Advanced Placement English Language And Composition

Advanced Placement English Language and Composition 2010-2011 Course Syllabus and Policies Course Philosophy Advanced Placement English Language and Composition is a rigorous and challenging college-level course. According to the College Board (2006), “t he course engages students in becoming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts and in becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Both their reading and their writing should make students aware of the interactions among a writer’ s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects as well as the way generic conventions and the resources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing. Particular emphasis will be placed on the expository, analytical, and argumentative writing that forms the basis of academic and professional communication as well as the personal and reflective writing that fosters the development of writing facility in any context.” 1 Course Objectives Incorporated with both the fiction and nonfiction readings of the course, students will not only read critically and analytically, but they will also produce a variety of written responses as they explore various modes of discourse. As specified by the AP English Language and Composition Course Description, upon completing the course students will demonstrate the ability to: “An alyze and interpret samples of good writing, identifying and explaining an author’ s use of rhetorical strategies and techniques; Apply 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.” 2 1 The College Board, AP English Course Description, May 2007, p. 6 2 The College Board, AP English Course Description, May 2007, p. 6 1 Furthermore, as students explore literature published in various time periods and parts of the world, particularly America, the students will, as suggested by David Jolliffe: “U nderstand how poetry, fiction, drama, and nonfiction prose written in America from the seventeenth century to the present represent the experiences of people who were native to American soil, people who emigrated to America, and people who were brought to America against their will as America was colonized and developed into the complex entity it is today; Understand how the American experience has influenced the development of English language” 3; and Examine the arguments presented in all written texts, both fiction and nonfiction, as they produce clear, correct, and effective written analysis of the rhetoric surrounding each piece. In order to achieve these course objectives, A.P. English is taught and graded at the college-level and requires a high level of student commitment. Student responsibility is much greater than in honors courses. Course Textbooks The following textbooks are issued to all students during the first week of class: Trimmer, Joseph F. and Heather Milliet The Riverside Reader. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009. McMichael, George and J.C. Levenson, eds. Concise Anthology of American Literature, 5th edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice River, 2001. Additional works are included with various units of study during the course. Class Guidelines Classroom Rules Students are expected to behave and perform at a college-age maturity level. The highest level of respect will be shown at all times toward the instructor, fellow students, and their ideas and beliefs. Students are also expected to abide by all rules in the student handbook. 3 From “ Blending AP English Language and American Literature” by David Jolliffe, 2005. 2 Course Website Students are expected to check the website daily for assignments and announcements. Information is posted online regarding excessive absences, makeup work, late work, and answers to frequently asked questions. Tutoring Tutoring is happily provided to any student. Please make an appointment if you would like to meet in the morning. Formal tutoring will take place Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons from 2:30-3:30 PM in room 159. Academic Integrity Code Because of the accelerated course content and atmosphere, as well as the clear expectations for academic honesty, it is the responsibility of each student to adhere to a high code of honor and integrity. It is in an atmosphere of trust that learning will take place. This relationship of mutual respect between the student and the teacher requires honesty in all situations. Cheating and dishonesty undermine the integrity of the entire education system and ultimately cheat students out of a quality and comprehensive education. Cheating on any assignment (major or minor) will result in an automatic zero. Please be aware that the Academic Integrity Code will be upheld and defended in this class. Excessive Absences/Make-up Work Students who are absent often miss key instruction needed for the days and weeks to come. Whenever possible, please give advance notice to the dates that will be missed. When an absence cannot be avoided, it is the student’ s responsibility to find out