AP American Language & Composition

Welcome to AP Language/American Lit! This college level course will include a variety of reading and writing assignments aimed at broadening your understanding of argument, rhetoric, and the power of language. Over the course of this year, you will become more skillful in reading, analyzing, and formulating arguments based on challenging and thought-provoking texts, using both your personal and social context as a basis for interpretation. You will use critical thinking to become a better writer able to compose for a variety of purposes and audiences. Ultimately, you will work towards an appreciation of the rhetorical and aesthetic dimensions that contribute to rich and effective writing.

According to guidelines promoted by The College Board, you should be able to do the following upon completion of this course:

• Explain how writers’ choices reflect the components of the rhetorical situation

• Make strategic choices in a text to address a rhetorical situation

• Identify and describe the claims and evidence of an argument

• Analyze evidence in order to develop and refine claims

• Describe the reasoning, organization, and development of an argument

• Use organization and commentary to illuminate the line of reasoning in an argument 

• Explain how writers’ stylistic choices contribute to the purpose of an argument

• Select words and use elements of composition to advance an argument

• Write argumentative, rhetorical analysis, synthesis, and process essays 

• Identify and explain an author’s use of rhetorical strategies and techniques in a variety of nonfiction texts, including images

• Analyze and interpret samples of good writing, identifying and explaining an author’s use of rhetorical strategies and techniques

• Demonstrate understanding and mastery of standard written English, the conventions of citing primary and secondary sources, and stylistic maturity in writing

Since this course combines the expectations of both AP Language and American Literature, we will be faced with the challenge of adhering to the standards and objectives of the AP course (as dictated by College Board) and of American Literature (as dictated by the Georgia Standards of Excellence).  Luckily, there is a lot of crossover between the two: many of the College Board expectations are more nuanced or advanced versions of expectations already laid out by the Georgia Standards of Excellence.  

Take a look at the Georgia Standards of Excellence and the College Board's AP Language & Composition Outcomes.

As a way to keep us focused on what’s important, we have developed a set of throughlines, which we hope will guide all the work that we do together in this class.  These throughlines should act as overarching aims for the course.  They are the aims that we have for you, but they are also the aims that we hope you will adopt for yourself.

Each of these throughlines is associated with a set of learning goals, which should guide your learning over the course of the semester.  In the first weeks of class, we will look more closely at these goals, and you will develop an individual learning plan for yourself by identifying a few of these goals to make the central focus of your work and reflection during the course.

There’s a wealth of research stretching back decades suggesting that traditional points-based grading systems are very bad at doing the things they claim to do.  I’ll be happy to share more of this research with you at any time, but a great place to start is with Alfie Kohn’s 2011 article “The Case Against Grades,” which reviews much of this research and what it might mean to begin thinking differently about assessment in schools.  

Suffice it to say that because I’m less interested in trying to arbitrarily assign numbers to your work than I am in helping you grow as a reader, writer, thinker, and communicator, assessment will work quite differently in this class than it probably has in most other classes you have taken.  There will still be a number in Infinite Campus, but this number will be an indication of nothing more nor less than your work completion for the course.  (In other words, if it’s not a 100, you’ve got something missing.) More meaningful to our purposes will be the qualitative feedback that you receive, either in class, in the comments section of IC, or alongside your assignments in Google Classroom.

Additionally, we will still need to arrive at a grade for the course overall, but this is a mark that we will come to an agreement about through conversation and conferencing.  The grade you end up assigning to yourself for this course will be justified by your ongoing participation, production, commitment, and reflection in the course as a whole.  This process will be a developing conversation in the course. However, there are some guidelines I’d like to set out in advance, which are guided by my experience of what it means to be a successful student in this course.

