AP LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITIONMrs. O’Conner

COURSE OVERVIEW – WHAT DO WE WORK ON HERE?

Provide the rigors of the AP course Satisfy the criteria for the 11th grade CCGPS “An AP course in English Language and Composition 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 writing and their reading 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” (The College Board, 2010).

acquire and use rich vocabulary to use Standard English grammar to understand the importance of diction and syntax in an

author’s style Develop

a variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of 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 effective rhetoric

UNIT 1: EDUCATION/ BANNED BOOKS: THIS IS NOT ON THE TEST

Independent Read: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Twain

Class Readings: “Superman and Me” Sherman

Alexie “On Education” Emerson “A Letter to the Editor of the

Charleston Gazette” Pat Conroy

“Learning to Read” Malcolm X (excerpt from autobiography)

“School” Mori “Waiting for Superman”

(documentary) “For Julia, In Deep Water”

Morris (poem) “Learning to Read and Write”

Douglass “This is Not on the Test”

(song) “The Wall” (song) “Changing the Education

Paradigm” Robinson (TED talk)

“College is a Waste of Time and Money” Bird

“Baby Boom” (excerpt from film)

“Banned Books That Shaped America” The Library of Congress

“Mother Tongue” Tan “Memoirs of a Bilingual

Childhood” Richard Rodriguez Suggested Reads:

A Man in Full Tom Wolfe Of Mice and Men Steinbeck Fences August Wilson Our Town Thornton Wilder

UNIT 2: FOOD: YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT/ RESPONSIBILITY TO NATURE AND SELF

Independent Read: The Jungle Sinclair

Class Readings: Silent Spring (excerpt) Carson Ecolutionary” TED speech “King Corn” Introduction (documentary) Monsanto (website) “Us and Them” Sedaris “In Search of Our Mothers Gardens” Alice Walker “Once More to the Lake” E.B.White A Modest Proposal (excerpt) Johnathan Swift “How it Feels to be Colored Me” Zora Neale Hurston

Suggested Reads: Silent Spring Carson One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest Kesey

UNIT 3: DISPOSABLE SOCIETY (HOUSING, ECONOMY, TRADE, MANUFACTURING): LITTLE PINK HOUSES FOR YOU AND ME Independent Read:

1984 George Orwell Class Readings:

“What’s Eating America” Michael Pollan The Plastic Pink Flamingo: A Natural History” Jennifer Price “Queen Elizabeth’s speech to her last Parliament” – AP MC (52

quest) “Freakanomics” (documentary) “The Atlanta Exposition Address” Washington “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” (documentary) “The Traveling Bra Salesman’s Lesson” O’Keefe Privacy and Surveillance with New Technologies (excerpt) “Sex, Drugs, Disasters, and the Extinction of Dinosaurs” Stephen

Jay Gould “On Dumpster Diving” Lars Eighner

Suggested Reads Freakanomics Steve Levitt Animal Farm Orwell The Awakening Kate Chopin 

UNIT 4: WAR: WAR! HUH, GOOD GOD Y’ALL/ WHAT IS FACT? WHAT IS FICTION?

Independent Read: Black Hawk Down Mark Bowden

Class Readings: The Things They Carried O'Brien “Thoughts on Peace in an Air Raid” Woolf The Art of War (excerpt) Sun Tzu The Prince (excerpt) Machiavelli “Shooting an Elephant” Orwell “Why Don’t We Complain” William F. Buckley Jr. “Politics in the English Language” Orwell “The Allegory of the Cave” Plato “Seeing” Annie Dillard “Regarding the Pain of Others” Susan Sontag “Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions” Elizabeth Cady Stanton “The Ways We Lie” Stephanie Ericsson “Salvation” Langston Hughes

Suggested Reads: Memoirs of a Geisha Arthur Golden Life of Pi Yann Martel

SCHEDULING

2nd semester AP Language and Composition is designed to follow and complement first semester Pre-AP American Literature.

Students should come to AP Language and Composition with a strong background in American Literature, which will be beneficial in AP Language and Composition.