about missed assignments and to make up the necessary work. Grading Policies The school year consists of two semesters with three six-weeks grading periods each. By district policy, the course must have at least three major grades per six weeks. By campus policy, the minor grade component consists of at least four grades per six weeks. Per the respective policies, major grades carry 70% and minor grades carry 30% of the grade average. Major assessments may consist of timed writings, processed papers, AP multiple choice preparation tests, essay exams over studied works and modes of discourse, or projects. Minor assessments may include Writer’ s Notebook entries, quizzes, papers, group work, class discussions, or Socratic seminars. Feedback given by the instructor on all writing assignments addresses, as appropriate, the student’ s ability to use “a wide-ranging vocabulary appropriately and effectively, a variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of 3 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, and an effective use of rhetoric, including controlling tone, establishing and maintaining voice, and achieving appropriate emphasis through diction and sentence structure.” 4 Students are encouraged to discuss their grades with their instructor at any time during the year. However, students wishing to discuss their grades must do so during a scheduled appointment before or after school. Discussions about grades on particular assignments will not take place immediately after receiving a grade or during class time. Course Overview The course is a blend of fiction and nonfiction readings exposing students to various writing styles, rhetorical purposes, and social criticisms. Toward this aim, students—b oth independently and collectively—a ssess each piece of writing as an argument, sorting through the writer’ s intentional choice of language and rhetorical strategies in an effort to decipher accurate historical and social meaning. Students are subsequently expected to merge their analysis with contemporary issues and events, synthesizing their reading with various world perspectives. Yearlong Assignments/Learning Activities Current Issues Project Students in the Advanced Placement English program must understand “t hat part of being good writers is being involved, informed citizens, people who are aware of important issues being discussed in their community, nation, and world and who are capable of contributing intelligently to conversations about these issues. Effective citizen rhetoricians, therefore, should read newspapers and news magazines thoroughly, experience programming in the media that treats issues fully and fairly, and consider carefully the reasoned opinions of peers, parents, and other adults.” 5 In order to encourage student growth in developing an informed worldview, students are expected to actively collect articles from magazines, newspapers, and the school’ s subscription of on-line databases. Each grading period, students must gather six high-quality sources of approximately 1,000-5,000 words on one contemporary issue. For each source students must carefully read and notate, provide the correct MLA citation, and compose an original, objective summary of the article. The 4 From the AP English Language Course Requirements available on http://apcentral.collegeboard.com. 5 From David Jolliffe’ s comments in “ Student Performance Questions and Answers: 2004 AP English Language and Composition Free Response Questions” p. 127-128. 4 collection of sources should provide various viewpoints on a sufficiently narrow topic. In addition to keeping students abreast of contemporary issues, these sources and summaries are used throughout the year for preparation for the synthesis essay, oral argumentative debates, and written timed essays and processed compositions. The Writer’ s Notebook and Writing Portfolio Research indicates that a person’ s writing will improve if they write every day, even if an instructor never reads it; therefore, students maintain a “W riter’ s Notebook” as a place to record class notes, vocabulary, prewriting, drafts of assignments and ideas to discuss, as well as respond to various writing tasks given in class responding to the literature examined. Students should have their notebooks with them in class everyday and be prepared to conference with their instructor and peers regarding the content of their daily entries. The writing portfolio is accumulated throughout the year and serves as a final assessment. Students keep both electronic and paper files in which they collect processed papers, timed writings, Writer’ s Notebook entries, and published pieces. Students meet periodically with their peers and their instructor to evaluate the content of the portfolio and their progress as student-writers. Socratic Seminars Throughout the course, students take an active role in closely examining and critiquing literature and contemporary issues, not only in writing but orally through student-led discussion. Thus, Socratic seminars take place frequently to encourage divergent