April 30, 2013
Dear AP parent:
Your child has registered for Advanced Placement Language and Composition Course for the 2013-2014 school year. I would like to welcome you both to this experience and to explain the nature of the course.
As far as writing is concerned, this course focuses on skills taught at the college level in most Composition 101 courses. The emphasis and focus of the year will be three-fold in writing on synthesis, rhetorical analysis, and argument as well as AP/ACT multiple choice assessments. In addition, there will be extensive vocabulary studies coupled with grammatical and syntactical strategies which will be evaluated weekly and have a pertinent impact on your child’s education.
In regards to literature, students will primarily study American literature with an emphasis on non-fiction selections. Fictional writing will be dealt with in a variety of ways; one of the most significant is the American novel. Beginning with the summer novel, we will be reading several of these novels throughout the year.
The summer reading that is provided to your child is a Time magazine article by Aryn Baker, “Afghan Women and the Return of the Taliban,” and a novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini. This book along with its predecessor, The Kite Runner, is noted as a recognized AP text and has been featured on the AP exam. It is the fictional account of two Afghani women and their struggles from childhood through life in war-torn Afghanistan. It is moving and beautiful, but also straightforward and blunt regarding the victimization of these people. Mr. Hosseini handles the material well, but he does not disguise the horrors of life for these people. The majority of students find it an eye-opening experience as well as a truly exceptional novel. With that said, if you have an objection to your child’s reading this novel, he or she may read Harriette Arnow’s The Dollmaker coupled with a Time magazine article by Fareed Zakaria, “Restoring the American Dream” instead. The Dollmaker is the study of a Kentucky family’s move to industrialized Detroit. This book can be checked out of the local or high school library as well, and, of course, if you desire, can be purchased at Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, Amazon, or many other locales.
Your child needs to simply read either novel by the time that he or she reports to class on the first day of school. There is no writing assignment. However, students are encouraged to take note of significant ideas and events in the novel.
As far as the other novels in the course we will be reading entire novels or selections from the following works: The Scarlet Letter The Road
As I Lay Dying A Prayer for Owen Meany
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Fast Food Nation
Their Eyes Were Watching God The Jungle
The Old Man and the Sea The Red Badge of Courage
This is not a complete list necessarily, but at least it gives you and your child an idea of what is to come.
In addition to the course outline above, you should be aware that your child has been given an outstanding opportunity with the AdvanceKY AP grant in which we are currently participating. This grant sponsors half of your child’s AP exam fee as well as provides three study sessions on three separate Saturdays throughout the year in order to better prepare your child for the AP exam. Provided your child receives a qualifying score on the exam, he or she will receive college credit for the course as well as $100 for his or her own use. It is a phenomenal opportunity for these students—one which I whole-heartedly endorse!
Information
One of the best ways to keep updated on events is my teacher web page. I will also post assignments, exams, quizzes, and even my weekly lesson plans here. This information can be more valuable to you than Infinite Campus grades. Go to the school website. Click on schools. Click on FSHS. Click on Teacher Websites. Click on Arney, Jamie. Look for AP Language and Composition. Click on this class. This should be up and running by the 1st full week of school.
Classroom rules
Be on time
Be prepared
Be seated
Be quiet
Grading categories
Exams/major papers=45%
Quizzes/free responses=35%
Assignments=20% Materials list
1 1-2” 3-ring binder and dividers
1 spiral bound pack of 3 X 5 of 4 X 6 note cards OR 1 package of note cards with box holder(recipe file type)
Blue or black ink pens
Pencils
Late/make up work
I will follow the school policy concerning the time frame and requirements on make- up work which is outlined in the student handbook. It is your student’s responsibility to see that their work is complete and punctual.
Finally, let me say that the work for this course is rigorous but rewarding, and as I have told my own children, “You can work hard now or pay for it later.” As always whatever I can do to enhance your child’s educational experience, I am happy to do. If you have questions or need clarification, feel free to contact me at [email protected] or 586-3273 X148. I would appreciate your reciprocating with an e-mail address so that you can receive information and updates on important deadlines and events throughout the year.
Sincerely yours,
Jamie D. Arney