Advanced Placement Literature and Composition

							               Advanced Placement English Language and Composition
                                       2010-2011 – S. Anderson


COURSE OVERVIEW: ―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.‖ (Advanced Placement English Course Description, May 2007-May 2008)
        The above quotation, the first paragraph of the College Board’s course description, will be
our mandate for the upcoming year. In order to implement this mandate, students will read text from
a number of differing periods and genres focusing on the contexts of analysis, exposition, and
argumentation. Additionally, students will discuss the texts, write about the texts, and create/present
projects based upon the texts.


COURSE OBJECTIVES
    ● Students will be able to read complex texts with understanding
    ● Students will be able to write prose of sufficient richness and complexity to communicate
      effectively with mature readers.
    ● Students will be able to read primary and secondary sources carefully, synthesize
      material from these texts in their own compositions, use and understand non-print
      materials, and cite sources using the Modern Language Association (MLA) format

 ● Writing Goals and Objectives:
   1. Control tone and voice.
   2. Articulate ideas, quickly.
   3. Develop of a wide-ranging vocabulary with denotative accuracy and connotative
      resourcefulness.
   4. Organize with particular attention to specific techniques of coherence such as repetition,
      transitions, emphasis, parallelism, and antithesis.
   5. Avoid redundancy.
   6. Understand and create clear, unambiguous thesis statements.
   7. Balance generalization and specific illustrative detail.
   8. Write on any topic.
   9. Self-evaluate and peer edit writing.

● Reading Goals and Objectives:
   1. Read actively - underline and mark key words and ideas.
   2. Visualize     - create mental images of what you are reading.
   3. Paraphrase mentally while reading.
   4. Recognize and understand how grammatical and literary devices create meaning.
   5. Recognize and understand the author’s meaning and purpose.




                                                  1
● Grading Policy
   Classwork/Homework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20%
     ● Annotate texts
     ● Interrupted readings
     ● Internet research – recognizing validity of source
     ● Practice standard grammar usage
     ● Create AP style multiple choice questions
     ● Work out meaning in difficult text (small groups)
     ● Analyze/score sample essays

   Writing Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40%
    ● In-class writings, graded as rough drafts
    ● Formal analysis essays, with prewriting, multiple rough drafts (self-edited
       and peer-edited), and a final copy – all to be turned in
    ● Argumentation essays synthesizing and documenting a variety of sources (using notes
       that acknowledge sources and present additional information
    ● Argumentation and analysis essays in response to AP style prompts
    ● Paragraphs of comparison/contrast, cause/effect, division/classification, narration, and
       exposition
    ● Quick writes (5-10 minutes)
    ● Writing that emulates an author’s style

   Tests, Quizzes, and Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40%
     ● Unit tests
     ● Frequent quizzes that assess understanding of readings assigned for homework
     ● Weekly quizzes on literary/rhetorical terms and vocabulary from the readings
     ● Various projects that require research and expository writing, and analytical writing
        such as the College Search, the Puritan newspaper,
     ● Multiple group presentations using PowerPoint or another visual aid to illustrate IDD
       (imagery, diction, and detail) in a particular reading
     ● Practice AP style multiple choice tests


  ● Textbooks
 50 Essays A Portable Anthology. Ed. Cohen, Samuel. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004.
 Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s Reference:2003 MLA Update, Fifth Edition. Bedford/St. Martin’s,
      May 12, 2003.
 McCuen, Jo Ray, and Anthony C. Winkler. Readings for Writers, Tenth Edition. Thompson
      Heinly, 2001. – PRIMARY TEXT
 Shea, Renee and Larry Scanlon. Teaching Nonfiction in AP English: A Guide to Accompany 50
      Essays.‖ Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005.
  Strunk, William Jr., E.B. White, and Roger Angel. The Elements of Style, 4th Edition. Longman,
      1999.
 Teacher-created packets
 Web Resources - http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quiz_list.htm from Capital
      Community College in Hartford, Connecticut for grammar quizzes and Purdue
      University’s http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/print/index.html#exercises



                                                  2
                                             In a Nutshell
● Students do MANY short writing assignments such as quick writes, one paragraph responses
  to questions about the reading, descriptions, narrations, cause and effect, comparison and
  contrast, etc. I especially like these because I can get them back to students the next day and
  address the problem areas each individual has with writing such as grammatical correctness,
  rhetorical devices, and mature and appropriate diction. Typically I like to make overhead
  projector copies of some student work and analyze it for the class or ask them to analyze it.
  Also, I create lists of typical errors and read from students’ papers. Additionally, most of the
  assignments have an added grammatical or stylistic focus.
● Major papers – a total of 7
        ● 4 of them are research assignments – 1 per quarter
        ● all of them require prewriting in class, rough draft for homework, peer editing in class,
          self edited revisions, and final copy
        ● I hold paper conferences on the day of peer editing as well as before and after school
          and during lunch. I talk to at least half of the students for each paper due
● Personal writing
        ● My Pet Peeve – (page 4)
        ● Create a persona and a story for the cast bronze statuette ―The Puritan‖ (4)
        ● A new scene to insert into The Crucible – imitate Miller’s style (5)
        ● A letter to a friend about a value you hold dear (6)
● Argumentation essays
        ● Douglass – the power of slavery corrupts slave holders – defend, challenge, qualify
        ● The Crucible ―When people succumb to their fear and superstition, they often behave
          in a manner unlike themselves.‖ – defend, challenge, qualify
        ● A review of a product
        ● Eight 40 minute practice essays pertaining to the reading or from the College Board
● Analysis essays
        ● All the major essays
        ● Eight 40 minute practice essays pertaining to readings or from the College Board
● Group Projects
        ● Summer reading, IDD (imagery, diction, and detail) PowerPoint or poster
        ● Newspaper from the Puritan era, requires research – collaborative writing
        ● The Crucible – answers to thought provoking questions in the play, in history, and now
        ● Ethos, logos, pathos – three advertisements – collaborative writing
        ● Socratic seminar on the Scarlet Letter
        ● Thoreau – analysis of rhetorical devices, author’s voice, and author’s purpose
● Journals – double entry reader’s journal based on Gary Lindberg’s model with one column for
  quotations and the other for reflection and analysis
        ● a separate journal for Readings for Writers that includes both instructional essays and
          readings
        ● Bradstreet poetry, Olaudah Equiano’s autobiography, chapter 2, The Crucible,
          Wheatley poetry, ―Bartleby the Scrivener,‖ ―The Cask of Amontillado,‖ The Scarlet
          Letter, and Ethan Frome
● Grammar – interspersed throughout the course with some exercise practice but mainly with a
   different grammatical focus on various writing assignments