To get credit for this course, you must meet the complete the following minimum requirements:

• All major assessments completed:

  • Complete & Polished Literacy Narrative

  • Ongoing engagement with the Blog

  • One revised piece of analytical writing

  • One revised piece of argumentative writing

  • A polished final product based on your Focus Project

• Demonstrate clear growth toward three learning objectives 1-8. Evidence of this growth will exist in qualitative data in IC, your reflective writing (writer’s memos, writer’s notebook, etc.), and various artifacts.

  • For an A: Provide compelling, thorough evidence of significant growth toward your chosen learning objectives.

  • For a B: Evidence of growth is clear but could be more compelling.

  • For a C: Evidence of growth is minimal. 

To get an A for the semester:

• No late work. No missing assignments, major or minor. All revised pieces marked “complete.” Follow instructions. Completed work percentage in IC should be 100.

  • Evidenced by data collected in IC. 

  • This shows you’ve met learning objective #10.

• Be a positive community member. 

  • Evidenced by teacher observations, student self-reflection, and the feedback you provide to your classmates.

  • This shows you’ve met learning objective #9.

• Stay on top of your journey as a learner.

  • Evidenced by your own reflective writing.

  • This shows you’ve met learning objective #11.

NOTE: You cannot be knocked out of a particular grade category for one little thing. That would be silly.

This new process-oriented approach to assessment requires a new way of understanding and using the Infinite Campus Gradebook.  Below is an explanation of how the IC Gradebook will be organized, and what to make of the information it offers you.

Gradebook Sections

First of all, because our course is an American Literature course, every student will be required to take the Georgia Milestones Assessment in American Literature at the culmination of the course.   This year, the Milestones Exam score will count for 10% of all students' grades.  The other 90% of your grade will be classified as "Semester Cumulative," and includes everything we do for class except for the Milestones Exam:

Semester Cumulative

Assessment is further broken down within the Semester Cumulative category to reflect the types of assignments that we will be completing in the course:

This is the area of the gradebook that will be the most active throughout the semester, as you complete assignments and I enter information into the gradebook about them. It's also the section of the gradebook whose purpose is most radically transformed by the authentic assessment model that we'll be using in this course.  Here are a few important things to know about what it means when you see information in this section of the gradebook:

• All assessments are marked on a 4-point scale.  However, receiving a 4/4 does not mean "100%! Woohoo! You did perfect!"  Likewise, receiving a 2/4 does not mean "50%! Boo! You failed!" Instead, this 4-point scale is really just a short-hand way of communicating some basic information:

  • 4 = this assignment has been completed in a way conducive to learning

  • 3 = this assignment is partially complete; consider finishing or returning to the instructions

  • 2 = this assignment is incomplete or completed in a way that shows a disinterest in the learning process

  • 1 = something's definitely gone wrong here; consider checking in with me

• The really important stuff is in the feedback.  I will often leave you some individual or global feedback right in the comments section of the Infinite Campus assignment.  Alternatively, I'll give you feedback in Google Classroom, and let you know in IC Comments that I have done so.  Either way, your ability to build on and learn from the work you have done so far in the class will rely on your attention to this narrative feedback.

• Your average is not your grade. A mark out of 4 is not meant to communicate much about what your strengths and weaknesses are. (Remember, it's one of the premises of this assessment system that numerical grades are notably horrible at communicating specific strengths and weaknesses.  That's what the feedback is all about!) Instead, your average at any given time during the semester is a rough measure of how well you are doing at keeping up and keeping at it.

• You should always have a 100.  If you are completing assignments according to instructions and submitting them on time, you will maintain an average of 100 in this course. Remember, this is not your grade. It is not an assessment of your learning; it is a measure of your task completion. (In a perfect world, where tasks are meaningful, learning and task completion are closely related, but they are not the same.) If you get a 2/4 or a 3/4 on an assignment, that is an invitation to complete and resubmit the assignment.  If you fail to submit an assignment on time, submitting it late can also earn you a 4/4 (I use the "L" in IC to indicate work turned in after deadline).  

