Advanced Placement Language and Composition s6

ADVANCED PLACEMENT LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION Theme: The Manipulative Power of Language

Mrs. Fahrni Room 152 763-689-6427 [email protected]

QUICK OVERVIEW Welcome to AP Language and Composition. By choosing this class you have already displayed your desire to reach beyond the average classroom experience. In this course you will explore the power of language and an individual’s ability to affect the world around him or her by mastering all facets of linguistic expression. The goal of this class is to challenge you with the rigor of a freshman college English course in order to develop you into an informed reader, skilled writer, and critical thinker.

The purpose of this course is to help students “write effectively and confidently in their college courses across the curriculum and in their professional and personal lives” (The College Board, AP English Course Description, May 2007, May 2008, p. 6). The course is organized according to the requirements and guidelines of the current AP English Course Description, and, therefore, students are expected to read critically, think analytically, and communicate clearly both in writing and speech.

As an advanced placement course, this class is designed to take the place of freshman college English. To demonstrate the knowledge and skills you have gained through the class, you are highly encouraged to take the AP test in May. This test may qualify you for up to one year’s credit in English at the college level. The number of credits depends on the college you choose and your score on the test. You can explore http://apps.collegeboard.com/apcreditpolicy/index.jsp to see the credit policies at universities and colleges across the nation.

REQUIRED MATERIALS  CLASS TEXTS You must have required text(s) with you at all times.  SPIRAL BOUND NOTEBOOK – labeled AP LANGUAGE and COMPOSITION This notebook is to be used only for AP Language and Composition and it must have your name written in ink on the outside and inside cover.  3-Ring binder with LINED LOOSE-LEAF PAPER – labeled AP LANGUAGE and COMPOSITION This is to be used to organize loose-leaf items such as essay responses, worksheets, handouts, and quizzes. Perforated notebook paper is not acceptable – you must have loose-leaf paper. It is also suggested that you have plastic tabbed dividers for your notebook.  BLACK/BLUE PENS For some writing assignments you are required to write with a black or a blue pen.  PENCILS No. 2 pencils are required for scantron tests  HANDBOOK (AGENDA) Your handbook is required for passes out of class. It is also a very good idea to keep your week’s assignments listed in the planner portion.

COURSE GRADE Your semester grade will be based on weighted course grades.

HOMEWORK/CLASSWORK 25%: Daily work includes a wide variety of assignments such as analytical questions, grammar assignments, journal responses, reading assignments etc. Preparation for class is essential. You are expected to have all reading completed on time and to have thought about the reading before coming to class.

TESTS 30%: Test scores include reading quizzes, regular vocabulary tests, and unit tests. Reading and unit tests will often include multiple-choice questions based on rhetorical devices and their functions in given passages. ESSAYS 30%: Essay scores include prepared writing assignments for which you have gone through several steps such as rough drafts, self-editing, peer-editing, revision, and publication. Essay scores also include timed essay responses. Most of these essays will occur in class, and they include: essays analyzing rhetorical strategies; essays defending, challenging, or qualifying arguments; and essays requiring you to read and cite a number of sources in support of an argument or analysis.

DICUSSION/PARTICIPATION 15%: As stated earlier, preparation for class is very important. If you are not prepared for class, your grade will be affected. Discussion is key to discovery in this class. Your perspective and questions enhance everybody’s exploration. Therefore, a portion of your grade will reflect upon your participation in class discussion. Discussion guidelines are as follows: 1. Do not speak if you have not read the assigned text. 2. Disagree with ideas, not people. 3. Listen as others speak and build on their ideas. 4. Take notes.

GRADING SCALE 93-100%...... A 90-92%...... A- 87-89%...... B+ 83-86%...... B 80-82%...... B- 77-79%...... C+ 73-76%...... C 70-72%...... C- 67-69%...... D+ 63-66%...... D 60-62%...... D- 0-59%...... F

CLASS EXPECTATIONS ATTENDANCE: Attendance is extremely important. Class discussion is vital for progress toward reaching the goals of this class. You may need to make up discussion by meeting with me to discuss your reading notes, writing an essay, or taking a test. Speak with me to arrange this. Making arrangements to make up work is YOUR responsibility.

LATE ASSIGNMENTS and MAKEUP WORK: Punctuality is extremely important. Part of a busy life, including college life, is managing time. Late work has the following consequences:  Late Work: Late projects lose 10% per day late up to a maximum off of 50%. Assignments will not be accepted at all after two weeks. E.G. An essay earning 95% turned in two days late will be worth 75% at best. An essay earning 70% turned in one day late will be worth 60% at best.  Absences: For school-excused absences, it is your responsibility to hand in the work before you leave for the event. This may mean turning work in a day early. For excused absences, it is your responsibility to hand in the work due as soon as you are back in school. For unexcused absences, work cannot be turned in or made up. The school policy of two days for make-up work assigned on a day of absence will be followed for most assignments. There is a Make-Up Board posted in the room. There is work to make up each day of class.

CHEATING: Honesty and integrity are extremely important. Plagiarism on any assignment will result in disciplinary and academic action. Plagiarism on an essay will result in a 0% F on the project. Cheating on any test or quiz will result in a 0% F on that test or quiz. In some cases, failure of the entire course may apply.

AREAS OF STUDY Vocabulary: There will be regular vocabulary tests. These terms include literary and rhetorical terminology as well as difficult words found throughout the course.

AP Practice Tests: There will four practice AP tests given throughout this course to help you prepare for the multiple choice portion of the exam. The first two will be practice only, but the last two will be a part of your grades.

Language Skill Units: Every unit throughout this course will include several facets of English language study. Most units will include the following areas of study: A. Literature analysis and the basics of rhetoric B. The writing process C. Developing voice in writing D. Idea development and grammar

LITERATURE ANALYSIS: Most of the literature for this course will be found our text:  Bedford/St. Martin’s The Language of Composition This text may be supplemented with text selections from other sources and handouts.

We will also be reading several novels and plays as a part of the American literature requirement this course fulfills. We will analyze the tools used by each of the authors to achieve his or her purposes. The novels covered in the course are: 1. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne or The Crucible by Arthur Miller 2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 3. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 4. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich

THE WRITING PROCESS: An important part of this class is using writing to develop ideas and form effective arguments.

Prepared Essays: There will be periodic prepared writing assignments which will be evaluated at different points during the writing process including drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Essays will be evaluated not only by your teacher during this process, but also by peers in peer editing groups. You are expected to use given feedback to strengthen your writing. Such prepared essays include expository, analytical, and argumentative writings.

Timed Writings (I.C.E.s): There will also be periodic timed writings. These essays are one draft essays used to evaluate your ability to process new information in a format similar to the challenges offered by the A.P. test. These writings include the following tasks: analyzing rhetorical strategies; defending, challenging, or qualifying arguments; and reading and citing a number of sources in support of an argument or analysis.

Research Project: The final project for this class is a research paper in which you will develop an informed argument about a controversial issue. You will seek a variety of sources for this project including valid primary and secondary sources. All steps of the research and writing processes will be evaluated in this project, and you will be expected to follow M.L.A. guidelines.

DEVELOPING VOICE IN WRITING: We will learn, discuss, and practice the five aspects of voice development in writing: diction, detail, imagery, syntax, and tone. There will be regular assignments in which selections of writing will be analyzed for aspects of voice. You will also be expected to practice developing these aspects of voice in their own writing assignments.

IDEA DEVELOPMENT AND GRAMMAR: We will continually work on mastering the conventions of the English language. We will also continue to hone our skills as effective writers by working on idea development in sentence and paragraph structure.