                                                 3
COURSE PLANNER – This course focus primarily, but not exclusively, on the literature of the
United States with emphasis on non-fiction texts. The course follows the chapters in Readings
for Writers with additional chronological ―ism‖ readings.
● First Quarter: August 20 – October 17 – Focus on the techniques of persuasion and author’s
voice as illustrated in readings from the texts and from the teacher-prepared Puritanism packet.
Introduction – On day one, students will receive a copy of the course syllabus, the list of terms
with which we will work throughout the year, and the text book, Readings for Writers. We will
discuss the course, the class rules, the grading standards, the PSAT, the AP test, and my
expectations. With a PowerPoint slide show I will introduce SOLIDD (syntax, organization,
level of discourse, imagery, diction, and detail) and the term rhetoric.
Warm ups – Throughout the year, each day begins with a warm up related to the day’s activities.
They will include the following: PSAT/SAT practice, grammar review, quick writes, rhetorical
terms usage, ―did you read the assignment‖ questions, vocabulary words, and AP style multiple
choice question writing. Most warm ups are PowerPoint projected by the LCD projector.
Summer Reading/Writing – Students are required to select a biography/autobiography published
within the last twelve months. They then read the book and write a critical review. Detailed
instructions on how to do this are given to students who registered for AP Language before they
leave school the preceding spring, mailed home to them with their grade report, and published on
the school’s web site. This is due the second day of school. In groups, students read and
respond to one another’s work following the rubric they originally received. Students then have
the opportunity to rewrite, correct, and amend their original work and turn it in on Friday.
Summer Reading – Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass – Students are assigned to read
and annotate text paying particular attention to tone, irony, metaphor, conflict, voice, and the
author’s use of the afore mentioned as techniques of persuasion. The book is due on Friday.
Assessment of Douglass – On Thursday, students will take an AP style multiple choice test from
―Teaching Nonfiction in AP English: A Guide to Accompany 50 Essays‖ by Renee Shea and
Lawrence Scanlon. We will discuss answers thoroughly, but it will not be graded. On Friday,
students will be tested on the text. Students will be required to identify the speaker and
circumstances surrounding ten significant quotations.
Group Project for Douglass – IDD (imagery, diction, and detail) in groups of three assigned by
chapter. Each group will create a PowerPoint presentation or a poster to illustrate the effective
use of IDD in the assigned chapter. Students will talk to the class, explaining why the choices
made are effective as persuasion. The visual aid supports and illustrates what students are saying
but does not contain every word.
Readings – from Readings for Writers – A separate journal for all R for W readings required.
―Simplicity‖ by William Zinsser
―How to Say Nothing in Five Hundred Words‖ by Paul Roberts
―What is Style?‖ by F. L. Lucas
       Using the writing techniques delineated in the three readings above, we will read and
       analyze the following two texts as a group, using the overhead projector.
―I Have a Dream‖ by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
―Remarks on the Life of Sacco and on His Own Life and Execution‖ by Bartolomeo Vanzetti


                                                4
Writing – 40-minute in class essay – Douglass sees the power that slavery gives slave holders as
a corrupting influence on them. Using evidence from the text, personal experience, history, or
other literature, defend, challenge or qualify his assertion. First think, then plan, and finally
write. Include general statements which you prove with specific details from the text. When the
paper is returned, rewrite any sentence I highlighted for containing a passive voice verb.
Assessment – Students will evaluate the student essay, ―Competition,‖ using the writing
techniques delineated in the first three readings.
Writing – 500 word essay with the topic My Pet Peeve to be written after reading ―How to Say
Nothing in 500 Words‖ from Readings for Writers. This will focus on taking an unusual
approach to an overused, word-limited topic and on the inclusion of narration as a persuasive
writing technique. You will prewrite in class to ensure that your approach is unique. Turn in the
prewriting, rough draft that shows self editing with corrections and modifications, and the final
copy. Do not be afraid to continue editing after the first draft.