thinking and allow students through open-ended questions to think critically, analyze multiple meanings in a text, and express ideas with clarity and confidence. The dialogue is intended to be exploratory and involves the suspension of biases and prejudices. Prior to the seminar, students are expected to read the text(s) thoroughly, marking it and highlighting key passages; familiarize themselves with unique vocabulary; brainstorm insights regarding the author’ s writing style and intended meaning; and create questions for further discussion. During the seminar, students are expected to participate actively by speaking, listening, and drawing others into the discussion; respect the opinions and ideas of others; refrain from interrupting; and support their ideas with evidence. AP Multiple Choice Passage Preparation As recommended by College-Board consultants at the AP Summer Institute at Rice University (2004-2006), Advanced Placement multiple choice tests will be administered periodically throughout each six weeks and taken as a 5 major grade. The passages and questions created by the Advanced Placement program are very challenging and must be practiced seriously for students to be successful on the national exam in May. Passages are given in advance during the first semester only to aid in student understanding and increased confidence for mastering this portion of the exam; when passages are given in advance, students must prepare the passage according to the following guidelines: 1. Highlight every other sentence. 2. Define every word they do not know or are unsure about. Write these words and their denotations at the bottom of the passage. Define according to the appropriate part of speech. 3. Make at least three legible, significant marginal notations per paragraph. These notations should not only identify rhetorical devices but should also connect those devices to meaning. 4. Summarize each paragraph in one sentence. 5. Summarize the entire passage in one sentence. 6. Identify the author’ s purpose for each paragraph. 7. Identify the author’ s overall purpose for the passage. Passages may be collected at any time as a minor grade or part of a major grade. The time invested in preparing passages and reading closely is well-spent and will pay off not only on the AP test but also in the student’ s ability to read critically at the college-level. Peer and teacher-student conferencing also provides feedback during the preparation process. Advanced Writing Terminology, Grammar Instruction, and Vocabulary Building Junior students in an AP English Language and Composition course are expected to demonstrate mastery of Standard Written English. However, grammar mini-lessons will be incorporated throughout the semester and practiced in the Writer’ s Notebook based on student need. In addition, students will be given a list of course terminology the first week of school which must be learned, practiced, and mastered by the end of the first grading period. Students learn vocabulary in context through the study of the written works, maintaining an ongoing list of unfamiliar words, which must subsequently be defined and utilized in various writing assignments in their Writer’ s Notebook. First Semester Introduction to the course, approximately 1-2 weeks As the school year begins and the majority of students enter an Advanced Placement course for the first time, much attention is given to familiarizing students with (1) the expectations and syllabus for the course, (2) the format of the 6 AP English Language and Composition Exam, (3) a nine-point AP style grading rubric for free response timed writings and essays, (4) the explanation and assignment of the on-going Current Issues Project, (5) the philosophy of and expectations for maintaining the Writer’ s Notebook and cumulative writing portfolio, (6) Socratic seminar guidelines and expectations, (6) AP multiple choice preparation plans, and (7) an overview of advanced writing and critical reading terminology and grammar. Unit 1 Defining the American Voice, 5-6 weeks There's the country of America, which you have to defend, but there's also the idea of America. America is more than just a country, it's an idea. An idea that's supposed to be contagious. -Bono Students will read a variety of nonfiction and fiction selections that explore variations of the American experience; among the many “vo ices” heard during this unit are those of a former slave, an Indian-American, an African-American, a former American president, and an Asian-American. The idea of persona in autobiography is also discussed in correlation with both Douglass’ s and Franklin’ s personal narratives. Reading Selections Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Frederick Douglass The Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin On Writing Well, William Zinsser In addition, the following reading selections are included as time allows and not necessarily read and analyzed in their entirety: The Way to Rainy Mountain, Scott Momaday; The Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano, Equiano; “T