IB Year 2
IB Diploma Program Course Outline
For English A1, HL: Language and Literature
Instructor: Michael Sanks
Email: michael.sanks@fwisd.org
Google Classroom Join Code: dcdazfv
Google Meet Office Hours: https://meet.google.com/lookup/eslqhbsnpf
· All students will login via the Google Meet found in the Google Classroom for the first 10 minutes of each period. I will give directions and check for attendance at that time. I will determine if the days lesson will be synchronous or asynchronous and will communicate it with the you then.
· Office Hours: I will be available for virtual tutoring every school day from 2:00 – 3:00pm at the Google Meet Office Hours link provided above.
Language A: language and literature
In this course, students study a wide range of literary and non-literary texts in a variety of media. By examining communicative acts across literary form and textual type alongside appropriate secondary readings, students will investigate the nature of language itself and the ways in which it shapes and is influenced by identity and culture. Approaches to study in the course are meant to be wide ranging and can include literary theory, sociolinguistics, media studies and critical discourse analysis among others.
Studies in language and literature and international-mindedness
International-mindedness is at the heart of the IB. It is central to its philosophy, and inspires and informs its pedagogical principles and practices.
The study of language and literature is instrumental in developing an awareness and understanding of the self and how it relates to others. Through the study of texts written originally in the language studied and in translation, students gain an understanding of the ways in which different languages and literatures represent the world and how these can reflect and help create diverse identities. Students also become aware that representations of the world vary across cultures and are encouraged to consider the reasons why, attaining a better understanding of the different ways in which people experience and represent the world.
The way that studies in language and literature courses contribute to the development of international-mindedness in students is linked to the way that they contribute to the development of the attributes of the IB learner profile. By reading texts which offer perspectives which may be different from their own, students will:
-use critical thinking skills to be able to understand the nature of the experience that is communicated in a text and the ways in which such an experience is communicated (thinkers)
-nurture their curiosity in connection with the different views and experiences of life present in a text (inquirers)
-engage with issues and ideas of global significance of which they might have been unaware (knowledgeable)
-be encouraged to appreciate the ideas, values and traditions of others in an inquiring way (open-minded)
-understand that the dignity and rights of people everywhere must be respected (principled)
-show empathy, compassion and respect for other people (caring)
-recognize interdependence among people and between people and the world in which they live (balanced)
-listen carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups and express as articulately as possible their own perspectives (communicators)
-question their own views about the world (reflective)
-be open to transforming such views and consider how this transformation can lead to action (risk-takers).
Studies in language and literature courses offer various opportunities for students to examine the ways in which their personal world, identities and relationships are represented in texts and how these relate to their own perspectives of the reality around them. They also enable students to experience representations of other realities and other people, allowing them to get acquainted with perspectives of the world that might be different from their own. In this way, studies in language and literature courses provide fertile ground for a deep reflection on the interaction between the local and the global and are a pathway to intercultural critical thinking and consciousness.
Engaging with sensitive topics
All studies in language and literature courses will provide the opportunity to engage with a broad range of texts, approaches, ideas, stimuli and interpretations that address topics of personal, local and global significance. These works may challenge learners intellectually, personally and culturally, and involve sensitive and mature topics. The courses studied may explicitly address sensitive topics through texts and issues discussed while inviting students to critically reflect on various perspectives offered.
Engaging with sensitive topics in this course—whether receptively or productively—must be done with every reasonable effort to respond with respect for your peers and larger learning communities. In general, approaching sensitive topics in the studies in language and literature course must be done through an intellectually critical lens avoiding gratuitous excess and/or glib treatment and bearing in mind the IB’s commitment to international-mindedness and intercultural respect.