Reading – ―Good Readers and Good Writers‖ by Vladimir Nabokov – Read this essay and
annotate text for homework. After a ―did you read it‖ quiz, we will discuss the text and answer
the questions. You will write a thorough response to the last question, your reaction.
Viewing/Writing – Look at the cast bronze titled ―The Puritan‖ by Augustus Saint-Gaudens and
create a persona and a story to accompany it. Write in the first person. Think about 9th grade
U.S. history, what you expect the Puritans would have been like, and what your eyes tell you.
Readings – teacher-prepared packet – Puritanism. My PowerPoint slide show introduces the
―ism.‖ Emphasis on the techniques of persuasion, close reading of the text, and annotation.
―Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God‖ by Jonathan Edwards
―The Devil in New England‖ by Cotton Mather
―On Horseback from Boston to New York in 1704‖ by Sarah Kemble Knight
―Some Verses Upon the Burning of Our House, July 10, 1666‖ by Anne Bradstreet
―To My Dear and Loving Husband‖ by Anne Bradstreet – focus on close reading, determining
  meaning from minimal text clues, and rhetorical techniques.
Group Project/Writing/Research – You will do internet research into the Puritan period and use
that information to create a newspaper of multiple sections with advertisements. Then write
expository journalistic articles. One person in the group will be in charge of putting everyone’s
work onto one page in the required format. On a separate page which will not be included in the
published newspaper, create a bibliography of the web sites that your information came from
using the MLA style sheet.
General Instructions for Analysis Papers – These demand that you write two or three significant
and insightful generalizations about the topic supported by specific details from the texts
(multiple embedded quotations and/or paraphrases.) Cite your sources using the MLA style
sheet. You will begin the prewriting in class followed by writing the rough draft for homework.
On the due date, you will trade papers and peer edit rough drafts according to the editing rubric
while I am conducting paper conferences. Type the final copy and turn in all stages of the
writing. Finally, when I return the paper, we will discuss a list of common concerns and errors.
Bring this paper with you to your next paper conference.


                                                5
Writing/Major Paper 1 – 750-1000 words Use at least three of the Puritan writings, your
research into the period, at least one of the readings from 50 Essays, and what you see of the
world around you. Synthesize your thoughts and explain how the writings you chose (from the
reading packet and your research) illustrate the Puritan concept of ―self loathing‖ and how that
concept translates into the 21st century (from 50 Essays.) See General Instructions – page 4.

Readings with Multiple Choice Practice – from Arco, ―Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,‖
―Upon the Burning of Our House‖ by Anne Bradstreet; from 50 Essays. ―Why Don’t We
Complain‖ by William F. Buckley, ―Shooting an Elephant‖ by George Orwell, and ―On Being a
Cripple‖ by Nancy Mairs – interspersed throughout the quarter.

Reading – The Crucible. Students will read the play for homework. We will act out certain
scenes in class and relate the events of the play to what students already know about Puritanism,
to actual historical events, and to McCarthyism. This will be used as a springboard for writing
about current and historical events that demonstrate a society’s loss of balance and proportion.

Journal – Students will keep a double entry reader’s journal based on Gary Lindberg’s model
with one column for quotations and the other for reflection and analysis of The Crucible.

Viewing – National Geographic web site about the Salem witchcraft trials using LCD projector.

Writing – Emulate Miller’s style and add a scene in the midst of the play. Write it as a dialogue
among several of the characters, making sure each character does not slip out of his/her persona.

Assessment – Test on The Crucible focusing on ten significant quotations. Students will identify
the speaker and the circumstances surrounding each quotation.

Writing – 40 minute in class essay – Using appropriate evidence from personal experience,
literature, or history, write a well-organized essay that defends, challenges, or qualifies the
following statement. ―When people succumb to their fear and superstition, they often behave in
a manner unlike themselves.‖ BE SPECIFIC. Rewrite marked sentence structure errors.

Group Project for The Crucible – Students will work in groups to analyze their assigned
statement as it fits in history, in the 20th and/or 21st century, and in The Crucible. They will then
use their findings to synthesize a general response. Some of the statements will be
 1. Anyone who questions authority soon finds himself/herself under suspicion.
 2. Harsh punishment is the most effective way to keep people ―in line‖ with established beliefs.
 3. It is better to accept punishment (even death) with dignity than to compromise one's
     principles.
 4. Fear and suspicion are infectious and can produce a general hysteria that results in the
     destruction of rationality.

Writing/Major Paper 2 – Trace the dynamic nature of the character Reverend John Hale.
Explain his nature at the beginning of the play and show when and how he changes. Explain the
rhetorical clues that Miller supplies the readers with that allow us to understand how Hale is
gradually reaching a new conclusion. Quote from Hale’s statements and from the statements
made to him that illustrate his change. See General Instructions



                                                 6
Quizzes – Weekly quizzes on the vocabulary of rhetorical devices.
Quizzes – Most homework readings assessed for understanding of meaning and rhetorical
          strategies as well as vocabulary.
Quizzes – Grammar from in class exercises and warm ups. Focus on verbal phrases, especially
          especially as used in parallel construction. Focus on active voice and wordiness.
Practice Test – Sometime early in the quarter students will take a one hour AP multiple
          choice test to show them where they are now. We will then take two more during
          fourth quarter.

Timing – Douglass assignments, approximately one week
          Readings for Writers ―how to‖ and example readings and writings, two weeks
          Puritanism unit, three weeks
          The Crucible, two weeks


● Second Quarter: October 22 – December 20 – Focus on the techniques of persuasion, author’s
voice, and the thesis as illustrated in readings from the texts and from the teacher-prepared
Colonialism/Age of Enlightenment and Romanticism packets.

Readings – from Readings for Writers – Emphasis on a creating an effective and coherent thesis
statement with special emphasis on sticking to the topic. Continuing journal conferences.
―The Thesis‖ by Sheridan Baker
―The Controlling Concept‖ by Harry Crosby and George Estey
―An Argument Against Hating Our Enemies‖ by Etty Hillesum – Emphasis on finding the thesis
   in a letter – done as an interrupted reading

Assessment – Read the editor’s essay ―Ageism‖ in Readings for Writers and look at the copy of
the painting My Parents. Find and write the thesis statement. Explain the techniques the editor
uses to support his thesis. Explain the function of the concluding paragraph.

