AP English Language and Composition
Mrs. Ashley Cotter
Berlin Brothersvalley School District
acotter@[Link]
Course Overview
Welcome to AP Language and Composition. This course is designed to be a
college-level course that primarily focuses on rhetorical analysis, effective writing,
and critical reading, with nonfiction being the center of concentration and fiction
being supplemental material. Students will learn to write in different rhetorical
modes for a variety of audiences in order to become mature writers who possess
a repertoire of stylistic options. This course will prepare students for the three-
hour Advanced Placement Examination (if students choose to take it) in May.
A close link between reading and writing will help students to establish the high
standards required. The workload will be challenging; students will be required to
read numerous non-fiction selections from our textbooks, novels, essays, letters,
memoirs, and various other works. Students will also be assigned various
independent readings as well (approximately one every three weeks). Students
will also write various major essays, which will endure peer and teacher review
(through conferences) and will ultimately be graded by the teacher.
Texts: (Tentative List others may be added as needed)
Everything’s an Argument, 7th Edition – Andrea A. Lunsford, John J.
Ruszkiewics, and Keith Walters
Everyone’s an Author , 2nd Edition – Aundrea A. Lunsford, Michal Brody,
Lisa Ede, Beverly J. Moss, Carole Clark Papper, and Keith Walters
Elements of Style, 4th Edition – William Strunk and E.B. White
Ap English Language and Composition 2016 – Denise Pivarnik-Nova
Barron’s AP English Language and Composition, 6th Edition – George
Ehrenhaft, Ed.D.
Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
When Elephants Weep – Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson
The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
The Things They Carried – Tim O’Brien
1984 – George Orwell
The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde
The Crucible (excerpts) – Arthur Miller
The Scarlett Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
The Red Badge of Courage – Stephen Crane
Every Falling Star – Sungju Lee
This Is Where It Ends – Marieke Nijkamp
The Indifferent Stars Above – Daniel James Brown
Animal Farm – George Orwell
Dead Mountain – Donnie Eichar
The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie
What She Knew – Gilly Macmillian
In Cold Blood – Truman Capote
Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
Course Objectives:
Upon successful completion of the AP English Language and Composition
course, students will be able to do the following:
Analyze 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.
Demonstrate understanding of the conventions of citing primary and
secondary sources.
Write for a variety of purposes.
Produce expository, analytical, and argumentative compositions that
introduce a complex central idea and develop it with appropriate evidence
drawn from primary and secondary source material.
Move effectively through the stages of the writing process, with careful
attention to inquiry and research, drafting, revising, editing, and review.
Write thoughtfully about their own process of composition.
Revise a work to make it suitable for a different audience.
Analyze image as text.
Evaluate and incorporate reference documents into researched papers.
Attendance and Participation:
Students are expected to come to class on time and be prepared to participate in
activities and rigorous discussion related to reading and writing assignments.
Participation in discussions is the key to having a successful AP experience.
Students who are absent need to make up work immediately upon returning;
depending on the number of days absent, students have that many days to make
up missed work. Being excused early or coming in late does not constitute
exemption from assignments due that day. You must still come see the teacher
to hand in work or get work for that day. All missed assignments (including tests
or quizzes) will receive a ZERO if they are not completed immediately upon
return.
Assignments:
In this class, not all assignments will be graded. Some assignments are intended
to prepare the students for successful completion of a major assignment, project,
assessment, or overall test preparation. Students are still expected to complete
all assignments. No late assignments are accepted.
Grading of Essays:
Since the College Board scores each essay portion of the exam on a scale of 0-
6, most students’ writing will be graded on the same scale (again, not all essays
will be graded). The scale for 0-6 will equate to the following percentages:
0 = 0% (not completed) 4 = 80%
1 = 50% 5 = 90%
2 = 60% 6 = 100%
3 = 70%
At first, the essays will be worth 20 points in the grade book and students will
receive the percentage of 20 points based on the 0-9 scale. As the year
progresses, the point value will increase to 100.
Class Supplies/Preparation:
Students will be expected to bring all appropriate texts, binder, and a
notebook to class each day unless otherwise notified.
Students will need to keep a three ring binder (at least 1 ½ inch or larger
with 5 dividers) of everything completed or received as part of this course;
the five dividers should be labeled with the following sections: Rhetoric,
Synthesis, Argument, Literature, and Practice.
Students should always bring a pen/pencil, highlighters, and sticky notes.
Students will need to purchase a recipe box/note card holder to keep all
vocabulary terms.
3-4 packs of note cards (3x5)
Academic Honesty:
Your integrity is more important than any grade you will ever receive. It is crucial
that you complete your own work and take pride in what you’ve accomplished.
Any cheating will result in a zero for all parties involved.
There will be no sharing or copying of homework.
There will be no talking during a test or quiz (even if it is practice).
There will be no sharing/copying of tests or quizzes.
