Syllabus
Advanced Placement Language and Composition Grades 10 & 11
Course Profile- This course is designed to provide students in grades ten and eleven with college level instruction in a high school setting. As such, the curriculum will work within the framework of American literature as it provides opportunities for the development of higher level thinking skills through increased depth of content at an accelerated pace. Students enrolled in this course will be encouraged to develop their skills as both insightful readers and effective writers. An emphasis will be placed on analyzing rhetorical devices and strategies, synthesizing information from multiple sources to support argument, and developing test-taking skills. To that end, individual student-teacher conferences will occur regularly. During the writing process, students will have the opportunity to discuss current drafts, to revise their work, and to submit a final draft which will be eligible for further revision after scoring. The focus of pre-revision meetings will be individualized; however, common areas will be the use and development of organizational strategies including rhetorical structure(s) appropriate to the current assignment, use of transitions, parallel structure, and how to best represent and convey their ideas. Additionally, peers will examine one another’s drafts using the “Gossipy Reading” Model. This model requires that two students read aloud the work of a third who is required to remain silent during the reading and discussion (gossip) about his or her work. Hearing one’s work often provides much insight as to coherence, clarity, and efficacy. Post-revision feedback will be provided in the form of written comments from the instructor, opportunity to request clarification, and elaboration at student request.
Course Objectives- Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Effectively analyze and interpret rhetorical devices, strategies, and techniques
2. Effectively apply rhetorical devices, strategies, and techniques
3. Develop original arguments based on readings, research, and personal experience
4. Effectively synthesize information from multiple sources and varying perspectives to sustain an original argument
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the various elements of citations written in various styles
6. Demonstrate an understanding and mastery of the conventions of written English especially diction and syntax
7. Demonstrate stylistic maturity in written work with an emphasis on content, purpose, and audience
8. Effectively utilize the stages of the writing process
9. Define, understand, and apply academic vocabulary
Assessments- These will include, but not be limited to:
1. Formal writing with revision
2. Informal Writing
3. Timed Writing
4. Homework
5. Class notes/participation
6. AP Test Analysis/Debate
7. Tests/ and Quizzes
*Remember, this is an advanced course. Assessments may be given at any time without notice. Students are expected to complete readings upon immediate assignment, and they are responsible for analysis, synthesis and discussion immediately following the assignment.
Grading- Formal student writing will be assigned and graded based on the nine point AP Rubric. Students will be provided with the opportunity for revision after teacher/peer conferences. After revision, a new score will be received based on the same rubric. Informal writing will be graded on the four point scholarly paragraph rubric. It is important to note that students will also receive points for the completion of and participation in Test Analysis/Debate, classroom discussion, tests, quizzes, etc. Additionally, all out of class assignments will be graded (both formally and/or for completion) and will be due at the beginning of each class period. Marking Period and Final averages will be weighted 1.08% as per the Berwick Area School District’s grading policy.
Texts- 1. In Cold Blood (nonfiction novel) 2. Into the Wild (biography) 3. Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience (selected nonfiction texts including poems, speeches, essays, letters, narrative accounts, and autobiographical excerpts) 4. The Merchant of Venice (drama) 5. The Language of Composition by Renee Shea, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses (specific selections will be listed in course outline) 6. Advanced Composition Skills by Steven Fox (specific selections will be listed in course outline) 7. A Pocket Style Manual 6th Edition by Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers (pp. 104155 “MLA Papers”) 9. The Crucible 10. Pride and Prejudice 11.Optional readings assigned
Information:
TPCASTT Poem Analysis Method
Poems can be very difficult to interpret because a lot of what they have to say is not written but is implied. A major problem that students have with interpreting poetry is that they read the poem once, assign it a personal meaning and try to get their meaning to match the information in the poem. Instead of jumping to conclusions, it is important for students to gather significant data about the poem before committing to an interpretation. This is the only way to get at the poet's meaning. Students need to look for clues, piece them together, and then interpret. The acronym below will help with this process.
Title: Ponder the title before reading the poem.
Paraphrase: Translate the poem into your own words.
Connotation: Contemplate the poem for meaning beyond the literal.
Attitude: Observe both the speaker’s and the poet’s attitude.
Shifts: Note shifts in the speaker’s and the poet’s attitude. Title: Examine the title again, this time on an interpretive level.
Theme: Determine what the poet is saying. From the website of J. Calabrese
**Always keep in mind: 1. Punctuation’s Importance 2. Structure 3. The importance of Multiple Readings 4. Annotations not Covered by TPCASTT 5. Common Themes/Motifs of Poetry (and of “genre” within the genre)
Gossipy Reading How To’s
1. Form groups of three. 2. One person volunteer a paper for scrutiny, which will be read aloud by the remaining pair. 3. One of the pair read aloud, while the other stops the reading to call attention to details, raise questions, predict, make connections, etc. 4. During this process, readers should talk about the paper, how it is working, what meaning they are making, what they find confusing, and so on. The pair doing the reading, in other words, should "gossip" about the paper. 5. The paper's writer, meanwhile, should listen but is not allowed to respond in any way to the comments made by the gossiping pair. When the paper has been read and discussed in its entirety, then—and only then—is the writer free to join the conversation.
Gossipy Reading Why’s
1. Through this reading-as-revision process, writers have the opportunity to hear the thoughts that go through the heads of their papers' readers as they work out a paper's meaning for the first time. 2. Insight into what needs revision simply arises by hearing the readers talk about what does and doesn't make sense. 3. Wrap-up discussions among all group members help writers clarify and gain advice about how to go about the revision process itself.
Thesis Development Worksheet
1. Topic: _______________________________________
2. Focus Question: Formulate a question from which your thesis can develop. This should be broad and open question that can have multiple answers. This will lead to an opinion statement that can be supported with an argumentative essay. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ (Remember, the quality or difficulty of your question will determine the sophistication of your thesis)
3. Thesis Statement: The thesis statement is your answer to the question above. Formulate a thesis statement that: is one or two sentences, takes a stand, is arguable, can be researched, is important, is original, has depth and substance. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
4. Supporting Reasons: Outline the main arguments in support of your thesis statement. For example, if you made the thesis statement above (which you just did) and someone asked you, “WHY do you think that?” (which I just did), what reasons would you give? These reasons will become your essay’s body paragraphs; subtopics and topic sentences you will prove with evidence from your research. 1)______________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 2)______________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 3)______________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