Writing – Write a letter to a friend in which you choose a family value that you consider
indispensable. Follow Hillesum’s example by writing a lengthy anecdote, acknowledging that
your correspondent may not agree, and returning to your original point.

Readings – from Readings for Writers – Emphasis on the paragraph and placement of the topic
sentence. Continuing journal conferences.
―Writing Successful Paragraphs‖ by A. M. Tibbetts and Charlene Tibbetts
―The Function of a Paragraph‖ by Richard M. Weaver
―Pain‖ by Somerset Maugham
―Man Against Darkness‖ by W. T. Stace

Viewing – Introduction to ethos, logos, and pathos – Explain ethos, logos, pathos and show
sample of fictionalized advertisements for the Acme Company using ethos and logos with a
rebuttal by environmentalists using pathos. This came from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
web site and I turned it into a PowerPoint presentation.




                                               7
Viewing – Look at the two pictures of the Stanford University Campus as examples of visual
rhetoric. What is the significance of the composition of each image? What is the rhetorical
purpose? Which is better? Why?

Viewing – Look at a review of the 2005 model BMW from Car and Driver magazine and note
the reviewer’s techniques – a picture of the car, multiple boxes surrounding the car noting
positive and negative details, and the written review.

Writing/Creating – Now create a one page review of a product of your choice emulating the
reviewer’s technique. Use precise language that is both specific and detailed in the boxes
surrounding the image of the product. On the same page, write a one column review pointing
out the positive and negative aspects of the product and reaching a conclusion that readers can
use to decide whether to purchase the product. Use three different colors of highlighter to
indicate your use of ethos, logos, and pathos. You need not use all three. You may do this in
class using my highlighters. Be sure to include a key.
Group Project for ethos, logos, pathos – In a group of three, create three one minute
advertisements for a made up product. Each must focus primarily on only one of the methods of
argumentation. Members of the group must work together and must appear in all three
commercials. The advertisement may be presented as a video or acted out in class. Group time
will be provided in class. Turn in your script and a one paragraphs analysis of what made your
advertisement effective.
Readings – from teacher prepared packet on Colonialism/Age of Enlightenment – PowerPoint
slide show to introduce the ―ism.‖ Emphasis on close reading of the text and annotation, paying
particular attention to the techniques of persuasion, how rhetorical devices can be persuasive,
and the use of ethos/logos/pathos.
―Letter to Thomas Jefferson‖ by Benjamin Banneker – presented on a teacher made poster –
   emphasis on sentence structure, logos, and pathos – interrupted reading
―The Declaration of Independence‖ rough draft and final copy by Thomas Jefferson –
   PowerPoint comparison
―Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death‖ by Patrick Henry – annotation of text for homework and
   students using the overhead projector to mark rhetorical devices – interrupted reading
―The Crisis‖ by Thomas Paine – annotation of text
―Benjamin Franklin’s Thirteen Virtues‖ from The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin”
Benjamin Franklin’s aphorisms from multiple publications of ―Poor Richard’s Almanack‖ –
   focus on meaning, humor, and irony. Students will describe the multiple layers of meaning
   in an aphorism of their choice
―On Being Brought from Africa to America‖ and by Phillis Wheatley – look at word choice and
   structure to point out meaning (using a PowerPoint slide show)
―The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African‖
   chapter 2 – journal entries as usual with addition entries on the Colonialist’s view of slavery.

Writing – Students will choose five of Franklin’s virtues and keep track of them for a week. In
class students will analyze their own successes and failures in the tongue-in-cheek style modeled
after Franklin’s analysis of his successes and failures.



                                                 8
Journal – Students will keep a double entry reader’s journal with while reading Equiano.

Assessment – 20 question multiple choice test in the style of AP questions and one ECR
(extended constructed response) comparing/contrasting the arguments of Paine and Henry. We
will go to the computer lab or use the mobile labs in class so students can answer on my web
site. Students may use their reading packet.

Writing/Major Paper 3 – Using Banneker, Henry, Paine and Equiano explain how the writings
demonstrate the Enlightenment theme of ―the natural goodness of mankind.‖ Then contrast this
with the thoughts presented by Machiavelli or Mukherjee or even Benjamin Franklin. Write a
clear thesis statement in the introductory paragraph and follow that with generalized insights,
specific details, and a conclusion that is not redundant. See General Instructions.

Readings with Multiple Choice Practice – these are interspersed throughout the entire quarter.
from Arco, ―To S.M. a Young African Painter,‖ ―I Will Fight No More Forever‖ by Chief
Joseph, (no title) criticism of Dickinson poetry; from 50 Essays ―Declaration of Independence,‖
―Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions‖ by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, ―The Morals of the
Prince‖ by Niccolò Machiavelli, ―Two Ways to Belong in America‖ by Bharati Mukherjee, ―The
Allegory of the Cave‖ by Plato, ―Aren’t I a Woman‖ by Sojourner Truth, ―The Gettysburg
Address‖ by Abraham Lincoln, and ―A Modest Proposal‖ by Jonathan Swift.

Writing – 40 minute in class essay – Write a well organized essay, defend, challenge, or qualify
Stanton’s characterization of the ―self-evident truths‖ that she proclaims. Use appropriate
evidence to develop your position. BE SPECIFIC. Rewrite marked sentences with errors in
sentence structure, especially coordination and subordination.

Writing – 40 minute in class essay – At the conclusion (paragraphs 16 and 17) of ―The Morals of
the Prince,‖ Machiavelli offers advice regarding leadership. Considering this advice, write an
essay in which you support, refute, or qualify the speaker’s views regarding the tools a
successful leader should employ. Use evidence from your reading and observation to support
your argument. BE SPECIFIC. Rewrite marked sentences with errors in sentence structure,
especially coordination and subordination.

