Course Expectations
Mrs. Light
Expectations
Students are expected to arrive on time and be prepared for class each day. Preparation includes having a writing instrument, a notebook, the assigned text, and having completed the homework for that text.
On the “Assignments” page of my Web site, I post a weekly assignment sheet for this course that lists daily activities, homework, long-term projects, and writing assignments. These schedules are designed to help students budget their time and keep up with their assignments in the event of a class absence. If a student requires a printed copy, those will be available in my room. In the interest of efficiency and economy, I encourage students to reference my Web site for their assignments and copy the assignments into a daily planner or assignment book. Each week’s assignment sheets will be archived on my Web site for easy reference.
Writing assignments prepared outside of class must be typed, 12-font, Times New Roman. Students will be required to submit major writing assignments via TurnItIn.com prior to midnight on the due date and also print a hard copy to hand in the following day. No class time will be granted for students to print copies. For each day an assignment is late, 10% will be deducted from the grade. Assignments turned in after class on the due date will receive a 5% grade reduction. No extensions will be granted for any assignment on the due date; students who need an extension must discuss this with me a minimum of one day in advance of the due date.
Advanced Placement courses are demanding. I expect my students to practice the habits of mind that lead to better thinking and better learning. These include reading with a pen in hand, annotating selections using the guidelines distributed in class, and contributing daily to class discussions. Expect to have unannounced quizzes on reading assignments.
Essays are scored using the AP Language rubric with corresponding numeric equivalents:
9 = 100
8 = 95
7 = 90
6 = 85
5 = 80
4 = 75
3 = 70
2 = 65
1 = 60
Methods of Evaluation
- Class discussion
- Writing assignments
- AP-style multiple choice tests
- Timed writing assignments
- Speaking/oral presentation
- Research project
Objectives
- Students will learn to analyze the use of diction and rhetorical devices in nonfiction and how they contribute to the writer’s purpose.
- Students will learn to identify audience and how the writer adapts diction and rhetorical strategies to specific audiences.
- Students will learn to respond personally and reflectively to a range of literature. They will learn to analyze, summarize, and interpret the works the encounter, expressing their responses in creative and expository writing.
- Students will learn and apply research skills through short and long research projects.
- Students will learn strategies to evaluate and analyze graphical information, including but not limited to political cartoons, graphs, charts, illustration, and photography.
- Students will contribute to class discussion thoughtfully and will prepare a variety of oral presentations.
- Students will publish essays of personal interest for a variety of audiences. They will master a writing process and will develop the knowledge and strategies needed for editing their own and others’ work in peer critiques.
- Students will gain familiarity with the types of questions and expectations for answers on the AP Language and Composition Examination.
“Most people won’t realize that writing is a craft. You have to take your apprenticeship in it like anything else.” -Katherine Anne Porter
Language and Composition Texts
McQuade, Donald and Robert Atwan.
The Writer’s Presence: A Pool of Readings. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005.
Rottenberg, Annette T.
The Elements of Argument: A Text and Reader. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005.
Literature Texts
Faulkner. As I Lay Dying.
Joyce. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.
O’Brien. The Things They Carried
Orwell. 1984
Shakespeare. King Lear.
Shakespeare. Much Ado About Nothing
Grammar Texts
Lederer, Richard, et. al. Sleeping Dogs Don't Lay: Practical Advice for the Grammatically Challenged.
Good, C. Edward. A Grammar Book for You and I…Oops, Me!
O' Conner, Patricia T. Woe is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English.
_____. Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know About Writing.
Strunck, William, Jr. and White, E.B. Elements of Style.
Zinsser, William. On Writing Well.
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