Advanced Placement English Language and Composition Syllabus Lithia Springs High School

2017-2018 Instructor: Mrs. Mitchell Contact: 770-651-6837/ shelly.mitchell@douglas.k12.ga.us Tutorial Days and Hours: Monday-Friday 7:45-8:15 Tutorial Location: A104 Goal of the Course Advanced Placement courses offer a students the opportunity to work at an accelerated pace with other peers who have similar interests and academic goals. This class will explore different modes of discourse with an intense study on tone, diction, imagery, details, language, and style. The students will read modern essays as well as selections for an American literature anthology. The course focuses on the study of rhetoric and composition. Students will read various genres, including nonfiction, fiction, poetry, drama, essays, etc. Students will be able to discuss their ideas openly and without prejudice. Writing is a mandated part of this curriculum, with the focus on prose analysis and synthesizing. Also, students are given ample opportunities for revision and improvement. We validate sources and explore the concept of argument through an exploration of articles and sources necessary to synthesize a topic. We examine the canons of argument and rhetoric. With a thorough study of the characteristics of the different modes of discourse, students will learn terminology necessary to allow them to express their ideas with the language of rhetoric. Through the exposure of different writers and views, students will become global learners. COURSE OVERVIEW Students in this introductory college-level course read and carefully analyze a broad and challenging range of nonfiction prose selections, deepening their awareness of rhetoric and how language works. This course will be organized thematically around a group of ideas or issues, using a variety of works from several literary periods and various genres. Although the bulk of the reading will be nonfiction, students will read four novels and several poems throughout the year. Students will examine rhetorical strategies and stylistic choices authors make. Specifically, students will examine the interactions of speaker/persona, audience, subject, purpose/intent, context, and genre in texts. Understanding texts using the Five Canons of Classical Rhetoric (invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery) will also inform students’ analyses.

For several readings, students will be required to provide extended, structured journal entries, which will help them analyze critically. In these responses, students will discuss how text reveals theme, symbols, diction, tone, perspective, historical significance, and other rhetorical elements of importance. Periodically, students will be required to write imitation exercises, which allow students the opportunity to practice for mastery the rhetorical variations authors use in their writing. Students

will also write essays that examine the rhetorical design as prompted by AP-style questions. Timed essays may be revised and rewritten following self, peer, and/or teacher review/evaluation. In addition to writing about texts in analytical journal responses and essays and imitating professional writing, students will be required to synthesize information from a variety of sources (both textual and visual) in argumentative papers. Using both primary and secondary sources and citing appropriately--- using MLA style citation--- become increasingly important with these research style essays.

Students will be encouraged to establish and maintain a unique voice, which is determinate upon specific word choices and syntactical arrangements. Although critical reading and writing are of paramount importance in this course, students also will benefit from vocabulary exercises and review (from context and in isolation) to inform and enhance studies in a variety of disciplines. Students’ grammar and syntax errors or concerns will be addressed routinely throughout the course. Released multiple choice exams from previous years will serve as timed practice, catalysts for discussion, and detailed examination.

Students will be expected to engage actively with peers in a variety of cooperative learning assessments to engage in intellectual discourse and to create analytical products. These collaborative efforts will combine with individual endeavors, practice, and assignments to enhance students’ overall skill acquisition.

Because this course must meet Georgia Standards for American Literature, students will examine and work with both nonfiction (essays, letters, speeches, and images) and imaginative literature to prepare for the American Literature End of Course Assessment. Students will also prepare for the AP English Language and Composition Exam and may be granted advanced placement, college credit, or both as a result of satisfactory performance.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Identify the stylistic devices that affect a piece of literature; Understand the structure of different literary genres and modes of discourse; Analyze how a writer’s rhetorical strategies influence the meaning of a work; Employ your own rhetorical strategies as you develop your voice as a writer; Evaluate an argument cogently; Write effective analytical, persuasive, reflective, and descriptive essays; Create and sustain arguments based on readings and observations; Formulate a thesis statement and support it with specific, relevant evidence; Demonstrate competence with research paper techniques; Demonstrate competence of using both primary and secondary sources and

citing sources appropriately according to MLA style citation guidelines; Use appropriate grammatical conventions. Analyze image as text

COURSE SYLLABUS Anchor Text and Subtexts: Prentice Hall The American Experience

Shea, R.H., Scanlon, L., & Aufses, R.D. The Language of Composition: Reading,

Writing, Rhetoric. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007.

