in Courage – John F. Kennedy
Tuesdays with Morrie – Mitch Albom
Principle Texts from American Literature:
“On Being Brought from Africa to America” – Phillis Wheatley
“The World on the Turtle’s Back” – Iroquois Tribe
Modern Texts:
“Neat People vs. Sloppy People” – Suzanne Britt
“Batting Clean-up and Striking Out” – Dave Barry
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“Graduation” – Maya Angelou
Major Writing Assignments:
Rhetorical Emulation of John F. Kennedy
Persuasive Writing – focus on an awareness of audience, logical, emotional, and ethical appeals
Analyses of introductory essays to assess student understanding of AP style analysis,
identification, and processes
Persuasive writing in context for the Georgia High School Writing Test
Rhetorical Analysis of Maya Angelou’s “Graduation”
Articles Portfolio/Rhetorical Précis – a heavy focus in the beginning of this course is the art of
the précis, a formulaic approach to critically analyzing and conveying author message and
purpose. Students will be introduced to this concept in order to construct an Articles Portfolio
pertaining to each unit built from their chosen collection of current articles in circulation.
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Scarlet Letter test
Rhetoric Introduction – Gherig Flip Chart and Rhetoric Assignments
SOAPSTone – Morrie
SOAPSTone – Profiles in Courage
Analysis of the power of courage – synthesize all three books
Out of class writing – create one profile in courage (not over two pages in length) that
emulates Kennedy’s diction and style
7. Terms Study
8. Aristotelian Rhetoric and Toulmin Argument – Stylistic Study
9. OPTIC strategy – political cartoons/images
10. How To – Rhetorical Analysis and AP Argument essays
11. “Neat People v. Sloppy People” – Read and Inquiry Questions
12. “Batting Clean-up and Striking Out” – Read and Discuss
13. Literary Time Periods – power point study, center activity, writing synthesis
14. “On Being Brought from Africa to America” – how is this poem a narrative of courage? –
analyze narrative mode of discourse
15. “The World on the Turtle’s Back” – How does this myth display courage?
16. SOAPSTone – “Graduation”
17. Rhetorical Analysis Essay – use “Graduation” notes
18. AP Multiple Choice diagnostic test
19. AP Argument Essays
20. GHSWT Practice Essays with color and peer editing
21. Rhetorical Précis for Journal Assignment
Unit One: Conformity
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” –
Mark Twain
Unit Rationale: Within this unit, students will begin thematic analysis and inquiry into the
chosen principle texts from American Literature. Investigation into past and present choices –
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willing and forced – into conformity will lead students to addressing the inherent decisions made
by humans. The Scarlet Letter, a classic masterpiece in itself, will present society’s notion of
conformity in a setting where going against the grain is sin. Transitioning to modern day,
students will compare and contrast how times have changed but principles regarding gender roles
and societal standards and pressure keep this universal theme alive.
Extended Text: The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne
Principle Texts from American Literature:
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” – Jonathan Edwards
“The Declaration of Independence” – Thomas Jefferson, etc.
“Much Madness is Divinest Sense” – Emily Dickinson
“Richard Cory” – E. A. Robinson
“Upon the Burning of Our House” – Anne Bradstreet
“To My Dear and Loving Husband” – Anne Bradstreet
Modern Texts:
“Too Much Pressure” – Colleen Wenke
“The Ways We Lie” – Stephanie Ericsson
“Shooting an Elephant” – George Orwell
Major Writing Assignments:
Evaluation of classic text versus modern text that centers on unit theme
AP Argument Essays
AP Rhetorical Analysis Essays
Creative Emulation – Hawthorne
Articles Portfolio: Students are to collect readings from print and online media that relate to the
unit theme of conformity. Copies of the articles and the précis are to be placed in the portfolio
that will be submitted at an assigned date.