This gradebook design is intended to help you keep track of where you are in the course content, and to help us stay in touch about what you've done, how you've done on it, and where to go next.  It is also my attempt to implement in a practical way my commitment to the processes of thinking and writing that are central to learning in this course.

Reflective Assessment Letter

If you add up the grade weights for the three categories above, you'll find that they comprise just 1% of your overall Semester Cumulative Average.  The other 99% of that score will be entered near the end of the semester, as you and I work to reflect on your learning successes and compose your Final Reflective Assessment Letter:

You can read more about this assignment here, where you can also see a couple of recent examples of these letters from former students.  You need not worry too much about this letter now: over the course of our semester you will be given a number of opportunities to gather your thinking and reflecting at various moments, so that you have a great understanding of your own learning when it comes time to communicate it to me. 

No matter how authentic our learning and assessment practices get, for the foreseeable future, we will still have to enter a number into the gradebook.  However, this aspect of the course is my best attempt to implement in a practical way my belief that, if we all do our jobs well, the person with the best understanding of what you have learned and where you have struggled should be you, and so you should have the opportunity to do so.

Reflections on Reading & Writing

There are also a couple of sections of the gradebook that are unweighted, and that we will use in a slightly different way:

These sections of the gradebook are dedicated to keeping a record of our ongoing interactions around reading and writing.  Once a week (Each Friday), I'll ask you to compose a brief reflection on your reading practices and progress for the week.  This reflection, and the date you composed it, will be entered in to the "Reading Check-ins" category.  

I'll also ask you to compose a brief "Conference reflections" any time that you and I conference about some aspect of your learning.  These conferences might be formal, or they may be quick, question-specific touch points.  Taking the time to record your thinking about these conferences is important because they will provide a record of the things we've talked about, and the conclusions you have come to about important ideas in your process of becoming a stronger reader and writer.

Over the course of the last few years, we have grown into a new understanding of our role as an English teachers.  While it is an important part of our job to teach you how to read and write effectively (as indicated by throughlines 1 and 2 above), there is nothing in our job description or the standards to which you are accountable that suggests we must dictate what you read and write about.  

We believe (and research supports the idea) that you will gain much more from this course if you are given the opportunity to apply the skills we develop to texts and ideas that are of particular interest to you, both individually and as a class.  For this reason, many of the texts that you explore this year will be decided upon (individually or collaboratively) during the course of the semester. 

As a class, we will read one book-length nonfiction text and one book-length fictional text as a part of this course.  The texts for this semester are below. Please go ahead and work toward securing a physical copy of these texts. (This means a real, honest-to-God book, as opposed to a digital copy).  Any edition of these texts is acceptable, but if you want your pages to match your teachers, you should secure the edition with the ISBN included below.

In addition to these shared texts, you will have the opportunity to choose a number of texts to read independently or as a part of a small reading group.  These texts will be selected by you based on your interests and/or the topics that you choose to explore over the course of the semester.  

Independent reading is a requirement for this course, and you should always have independent reading book with you in class. There will be a range of opportunities for you to share, discuss, and analyze your independently chosen books as a part of the assessment structure of the course.

Books are available in the library and my classroom library. Because self-selection based on interest is the whole point of independent reading, I do not approve or disapprove of the books that you are reading. If there are certain texts or topic that you  or your parents are uncomfortable with you exploring, you should work together to choose books that avoid these topics, and I am happy to work with you as well. I am available to discuss this process or any concerns you may have, if you email me and set up a time to meet.

There are a few general expectations that will help make our class run smoothly and allow us to get the most out of our time together:

• Uphold the procedures and policies detailed in the CHS Student Handbook.

• Be prepared—bring all materials to class.

• Display courtesy toward all.

• Move to your seat quickly and begin working quietly at the start of cass.

• Take very good care of computers, materials, other supplies, equipment or furniture, and this classroom.

