Syllabus

AP English Language and Composition

Instructor: Kent Fielding

Phone: (907) 983-3604

Email: fielidngkent@hotmail.com

Blog: https://2017skagwayaplanguage.blogspot.com

Course Overview:

The purpose of this course is to help students “write effectively and confidently in their college courses across the curriculum and in their professional lives.” (The College Board, AP English Course Description p. 6)  In addition the purpose of the course is to “emphasize the expository, analytical and argumentative writing that forms the basis of academic and professional communication” (p. 6).  In order to do this the class will read/explore various nonfiction writing that offer students a chance to explain the authors’ use of rhetorical strategies and techniques.  These readings provide models for the student’s own writing.  As defined by David Jolliffe, a former AP exam creator, AP English Language and Composition is a college-level course examining rhetoric as “the art of finding and analyzing all the choices involving language that a writer, speaker, reader, or listener might make in a situation so that the text becomes meaningful, purposeful, and effective for readers or listeners, and examining the specific features of texts, written or spoken that cause them to be meaningful, purposeful, and effective for readers or listeners in a situation.”  In addition to readings students will be required to analyze graphs, political cartoons, photographs, and video media weekly.  They will also be required to keep a blog to record their reactions to media and to post “short writes”, précises and prewriting work. 

Learners Goals:  By the end of the course students will understand

·      the main point or thesis, the occasion or context, the motivation, the tone and style of a piece of writing

·      how a text is created to develop meaning and purpose including genre, organization, and syntax

·      the relationship of text’s creation to its accomplishment, meaning and effect

·      how to articulate an analysis of what they read

·      how to create, develop and support an argument, acknowledging the complexities and nuances of important issues that adults argue about in contemporary intellectual circles

·      that good citizenship is about being aware of public discourse issues

·      how to develop a thesis and argument or exposition by synthesizing information from many places into their writing

·      how to analyze visual texts and use this analyzes in their own writing

·      how to cite information in proper MLA format

(Many of these goals come directly from successful AP teacher, Mr. Rolf M. Gunnar, http://www.mrgunnar.net).

Writing Assignments

Most of following writing assignments will be developed, reviewed and discussed, in class but primarily written outside of class.  Each essay will go through many drafts that will be feature a self-evaluation, a peer review and a teacher-student review. 

·      Personal Narrative: Students focus on the significance of a single event in their lives.

·      Real World Analysis/Oration: Students read current event articles and research an issue or problem of their interest and write an analysis or an oration concerning it.  These will be presented to a larger audience..

·      Synthesis Essay: Students synthesize materials from a number of sources (including visual) to develop an argument and compose an argumentative essay.

·      Research Essay.  To help students understand the process of conducting research, gathering and synthesizing information from a variety of sources, and incorporating MLA citation. 

·      Analytical Essay: Students compose a rhetorical analysis from a prompt focusing on one of their readings.

·      MODES Project (developed by Valerie Stevenson and presented at the AP by the Sea Summer Institute in San Diego, July 2012): This project allows students to explore six modes of writing – narration, analysis, compare and contrast, classification, definition, and persuasion – first by reading essays and writing rhetorical précis on each mode, and then by choosing one topic and writing an essay from each mode on that topic.

In addition to the above essays, students will write In-class Timed essays, responding to AP or AP-like prompts.  Initially, these timed essays will be shared in groups and revised.  As the year progresses, the essays will be discussed and assessed but without the ability to revise. 

Vocabulary:

Students will be given bi-weekly vocabulary based on SAT words and words from assignment readings. 

Grammar/Structure/Style:

Students will review and use in their writing transitions, various types of phrases (appositive phrases, participial phrases, absolute phrases), parallelism,   various types of sentence structures (simple, complex, compound, complex-compound, periodic), irony, metaphor, alliteration, simile, hyperbole, litotes, among others.   

Strategies:

To help students analysis both written and visual materials they we learn various strategies including SOAPSTone (developed by Tommy Boley); Rhetorical Precis writing and checklist (developed by Chris Baris, Mark Frerichs, Therese Frerichs and Valerie Stevenson); Syntax Analysis Chart; Dialectical Journal writing; and, Overview-Parts-Title-Interrelationships-Conclusion (OPTIC).  Each of these is described in more detail at the end of this syllabus.

Required Textbooks:

Diyanni, Robert – One Hundred Great Essays 4^th Edition.

Haley, Alex and Malcom X.  The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

Roskelly and Jolliffe – Everyday Use 2^nd Edition.