Kennedy, X.J., et al. The Bedford Reader. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006

Ongoing Course Assignments: Editorial Sessions-Students will follow a national issue each week. Students will be required to annotate each article to examine the speaker’s tone, rhetorical techniques, organizational shifts, and appeals to logics, ethos, or pathos. After annotating, the students will write a one-half to one-page response that includes a brief summary of the author’s main point, the most salient strategies employed by the author and the article’s effect on the reader. Rhetorical and Persuasive Preparation-Students will analyze a variety of selections and compose essays in which they practice detailing rhetorical and persuasive techniques employed by authors. Additionally, students will practice effective strategies and techniques in personal writing. Weekly Journaling-Students write either one or two entries per week according to the Independent Reading requirements handout. While some topics are assigned based on issues discussed in class and often include imitation exercises, most entries are at the discretion of the student. Each entry must be a full page (100 words) and include a topic and date on the first line. Socratic Seminar- on Socratic Seminar days, students will make meaning of difficult texts. Used with essays, novels, and complex excerpts, students are allowed to question and examine language in a method that is open and inviting. Open-ended questions are used and a participation grade is assigned based on a written response completed at the close of the discussion. IT’s (Imitation Themes) - A type of focused imitation exercise, students are given excerpts from a novel, essay, or other literary work and are asked to imitate the author’s particular style. These include incorporating varied sentence structure, inclusion of power verbs, and complex writing styles. Vocabulary- The development of mature academic voice is essential to the course and the mastery of new content vocabulary and language is ongoing. New vocabulary is introduced each week and mastery of new language acquired within the course is assessed weekly. Vocabulary units include literary terms and objectives of the AP Language course as well as SAT/ACT vocabulary units. In addition to weekly vocabulary, students will independently produce various syntactical constructions using words from their vocabulary logs.

INDEPENDENT READING PROGRAM Students are REQUIRED to engage in independent reading (in addition to daily assignments, projects, homework) throughout the entire year (2 novels per term). Novel choices and assessment instructions will be provided. 1st Novel = August - September 3rd Novel = January – February 2nd Novel = October – November 4th Novel = March – May *** Students are responsible for purchasing novels or checking them out from the school or local library. *** ESSAY WRITING All essays are accompanied by an information page and a rubric. Rubrics may have a self-assessment component to help students learn how to be better assessors of their own writing development. To this end, all students must participate in processed writing experiences which allow them to develop their research skills and revision techniques (approximately 3 per semester). Moreover, each student must also participate in peer editing and writing conferences with the instructor. These peer editing and writing conferences will be scheduled in advance, at my own discretion. Failure to participate in either of these activities will result in a lower grade on the overall writing assessment. Students will also complete timed writings (approximately 4 per semester). Students will be encouraged to place their writing emphasis on content, purpose, and audience and to allow this focus to guide the organization of their writing, instead of a formulaic 5-paragraph essay. All essays, whether timed or process (out of class), will be graded using the College Board’s standard essay scale of 0-9. Detailed explanations of essay scoring will be provided prior to the first writing assessment. PLAGIARISM POLICY Plagiarism is using another person’s thoughts and accomplishments without proper acknowledgement or documentation. It is an unconscionable offense and a serious breach of honor. Students will receive a zero for the plagiarized work. This includes unauthorized collaboration with another student in which you both submit the same or similar document. It should be assumed that all assignments are independent unless specifically stated by the instructor. For more information or further explanation of my academic honesty policy, please visit this link to Georgia State University’s website: http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwfhb/sec409.html Assignment and Attendance Policy: Each student is expected to be in class on time every day. Late work will NOT be accepted unless students have excused absences (according to LSHS policy) from class. If a student is late to class and misses an assignment, quiz, test, or project, that student will receive a zero. If students have excused absences, they will have the opportunity to make up assignments. Students are responsible for coming to me to receive work missed and