Readings – from teacher prepared packet on Romanticism – PowerPoint slide show to introduce
the ―ism.‖ Emphasis on journaling, close reading of the text, predicting, and allegory. For each
writer there is a fiction and nonfiction work. Students will note the similarities and differences
in writing style as it applies to author’s purpose.
―Young Goodman Brown‖ by Nathaniel Hawthorne – close reading of the text in class with
    detailed worksheet questions that require students to recognize the way Hawthorne leads
    the reader with well-placed clues. Introduce allegory and existentialism. – interrupted
    reading
a short excerpt from Hawthorne’s nonfiction Our Old Home ―Outside Glimpses of English
    Poverty‖ – nonfiction, compare author’s voice with ―Young Goodman Brown‖
―Bartleby the Scrivener‖ by Herman Melville – double entry journal - existentialism
Letter from Melville to Hawthorne re: Hawthorne’s praise of Moby Dick – comparison
―The Cask of Amontillado‖ by Edgar Allan Poe – double entry journal – gothic literature
Poe’s comments in a review of Moby Dick – did he follow his own advice?


                                                 9
Assessment – True/false questions and identify the speaker quotations on The Scarlet Letter.
Multiple choice questions on ―Bartleby the Scrivener.‖ A BCR on how Poe uses the setting as a
gothic element in ―The Cask of Amontillado.‖
Readings – from teacher prepared packet on Romanticism
―Thanatopsis‖ by William Cullen Bryant – study of rhetorical terms
―The Chambered Nautilus‖ by Oliver Wendell Holmes – using analogy to explain
Selected poems by Emily Dickinson – individual students analyze in class – looking for meaning
       through abbreviated use of language
―The Bells‖ by Edgar Allan Poe
Writing – Choose an animal and write a prose paragraph that sets up an analogy between it and a
human characteristic as Holmes did with the chambered nautilus. You may read it aloud in class.
Assessment – A line-by-line analysis of Dickinson’s ―Much madness is divinest sense,‖ content,
meaning and rhetorical device questions about ―Thanatopsis‖ and ―The Chambered Nautilus.‖
Reading – from ―Three Bears in Search of an author‖ by Dan Greenburg – in Readings for
Writers. The author wrote Goldilocks and the Three Bears in the styles of J.D. Salinger and
Ernest Hemingway.
Writing – Write your version of The Three Little Pigs emulating the style of any of the authors
we have read. You will have to alter the content to some degree to fit your author, and it does
not have to end as the fairy tale did. There is no set length for this assignment. Obviously
choosing Swift’s satiric style would be radically different from Poe’s gothic (or even poetic as in
―The Bells‖) style.
Writing/Major Paper 4 – Romanticism – Using Swift’s ―Modest Proposal,‖ Hawthorne’s Our
Old Home, Melville’s ―Bartleby‖ and Poe’s ―Amontillado,‖ discuss the Romanticist theme of
individuality (a forerunner to existentialism.). Draw conclusions and make an overall statement
about what the four works have in common. Write a clear thesis statement in the introductory
paragraph and follow that with your specific insights. See General Instructions
Journals – After we have finished the readings in the text, I will conduct journal conferences
regarding the special and separate journal students are keeping for Readings for Writers. This
will count as a semester exam and is something I consider especially important.
Quick Writes – We will begin regular quick writes (5 minutes) early in second quarter that
respond to current events or quotations or school related topics. We will do them once or twice a
week. Occasionally, the quick write will be a stream-of-consciousness assignment with some of
them directed and some of them undirected. Others will focus on the use of rhetorical techniques
such as parallel sentence structure, coordination and subordination, using specific and effective
diction, internal transitions, active voice verbs, maintaining author’s voice (angry, ironic,
elevated, colloquial, etc.)

Writing – 40 minute in class essay – 2003A: Analyze methods Green used to persuade, 2004A:
Analyze rhetorical strategies Chesterfield used to reveal his own values, 2001: Analyze the
rhetorical strategies Lewes uses to establish her position about the development of a writer. I
will show student samples from the College Board web site after students have finished.


                                                10
Quizzes – Weekly quizzes on the vocabulary of rhetorical devices.
Quizzes – Most homework readings assessed for understanding of meaning and rhetorical
          strategies as well as vocabulary.
Quizzes – Grammar from in class exercises and warm ups. Focus on sentence combining
          using complex sentences and compound-complex sentences. Focus on sentence
          length variety. Special emphasis on eliminating passive voice and wordiness

Timing –       Readings for Writers ―how to‖ and example readings and writings, as well as
                ethos/logos/pathos, two weeks
               Enlightenment unit, three weeks
               Romanticism unit, three weeks



● Third Quarter: January 2 – March 13 – Focus on the techniques of persuasion as used in
rhetorical analysis, how to write various styles of paragraphs, readings from the texts and from
the teacher-prepared Transcendentalism packet. We will also finish Romanticism.

Reading – Romanticism
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne – double entry journal
During the reading of this novel, we will pay special attention to literary devices, point of view,
author’s voice, recognizing foreshadowing, how seemingly inconsequential details can lead to a
more complete understanding of the text, and understanding 19th century writing. I will have
regular journal conferences with students and they will take regular ―did you read it‖ quizzes.

Writing/Viewing/Writing – Students will write a paragraph describing Hester Prynne as if they
were casting the role in a movie. What would you want her to look like? Is there a current
actress who is perfect for the role? Students will then watch the scaffold scene from PBS’s
Masterpiece Theater version of the movie. Then students will react to the filmmaker’s choice—
Meg Foster.

Writing/Viewing/Writing – Same as above for Arthur Dimmesdale. Students will watch the
balcony scene and the Governor’s garden scene and then react to the actor John Heard.