Shea, Renee, Lawrence Scanlon and Robin Dissin Aufses – The Language of

Composition

Trimmer and Hairston, eds. – The Riverside Reader 9^th Edition.

Modern Language Association – MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers

7^th Edition

       Thoreau, Henry David. Walden

       Shakur, Assata.  Assata, An Autobiography

       Daivs, Angela.  An Autobiography

First Quarter: An Introduction to Rhetoric

The Language of Composition chapters 1-3  (pages 1-84)

Everyday Use chapter 1-3 (pages 1-85)

“On Seeing England for the First Time” by Jamaica Kincaid

“Why We Crave Horror Movies” by Stephen King

“Shooting An Elephant” by George Orwell

“A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift

“The Allegory of the Cave” by Plato

“The Libido for the Ugly” by H.L. Mencken

“Why I Went Into the Woods” by Henry David Thoreau

Assata: An Autobiograhpy by Assata Shakur

In-class activities:

·      Close reading and annotation

·      Hand-outs and practice writing Rhetorical Precis and SOAPSTone

·      Group and individual analysis of readings

·      Analyze the “keys”: persona, appeals, subject matter and treatment, context, intention, and genre

·      Writers workshop – grammar and style exercises

·      Group editing and assessment sessions

·      Vocabulary lists

Blog Assignments:

Each week students are responsible for writing one short response (250-500 words) to a reading assignment or a particular quote in which they provide a clear explanation of the writer’s assertion, and then defend or challenge it.  These will be posted on their blogs where other students will have a chance to comment on their position.  As we progress in the quarter these responses will sometimes be Rhetorical Precis of readings. 

Further, each week, students will need to find two news sources on the same subject.  One of these must come from a television/video source such as CNN News, Democracy Now!, or Fox News, and the other must be a written source coming from an on-line newspaper or news blog.  Students are required to write a short (200-300 words) analysis of these news items noting point of view, claims or thesis, major points and write a defense or challenge. 

Writing Assignments:

Personal Narrative (explained above)

Analysis/Oration (explained above)

2 – In-class Timed Essays addressing AP prompts

The Personal Narrative and Analysis/Oration will be graded on rubrics developed by the instructor.  Each essay will go through at least three drafts and will receive feedback from peers and the teacher.  The In-class Timed Essay will be graded on the AP essay rubric and will be work-shopped in groups and rewritten, and then scored a second time. 

Vocabulary: SAT Vocabulary Lists 1-6

Second Quarter: A Study of Justice or Civil Rights and Responsibilities

Everyday Use chapters 4-6 (pages 93-153)

“The Times They Are a-Changin’” by Bob Dylan

“Ain’t I a Woman?” by Sojourner Truth

“Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau

“Letter from the Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr.

“The Position of Poverty” by John Kenneth Galbraith

“Notes of a Native Son” by James Baldwin

“The Gettysburg Address” by Abraham Lincoln

“Second Inaugural Address” by Abraham Lincoln

“How It Feels to be Colored Me” by Zora Neale Hurston

“A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” by Mary Wollstonecraft

“Speech on the Signing of the Treaty of Port Elliott” by Chief Seattle

“The Declaration of Independence” by Thomas Jefferson

The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley and Malcolm X

Walden by Henry David Thoreau

In-class activities:

·      Analyzing appeals to logos, pathos, and ethos

·      Hand-outs on keeping a Dialectical Journal and OPTIC

·      Group and individual analysis of readings

·      Writers workshop – grammar and style exercises

·      Group edition and assessment sessions

·      Vocabulary lists

·      Film clips: “I Have A Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr., National Forensic League: Orations from National Championships, The Heart of the Game 

·      Delivery of Orations written in Quarter 1 and in-class election

BLOG WRITING:

Students will continue to write précis on selected readings and on all film clips.  Further, they will keep their dialectical journal on The Autobiography of Malcolm X on their blog so that it can be reviewed and commented on by the teacher while in-process, and by fellow classmates.  They will do 1 media write up (like quarter 1) every two weeks.

Writing Assignments:

Synthesis Essay on a topic of the students choice that relates to the theme of Justice and Civil Rights.  Students must use at least five sources, one of which must be visual – either a chart, photography, political cartoon, video, etc.  All sources must be cited in MLA format.  The essay will go through multiple drafts.

Analytical Essay – explained above, a response to a prompt based on one of the assigned readings.

2 In-class Timed Essays based on AP prompts.

The Synthesis and Analytical Essay will be graded on rubrics developed by the instructor.  The In-class Timed Essays will be graded on the AP rubric.