new due dates. If a student has an excused absence and reinstatement, s/he may make up assignments, tests, quizzes, and projects within one week of his/her return. If a student is absent the day an assignment is due, s/he must turn in that assignment upon his/her return to school. Student with extended absences due to illness may set up special arrangements with me to make up worked missed.

Grading Scale*** 90-100%=A 80-89%=B 71-79%=C 70%=D 69% and below=F

Summative Grades will comprise 50% of the 36 weeks average. These categories or grades could include, but not limited to examinations/tests, projects, term papers, compositions, benchmarks, common district assessments, quizzes, midterms, and other similar assignments. Formative Grades will comprise 30% of the 36 week average. These categories or grades could include, but not be limited to class work, notebooks, quizzes, homework, and other similar assignments. Final exam: The final exam for this class will be an EOCT and will count 20% of the 36 week average. Grade Recovery Assistance: Grade recovery plans will be provided for students with Ds or Fs at the first and third quarters only. Recovery plans will allow students to make up no more than 10% of the total semester grade. Please note that recovery plans do NOT guarantee a passing the grade. For example, if a student earns 13% and perfectly completes a recovery plan, his/her final average is 23%. Parents are responsible for reviewing signing, and returning recovery contracts promptly.

*** Countywide mandates

Course Requirements:

Read and complete assignment by required date Keep and maintain binder Essays (both timed and extended), research paper, reflection papers,

projects, and presentations Tests and quizzes (objective and subjective; formative and summative) Active participation Excellent attendance and preparation

End of Course Test in American Literature in April AP English Language and Composition Exam in early May

Course Materials:

Course Packet Binder and/or Notebook and Folder Loose-leaf lined paper Blue or black ink pens Number 2 pencils Post-in notes Index cards Poster boards and art supplies for projects and presentations Computer flash drive Collegiate dictionary (at home use) Thesaurus (at home use) Access to a computer and Internet (at home use)

Behavioral Expectations: -Classroom Rules

Be present and on time each day. Do not use any electronic device (i.e., cell phones, IPods, etc.) in class Respect yourself and every other person in the room. Cursing, teasing,

yelling, arguing, and fighting will not be tolerated. Turn in all assignments by due dates (late work will not be accepted). Do not eat or drink in class. Students may not sleep or lay down during class. If a student does not feel

well, s/he will be sent to the nurse or office to call home for an early dismissal.

When absent from school, check the teacher’s website for assignments. When working with a group, students are expected to pull their own weight,

not relying on others to complete portions. Students who do not actively participate in group situations will receive lower scores or zeroes.

When working with a group on extended projects (longer that one class day with work to be done at home), students are expected to work with their groups on their assigned tasks and the final formatting of their projects/assignments.

Unit One: An Overview of American Literature and Rhetorical Analysis The course opens with an immediate follow-up on a summer assignment, which consists of reading two American literary classics and keeping active notes on the readings. With a focus on the author’s use of language to achieve purpose, students find ways to recognize what is remarkable in the two selected novels. Students consider rhetorical context-purpose, audience, and strategies—as they focus on close reading. Both novels are explored and numerous interactive discussions occur.