Students in the AP Language and Composition course will be completing assignments that would be comparable to those in an English 1101 class.

*This is a a college-level course administered in high school.

NATIONAL AP TESTING: To be eligible for college course credit

(exemption,) students must score a 3,4, or 5 on the National AP Exam. Find out now what your college(s) of choice will accept.

UGA (2014) 3 ENGL 1101 (3 credit hrs) 4 ENGL 1101 (3 credit hrs) 5 ENGL 1101 (3 credit hrs), ENGL 1102 (3 credit hrs)

Administered May 9, 2014 Will not affect the MHS course credit or grading maximum of $87 College Board testing fee

See Mrs. Salter if you think you may be able to reduce the cost due to financial status.

All testing fee payments must be paid by a date to be announced in January/February 2013 in order for your test to be ordered.

WHAT DO I NEED?

REQUIRED MATERIALS/ SUPPLIES (1) 3-ring binder (at least 2 inches) (1) Pack of dividers with labels Several #2 pencils and Blue/black pens A highlighter Several packages of college-ruled notebook

paper (1) College-ruled or wide-ruled composition

journal (provided)

HOW AM I GRADED?

1. Classwork (20%)2. Formative (30%)3. Summative (50%)

LITTLE GRADESClasswork (20%)

JOURNALS (CLASSWORK 20%)

Notebook Check each FridayBellringer WorkLiterary Analysis Persuasive Writing Creative Writing Research LogGraphic and Visual Analysis

OTHER CLASSWORK GRADES(20%)

Homework Assignments – record homework daily on your bellringer sheet readings, mini research projects, and written work Internet assignments: extended over 4 days

Be prepared for online MyBigCampus discussion posts

Reading Checks – When readings are assigned as homework, students should always be prepared for a possible reading check over the material.

Socratic Seminars – These are structured classroom discussions using the Ancient Greek style

Classwork Assignments – A variety of classwork assignments will be turned in as written work in class.

GRADING FOR CLASSWORK:

✓+ + 100✓ + 90✓- + 80✓= + 70X + 60

BIG GRADESFormative (30%)

AP TEST PRACTICE (FORMATIVE 30% AND CLASSWORK 20%)

Tests come from: 5 steps to a 5/other test banks Actual released AP test questions

Types of questions: Objective questions Timed open-ended (essay) questions

assessed according to AP provided rubrics.

Student will also act as AP judge - looking at scored AP essays

PREWORK – (FORMATIVE 30%) Oh Pioneers! by Willa Cather

Read and annotate the novel Complete at least 12 dialectical journals entries Be prepared for an in-class essay

Speech Choice Print a copy of each speech Read and annotate each speech Complete SOAPSTone for each speech Give examples of the following devices in each speech:

Repetition, Restatement, Parallelism, Rhetorical questions, Allusions, Emotion, Logic, Figurative language, Connotation, Diction

In Cold Blood Read and annotate the novel Complete Book-in-a-Bag and be prepared to present to the

class Complete Researcher Application

As part of our AP course, we will be taking a trip to the Georgia History Museum and National Archives in Atlanta, in order to better develop the ability to evaluate, use and cite primary sources.

Fill out the researcher application for the National Archives Read the “Research Room Rules” and the Privacy Act of 1974 excerpt 

FORMATIVE (30%)Criterion Essays –

weekly essay online assigned on Monday due on Friday 3 paragraphs Graded Online

6 point scale: 6=100, 5=90, 4=80, 3=70, 2=60, 1=50,

0=40 Vocabulary Tests –

Occasional Mostly Rhetorical and Literary Terms

OTHER FORMATIVE GRADES (30%)Content Tests

Weekly, reading check tests over independent reads (Friday)

Keep up with the reading time tableOral Presentations -

Two formal oral presentationsChoice topic, tied to one of the 4

unitsMay, but does not have to include

visualsSign up – First come, first serve on

dates and topics!