There will be no possessing, buying, selling, receiving, or using work that
is not your own (from any source without proper citations). That is
plagiarism.
There will be no using any equipment or material during a test or quiz
unless the instructor has given permission.
Course Work
Journal Writing: (Reflective)
Students will be required to annotate all assigned readings and respond to them
through both formal and informal journal entries in their reader’s/writer’s
notebooks or through various activities. The purpose of this is to track
understanding and promote critical thinking and discussion for the novels,
essays, speeches, etc.
Each week, students will practice vocabulary in their notebooks with their “Words
of the Week.” For the “Words of the Week,” students will have seven words each
and will create three sentences for each word with context clues and connotation.
Vocabulary and Grammar:
This course will focus on students gaining an expansive vocabulary that will
improve their reading and writing. Students will keep a “vocabulary box” of
terms. These terms will serve as an aide to help improve students’ writing and
use these terms within their writing.
Just like vocabulary is needed in order to gain an understanding of a text,
understanding grammatical concepts is also necessary for understanding and
communicating ideas and style. Vocabulary and grammar will be assessed
within the context of student writing and could also be evaluated in quiz/test form.
Timed Writing:
Students will be provided with AP Language and Composition style writing
prompts to practice timed writing in order to prepare for the test. Continually
practicing the timed writing will allow students to become familiar with the time
frame allotted for the test. For additional practice, students will use the AP rubric
to evaluate themselves, peers, and other samples. Students will identify
strengths and weaknesses in the essays in which students could improve.
Students will also reflect on their own writing, along with teacher feedback, to
consider areas of improvement. Timed writings will be scored on the 0-6 scale.
Essay Writing:
Students will be expected to advance their writing through the completion of
several drafts, writing conferences, peer editing, and revisions. Students will
analyze various types of writing and will be required to write in various forms.
Over the course of the year, students will write synthesis essays, narrative
essays, expository essays, analytical essays, argumentative essays, a memoir,
and conduct research. For the research, students will learn to find and evaluate
information and work to synthesize information in order to support their own
argument. Students will also learn correct MLA citation methods.
Quizzes and Tests
Students will have announced and unannounced tests and quizzes. These tests
and quizzes will be used to measure students’ understanding and progress as
well as drive instruction. Students will also be given many practice multiple-
choice quizzes (resembling the AP test) in order to become familiar with the
language and style of the test. These will be practice tests to start and as the
year progresses, they will be graded.
Units: All units and materials are subject to change depending on
time constraints and dependency on more or less practice with a
certain section. As students need more practice, more items may
need to be added and others may need to be omitted to get through
all required materials in preparation for the test.
Introduction to Rhetoric (1st Quarter)
Course Orientation/Intro to AP English Language and Composition Exam
(first week – getting to know the basics of the course and the exam)
Discussion of Summer Assignment (1984)
o Informal writing/reader response journals
o Baseline Essay for 1984
Introduction to close reading requirements
o Discussion of primary strategies
o SOAPSTone
o OPTIC
Discussion of rhetoric and rhetorical triangle
Discussion of logos, pathos, and ethos - Everything’s an Argument, 7th
Edition
o Students will give an oral presentation discussing various examples
of each appeal.
Discussion of citing material and embedding citations
AP Skills: Citing strong textual evidence to support analysis; connotation and
denotation; central idea; connections between individuals, ideas, and events;
determining theme; author’s point of view; advantages and disadvantages of
different strategies to present ideas; evaluation of rhetorical and persuasive
strategies; syntax and paragraph structure for meaning and effect; figurative
language; and impact of diction on tone
Readings: (some may be omitted, while others may be added)
“Everyday Use” – Alice Walker
“9-11 Speech” – George W. Bush
“What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” – Frederick Douglas
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” – Jonathan Edwards
“The Rhetorical Situation” – Lloyd Bitzer
“On Being a Cripple” – Nancy Mairs
“A Letter from the Birmingham Jail” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
“The Stranger in the Photo Is Me” – Donald Murray
o students will write their own memoir
“Living Like Weasels” – Annie Dillard
Writing:
Memoir - narrative
Respond to AP prompts and grade previous AP samples
In class timed essays focusing on the readings – rhetorical analysis
Essay – students will choose two of the timed essays to utilize the entire
writing process (reflective): prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing.
Students will go through several peer edits and revisions for each paper.
Each piece will also receive an extensive review from the teacher, along
with comments on content, organization, style, grammar and usage,
vocabulary, and mechanics.