An emphasis is placed on the linguistic and rhetorical choices of the authors. Imitation writing and short analytic essays are also assigned throughout this unit of study. The opening unit of the course also includes an introduction to the materials to be covered within the course and the objectives to be mastered within the course. A diagnostic test is administered and the expectation of the course for each learner is outlined. The unit culminates with a multi-drafted composition that provides an in-depth understanding of how the author’s use of language achieved the author’s purpose in their respective work. The culminating unit assessment consists of students completing a first draft of the paper and peer reviewing the product. Once revisions are made, the instructor evaluates the work and a writing conference is held. The final draft of the paper is then submitted for grading. Unit Readings: The Scarlet Letter The Crucible Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Reading Selections from American Experience:

Origin Myths of the Native Americans: reflection of the culture which created them (various handouts, various tribal writings)

Of Plymouth Plantation, journal by William Bradford; insight into the Puritan lifestyle, Puritan Plain Style writing, Biblical allusion

The History of the Dividing Line by William Byrd, comparison to Of Plymouth Plantation in purpose, style

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano: reflection on the slave trade and an extension of early American culture.

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, sermon by Jonathan Edwards: parallel structure, figurative language, imagery, diction, emotional appeal

Speech on the Virginia Convention, speech by Patrick Henry: parallel structure, rhetorical questions, arguments of logic and emotion, diction, imagery.

The Crisis, No. 1 by Thomas Paine: arguments of logic and emotion, diction, style, figurative language

Declaration of Independence- Jefferson’s first draft and the final copy The Autobiography-Benjamin Franklin’s experience and escape from an

“indenture” or apprentice experience: style, dialogue, and a look at the Saying of Poor Richard as aphorisms.

Poems by Anne Bradstreet and Phyllis Wheatley: thematic and stylistic differences

Reading Selections from The Bedford Reader, 8th Edition Chapter 1: Reading Critically Chapter 4: Narration: Telling a story

Maya Angelou Champion of the World excerpt: dialogue, imagery, irony, view of being American

Amy Tan Fish Cheeks excerpt: imagery, irony, juxtaposition, view of being American

Sherman Alexie Indian Education excerpt: organization, symbolism, hyperbole, compare/contrast

Chapter 13: Argument and Persuasion H.L Menchken The Penalty of Death: persuasion, logos, ethos, pathos,

definition Michael Kroll The Unquiet Death of Robert Harris: persuasion, logos,

ethos, pathos Colleen Wenke Too Much Pressure Barbara Huttmann A Crime of Compassion

Writing: Comparison/contrast of style and themes Amy Tan (Fish Cheeks) and Maya

Angelou (The Champion) polished essay, entire writing process Imitate Edwards’ persuasive style in you journal using fear as a motivator to

discourage some behavior in classmates (figurative language, imagery, diction)

First AP prompt essays: rhetorical analysis, open ended argument, synthesis Additional AP prompt: Essay discussing Bradstreet’s use of an extended

metaphor in “Author to Her Book” to reveal her attitude toward her poetry (1996 exam)

Various journals/reading responses to include journal entries from The Crucible and quotes and meanings from The Scarlet Letter

Practice prompts for the Georgia High School Graduation Test for Writing (content, organization, style, conventions)

Unit Two: A Study into the Nature of Argumentation and Researched Writing The second unit of study undertaken within the course addresses argumentation and research-based writing. The guidelines established by the Modern Languages Association are used as the preferred style sheet and students are perfecting the appropriate use of MLA formatting. Essential components to AP Language, an understanding of argument and researched writing are necessary for student mastery of course goals. Through a study of non-fiction texts, students are exposed to the elements of both argumentation and research. Through interactive discussion and in-class writings over non-fiction works, students will study the elements of effective persuasion and learn how to appropriately structure an argument. Both the Toulmin and the Rogerian method of argumentation are studied and analyzed for effectiveness. After providing a brief history in rhetoric and argumentation, the course goes into a study of modern day methods of persuasion. From non-print sources such as television and radio advertisements to more traditional editorials and cartoons, students are exposed to not only argumentation but to how argumentation impacts the world in which they live. With the importance and value of visual literacy growing within the composition course, students are instructed on how graphics and visual images both relate to written texts and serve as alternative forms of text themselves. The unit culminates with a researched based academic

research, and mastery of persuasive elements. Again, the culminating unit assessment is a multi-drafted composition. Students complete a first draft of the paper and peer review the product. Once revisions are made, the instructor evaluates the work and a writing conference is held. The final draft of the paper is then submitted for grading.