Furthermore, there are a number of learning behaviors and habits of mind that we believe will create a more meaningful learning experience for everyone:

• A willingness to be wrong.

• An openness to differing perspectives.

• A habit of listening.

• An attention to issues of equity and justice.

• A curiosity about the world and how it works.

There is no way to oversell the power of importance of building a meaningful community in the classroom.  This is perhaps especially true in a writing classroom: writing, when it's done right, asks you to put aspects yourself on the line in ways that can feel risky, or vulnerable, or scary.  This will only work if the culture of the classroom is trusting, positive, and cohesive.  In the first days of class, we will spend some time together establishing norms for creating such a space.

In the first week of class, we will spend some time in focused conversation to reach a consensus around what kind of community we all (you as students as well as us as teachers) want to create, and how to best go about creating it.

The CHS Student Handbook defines plagiarism as “the actual giving or receiving of any unauthorized aid or assistance on any form of any academic work.” Cheating consists of exchanging tests, reports, papers, etc., looking at someone’s paper or giving answers, or giving out questions that are on a test.

Plagiarism is the act of using another person’s ideas or expressions in writing without acknowledging the source. Plagiarism is a form of cheating. If you submit work that has been written, revised, or edited – in part or in whole – by another person, you are committing plagiarism. If you take an idea from a book, movie, speech, magazine, documentary, lecture, journal, teleplay, or electronic source (which includes the Internet), and then represent it as your own original thought – even if it is expressed in your own words – you are committing plagiarism.

We take plagiarism very seriously.  An expectation of academic integrity is at the core of our ongoing practice as students, scholars, writers, and thinkers.  For this reason, our policy regarding plagiarism is strict. Regardless of its extent, any documented incident of plagiarism or excessive collaboration in this course will result in a grade of 0 on the assignment, parental contact, and a referral to the administration. This policy extends to all course assignments, be they major or minor.

When it comes to academic integrity, the biggest elephant in the room right now is the role that AI large-language text generators such as ChatGPT should or should not play in the classroom.  The ethical questions surrounding the use of this new technology are still very much open: some schools have blocked the site, and some university students have already seen disciplinary action for their misuse of the technology. Our position on these technologies sees them for their potential in changing and augmenting our work in the composition classroom, not as a substitute for the process of critical thinking that culminates in an original written product.  We will talk more during the semester about what ChatGPT might mean for writers, and how the technology might make our lives as readers and writers different.  For now, it's enough that you understand that words generated by ChatGPT or similar technologies are not your words, and they should be quoted and cited just like any other words you borrow from another author.  You can take a look at this article for more on what ChatGPT might mean for high school English classes, and you can get some basic guidelines for citing AI text here.

All assignments are due on the date specified in the course schedule, either in class or on Google Classroom, depending on the assignment. We work very hard to make course materials available digitally, so that they can be accessed in cases of planned or unexpected absence from class. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to see your teacher if you wish to discuss your work (after or before school, not during class). 

That said, we all live complex lives, and you likely face a range of challenges that we do not and could not anticipate. If for any reason you feel that you are struggling to keep up in class, or you know in advance that you will have difficulty meeting a deadline, we encourage you to PLEASE reach out to your teacher, in person or via email, so that we can make arrangements that ensure your success in the course.  You need not tell us the private details of your life, but it is hard for us to offer appropriate flexibility when we do not know that you need it!

Students who do not keep up with coursework will be referred to Starfish.

It seems a little silly to “require” participation in a university-level course.  Most of those who have gotten to this level have done so through their active engagement with the materials of their ongoing education.  Furthermore, to expect a certain “baseline” participatory ethos in a classroom-full of students is to ignore the mountain of research regarding student learning styles, ways of knowing, and personality types.  That said, this is not a lecture-driven course, and we guarantee that we will all be miserable if the teacher is the only one willing to speak.