Synthesis & Argumentative (2nd and 3rd Quarters)
AP Skills: Citing strong textual evidence to support analysis; connotation and
denotation; central idea; connections between individuals, ideas, and events;
determining theme; author’s point of view; advantages and disadvantages of
different strategies to present ideas; evaluation of rhetorical and persuasive
strategies; syntax and paragraph structure for meaning and effect; figurative
language; and impact of diction on tone
Readings: (some may be omitted while others may be added)
Government & Politics
Animal Farm – George Orwell
Focus on political cartoons (upcoming election)
“Politics and the English Language” – George Orwell
“Trotsky, Orwell, and Socialism” – Dwight MacDonald
“The Flag” – Russell Baker
“Rule by which a Great Empire May Be Reduced to a Small One” –
Benjamin Franklin
“The Morals of the Prince” – Niccolo Machiavelli
Current political debates and speeches of current presidential candidates
o In class activity – discussing symbolism through the use of political
cartoons
Man and Nature
When Elephants Weep - Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson
“Shooting an Elephant” – George Orwell
“Do Insects Think?” – Robert Benchley (Satire)
“Footprints on the Seashore” – Nathaniel Hawthorne
“On Cruelty to Animals” – Alexander Pope
o Analysis of visual images using OPTIC
“The Lowest Animal” – Mark Twain
“Nature” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Walden” – Henry David Thoreau
“Birches” – Robert Frost
“The Loss of the Creature” – Walker Percy
Visual – Cincinnati Gorilla Incident (current others)
Society vs. Individual
The Things They Carried – Tim O’Brien
o Visual image analysis using OPTIC
Into the Wild – Jon Krakauer
Scarlett Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne
“Common Sense” – Thomas Paine
“Declaration of Independence” – Thomas Jefferson
“Self Reliance” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Civil Disobedience” – Henry David Thoreau
“The Whistle” – Benjamin Franklin
“The American Crisis” – Thomas Paine
“How to Tame a Wild Tongue” – Gloria Anzaldua
Political Cartoons
News Articles
Reflection/excerpts from “Shooting an Elephant”
War and America’s Role
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
The Red Badge of Courage – Stephen Crane
“Inaugural Address” – John. F. Kennedy
“Death of a Soldier” – Louisa May Alcott
“On War” – James Boswell
“The Battle of the Ants” – Henry David Thoreau
“Gettysburg Address” – Abe Lincoln
“My War” – Paul Russell
“Farewell Address” – George Washington
“I Will Fight No More Forever” – Chief Joseph
“How to Tell a True War Story” – Tim O’Brien
Classes in America
Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting By in America – Barbara Ehrenreich
“Why Are Beggars Being Despised?” - George Orwell
“The Position of Poverty” - John Kenneth Galbraith
“Evaluations” – Everything’s An Argument
“On Being Black and Middle Class” – Shelby Steele
“Going Native” – Francine Prose
“A Modest Proposal” – Jonathan Swift
“On the Want of Money” – William Hazlet
“Dumpster Diving” – Lars Eighner
“The Evil Empire” – Ronald Reagan
“The Great Society” – Lyndon Johnson
Education
“I Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Sing” – Francine Prose
“Education” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“A Talk to Teachers” – James Baldwin
“How Teachers Make Children Hate Reading” – John Holt
Who Owns the Mountains” – Henry Van Dyke
“Coddling in Education” – Henry Seidel Canby
“Advice to Youth” – Mark Twain
“I Just Wanna Be Average” – Mike Rose
“World, My Son Starts School Today” – Abe Lincoln
“Me Talk Pretty One Day” – David Sedaris
Writing:
In class timed essays focusing on the readings
Essay – students will choose four (two synthesis and two
argumentative) of the timed essays to utilize the entire writing process:
prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing. Students will go through several
peer edits and revisions for each paper. Each piece will also receive an
extensive review from the teacher, along with comments on content,
organization, style, grammar and usage, vocabulary, and mechanics.
Students will create their own synthesis writing prompt focusing on a
current issue/popular topic, finding 6 different sources (one must be a
visual) – prompts will be divided up within the class
Compare/Contrast Essay – student choice of two of the readings
o Peer editing
Literary Criticism – one of the chosen readings (student choice)
Speech, Research, and Test Preparation (4th Quarter)
Test Preparation:
Practice multiple choice questions from previous tests
Students will analyze previous sample essays and discuss the pros and
cons of each essay.
Readings:
Racial Identity and Tension in America
Black Lives Matter – current events
The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
The Narrative Life of Frederick Douglas – Frederick Douglas
Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
Immigration Act of 1924
“How it Feels to Be Colored Me” – Zora Hurston
“Emancipation Proclamation” – Abe Lincoln
“Outcasts in Salt Lake City” – James Johnson
“Culture” – Matt Arnold
“A Glorious Resurrection” – Frederick Douglas
“I Have a Dream” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
A Hanging” – George Orwell
Writing:
In class timed essays focusing on the readings (one of each – rhetorical
analysis, synthesis, and argumentative)
Research paper – students will choose a topic or issue of controversy –
topics must be ongoing issues – Students experience the research
process from discovering a topic and developing a research question to
submitting the final product. Students will understand all levels of the
process including discerning relevant sources, gathering information from
diverse sources, synthesizing that information, and properly formatting the
paper, incorporating MLA citation techniques.
Speech:
Student choice essay analysis/presentation