Unit Readings: The Jungle Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Reading Selections from The American Experience

American Romanticism: introduction to movement, historical background Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving: motifs, language and style, diction,

symbolism, satire The Fireside Poets: Longfellow, Whittier, Wendell Holmes, Lowell (various

poems): theme, style, diction, metaphor, Abolitionist poetry American Renaissance: introduction to movement, historical background,

transcendentalism Nature by Emerson: excerpt to examine imagery, ethos, pathos, logos, diction,

aphorisms from his journals Self-Reliance by Emerson: excerpt to examine figures of speech, persuasion,

purpose, imagery Walden by Thoreau: organization, purpose, style, cause/effect, audience,

paradox The Fall of the House of Usher and “The Raven” by Poe: imagery, symbolism,

atmosphere, tone, diction, foreshadow, repletion, allusion “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Hawthorne: symbol, diction, parable, audience,

purpose Moby Dick by Melville: excerpts to view purpose, metaphor, characterization,

parody Specimen Days by Walt Whitman: excerpts to show definition of war,

description, pathos Walt Whitman/Emily Dickinson: various poems to show view of American

life and various poetic devices to include slant rhyme, catalogs, imagery, pathos, logos, diction, metaphor, personification, rhythm.

Reading Selections from The Bedford Reader, 8th Edition

Chapter 3: Using and Documenting Sources Once More to the Lake by E.B. White: epiphany, style, purpose, audience,

imagery Only Daughter by Sandra Cisneros Disability by Nancy Mairs The Ways We Lie Stephanie Ericsson

Writing Students will produce a polished research based essay using the entire

writing process Imitation exercises for sentence structure (Faulkner) and diction (Poe) AP Prompt: Synthesis essay prompt from released exam Various journals/reading responses to assigned readings Unit Three: An Exploration of the American Identity, the American Dream, and Close Reading Close reading is not only modeled within this unit of study, but it is emphasized. A work of fiction is selected and annotation, Cornell notation, and other methods of making meaning of text are studied and modeled. The emphasis of this unit of study is on how an author makes meaning within a text and how a reader makes, meaning of text. Large and small portions of text are analyzed and student understanding is discussed through Socratic Seminars, think-pair-share, informal writing, and imitation writing. In addition to the whole-class text selected, other works of literary merit (poems, excerpts from drama, novels, essays that relate to the selected work or topics presented within the work, short stories, film excepts, song lyrics) are utilized to show how language lends itself to meaning. Again, the importance of viewing graphics and visual images that relate to written texts and serve as alternative forms of text themselves is emphasized and studied for scholarly academic discourse. The unit culminates in a character analysis paper that addresses the stylistic devices employed by the author to create meaning within the text. As with aforementioned culminating assessments, the character analysis paper is a multi-drafted composition. Students complete a first draft of the paper and peer review the product. Once revisions are made, the instructor evaluates the work and a writing conference is held. The final draft of the paper is then submitted for grading. Unit Readings: The Great Gatsby Reading Selections from The American Experience

Realism: introduction to movement, historical background, Civil War writings

From Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain: excerpt to show diction, purpose, audience, extended metaphor

Spotlight on the Civil War (excerpts to include Theodore Upson, Walt Whitman, Major Sullivan Ballou, Alexander Hunter, Abraham Lincoln (Gettysburg Address), Susie King Taylor, Frederick Douglass, Mary Chestnut, Seth M. Flint : point of view, pathos, logos, narrative, and allusion

“To Build a Fire” by Jack London: to examine imagery, theme, diction “Occurrence at Owl Creek” Ambrose Bierce

“Ain’t I a Woman?” by Sojourner Truth: themes, contrasting style, rhetorical devices used to achieve purpose and support theme