he National Anthem,” Francis Scott Key; “I Hear America Singing,” Walt Whitman; “I , Too,” Langston Hughes; “En perseguirme mundo…” Sor Juana de la Cruz; “Pl enos Poderes,” Pablo Neruda; “N ow and Then, America,” Pat Mora; “Ame rica,” Claude McKay; “F ish Cheeks,” Amy Tan; “I ndian Takeout,” Jhumpa Lahiri; “Bl ack Men and Public Spaces,” Brent Staples; “N otes from the Hip- Hop Underground,” Shelby Steele; “O nly Daughter,” Sandra Cisneros Writing Focus On Writing Well 7 In the process of forming their identity as student-writers, the semester begins with the reading of William Zinsser’ s classic, On Writing Well. Aspects of effective writing presented in the text are discussed, experimented with, and implemented in student writing. In the process, students converse regarding the defining elements of “g ood” writing and explore nuances of the relationship between the writer, audience, and purpose for composition. Zinsser’ s principles are referenced throughout the course, serving as the definition of effective writing and as a foundation for course writing expectations. Assertion Free-Response Timed Writings In addition, students write their first free-response timed essay in response to Question 3 on the 1999 AP Exam. Students respond to this prompt initially with little teacher instruction. Prior to returning the instructor-scored essays, the 9-point rubric and released rangefinders are analyzed by students in small learning groups and discussed as a class. When the scored papers are then returned to the students, they wield from both the small and large group discussions points for individual improvement and revision. Teacher-student conferencing also takes place after school, as needed. Finally, students rewrite the composition for an improved score; this improved score becomes a major grade for the first grading period. Unit 2 American Rhetoric: Gods, Patriots, and Politics—6 weeks We should dwell upon arguments, and impress the motives of persuasion upon our own hearts, till we feel the love of them. – Isaac Watts Students will read nonfiction selections, primarily speeches, as they are introduced to the art of persuasion and argument. The Rhetorical Triangle, Subject- Occasion-Audience-Purpose-Speaker-Tone (SOAPSTone), and Overview-Parts- Title-Interrelationships-Conclusion (OPTIC) strategies are taught to the students, providing them a bank of strategies to draw from as they encounter challenging written and visual texts during the remainder of the year. In addition, students analyze in their reading and employ in their writing the rhetorical appeals (e.g. logos, pathos, ethos), various rhetorical modes, devices, and strategies (e.g. exposition, argumentation, description, narration, polysyndeton, asyndeton, anaphora, epistrophe, parallelism, chiasmus, praeteritio, antithesis, euphemism, metonymy, parallelism, allusion, analogy, understatement, hyperbole, syllogism), and common logical fallacies (e.g. non sequitur, oversimplification, hasty generalization, either/or reasoning, argument from doubtful or unidentified authority, argument ad hominem, begging the question, post hoc, false analogy). Special attention is also paid in this unit to rhetoric in advertising, as students critique both popular commercials and print advertisements. As part of this 8 analysis, students work collectively and independently to describe the targeted audience, techniques used to attract attention, the lifestyles, values, and points of view represented, intentional omissions or logical fallacies, dominant rhetorical appeals, and the overall purpose and implied message of each selected advertisement. Reading Selections “Si nners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Jonathan Edwards; The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson; The American Crisis, Thomas Paine; “G ettysburg Address,” Abraham Lincoln; “L etter from Birmingham Jail” , Martin Luther King, Jr.; “T he Penalty of Death,” H.L. Mencken; “L ive Free and Starve,” Chitra Divakaruni; “T he Singer Solution to World Poverty,” Peter Singer; “W hy Don’ t We Complain,” William Buckley, Jr.; “W hy I Stopped Being a Vegetarian,” Laura Fraser; “T oo Much Pressure,” Colleen Wenke; “F ive Myths About Immigration” , David Cole; “L et’ s Tell the Story of All America’ s Cultures,” Ji-Yeon Mary Yuhfill; “U nnatural Killers,” John Grisham; “F rankenstein Must Be Destroyed: Chasing the Monster of TV Violence,” Brian Siano; “W hat, Then, Is to Be Done?” Peter Brimelow; “Mu lticulturalism is Misguided,” Trudy Rubin Writing Focus The Researched Speech During this unit, student-writers immerse themselves in rhetoric through the composition and delivery of a researched persuasive speech on a contemporary social or political topic/issue of their choice. The issue may be local, state, national, or international and must demonstrate its relevance to their audience of college-bound AP students. The speech must include: a brief description of the problem and their clear position on the issue; a convincing presentation, using specific rhetorical