Writing/Viewing/Writing – Same as above for Roger Chillingworth. Students will watch his
entry into Boston, the prison scene, and the discovery of something on Dimmesdale’s chest
scene. Students will then react to the actor Kevin Conway.

Viewing/Socratic Seminar – We will watch part IV of the movie (from Hester and Arthur’s
meeting in the forest to the final scaffold scene) and discuss the ending, including the ―happily-
ever-after‖ end of the Demi Moore movie. Opening question will be ―Which ending is better?‖
Follow ups may be ―Who is the tragic character?‖ and ―Does the author’s history play a role?‖

Assessment – The test will include multiple choice plot questions, explain the events surrounding
a quotation short answer questions, and a BCR on the topic of secret sin. Journals are assessed.




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Writing/Major Paper 5 – Romanticist writers often portrayed society as morally harmful.
Hawthorne did this with Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth through the theme of alienation.
Write an essay in which you discuss the way society harmed the characters. For this assignment,
you will do outside research into Hawthorne use of the theme of alienation and the harm that it
causes. We will go to the computer lab where you can find information on this topic. Choose
your web sites carefully; they need to have the credentials of a university or an expert on the
topic. Be sure you do not trust a web site that publishes student written papers. Keep track of
the web sites you are using and what you took from each. You may decide to agree or disagree
with the experts, but you must include their ideas in your paper. Use quotations from the experts
and from the texts to prove that the alienation the three characters suffered through was a result
of a harmful society. Be sure to draw parallels among the three characters as well as point out
the contrasts. Use the MLA style sheet. 750-1000 words
Writing – 40 minute essay – In her essay ―The Myth of the Latin Woman,‖ Cofer points out the
damaging effects of stereotypes. Write an essay analyzing the rhetorical strategies she uses to
make her argument in paragraphs 11 through 15. Emphasis on transitions and active voice.
Readings with Multiple Choice Practice – these are statements by and about strong women
from 50 Essays, ―The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria‖ by Judith Ortiz
Cofer, ―There Is No Unmarked Woman‖ by Deborah Tannen, ―In Search of Our Mother’s
Gardens‖ by Alice Walker
Readings – Readings for Writers – Emphasis on writing a narrative paragraph
―Advice: How to Write a Narration‖ by the editors
―Shooting an Elephant‖ by George Orwell – also multiple choice questions from 50 Essays
―Shame‖ by Dick Gregory – interrupted reading
Writing – Narrate an event in which you felt forced to do something that you really didn’t want
to do, just to ―avoid looking a fool.‖ OR Narrate an event in which you or someone you know
experienced shame. When you look at the two examples, you see that Orwell told his story
anecdotally with no character interaction. Gregory, on the other hand, included some dialogue.
A narration may be told either way, but for the purposes of this assignment, you must include
some dialogue. Pay particular attention to the narrator’s voice and the voice portrayed by the
other character(s). Use the techniques explained in this chapter’s Advice section.
Multiple Choice and Writing – Answer the multiple choice questions. Then carefully reread
paragraphs 1 and 2 of ―Shooting an Elephant.‖ In a well-organized 40-minute essay, explain
how the speaker uses stylistic and rhetorical strategies to convey his attitude toward himself and
his position in Burma.
Readings – Readings for Writers – Emphasis on writing a descriptive paragraph.
―Advice: How to Write a Description‖ by the editors
―The Libido for the Ugly‖ by H. L. Mencken
―Once More to the Lake‖ by E. B. White – also multiple choice questions from 50 Essays
Writing – Describe the city you live in OR Describe a favorite vacation. Be specific in your
description, making sure that you evoke the feelings of that place or time. Use the techniques
explained in this chapter’s Advice section.


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Multiple Choice and Writing – Answer the multiple choice questions. Then carefully reread
paragraphs 11-13 from ―Once More to the Lake.‖ Write a 40 minute essay in which you explain
how White uses the resources of style and rhetoric to convey his attitude toward the week spent
at camp. Correct marked verb and pronoun errors.
Readings – Readings for Writers – Emphasis on writing with examples.
―Advice: How to Write with Examples‖ by the editors
―The Buck Stops Where?‖ by Barry Parr
―A Diarist on Diarists‖ by Gail Godwin
Writing – Write an essay in which you deplore the way the news media intrudes into the private
lives of public figures. OR Chronicle the events of yesterday in a diary entry. Be sure that you
have examples for every generalization you state, but don’t have too many. This is the key to
writing a good analysis essay on the AP test. Make an insightful statement, prove it with
examples, and explain what your examples illustrate. Use the techniques explained in this
chapter’s Advice section.
Multiple Choice and Writing – Read ―On Keeping a Notebook‖ by Joan Didion. Answer the
multiple choice questions and write a 40-minute essay explaining the rhetorical strategies she
uses to establish her purpose in paragraphs 4 to 6. Correct marked verb and pronoun errors.
Assessment – Test on paragraphs developed through narration, description, and examples.
Students will be expected to remember and recognize each of the three methods of development
outlined in the text. On the test they will have to find them in the sample paragraphs and explain
what they are.
Readings – Readings for Writers – Emphasis on writing a definition paragraph.
―Advice: How to Write a Definition‖ by the editors
―The Company Man‖ by Ellen Goodman – interrupted reading
―In Praise of the Humble Comma‖ by Pico Iyer
Writing – Write The Company Woman using Goodman’s stylistic devices. OR Support or
attack the author’s view that punctuation is a ―matter of care…for what words imply.‖ Use the
techniques explained in this chapter’s Advice section.
Readings – Readings for Writers – Emphasis on writing a comparison/contrast paragraph.
―Advice: How to Write a Comparison or Contrast‖ by the editors
― Conservatism and Liberalism‖ by Ralph Waldo Emerson – interrupted reading
―That Lean and Hungry Look‖ by Suzanne Jordan
Writing – Contrast your political ideas with those of a conservative or a liberal. OR Compare
the atmosphere at school this year (the new principal) with last year’s atmosphere. Use the
techniques explained in this chapter’s Advice section.
Readings – Readings for Writers – Emphasis on writing a cause and effect paragraph.
―Advice: How to Write a Causal Analysis‖ by the editors
―Why I Went to the Woods‖ by Henry David Thoreau – interrupted reading