Studies in language and literature aims
The aims of all subjects in studies in language and literature are to enable students to:
1. engage with a range of texts, in a variety of media and forms, from different periods, styles, and cultures
2. develop skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing, presenting and performing
3. develop skills in interpretation, analysis and evaluation
4. develop sensitivity to the formal and aesthetic qualities of texts and an appreciation of how they contribute to diverse responses and open up multiple meanings
5. develop an understanding of relationships between texts and a variety of perspectives, cultural contexts, and local and global issues and an appreciation of how they contribute to diverse responses and open up multiple meanings
6. develop an understanding of the relationships between studies in language and literature and other disciplines
7. communicate and collaborate in a confident and creative way
8. foster a lifelong interest in and enjoyment of language and literature.
What students will learn in the language A: language and literature course
In the language A: language and literature course students will learn about the complex and dynamic nature of language and explore both its practical and aesthetic dimensions. They will explore the crucial role language plays in communication, reflecting experience and shaping the world. Students will also learn about their own roles as producers of language and develop their productive skills. Throughout the course, students will explore the various ways in which language choices, text types, literary forms and contextual elements all effect meaning. Through close analysis of various text types and literary forms, students will consider their own interpretations, as well as the critical perspectives of others, to explore how such positions are shaped by cultural belief systems and to negotiate meanings for texts. Students will engage in activities that involve them in the process of production and help shape their critical awareness of how texts and their associated visual and audio elements work together to influence the audience/reader and how audiences/readers open up the possibilities of texts. With its focus on a wide variety of communicative acts, the course is meant to develop sensitivity to the foundational nature, and pervasive influence, of language in the world at large.
Area of exploration—readers, writers and texts
This area introduces students to the nature of language and literature and its study. The investigation undertaken involves close attention to the details of texts in a variety of types and literary forms so that students learn about the choices made by creators and the ways in which meaning is communicated through words, image, and sound. At the same time, study will focus on the role receivers play in generating meaning as students move from personal response to understanding and interpretation influenced by the classroom community. Students will learn to understand the creativity of language, the relationship between language and thought and the aesthetic nature of literature. Students will see that texts are powerful means to express individual thoughts and feelings, and that their own perspectives as experienced users of language are integral to the effect and success of a communicative act.
Readers, writers and texts aims to introduce students to the skills and approaches required to closely examine texts as well as to introduce metacognitive awareness of the nature of the discipline by considering the following guiding conceptual questions:
1. Why and how do we study language and literature?
2. How are we affected by texts in various ways?
3. In what ways is meaning constructed, negotiated, expressed and interpreted?
4. How does language use vary amongst text types and amongst literary forms?
5. How does the structure or style of a text affect meaning?
6. How do texts offer insights and challenges?
Area of exploration—time and space
This area of exploration focuses on the idea that language is a social capacity and as such is intertwined with community, culture and history. It explores the variety of cultural contexts in which texts are produced and read across time and space as well as the ways texts themselves reflect or refract the world at large. Students will examine how cultural conditions can affect language and how these conditions are a product of language. Students will also consider the ways culture and identity influence reception.
Students will investigate ways in which texts may represent, and be understood from, a variety of cultural and historical perspectives. Through this exploration students will recognize the role of relationships among text, self and other, and the ways in which the local and the global connect. These relationships are complex and dynamic. The background of an author and the make-up of an audience are not necessarily clear or easily described. Texts are situated in specific contexts and deal with or represent social, political and cultural concerns particular to a given time and place. For example, a text written to address the concerns of an author in contemporary society can be set in ancient times. Cultures that are geographically separated can share mores or ideas, while people living in proximity can embrace disparate traditions. Students will consider the intricacies of communication within such a complex societal framework and the implications that language and text take on when produced and read in shifting contexts.