strategies, of the dire consequences if this problem is not resolved; and an argument persuading their audience to take some course of action that will alleviate or eliminate the problem. In addition, the student must use at least five different rhetorical devices and balance of all three rhetorical appeals effectively. Furthermore, comprehensive research—i ncluding both primary and secondary sources—i s expected. Each source must be clearly labeled with the appropriate information for a Modern Language Association bibliographic entry and a properly formatted bibliography must be attached to the written copy of their speech. The ultimate goal of the researched persuasive speech is to “h elp students generate and find sources on topics that are engaging and important for them, teach them to read those sources analytically and critically, and then lead them to produce papers that make and develop a strong point or claim by entering into conversation with their research—b y synthesizing 9 information and perspectives from the sources with their own reasoning and ideas.” 6 Free-Response Timed Writings In addition, timed free-response essay practice continues to be integrated into the natural progression of the course. As the students focus in their reading and visual analysis on the rhetoric of various speeches and letters, they complete the timed free-response question on Abraham Lincoln’ s “Se cond Inaugural Address” from the 2000 AP Exam and Lord Chesterfield’ s letter to his son from the 2004 AP Exam. Unit 3 Persuasion and Purity: The Scarlet Letter Trial, 3-4 weeks We must convince by reason, not prescribe by tradition. -Cyprian Reading Selections The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne “T he Lottery”, Shirley Jackson Writing Focus: The Scarlet Letter Trial The first semester concludes with students combing their newfound knowledge of rhetoric to a critical evaluation of Nathaniel Hawthorne’ s The Scarlet Letter. Each student is assigned to a legal team responsible for preparing a defense that is based on evidence derived from the text. As students examine this work of fiction, they must closely read and carefully analyze the text in order to prepare a winning defense for Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, or Roger Chillingworth. While students examine how Hawthorne achieves various effects with his linguistic and rhetorical choices, they also concurrently gather evidence for their case, anticipate counterarguments, and plan an overall strategy to prove their client is not the “g uiltiest” sinner. In this process, students produce written opening and closing arguments, prepare strategic questions for direct and crossexamination, and rehearse key witnesses in the mock courtroom the classroom becomes. First Semester Exam At the end of the first semester, students take a 90-minute exam featuring two AP free-response questions from released exams—o ne essay focusing on prose analysis and rhetoric, the other on argument. 6 From the AP English Language and Composition: 2005-2006 Workshop Materials, “ Special Focus: Writing Persuasively” p. 15. 10 Second Semester Unit 4 Social Criticism: Argument in the Modern American Novel, 6-8 weeks Use soft words and hard arguments. – English Proverb The unit begins with students immersed in the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald, as they examine The Crack-Up and The Great Gatsby simultaneously. One primary objective of this unit is to show students the often blurred line between fiction and nonfiction and the way in which an author may criticize society through a fictional creation. Students are asked to search for the non-fiction realities of The Crack- Up in the account of Jay Gatz and examine Fitzgerald’ s criticisms of the American Dream, the influence of power, and the pursuit of wealth at all costs. Fiction as social criticism continues to inspire student assertions as they then turn to Fitzgerald’ s contemporary, Ernest Hemingway. In their study of Hemingway’ s tumultuous and ultimately tragic life, students examine his unique writing style and experiment with his terse prose and declarative syntax in their own writing. The detachment and disillusionment present in A Farewell to Arms turns to a discussion of student disillusionment and apathy in modern education, developed by reading and analyzing Dr. Bartlett’ s observations in the nonfiction selection, “So uls without Longing.” Reading Selections The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald The Crack-Up, F. Scott Fitzgerald A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway “So uls without Longing” by Dr. Robert Bartlett Writing Focus Expository Essay: A Modern Proposal for Education Students react to their reading of social criticisms by composing their own critique of the American education system. Prompted by discussion and group analysis of “So uls without Longing”, students write an expository essay in which they define and explain the problems with the system and suggest solutions. Free-Response Timed Writings Students continue to