“The Story of an Hour” and “A Pair of Silk Stockings” by Kate Chopin: writing style, Regionalism, symbolism, characterization, theme

“The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane: Naturalism, stylistics voice, choice of detail, figurative language

Modernism: introduction to movement, historical background, themes Various works of Robert Frost examined for experimentation in form and

theme “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner: Southern Gothic literature, social

setting in support of theme “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” by Katherine Anne Porter: stream of

consciousness, issues of aging As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner: excerpts to evaluate stylistic

variances for different character voices, Southern Gothicism, stream of consciousness

Faulkner’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech

Reading Selections from The Bedford Reader, 8th Edition I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr. : diction, parallelism, repetition,

allusion, style No Name Woman by Maxine Hong Kingston: audience, purpose, style,

diction Black Men and Public Space by Brent Staples: audience, purpose, style,

diction Homeless by Anna Quindlen: audience, purpose, style, diction Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts by Bruce Catton:

comparison/contrast, organization, purpose, audience, style Writing

Released multiple choice items are used for instruction and to test readiness. Reading strategies such as annotation and prediction are practiced.

Character analysis: must include analysis of the stylistic devices employed by the author to create meaning within the text and is a multi-drafted composition

Practice interpreting writing prompts, review of each type of AP essay, rhetorical analysis essay from 2012 AP exam

Unit Four: The Autobiography

Within this unit of study, students will be given an opportunity to select a memoir/autobiography of someone who is a member of a social group other than their own. While reading, analyzing, and studying the selected memoir, students locate and analyze various literary elements such as imagery, language, and other particular aspects of a text that contribute

to theme or underlying meaning of the work and will draw comparisons between the specific incidents in the work and broader themes that illustrate the writer’s important beliefs or generalization about life from the selected autobiography or memoir. The unit culminates in the submission of an ongoing discovery journal that explores the student’s relation to the text, society, and language. Unit Readings: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou Independent Autobiography/Biography Selection Reading Selections from The American Experience

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry: the changing American Dream, conventions of drama; reading is supplemented by viewing of Columbia Pictures’ A Raisin in the Sun (1961)

Various Harlem Renaissance Movement poets/artists to include James Weldon Johnson, Claude McKay, Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Paul Laurence Dunbar and Jacob Lawrence

From Black Boy by Richard Wright: dialogue, central image, diction, imagery

From The Way to Rainy Mountain by N. Scott Momaday: setting, narration, purpose

From In Search of our Mothers’ Gardens by Alice Walker: metaphor, simile, symbol, paradox

From Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin: diction, imagery, pathos

From The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien: enumeration, diction, pathos, style

Imagist Poetry Reading Selections from The Bedford Reader, 8th Edition All selections analyzed for mixing the methods of writing, logos, pathos, ethos, organization, style, audience, purpose, rhetorical devices

I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King The Meaning of a Word by Gloria Naylor Drugs by Gore Vidal Our Barbies, Ourselves by Emily Pager I Want a Wife by Judy Brady

Writing During this grading period students take the End of Course test for American

Literature Practice essays in various formats will be done periodically

Continue to practice interpreting writing prompts, review of each type of AP essay, review various writing strategies, and complete a nonfiction book report on self-selected biography/memoir/autobiography

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RECEIPT By signing below, the student and parent/guardian acknowledge that they have read and understood the contents in the AP English Language & Composition w/ an American Literature Focus syllabus.

*PLEASE SIGN & RETURN TO Mrs. Mitchell by Friday, August 11, 2017.

Student’s Name (Print)_______________________________________ Date___________________________ Student’s Signature___________________________________________ Date___________________________ Student’s Professional Email_____________________________________________ Parent’s Name (Print)_________________________________________ Date___________________________ Parent’s Signature____________________________________________ Date___________________________ Parent’s Email_______________________________________________ Parent’s Contact #____________________________________________ ***Students are required to print a copy of the syllabus from the teacher’s website and keep in their binder. ***