Time and space aims to broaden student understanding of the open, plural, or cosmopolitan nature of texts ranging from advertisements to poems by considering the following guiding conceptual questions:
1. How important is cultural or historical context to the production and reception of a text?
2. How do we approach texts from different times and cultures to our own?
3. To what extent do texts offer insight into another culture?
4. How does the meaning and impact of a text change over time?
5. How do texts reflect, represent or form a part of cultural practices?
6. How does language represent social distinctions and identities?
Area of exploration—intertextuality: connecting texts
This area of exploration focuses on the concerns of intertextuality, or the connections between and among media, text and audience involving diverse traditions and ideas. It focuses on the comparative study of texts so that students may gain deeper appreciation of both unique characteristics of individual texts and complex systems of connection. Throughout the course, students will be able to see similarities and differences among diverse texts. This area allows for a further exploration of literary and linguistic concerns, examples, interpretations and readings by studying a grouping of texts set by the teacher or set in close conversation with a class or groups of students. Students will gain an awareness of how texts can provide critical lenses to reading other texts and of how they can support a text's interpretation by expanding on it or question it by providing a different point of view.
Intertextuality: connecting texts can be approached in a variety of ways, such as:
-through the study of a group of texts from the same text type or literary form (for example, advertisements, drama or short stories respectively)
-a study of chronological development (for example, the tale, the elegy, political oration, the newspaper)
-a consideration of mode (for example, satire, action-adventure, parody)
-an exploration of a topic or concept (for example, fame, gender, power, social code, values, the hero)
-an investigation into a theoretical perspective or debate in language or literature (for example literary value, feminism, cognitive theory, critical discourse theory).
This area of exploration aims to give students a sense of the ways in which texts exist in a system of relationships with other communicative acts past and present. Students will further engage with literary and linguistic traditions and new directions by considering the following guiding conceptual questions:
1. How do texts adhere to and deviate from conventions associated with literary forms or text types?
2. How do conventions and systems of reference evolve over time?
3. In what ways can diverse texts share points of similarity?
4. How valid is the notion of a classic text?
5. How can texts offer multiple perspectives of a single issue, topic or theme?
6. In what ways can comparison and interpretation be transformative?
Development of linguistic skills
Students will use and develop the following linguistic skills at all levels in the three studies in language and literature courses.
Receptive skills
Students will understand and evaluate a wide range of works, attending to textual detail, applying knowledge of textual conventions and making informed interpretations, analyses, comparisons and evaluations. They will consider arguments, distinguishing the main points from relevant supporting details and explanations. They will use a variety of strategies to deduce meaning and move beyond the literal level to broader implications.
Productive skills
Students will present and develop their ideas and opinions on a variety of topics, orally and in writing. They will construct and support complex arguments with explanations and examples. They will experiment with form by carrying out, as part of their class activities, transformative and re-creative activities either in writing or as performance. They will speak and write at length and with purpose in order to meet a wide range of communicative needs; describing, narrating, comparing, explaining, persuading and evaluating.
Interactive skills
Students will begin, maintain and close oral exchanges, displaying the ability to adjust style or emphasis; using a variety of strategies to maintain the flow of discussions; attending to diverse perspectives and opinions. They will take into account audience and purpose employing appropriate language, tone of voice, body language and gesture. They will also be able to interact with texts and maintain written conversation in various registers and on various platforms.
Conceptual understanding in studies in language and literature
Concepts are vital in studies in language and literature courses since they help to organise and guide the study of texts across the three areas of exploration. The concepts interact with the three areas of exploration in numerous ways and contribute a sense of continuity in the transition from one area to the next. They also facilitate the process of establishing connections between texts, making it easier for students to identify different ways in which the texts they study relate to one another. Although they are not explicitly assessed in any component, the concepts constitute an essential part of a student’s investigation and should therefore be included in the discussion of each of the texts studied.
The seven concepts which structure the teaching and learning of these courses have been selected because of the central position they occupy in the study of both language and literature. They foreground aspects of linguistic and literary study that have been the focus of attention and inquiry. Brief explanations of the seven concepts are provided. These explanations are not meant to be exhaustive, although they will serve as a guiding set of ideas for the course.
Identity
When reading texts, students will encounter and interact with a multiplicity of perspectives, voices and characters. It is usual when reading and interpreting a text to assume that the views are to some extent representative of the writer’s identity. However, the relationship between an author and the different perspectives and voices they assume in the texts is frequently complex, and this makes the concept of identity an elusive one. The figure that emerges from the reading of various texts by the same author adds to the complexity of the discussion. Conversely, the ways in which the identity of a reader comes into play at the moment of reading a text are equally central to the analysis of the act of reading and interpretation.