Vocabulary:  SAT Lists 7-12

Quarter Three: THE MODES PROJECT (developed by Valerie Stevenson and M. Frerichs)

·      Everyday Use chapter 7

·      “The Conversation” by Wendy Lesser

·      “The Keyboard” by William Zinsser

·      “The Golden Spike” by John Steele Gordon

·      “Selected Web Sites” by Dave Barry

·      “Women and Children First: Gender and Settling of the Electronic Frontier” by Laura Miller

·      “Welcome to Cyberbia” by M. Kadi

·      “Looking for Community on the Internet” by Evan I Scharz

PROJECT OVERVIEW

1)   Student will read “Resources for Writing” (Thematic Unit – The Internet) in their Riverside Reader pages 549 – 649.

The purpose of this aspect of the assignment is to further their understanding of seven different rhetorical modes of development and to show them a model for the writing project that they will be doing.  Reading the selections, which are all on the same topic, the Internet, but which utilize the various “modes of development”.

2)   Read two additional essays of their choice of each mode and write a précis (posted on their blog) for each.  These readings should come from The Riverside Reader.  While students are doing this aspect of the project the class will be studying and working with various modes in class.

3)   Write six papers on the same topic, each in a different mode. 

Each paper should clearly demonstrate the distinct characteristics of the mode.  Before writing the student should review the different chapters for tips on purpose, audience, strategies, and in some cases, potential pitfalls.  Especially important will be the “Points to Remember” charts handed out during the writing.

Students will choose a topic that is well known and interesting to them and broad enough that they can readily adapt it to six different treatments:  1) narration, 2) analysis, 3) compare and contrast, 4) classification, 5) definition, and 6) persuasion

Topics that have be suggested include: shopping, a favorite sport, school, friends, teenagers, grades, parents, teacher, TV, movies, reading, dating, music, holidays, fashion, presidential elections, politics, religion, vegetarianism, health, food or cooking, nature, etc.

Each paper should be approximately 500 words, labeled with the mode of development, double-spaced, typed, have a creative title, and a word count at the end.

Total project should be approximately 3000 words.

Each paper will be work-shopped in a group setting and discussed 1-1 with teacher.

BLOGS: During this quarter blogs will function as a writer’s journal.  Students will be required to post pre-writing, reflections, comments on the writing process, ideas and concerns.  During this quarter, students will be writers fully engaged in the writing process.  Three blogs entries will be due each week.

Assignments:

·      Reading test on Thematic unit on the Internet.

·      Independent Reading and Precis Writing

·      Writing the Seven Modes

·      Blogs

·      Vocabulary Lists

Quarter Four: The Research Paper and Preparing for the AP test.

·      “The Communist Manifesto” by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

·      “On Ben Franklin’s Virtues” by D. H. Lawrence

·      “Me Talk Pretty One Day” by David Sedaris

·      “A Woman’s Beauty: Put-Down or Power Source?” by Susan Susan Sontag

·      “Nonverbal/Verbal” by Leonard Shlain

·      “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan

·      “Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie

·      Selections from the MLA Handbook 
     Angela Davis: An Autobiography (this might be a suggested reading)

Assignments:

·      AP multiple choice questions/exercises

·      Precis on selected readings

·      Vocabulary Lists

·      Writer’s Workshop – grammar and style exercises

·      Group discussions of topics and theses; determining viability of research topic

·      Library: gathering information and ideas from diverse sources

·      Saturday morning PRACTICE AP LANUAGE TEST

Blogs:

During this quarter blogs will be the place students begin to list their sources and notes for their research essay.  I expect to see three entries per week.

Writing:

Research Paper: Three drafts of a researched argumentative or expository paper synthesizing diverse sources and cited in MLA format. 

3 AP In-class Writing Prompts.

The research essay will be graded on a rubric developed by the instructor.  The AP In-class writing prompts will be graded on the AP rubric. 

During this quarter students will also be encouraged to read and review 5 Steps To A 5 by Barbara L. Murphy and Estelle M. Rankin.  The school has copies of the 2012-2013 book that can be borrowed.

Exam Date: Wednesday May 16th at 8 am.

GRADES:

Essays = 50%

Blogs = 20%

AP Writing Prompts = 10%

Daily Work/Tests = 20%

Plagiarism/Cheating Policy:

Plagiarism/Cheating on any assignment – essay, blog entry, etc. – will result in a zero on the assignment and could result in an administrative referral.