Intended Activities:
1. Scarlet Letter Socratic Seminar
2. Compare the use of conformity in Dickinson and Bradstreet
3. Read and Analyze The Declaration of Independence
4. SOAPSTone – “The Ways We Lie”
5. Read and annotate “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
6. Persuasive Techniques Worksheet on “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
7. CCGPS Activities on “Sinners…”, Test
8. AP Multiple Choice – “Shooting an Elephant”
9. Analyze “Richard Cory” – How does conformity play a part in the outcome of the poem?
10. Read “The Ways We Lie” –Analyze what category each character in The Scarlet Letter
would fit into
11. Rhetorical Analysis Questions on “Too Much Pressure” – what part does conformity play
in the pressure?
12. Stylistic emulation/Creative Writing – The Scarlet Letter
13. Classic v. Modern Text Rhetorical Analysis
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14. AP Argument Essays
15. AP Rhetorical Analysis Essays
16. AP Multiple Choice
17. Poetry Analysis Activity and Comparison – Anne Bradstreet
Unit 2: Rebellion
“Just because something is tradition doesn’t make it right.” – Anthony J. D’Angelo, The
College Blue Book
Unit Rationale: When there are pressures and expectation to conform, a tempting and
sometimes frequent reaction is to rebel against restraint. This unit will segue from unit one’s
inquiry into the nature of conformity to study those who have and who urge for a break from
tradition. Students will raise critical awareness to assess the aphorisms made by various authors
to indeed determine the purpose, cost, and consequences for going against the grain. Beginning
in the Age of Romanticism in American Literature and including modern texts involving the
same theme, students will synthesize the universal nature of rebellion.
Extended Text: The Crucible, Arthur Miller
Principle Texts from American Literature:
Excerpts from Nature and Self-Reliance – Emerson
Excerpts from “Civil Disobedience” and Walden – Thoreau
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
“I Have a Dream” speech – Martin Luther King, Jr.
Excerpts from Of Plymouth Plantation – William Bradford
“The Gettysburg Address” – Abraham Lincoln
“Speech in the Virginia Convention” – Patrick Henry
“The Crisis, No. 1” – Thomas Paine
“The Devil and Tom Walker” – Washington Irving
“Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions” – Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Modern Literature:
“Living Like Weasels” – Annie Dillard
“Commencement Speech at Mt. Holyoke” – Anna Quindlen
Major Writing Assignments:
Synthesis of writings by authors in unit
AP Argument Essays
AP Rhetorical Analysis Essays
Summative Writing using “Living Like Weasels”
Articles Portfolio: Students are to collect readings from print and online media that relate to the
unit theme of rebellion. Copies of the articles/cartoons and the précis/OPTICs are to be placed in
the portfolio that will be submitted at an assigned date.
Intended Activities:
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1. Synthesis of Writings by authors in the unit
2. AP Argument Essays
3. Rhetorical Analysis Essays
4. Read “The Devil and Tom Walker” – timed SOAPSTone analysis
5. AP Multiple Choice
6. Of Plymouth Plantation – learn DIDLS
7. Read/Inquiry Questions – Walden – discuss rhetorical value and purpose
8. Read and Rate Strength of Argument – “Commencement Speech at Mt. Holyoke”
9. Analyze “Declaration of Sentiments” – possible AP Multiple Choice
10. AP Multiple Choice – “Where I Lived, What I Lived For” portion of Walden
11. Read and Analyze “Speech in the VA Convention” and “The Crisis No. 1” – compare
purpose and outcome to the Declaration of Independence
12. Short test on Paine, Jefferson, Henry
13. Read and Annotate “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, AP Style Test
14. Read, Analyze, and Discuss the Rhetorical and Persuasive Methods in The Crucible – in
class reading of the play, test, and essays
15. Read and Discuss “Civil Disobedience” – Compare Thoreau and MLK
16. Listen to and annotate “I Have a Dream” – analysis and test
17. Read/Inquiry Questions – “Nature”
18. The Crucible film and analyze rhetorical differences (if time permits)
19. “The Gettysburg Address” – DIDLS and SOAPSTone
20. AP Style Test on “The Gettysburg Address”
21. Summative Writing on Unit using “Living Like Weasels”
Unit 3: Identity
“A strong sense of identity gives man an idea he can do no wrong; too little accomplishes
the same thing.” – Djuana Barnes
Unit Rationale: After investigating why we conform and why we rebel, students will broaden
the scope on human nature to study the complex components that build the puzzle of human
identity. Our world is a patchwork of diverse cultures, heritages, beliefs, and ways of life – this
unit will primarily share stories of authors struggling to answer the age old question “Who am
I?” At an age where students are asking themselves this mature question seriously for the first
time, a deep dive into identity will develop.