REALLY BIG GRADESSummative (50%)

MULTI-DRAFT ESSAYS (SUMMATIVE 50%)

Persuasive: The Ideal Education System (Unit 1) Expository: Food consumption and production

(Unit 2) Multi-source Synthesis: Is America a Disposable

Society (Unit 3) Literary Criticism: What is Fact/What is Fiction?

Analyzing truth in The Things They Carried (Unit 4)

Must be typed, double spaced, in Times New Roman 12 pt. font.

Graded with a rubric that closely mimics the rubric used for the AP exam.

RESEARCH REPORT (SUMMATIVE 50%) Multi-source research paper

5 original cited sources At least 1 primary source At least 2 secondary sources

5 In text citations (from at least 3 original sources) MLA Format for all citations and paper styling Topic for the research report can come from any

of the 4 units in the course Topic is your choice 3-4 pages, typed, double spaced in Times New

Roman 12 pt. font, 1 in. margins Research reports are due May 23rd (NO

EXCEPTIONS.)

OTHER SUMMATIVE GRADES (50%)

Benchmark Exams – Longer multiple choice and essays tests 4 ½, 9, and 13 ½ weeks Content Material fresh read passages general rhetorical/literary terms

Creative Projects – Larger creative projects construct original work Choice approximately two weeks to complete the project

STYLISTIC AND RHETORICAL ANALYSIS

on a daily basis: SOAPSTone (speaker, occasion, audience,

purpose, subject, Tone) DIDLS (diction, imagery, details, language,

syntax) Literary Terms Rhetorical Terms Sentence Structure Detailed Analysis of Tone, Diction and Syntax OPTIC (overview, parts, title, interrelationships,

conclusion) TPCASTT (title, paraphrase, connotation,

attitude, shift, title revisited, theme)

REQUIRED TEXTS

Textbooks: The Language of Composition Everything’s an Argument 5 Steps to a 5Supplementary Books: Bowden, Mark. Black Hawk Down Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood Cather, Willa. Oh! Pioneers Orwell, George. 1984 Sinclair, Upton. The Jungle Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

REMIND 101 Text @metterapla to (478) 845-7231

Reminders and updates on your phone

COURSE REQUIREMENTS Bring all material to class DAILY. Read required text as assigned and be prepared to

discuss in class. Complete all work at home and in class. Participate in class activities and group assignments. Obey school/ classroom rules. (Note changes in the

MHS student handbook.) Follow make-up work and attendance policy. Be respectful in your discussions and actions.

The AP exam for this course is given the first week in May. Registration and payment will begin in April. Listen for announcements. 

I NEED MORE WORK! HELP!

Formative Extra Credit Creative Projects Novel Tests (Reading Counts) Extra Criterion Essays The first extra credit assignment will count as a

separate formative grade. After that, each additional assignment will replace your lowest formative grade.

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BEHAVE?

HANDBOOK!

Also….1. Students who remain seated in their assigned seats

will be allowed to remain in class.2. Mrs. O’Conner will only respond to students who

raise their hand and wait to be acknowledged.3. Students who enter the room quietly and

immediately begin work will be allowed to remain in class.

4. Students who use electronic devices with permission and appropriately will be allowed to keep them out.

5. No food or candy will be tolerated. Students may bring water to drink. 

RESPECT YOURSELVES AND OTHERS

RESPECT IS EARNED! If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say

it Keep your hands, feet and other objects to

yourself Treat others as you would like to be treated Use a respectful tone when talking to others We have a lot of discussions about a variety of

themes in literature. This requires an open mind and a respectful tone. Make our classroom a safe and welcoming place to be. All opinions are free to be discussed, but thoughtless criticism of your peers is not helpful or kind.

How do we earn each other’s respect?

WHAT DO I DO WHEN I COME IN?

Come in quietlyFind your seatWrite down date,

essential question and answer, standard, and homework

Begin Bellringer

How you come into class affects the rest of your day. Come to class prepared and ready to learn!