Culture
The concept of culture is central to the study of language and literature. It raises the question of how a text relates to the context of its production and reception, and to the respective values, beliefs and attitudes
prevalent in them. This concept also plays an important role with regards to the relationship that is established between an individual text and the writing tradition that precedes it. In both senses, the application of this concept to the study of a text should prompt reflection on the extent to which it is the product of a particular cultural and literary context and how it interacts with it.
Creativity
Creativity plays an important part in the experience of reading and writing. The concept is fundamental to analyse and understand the act of writing, and the role that imagination plays. When applied to the act of reading, creativity highlights the importance of the reader being able to engage in an imaginative interaction with a text which generates a range of potential meanings from it, above and beyond established interpretations. Creativity is also related to the notion of originality and to the question of the extent to which it is important or desirable in the production and reception of a text.
Communication
The concept of communication revolves around the question of the relationship that is established between a writer and a reader by means of a text. The extent to which writers facilitate communication through their choices of style and structure may be an aspect to analyse in this exploration. The writer may also have a particular audience in mind which may mean assumptions have been made about the reader’s knowledge or views which might make communication with some readers easier than with others. Alternatively, the amount of cooperation that a text demands from a reader for communication to take place, and the readiness of the reader to engage is also important as a topic for discussion. Even with cooperative readers, the meaning of a text is never univocal, which makes the concept of communication a particularly productive, and potentially problematic one in relation to both literary and non-literary texts.
Perspective
A text may offer a multiplicity of perspectives which may, or may not, reflect the views of its author. Readers have also their own perspectives which they bring to their interaction with the text. This variety of perspectives impacts on the interpretation of a text and therefore deserves critical attention and discussion. The fact that the acts of reading and writing happen in a given time and place poses the additional question of how far the contexts of production and reception have influenced and even shaped those perspectives.
Transformation
The study of the connections among texts constitutes the focus of one of three areas of exploration, namely intertextuality: connecting texts. The complex ways in which texts refer to one another, appropriate elements from each other and transform them to suit a different aesthetic or communicative purpose, are evidence of the importance of transformation in the process of creating a text. Additionally, the act of reading is potentially transformative in itself, both for the text and the reader. Different readers may transform a text with their personal interpretation. The text can also have an impact on the reader which potentially might lead to action and to the transformation of reality.
Representation
The way in which language and literature relate to reality has been the subject of long running debate among linguists and literary theorists. Statements and manifestos by writers have made claims about this relationship which range from affirming that literature should represent reality as accurately as possible, to claiming art’s absolute detachment and freedom from reality and any duty to represent it in the work of art. Irrespective of such a discussion, the concept is a central one to the subject in connection with the way in which form and structure interact with, and relate to, meaning.
Assessment Outline
External assessment (4 hours)
Paper 1: Guided textual analysis (2 hours 15 minutes)
The paper consists of two non-literary passages, from two different text types, each accompanied by a question. Students write an analysis of each of the passages. (40 marks)
Paper 2: Comparative essay (1 hour 45 minutes)
The paper consists of four general questions. In response to one question students write a comparative essay based on two works studied in the course. (30 marks)
HL essay
Students submit an essay on one non-literary text or a collection of non-literary texts by one same author, or a literary text or work studied during the course. (20 marks)
The essay must be 1,200-1,500 words in length.
Internal assessment: Individual oral (15 minutes)
This component consists of an individual oral which is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB at the end of the course.
Individual oral (15 minutes)
Supported by an extract from both one non-literary text and one from a literary work, students will offer a prepared response of 10 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of questions by the teacher, to the following prompt:
Examine the ways in which the global issue of your choice is presented through the content and form of two of the works that you have studied. (40 marks)
The learner portfolio
The learner portfolio is not specifically assessed by IB but it is an important tool in helping students prepare for formal assessment. It provides a platform for students to develop independent thinking when studying texts, reflecting on the ways their texts and responses explore cultural values, identities, relationships, and issues across a variety of topics.