Extended Text: Their Eyes Were Watching God – Zora Neale Hurston
Principle Texts from American Literature:
“Corn Pone Opinion” – Mark Twain
Excerpt from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
“Learning to Read and Write” – Frederick Douglass
“The Story of an Hour” – Kate Chopin
“The Yellow Wallpaper” – Charlotte Perkins Gilman
“How it Feels to be Colored Me” – Zora Neale Hurston
“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” – T. S. Eliot
Modern Texts:
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“Indian Education” – Sherman Alexie
“The Way to Rainy Mountain” – M. Scott Momaday
“Play with Our Name” – Jim Shore
“I Want a Wife” – Judy Brady
“The Meanings of a Word” – Gloria Naylor
Major Writing Assignments:
Narrative Memoir – students create a series of inter-connected experiences based on and
emulating Sherman Alexie’s “Indian Education”
AP Argument
AP Rhetorical Analysis
AP Synthesis – “How To” Instruction and Practice
American Literature synthesis of universal themes from the periods of Realism, Naturalism, and
emerging Modernism
Articles Portfolio: Students are to collect readings from print and online media that relate to the
unit theme of identity. Copies of the articles/cartoons and the précis/OPTICs are to be placed in
the portfolio that will be submitted at an assigned date.
Intended Activities:
1. Narrative Memoir – Sherman Alexie’s “Indian Education”
2. AP Argument Essays
3. AP Rhetorical Analysis Essays
4. AP Synthesis Essays –“How To” Instruction and Practice
5. American Literature Synthesis of universal themes
6. AP Multiple Choice
7. Read, SOAPSTone, Identity Questions on “Indian Education”
8. Read, DIDLS, AP Multiple Choice on “The Way to Rainy Mountain”
9. Read and Analyze “The Yellow Wallpaper”
10. Read and Analyze “The Story of an Hour” – Compare the rhetoric of Chopin and Gilman
11. Test on Chopin and Gilman
12. Teacher Directed Annotations on “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
13. Test on Prufrock
14. SOAPSTone – Huck Finn
15. Read and Discuss “How it Feels to be Colored Me”
16. Group Analysis “Corn Pone Opinion” – Analyze the strength of the argument
17. Their Eyes Were Watching God – test, group analysis of voice, rhetorical analysis
18. AP Multiple Choice – “Learning to Read and Write”
19. Read and Discuss “Play with Our Name”
20. Multiple Choice– “I Want a Wife”
21. Inquiry Questions – “The Meaning of a Word”
Unit 4: Ethics
“A man without ethics is a wild beast loosed upon this world.” – Albert Camus
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Unit Rationale: Whether we have a definitive belief in some one or some thing, we all have our
opinions about what is right and wrong in our eyes and in the world in which we live. Unit four
will explore perspectives, both shared and original, on moral and amoral decisions made in the
course of our lives. When weighing our options, how do we choose what is “right,” and who or
what determines what exactly is “right” anyway? With a concrete foundation of those who
conform, rebel, and seek answers to themselves, this fourth unit will put student evaluation,
argumentation, and use of evidence to the test as we seek to support answers to unanswerable
questions of life.