You are expected to attend each class with a working knowledge of the materials assigned.  Often, we will ask for a written record of your understanding (either through reading quizzes or Writers Notebook checks).  At various times during the semester, you will be required to sustain classroom conversation about the text(s) for which you are responsible.  All of this will be added to our general perception of your active involvement with course materials as we move toward assigning final marks for the semester.

Learning happens at the threshold of the unknown.  We encourage you to take risks with regards to your understanding of the texts, themes, and issues of the course.  Through your willingness to explore new meanings will come a classroom environment that we can all be proud of.

This class will integrate reading, composition, and discussion through a series of thematic writing workshops addressing various factors relevant to written, oral, and artistic expression. Readings include traditional written texts, including essays, poems, speeches, letters, and books, as well as multimodal texts such as podcasts, songs, and YouTube videos. Each unit will regularly feature analysis of various forms of communication, including art, film, photography, cartoons, and other media. While class discussion will often focus on critical analysis strategies applied to current reading, instructional time will also be devoted to composition, vocabulary, and relevant study of historical, biographical, and cultural information. The instruction will progress with a global focus in mind.

Writing

• Informal writings, such as quick writes, reaction papers, and blogs will provide opportunities to engage with the selected texts. They also allow you to reflect on connections between the readings and your personal experience and to examine your personal writing styles.

• Special writing assignments will give you practice with rhetorical strategies, sentence combination, subordination/coordination, paragraph organization, and the use of transitions. Particular emphasis in these workshop activities will be placed on balancing subjective and objective details and incorporating direct quotes. These components of effective composition will also be reinforced in regular peer-revision activities and instructor feedback response. The analysis and effective use of voice and tone will often be reviewed and practiced through warm ups from Voice Lessons (Nancy Dean) and other activities.

• Over the course of the year, you will compile a portfolio that demonstrates your growth as a writer. Drafts, revisions, and final copies will be stored in the portfolio. Required writings will include a research essay and several analytical and evaluative essays. Portfolios should also include sample projects and a written reflection that will be completed prior to taking the AP exam.

• During each nine weeks, you will write a minimum of three essays, some of which will be timed, in-class essays. At least one essay per nine weeks will be composed in conjunction with a writing workshop and will be revised following peer-editing and instructor feedback. These essays will include narrative, analytical, and argumentative assignments. Scores for all essays will be based upon the AP scoring guides.

• Near the end of the course, you will be required to write one formal MLA-format extended essay that is persuasive in nature and answers a question at issue by synthesizing researched support.

Vocabulary

This is a course about Language, and so the importance of developing a sense of how language works cannot be overstated. 

Language and thinking go hand-in-hand.  It is often the case that a central challenge of understanding a concept is finding the best or most appropriate words with which to express it.  Furthermore, entry into communities of expertise inevitably involves mastery of the particular ways of that communities have of talking and thinking about their areas of concern.  

With this in mind, you should work in this course develop a habit of noticing words, clarifying their meanings, and incorporating them into your own thinking and writing. 

In support of this ongoing project, the course will introduce you to a number of exercises and strategies both for understanding language that you read and for developing effective use of language in your writing. 

Reading

• This course will focus on readings related to our goals, understandings, and essential questions. Reading in an AP course is both wide and deep.

• In this advanced level course, we expect that you read deliberately and thoroughly, taking time to understand a work’s complexity, to absorb its richness of meaning, and to analyze how that meaning connects to the reader and the world.

Other Projects and Assessments

• Homework will usually consist of reading and informal writing assignments, including analyses, blogs, and reaction papers.

• Tests will be similar in format to the AP English Language examination and will include multiple choice passage analysis items and timed in-class essay responses.

• You will occasionally prepare projects and presentations to enhance class experience and foster greater appreciation of reading selections and their historical, social, and cultural significance. Many of these projects will ask you to incorporate technology (multimedia presentations, digital photography, and digital video) and art (illustration, music, and dramatic performance) to enhance the rhetorical power of your product.