The learner portfolio provides an opportunity for students to:
-reflect on the ways in which each text they read relates to the seven central concepts of the course
-keep an ongoing record of themes and issues they find interesting in relation to each of the texts they read
-explore how key passages in the texts they have studied are significant in relation to those themes and issues
-trace the evolution of their thinking and planning in connection with their chosen topics
-record references for, and ideas and quotations from, secondary sources they might want to mention in their assessments
-keep an ongoing record of the different global issues that could be related to each of the texts they read
-explore links that could be established between different texts on the basis of common global issues they address
-explore how key passages in the texts they have studied represent different or similar perspectives on one global issue through both form and content
-trace the evolution of their thinking and planning in connection with the global issue and how its cultural value, its definition and application to the texts they read have changed through their inquiry
-reflect on the challenges that the HL essay, the Individual Oral, and Paper 2 pose for them as individual learners.
Teacher’s Role
I am here primarily to be a supporter of student learning, rather than a transmitter of knowledge, and will strive to promote the IB learner profile in students and their work in the following ways:
• Providing an inclusive, positive and safe class ethos. Students should feel confident to explore and experiment with their own responses and to challenge those of others.
• Empowering students. They will have a variety of opportunities, both critical and creative, to demonstrate their understanding of skills through a wide variety of active learning approaches, including discussion, debate, role play, reading, writing and oral presentation.
• Recognizing that students learn in different ways. Students will experience a range of activities and assessment tasks that best advance their understanding and enjoyment of the texts they encounter.
• Facilitating critical discourse. I will try to ensure from the very beginning of the course that students acquire, in an integral and practical way, the language of critical discourse for language and literature.
• Promoting the appreciation of language as an art form. Students will have opportunities to go beyond the mere “decoding” of texts towards a wide and humane appreciation of the texts studied.
• Enabling students to explore a wide variety of texts. A wide range of texts that are diverse in convention, culture and complexity will be made available.
• Providing opportunities for student inquiry into the subtleties and implications of cultural contexts. This will include such dimensions as the geographical, the historical and the ethnic situations of texts.
• Providing opportunities for writing about language and literature. Effective feedback will support students in writing in a structured and analytical manner.
• Scaffolding the processes necessary for making reasonable comparative judgments about texts. Students will be able to express these both orally and in writing.
• Ensure students acquire core skills. These are the skills that are particular to the study and expression of students’ experience of literature and language.
• Clarify learning goals for students. This will be done on a regular basis and will refer to the requirements and learning outcomes of the course.
• Provide systematic formative assessment. There will be regular feedback to students about their performance against specified assessment criteria, which will consider the question “What do I need to do to improve?”
• Ensure practice of rhetorical skills. These are the skills that students require in order to deliver effective oral presentations to a variety of audiences.
Language A: Language and Literature Course Outline
Timeline
(timings will vary based on needs of the year)
August – December Year 1 (17 weeks)
6 weeks: Concepts: Representation + Identity
Guiding conceptual question: To what extent is a text or work representative of one’s
identity?
Anthem by Ayn Rand (must acquire)
6 weeks: Concepts: Transformation + Representation
Guiding conceptual question: How do transformations of texts and works present
representation of reality?
#Twitter (Note for next year, did MLK unit here instead.)
6 weeks: Concepts: Perspective + Communication
Guiding conceptual question: To what extent does the communication of an idea depend
on one’s perspective?
The Wild Duck by Henrik Ibsen (must acquire)
January – April Year 1 (10 weeks)
6 weeks: Concepts: Creativity + Transformation
Guiding conceptual question: Why is creativity needed in the transformation process?
Post-truth, fake news, and alternative facts (Note for next year, did Dave Barry unit here instead)
7 weeks: Concepts: Communication + Culture
Guiding conceptual question: How do texts and works interact with culture in order to
communicate ideas?