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―Why Tigers Become Man-Eaters‖ by Jim Corbett
Viewing – Look at the Rube Goldberg cartoon. Notice that it took 19 steps to sharpen a pencil.
Writing – Pretend you are Thoreau and have miraculously come back to life. Write about what
pleases you and what displeases you.. OR Create your own Rube Goldberg contraption. Draw
it and explain it. and Use the techniques explained in this chapter’s Advice section.
Assessment – Test on paragraphs developed through definition, comparison and contrast, and
cause and effect. Students will be expected to remember and recognize each of the three
methods of development outlined in the text. On the test they will have to find them in the
sample paragraphs and explain what they are.
Readings with Multiple Choice Practice – these are examples of the organization strategies
above. from 50 Essays – ―On Compassion‖ by Barbara Lazear Ascher, ―The Ways We Lie‖ by
Stephanie Ericsson, ―Salvation‖ by Langston Hughes, ―Where I Lived and What I Lived For‖ by
Henry David Thoreau, ―Letter from the Birmingham Jail‖ by Martin Luther King Jr., ―Learning
to Read‖ by Malcolm X
Readings – from teacher prepared packet on Transcendentalism – PowerPoint slide show to
introduce the ―ism.‖ Emphasis on close reading of the text and annotation, paying particular
attention to the rhetorical techniques that Emerson and Thoreau employ.
from Walden, ―Brute Neighbors‖ (which includes the battle of the ants) by Henry David Thoreau
from Nature, an excerpt explaining his concept of the over-soul
from an 1842 speech titled ―The Transcendentalist‖
two Emerson poems, ―The Concord Hymn‖ and ―Rhodora‖ – Emphasis on author’s purpose,
   imagery, diction, metaphor, and tone
―A Noiseless Patient Spider‖ and ―Oh Captain! My Captain!‖ by Walt Whitman – Emphasis on
   extended metaphor, historical context, imagery, diction, tone and author’s purpose
Group Project – Using ―Why I Went to the Woods‖ by Thoreau your group will be responsible
for analyzing one of the eight paragraphs. Each group will explain the author’s purpose and
what in the paragraph that tells you his purpose. Include IDD in the analysis. Presentations must
be thorough and have some kind of visual aid – PowerPoint, poster, writing on the chalkboard, or
overhead projector.
Writing/Major Paper 6 – College Search. You will need to choose three colleges or universities,
your dream school, your logical choice school, and your safety school. Research each of your
choices. Research materials must include a college brochure or catalogue (which you can get by
writing/emailing the school or in the Career Center here at school,) the school’s web site, the
College Board web site, and at least one blog for each school. Choose trustworthy information.
You will then write a one page description for each school in which you dispassionately discuss
the pros and cons. You will create a chart which clearly compares the qualities you consider
important (SAT scores, AP scores, rural or urban, ethnic population, cost, size, distance from
home, majors available, and anything else you consider essential.) Finally, you will write a one
or two page conclusion pointing out why you chose a particular school and why you did not
choose the other two. You may find that after your research is complete, you no longer wish to
attend any of the three. If that’s the case, explain why. Use MLA citation style. Bring draft to
class that shows evidence of self editing. You will then peer edit while I hold paper conferences.


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Writing – 40 minute in class essay – 12001: ―Owls‖ by Mary Oliver, the complexity of her
response to nature; 21986: Momaday and Brown double passages, response to the Oklahoma
plains; 31999: Audubon and Didion double passages, response to the Okefenokee Swamp; 42001:
Sontag argumentation, photography limits our understanding of the world; 52003B: Sanders
argumentation, the relationship between the individual and society. Focus on moving from
generalizations to specific detail, using parallel structure, precise and mature word choice, and
use of internal and external transitions.
Quick Writes – We will continue regular quick writes this quarter that respond to current events
or quotations or school related topics. We will do them once a week. The emphasis for this
quarter is using various rhetorical devices such as parallel sentence structure, compound-
complex sentences, internal transitions, the extended metaphor, and literary/historical allusions.
Quizzes – Weekly quizzes on the vocabulary of rhetorical devices.
Quizzes – Most homework readings assessed for understanding of meaning and rhetorical
          strategies as well as vocabulary.
Quizzes – Grammar from in class exercises and warm ups. Focus on punctuation, especially in
          the prevention of run-on sentences, the use of commas with restrictive and non-
          restrictive phrases, and the use of hyphens and dashes. Continued emphasis on
          using the active voice and wordiness.
Timing –       The Scarlet Letter, three weeks
               Readings for Writers ―how to‖ and example readings and writings, four weeks
               Transcendentalism unit, two weeks