BELLRINGER Bellringer Sheets are given out on Monday

If you are absent, see me first thing when you get in for a sheet

Check on Friday If you are absent, mark “ABSENT” on that day

Quiet, individual work Work efficiently, bellringer is a timed activity.

BEFORE YOU COME IN TAKE CARE OF: Bathroom

Locker issues Library issues Office issues

HOW DO I GET OUT OF HERE?

Pass Sheet has 6 passes per SEMESTER not per 9 weeks Fill out your name and date Raise your hand for me to sign Use for:

Locker Bathroom Office Lost stuff Forgot that Etc.

Not for: Library (I will write you a blue pass) Office called you Throw up, bleeding

Unused passes will add 1 point to your final score! Turn in on last day.

WHAT IF I’M TIRED?

You may not put your head down in my class without permission.

If you do, be expected to be roused. Do not be offended.

WHAT IF I NEED TO GET UP? Hold trash until the end of the period

or put it on the corner of your desk Hold up your pencil = sharpen please Tap your nose = tissue please

MRS. O’CONNER, I RAISED MY HAND, BUT YOU DIDN’T SEE ME

I will get to you, I promise

WHAT ABOUT MY ELECTRONIC DEVICE?

Keep it off or on silent and in your bookbag or pocket.

If I see it, I will confiscate it. If you give it over nicely and promptly, I will

keep it until the end of the period If you refuse to give it over nicely or

promptly, I will refer you. If you use your cell phone during a test, you

will receive a zero. Do not act sneaky; you are obvious. I will give permission for you to use your cell

phone - to look up a word, for review, etc. Do not abuse it, so we can take advantage of this technology when asked and needed.

WHAT DO I DO ON TEST DAYS?

If you are talking, making noises, using your cell phone, or otherwise distracting others during a test, I will consider that behavior to be cheating. I will take your paper, give you a zero, and refer you to the office for cheating, so Don’t Do It!

After you are finished with your test, flip your paper on your desk and take out a book to read. Always have a book available for reading in class.

THAT ESSAY WAS JUST TOO HARD, BUT I FOUND A GREAT ONE ONLINE! I have a zero tolerance policy for cheating. If you are

caught plagiarizing, you will receive no credit for the assignment. It is as easy to check for plagiarism online as it is to find an essay to copy online. What is considered plagiarism? Plagiarism is the use of any word or idea that is not your own. Changing a few words does not count as your own work. Basically, don’t use outside sources for your papers, unless you are specifically assigned a research paper. In the case of a research paper, you should always use proper MLA format for your citations.

TIGERS ARE NEVER TARDY!

If you come to the door after the tardy bell, you will find it shut and locked. Go to the office for a tardy note, come in quietly, hand me your note and begin your bellringer.

WHAT IF I DON’T GET IT ALL IN CLASS?

I am available after school every school day until 4:00pm (except in special circumstances) for help with essay writing, projects, tutoring, or any other needs.

WHAT IF I LOSE MY BOOK?

Textbook: $30 Textbooks stay in class, unless checked out.

Assigned Novels: Cover price ( ≈ $6.00-$12.00)  Novels go home and come back every day,

unless otherwise noted.

REMIND101

I HAVE A QUESTION, AND I’M STUCK! HOW DO I GET YOU AFTER SCHOOL OR ON THE WEEKEND?

 Email is the best way! hoconner@metter.org

WHAT IF I’M NOT DOING WHAT I NEED TO BE DOING?

Tiger Time Detention Minor offenses (talking, gum, food, etc.) Missing Assignments (less than 10 days old) Failing

After School Detention Repeated minor offenses Major offense (cussing, out of seat)

Referral Unacceptable behavior (verbal disagreements,

smack someone upside the head, insubordination, etc.)

Repeated Major offense, minor offense Cheating

HOW DO I SUCCEED IN THIS CLASS?

READ Turn in work on time Be prepared for class – come with materials

and readings completed, ready to discuss. Take advantage of extra credit Keep up with assignments, even when you

are absent. Ask for help when needed. Keep track of your grade. Do you want an A,

B, C? How do you get it?