Selected Poetry by Rudyard Kipling
April – May Year 1 (7 weeks)
Higher Level Essay: to be submitted at least by the last day of school.
August –November Year 2 (15 weeks)
6 weeks: Concepts: Communication + Culture
Guiding conceptual question: How do texts and works interact with culture in order to
communicate ideas?
Maus by Art Spiegelman (must acquire)
6 weeks: Concepts: Culture + Perspective
Guiding conceptual question: How does culture influence one’s perspective and how does
one’s perspective influence culture?
The Stranger by Albert Camus (must acquire) (note for next year, did this unit 5th six-weeks of year 1)
3 weeks
Individual Oral practice & production
November – December Year 2 (2 weeks)
2 weeks
Individual Orals: to be conducted throughout this 3 week period.
January – April Year 2 (13 weeks)
7 weeks: Concepts: Identity + Culture
Guiding conceptual question: How is identity shaped by culture and why?
Gender stereotyping in advertising
Othello by William Shakespeare (must acquire)
6 weeks: Representation + Identity
Guiding conceptual question: To what extent is a text or work representative of one’s
identity?
Selected Poetry by Margaret Atwood
Representation in comedy
April Year 2 (3 weeks)
3 weeks
Paper 1 & 2 Prep: to include all pre-exam work needed for Paper 2 and practice for Paper 1.
May Year 2 (3 weeks)
3 weeks
IB Exams: exact dates for specific exams will not be known until 2nd semester of Year 2.
Classroom Requirements
Digital Writing Journals
Each student is expected to obtain and maintain a digital writing journal which they will use throughout the entire year for in-class timed writings. This means each student must bring a laptop to every class. Keeping a digital journal such as this will allow the student to take ownership of his/her own writing and track their progress over the course of the year.
Behavioural Expectations
Since this is a college-level class, students should conduct themselves in a manner appropriate
to the best universities’ standards; careful listening, mutual respect, and extreme courtesy are
essential in maintaining a class where all members feel comfortable participating.
Online Attendance
Attendance will be taken every day for each class period. You will be marked present if you meet one of the following “engagement Measures:”
- Attend class period Google Meet or Office Hours Google Meet
- Complete and turn in that day’s assignment/s in Google Classroom or in Focus (as directed) by 11:59 pm
- An email explaining why you could not do either of the items above by 11:59 pm
- Complete the Google Attendance Form by 11:59 pm: https://forms.gle/D2nTWipTNaewo5xy5
If you happen to miss the day’s “engagement measures,” you are still able to turn in the assignment/s for the day (according to the Late Work policy below), but you will not be marked “Present” for that day.
Coursework and Grade Expectations
In a college level course students are expected to be the primary responsible party in keeping up with coursework and grades. As the teacher I will do all that I can to assist students in maintaining or raising scores or keeping up with coursework, but true success at the college level does not happen unless the student him/herself take personal responsibility.
Grading System
10% - Participation
60% - Formative Assessment (classwork, journal work)
30% - Summative Assessment (Essays, Seminars, presentations, Exams)
Late Work
The fast pace of the IB Language A: Language and Literature course does not easily lend itself to a student who wishes to turn in work late. I will review each late work request on a case-by case basis, taking a 5 point deduction per calendar day.
Class Supplies
- Classwork Binder
- 1 ½ inch IB Learner Portfolio Binder
- One ream of loose-leaf paper
- Writing Utensils
Due to the building nature of this course, it is imperative that students have a three-ring binder to keep up with all assignments and handouts. There are many items that I will hand out at the beginning of the year that will be used on a recurring basis throughout the course. If a student fails to keep up with his materials, it is his/her responsibility to obtain a copy from a classmate—paper is scarce so I don’t have enough to give out multiple copies of the same handout.