Extended Text: The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
Principle Texts from American Literature:
“Message to President Franklin Pierce” – Chief Seattle
“I, Too, Sing America” – Langston Hughes
“Any Human to Another” – Countee Cullen
“Inaugural Address” – Franklin Delano Roosevelt
“The Day that Will Live in Infamy” – Franklin Delano Roosevelt
“Inaugural Address” – John F. Kennedy
Principle World Literature Texts:
“A Modest Proposal” – Jonathan Swift
“My Last Duchess” – Robert Browning
Modern Texts:
“The Lottery” – Shirley Jackson
“The Insufficiency of Honesty” – Stephen L. Carter
“Homeless” – Anna Quindlen
“Be Cool to the Pizza Dude” – Sarah Adams
Major Writing Assignments:
Original Satire on Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”
Creative Emulation of Chief Seattle
AP Rhetorical Analysis Essays
AP Argument Essays
AP Synthesis Essays
Possible Writing Assignment on Gatsby
Articles Portfolio: Students are to collect readings from print and online media that relate to the
unit theme of ethics. Copies of the articles/cartoons and the précis/OPTICs are to be placed in
the portfolio that will be submitted at an assigned date.
Intended Activities:
1. Original satire based on Swift’s modest proposal
2. Creative Emulation letter based on Chief Seattle
3. AP Rhetorical Analysis Essays
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4. AP Argument Essays
5. AP Synthesis Essays
6. AP Multiple Choice
7. Read, Analyze, and AP Multiple Choice on “My Last Duchess”
8. Read, Analyze, and Rhetorical Essay – “The Lottery”
9. Read, Inquiry Questions on “Homeless”
10. Read, Analyze, and Test – “A Modest Proposal”
11. I-pod Touch – Listen To and Annotate – FDR and JFK Inaugural Addresses
12. FDR – The Date that Will Live in Infamy address – synthesize all three speeches
13. Read and Discuss “Message to President Franklin Pierce” – pick ecological ethical issue
and compose letter to president, emulate Chief Seattle
14. Test on Gatsby
15. Systematic Novel Group Study on Gatsby
16. Gatsby Film – Analyze Rhetorical Changes (if time permits)
17. Read and Inquiry Questions – “Be Cool to the Pizza Dude”
18. Read and Inquiry Questions – “Homeless”
19. Read and Discuss “The Insufficiency of Honesty”
20. Harlem Renaissance Poetry Study
Unit 5: Investigation
“We live in an age of universal investigation, and of the exploration of the sources of all
movements.” – Alfred de Vigny
Unit Rationale: This final unit saves the best for last – the precise, intricate, detailed
exploration into the implications of our actions, our questions, and our wants and needs. No
stone can be left unturned in order to master the art of investigation, and unit five will have
students view various topics through the lens of various characters to mold their analysis and
writing to minute details of advanced placement mastery.
Extended Text: A Raisin in the Sun – Lorraine Hansberry
Principle Texts from American Literature:
“The Masque of the Red Death” – Edgar Allan Poe
“The Death of the Moth” – Virginia Woolf
“Mending Wall” – Robert Frost
“The Raven” – Edgar Allan Poe
“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” – Emily Dickinson
“Thirteen Virtues” – Benjamin Franklin
Modern Text: Excerpt from South of Broad – Pat Conroy
Major Writing Assignments:
AP Rhetorical Analysis Essays
AP Argument Essays
AP Synthesis Essays
Annotated Bibliography
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Creative Writing – A Raisin in the Sun
The articles portfolio will be omitted in this unit due to extra time needed to prepare for the
EOCT and AP Language Test.
Intended Activities:
Annotated Bibliography – 5 complex American short stories
AP Rhetorical Analysis Essays
AP Argument Essays
AP Synthesis Essays
AP Multiple Choice
Read, Discuss, Inquiry Questions, Multiple Choice – “The Death of the Moth”
Color Analysis – “The Masque of the Red Death”
SOAPSTone – South of Broad excerpt – how doe setting play a part in investigation the
novel?
9. Read, Analyze “Mending Wall” – compare to FDR’s Infamy speech
10. Analyze and Discuss “The Raven”
11. 2 Full Length Practice AP tests
12. EOCT Practice Test
13. Read A Raisin in the Sun – together in class
14. Literary Periods Review
15. A Raisin in the Sun movie – analyze rhetorical differences
16. Create an alternate ending to A Raisin in the Sun in groups
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