*Discounts are available. If cost is a deterrent to your family, please contact me.*

BIG IDEAS
This class follows the AP requirements set forth by College Board. To that end, there are four “Big Ideas” addressed:
–Rhetorical Situation
–Claims and Evidence
–Reasoning and Organization
–Style

CLASS ORGANIZATION
The year-long class is divided into nine units, each spanning three weeks (per AP requirements). This semester ends at Week 14.

Each unit addresses specific standards, taught in a “spiral” as designated by College Board. There are multiple readings assigned for each unit, one primary writing assignment, and smaller writing assignments, either in-class or as homework.

Students are expected to read all texts outside of class. In-class time is primarily spent on analysis and discussions, in-class writing, critiques of sample AP essays, assignment assistance, and grammar lessons addressing specific writing challenges. 

Each class will start with an activity from Nancy Dean’s “Voice Lessons”, and students will complete the activity either individually or as a group.

 Each week, students will read “The Story of the Week” from AllSides and complete a short response about media bias in general and the article’s content. Articles are released on Thursdays, and students are expected to complete their exercises by class on the following Thursday, which they will share with their peers.

A baseline assessment is completed during the first unit to gain an understanding of students’ strengths and challenges; this is completed in-class to ensure it is the student’s original work. Students should complete practice MCQs and FRQs. Students will complete three full-length practice exams in Semester 2, and the results will be compared to the baseline, and the instructor will teach lectures aimed at specific struggles.

READINGS AND TEXTS
Most readings are found in the primary textbook. Some handouts and/or links will be provided.

Students must read “Persepolis Volume 1: A Story of a Childhood” by Marjane Satrapi prior to class or during the first two weeks. (College Board requires summer reading for AP classes.) There are three additional graphic memoirs and one nonfiction book that are required reading in this semester. Please see “Supply List” for more information, and feel free to message me if you have any questions.

HOMEWORK
AP classes typically average five to six hours of homework each week. In each unit, students are expected to read all of the assigned texts independently. They will also complete the MCQ and FRQ for each unit in AP Classroom to help them further prepare.

Unit specific homework includes:
-Unit 1: Completing the “Culminating Activity” in the textbook and revising it into at least one paragraph with a strong claim.
-Unit 2: Crafting two thesis paragraphs about Kennedy’s Inaugural Address (one with a positive claim and one with a negative claim) and outlining textual evidence for each. They are also required to annotate readings to help develop close reading skills.
-Unit 3: Writing an argument essay about Kennedy’s Inaugural Address. Additionally, students choose one text from their readings and write a short response regarding the speaker’s intended purpose. They share these writings with their peers and debate their conclusions. 
-Unit 4: Completing all activities in the textbook regarding writing a synthesis essay and drafting two claims with an outline of textual evidence for each. Furthermore, students annotate at least one piece of writing to further close reading skills regarding a piece’s thesis. 
-Unit 5: Begin writing a synthesis essay, which will be completed in Semester 2. Additionally, students complete a short response to two of the readings and share their responses with the class.

FURTHER INFORMATION
This class has been approved by College Board as an official AP class. Students will register for access to AP Classroom, and I can provide documentation of the class's official status.

There are only 14 weeks in this semester, so the final week of Unit 5 is covered in Semester 2. If students do not plan to take Semester 2 of this class, they will need to finish Unit 5 by the end of the year so that I can issue an accurate grade report for their records.

Please note that 54% of students who take the AP Language and Composition exam score 3 or more, and taking an AP course can provide tools to maximize success. However, a passing score on any AP exam is not guaranteed, and students are responsible for putting forth effort into their work to help maximize the chances of a passing score.

This class will NOT meet the week of November 25 (US Thanksgiving break; fall break).