● Fourth Quarter: March 25 – June 6 – Focus on the techniques of persuasion as used in
rhetorical analysis, how to write various styles of paragraphs, readings from the texts and from
the teacher-prepared Realism packet. Review of argument essay, introduction of the synthesis
essay in AP test format, review of grammar, and review of rhetorical devices. Teacher prepared
packet on Realism.
AP Test Practice – In class students will take one 60 minute multiple choice practice, and on a
Saturday in mid April, students will take the full 2001 released exam. I will replace the Mary
Oliver analysis essay with a synthesis essay from the College Board’s web site.
Synthesis Essay – Each of the major papers has been a synthesis of ideas and sources. At the
beginning of the quarter I will introduce the essay in AP format using the 2007A question which
was on the effects of advertising. Emphasis on drawing from multiple sources, when and how to
include citations, and drawing specific detail from text to illustrate a generalization. Later in the
quarter students will write one more practice essay taken from the web site – what a government
agency or business would need to consider before transferring a nonindigenous species to
another country.
Readings – from Readings for Writers
―Obstacles to Clear Thinking‖ by Richard D. Altick – common types of logical errors
―Introduction to Logic‖ by John C. Sherwood – inductive and deductive reasoning
―I Want a Wife‖ by Judy Syfers


                                                 15
Writing – Write a similar essay from a man’s point of view titled ―I Want a Husband.‖ You will
write a parody the traditional husband’s role in a family just as Syfers parodied the wife’s role.
Readings – from Readings for Writers
―A Brief Lexicon of Jargon for Those Who Want to Speak and Write Verbosely and Vaguely‖
   by Richard K. Redfern
―Words: Our Important Tools‖ by Bergen Evans
―The Great White Myth‖ by Anna Quindlen
―Affirmative Action: The Price of Preference‖ by Shelby Steele
Writing – Write an essay in which you discuss the pros and cons of affirmative action. Use
appropriate evidence as you examine each side, and indicate which you find more persuasive.
Readings – teacher prepared packet on Realism preceded by PowerPoint introduction to Realism
―An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge‖ by Ambrose Bierce – emphasis on the flashback as a
 rhetorical technique – interrupted reading
―The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County‖ by Mark Twain – emphasis on humor and
 diction – double entry journal
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton – double entry journal required
 During the reading of this novel, we will pay special attention to literary devices, point of view,
 author’s voice, descriptive adjectives, and the framed story. I will have regular journal
 conferences with students and they will take regular ―did you read it‖ quizzes.
Assessment – On my web site, students will take a multiple choice test on plot details, write
answers in the dialogue boxes for short answer questions on how the stories fit within their
―ism,‖ and write a BCR on the Realists’ focus on character development as it pertains to Zeena.
Writing – 40 minute in class essays – 12002A: how Woolf uses language to convey the lasting
significance of moments from her past, 21991: how Stravinsky uses language and rhetorical
devices to convey his point of view on conductors (irony), 32003A: defend, challenge, or qualify
Gabler’s claim that entertainment has the capacity to ruin society. We will read some aloud and
I will show student samples from the College Board web site after students have finished..
Writing/Major Paper 7 – This project involves reading, researching, analyzing, and writing.
Your primary focus is to explain how the story fits into its "ism" and to explain how one "ism"
transformed into the next "ism." This assignment will require you to turn in your prewriting,
rough draft, and final copy. The final product should be approximately 1500 words (four
typewritten, double spaced pages.)
 1 - Select two consecutive "isms" from Naturalism, Modernism, and PostModernism
 2 - Select one of the designated short stories from each of the two "isms." As you read pay
      particular attention to auhor's purpose, tone, and references to the time period.
 3 - Use a history book and/or the internet to research the time periods that the stories came from.
 4 - Then begin the thinking process. Look at the traits of your two "isms" and determine which
     ones apply.
 5 - Next, brainstorm your ideas and bring that paper to class. If you are already into the rough
     draft, bring that to class also. I need to see the rough draft before you begin the final copy.
 6 – Turn in only the final product.



                                                 16
Quick Writes – We will continue regular quick writes this quarter that respond to current events
or quotations or school related topics. We will do them once a week. The emphasis for this
quarter is using various rhetorical devices such as the five kinds of imagery, colloquialisms,
hyperbole, personification, and irony
Readings with Multiple Choice Practice – these are modern writers From 50 Essays –
―Graduation‖ by Maya Angelou, from Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin, ―The Ways We
Lie‖ by Stephanie Ericsson, ―Women’s Brains‖ by Jay Gould. ―No Name Woman‖ by Maxine
Hong Kingston, ―Learning to Read‖ by Malcolm X, ―Aria: Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood‖ by
Richard Rodriguez, ―In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens‖ by Alice Walker, and ―The Death of
the Moth‖ by Virginia Woolf

Writing Introductory Paragraphs – Students will read several of the released analysis essay
questions and texts. Then they will write the introductory paragraph, list the generalizations they
will write about, and mark the reading to show which quotations they will use as evidence.

Quizzes – Weekly quizzes on the vocabulary of rhetorical devices.
Quizzes – Most homework readings assessed for understanding of meaning and rhetorical
          strategies as well as vocabulary.
Quizzes – Grammar from in class exercises and warm ups. Focus on nominative, objective, and
          reflexive pronouns as well as pronoun/antecedent agreement) and prepositional
          phrases (recognizing that a prepositional phrase placed between the subject and the
          verb may seem to affect the number of the verb but does not.)

Practice Tests – Sometime early in the quarter students will take a one hour AP multiple
          choice test to compare to the one they took first quarter. On a Saturday in late April
          we will take a full 3 hour and 15 minute test. We will score the multiple choice as
          soon as the test is over and discuss any problems. I will score the three essays,
          returning one on Monday, another on Wednesday, and the third on Friday. We will
          discuss and look at the student samples from the College Board web site.

Timing –       Readings for Writers ―how to‖ and example readings and writings, two weeks
               Realism unit, three weeks
               Concentrated Test practice, two weeks
               Final project, three weeks interspersed with other work after the AP exam.




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