develop confidence with the timed essay. Timed writings focus on the identification of an author’ s attitude or tone and how such an attitude is created through the use of rhetorical strategies. Various practice attempts conclude with a final major assessment in which students 11 respond to Question 2 from the 1999 AP exam examining Jamaica Kincaid’ s passage, “O n Seeing England for the First Time”. Unit 5 The Ramifications of Rhetoric and Religion, 6-7 weeks When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad, and that is my religion. – Abraham Lincoln In this portion of the class, students audit Danteworlds, a virtual course provided by the University of Texas at Austin as a complement to their experience of reading, analyzing, and discussing Dante’ s Inferno. This integrated multimedia journey combines artistic images, textual commentary, audio recordings of significant Italian verse, and study questions, aiding students in their close examination and analysis of Dante’ s Inferno.7 As students utilize this resource, they also listen to and discuss lectures given by Dr. Timothy Shutt as part of The Modern Scholar series. Reading and writing in this unit not only involves applying the Rhetorical Triangle to the epic poem and exploring the author’ s specific rhetorical strategies but also opens a forum for examining contemporary religious rhetoric. Reading Selection Inferno, Dante Alighieri Various non-fiction articles on contemporary religious events and issues from Time, U.S. News and World Report, Atlantic Monthly, or The New Yorker Writing Focus Modern Inferno Narrative At the conclusion of our study of the Inferno, students focus on narrative writing in their creation of an original modern inferno. While students enjoy this opportunity to be creative, they must also imitate in their tale studied aspects of Dante’ s epic version including the use of allusions, synesthesia, and condemnation of contemporary historical and social figures. The paper is composed over several weeks, allowing time for peer and teacher feedback during the writing process. The final copy accompanies a visual representation and is presented formally to the class. Synthesis Essay 7 Danteworlds is the work of Professor Guy Raffa and is available at http://danteworlds.laits.utexas.edu. 12 During this unit, students also continue fine-tuning their argument skills as they tackle the challenge of the new synthesis essay. The Current Issues Project accumulated throughout the year greatly aids student practice and preparation during this unit, providing appropriate sources for several practice timed essays, as well as oral peer debates. In addition, students practice “Sa mple 1” of the synthesis essay provided by the College Board; a critical aspect of this practice is peer and teacher conferencing, as well as discussion of sample essays and scoring commentary. The final writing assessment for this area of study is the College Board’ s “Sa mple 2”. Unit 6 The Documentary Debate: Fiction or Non-Fiction? 3-4 weeks Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter. – Oscar Wilde In this unit, students dialogue about the nature of the documentary by examining a documentary film as a rhetorical argument. In small peer groups, students choose one film and closely and actively watch it; the viewing must be critical, often requiring a second viewing for thorough comprehension. During the viewing, students rhetorically analyze the presentation, assessing the filmmaker’ s purpose, the given argument and assertions, the attitude or viewpoint of the director, the cinematic techniques used to produce its point, and how the structure helps the film achieve its purpose. Students also find reviews of the film, which are subsequently annotated and cited according to MLA documentation. As the culminating activity for the assignment, students then prepare a presentation to the class in which they share their commentary on and criticism of the documentary’ s rhetorical argument. Writing Focus Timed Writing At the conclusion of the presentations, students respond to Question 3 from the 2001 AP exam, in which they examine Susan Sontag’ s claim that “p hotography limits our understanding of the world.” Final Test Review In the final two weeks before the exam, students practice multiple choice questions along with several free-response essays each week. While not all released free-response prompts require a fully developed essay, students review concepts, skills, and terminology learned during the year in a variety of shorter compositions generated during this final test preparation push. Second Semester Exam 13 Per campus policy, students who pass the course and the exit-level English Language Arts state exam earn exemption from the second semester exam. Consequently, very few students sit for this test. Those students who must take the exam are given 90-minutes and write two AP free-response essays from released exams not used previously on the first semester exam; again, one essay focuses on prose analysis and rhetoric, the other on argument. 14