Plagiarism is defined as “an act or instance of using or imitating the language and thoughts of another author without authorization and the representation of that author’s work as one’s own, as by not crediting the original author” (dictionary.com)

Plagiarism is considered intellectual theft and is considered a serious offense by writers and institutions of higher learning.  Note that plagiarism includes paraphrasing another person’s thoughts and/or rewriting their ideas in your own language.      

SOAPSTone: Subject-Occasion-Audience-Purpose-Speaker-Tone

This is a text analysis strategy.  I have seen it used in the English classroom as well as a tool to investigate primary sources in the History classroom.  I first encountered it at a NEH Institute on the Revolutionary War in the Northwest Territories.  SOAPSTone was developed by Tommy Boley.  It follows:

·      Speaker: the individual or collective voice of the text

·      Occasion: the event or catalyst causing the writing of the text to occur

·      Audience: the group of readers/listeners to whom the piece is directed

·      Purpose: the reason behind the text

·      Subject: the general topic and/or main idea

·      Tone: the attitude of the author

Syntax Analysis Chart (taken from AP sample syllabus #2, but introduced at AP by the Sea Institute July, 2012)

A syntax analysis chart is an excellent strategy for style analysis as well as an effective revision technique for a student’s own writing.  The syntax analysis chart involves creating a five-column table with the following headlines: Sentence Number, First Four Words, Special Features, Verbs, and Number of Words per Sentence.  This reflective tool not only helps students examine how style contributes to meaning and purpose but also to identify various writing problems (repetitiveness, possible run-ons or fragments, weak verbs, and lack of syntactical variety). 

Overview-Parts-Title-Interrelationships-Conclusion (OPTIC) (Adapted from AP sample syllabus #2)

Highlighted in Walter Puak’s book How to Study in College

Overview – write down a few notes on what the visual appears to be about

Parts – zero in on the parts of the visual.  Write down any elements or details that seem important

Title – highlight the words of the title of the visual (if one is available)

Interrelationship – use the title as the theory and the parts of the visual as clues to detect and specify the interrelationships in the graphic

Conclusion – draw a conclusion about the visual as a whole.  What does the visual mean?  Summarize the message of the visual in one or two sentences.

Rhetorical Precis Writing (developed by V. Stevenson and M. Frerichs and presented at AP by the Sea Institute in July 2012).

A rhetorical précis analyzes both the content (the what) and the delivery (the how) of a unit of spoken or written discourse.  It is a highly structured four-sentenced paragraph blending summary and analysis.  Each of the four sentences requires specific information; with practice, students are eventually expected to use brief quotations (to convey a sense of the author’s style and tone) and to include a terminal bibliographic reference.  Practicing this sort of writing fosters precision in both reading and writing, forcing a writer to employ a variety of sentence structures and to develop a discerning eye for connotative shades of meaning.

FORMAT overview:

1)   Name of a author, (optional: a phrase describing author), genre, title of the work, date in parentheses (additional publishing information in parentheses or note); a rhetorically accurate verb (such as “assert,” “argue,” “suggest,” “imply,” “claim”, etc.); and a THAT clause containing the major assertion (thesis statement) of the work.

2)   An explanation of how the author develops and/or supports the thesis, usually in chronological order.

3)   A statement of the author’s apparent purpose followed by an “in order to” phrase.

4)   A description of the intended audience (and/or the relationship the author establishes with the audience) and a description of his or her tone.

Dialectical Journals (from Alaska AP Institute – July, 2004, taught by Lance Balla):

Effective students have a habit of taking notes as they read. This note-taking can several forms: annotation, post it notes, character lists, idea clusters, and many others. One of the most effective strategies is called a dialectical journal. The word “dialectical” has numerous meanings, but the one most pertinent is the “art of critical examination into the truth of an opinion.” As you read, you are forming an opinion about what you are reading (or at least you are SUPPOSED to be forming an opinion). That opinion, however, needs to be based on the text – not just a feeling. This is not Touchy-Feeling English, it is AP English. Therefore, all of your opinions need to begin with a text.

The procedure is as follows:

1. On your blog – you will keep a numbered list of 45-55 entries

2. As you read, pay close attention to the text.

3. Whenever you encounter something of interest (this could be anything from an interesting turn of phrase to a character note), write down the word/phrase in the making sure that you NOTE THE PAGE NUMBER. If the phrase is especially long just write the first few words, use an ellipsis, then write the last few words.

4. Underneath the quote or paraphrase, WRITE YOUR OBSEVRATIONS ABOUT THE TEXT you noted in the left-hand column. This is where you need to interact in detail with the text. Make sure that your observations are THOROUGH, INSIGHTFUL, and FOCUSED CLEARLY ON THE TEXT.