In addition to the binder used for general classroom work, each student will need to acquire one other 1 ½ inch binder for the purpose of building the required Learner Portfolio. This portfolio will remain in class and not be taken home. We will work on building the portfolio together. One ream of loose-leaf paper should be included in the portfolio binder.
I do not have a strong preference about writing utensils, but it should not be red or pink ink as that makes my comments hard to distinguish from the students writing.
Cell Phone Policy
Though cell phones are allowed on school property, it is the policy of Western Hills High School that they not be visible and cannot be in use during the school day. When a student’s phone is visible and in use during class, he or she will surrender it to me for the remainder of the class period. Any resulting loss or damage to the phone will be the fault and responsibility of the student for not adhering to school policy.
Bibliography
Textbooks
Borders, Barbara; Connell, James; Hayes, Joyce; Mullen, Eileen; and Perrotta, Marie.
Nonfiction: A Critical Approach. The Center for Learning, 2001.
Brereton, John C. and Barnet, Sylvan. The Norton Reader: An Anthology of Nonfiction, Twelfth
Edition. New York, W.W. Norton and Company, 2008.
Killgallon, Don. Sentence Composing for High School. Portsmouth, N.H.: Boynton/Cook,
1998.
Dunn, Kathleen; Kovacs, Mary Anne; and Manear, John. Advanced Placement Writing 1;
Strategies for Honors, Gifted and AP Students. The Center for Learning, 1997.
Lundsford, Andrea. A., John J. Ruszkiewicz, and Keith Walters. Everything’s an
Argument: With Readings. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004.
Rankin, Estelle and Murphy, Barbara. 5 Steps To A 5; AP English Language. New York,
McGraw-Hill, 2010.
Rodriguez, Richard. Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez: An
Autobiography. New York: Bantam Books, 2004.
Course Supplements
Dean, Nancy. Voice Lessons: Classroom Activities to Teach Diction, Detail, Imagery, Syntax,
and Tone. Gainesville, FL.: Maupin House, 2000.
Harmon, William., and Hugh Holman. A Handbook to Literature. 9th ed.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2002.
Harvey, Michael. The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing. Indianapolis: Cambridge, 2003.
Jolliffe, David., and Hephzibah Roskelly. Everyday Use: Rhetoric at Work in Reading and
Writing. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2005.
Joseph, Nancy L. Research Writing: Using Traditional and Electronic Sources. Upper
Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1999.
Lopate. Phillip, ed. The Art of the Personal Essay: An Anthology from the Classical Era
to the Present. New York: Anchor Books, 1994.
Shea, Renee H., and Lawrence Scanlon. Teaching Nonfiction in AP English. Boston:
Bedford/St.Martin’s, 2005.
References
College Board. AP English Course Description. New York: The College Board, 2005.
College Board. The AP Vertical Teams Guide for English. New York: The College
Board, 2005.
College Board. The Official SAT Study Guide: For the New SAT. New York: The
College Board, 2004.
College Board. AP English Language and Composition: 2006-2007 Professional Development
Workshop Materials. New York: The College Board, 2006.
College Board. AP English Language and Composition: Writing Persuasively. New
York: The College Board, 2006.
College Board. AP English Language and Composition Teacher’s Guide. New York: The
College Board. 1998.
Erickson, Lynn. Stirring the Head, Heart and Soul: Redefining Curriculum and Instruction. 2nd
ed. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press, 2001.
Erickson, Lynn. Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction: Teaching Beyond the Facts.
Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press, 2001.
Online Sources
www.collegeboard.org
www.timemagazine.com
www.newsweekeducation.com
www.apcentral.com
www.rhetoric.com
www.tea.state.tx.us
www.politicalcartoons.com
* In addition to the above teacher sources, I developed the course using my notes from
colleague training, the AP Summer Institute, 2009, 2014, and 2015, and IB Trainings in courses 1-3, 2009-2011, 2014, & 2019.
Academic Honesty Policy
Western Hills High School has a set of core values which encourage all students to act in a responsible manner. An important aspect of being a responsible student is to practice academic honesty. Cheating, therefore, will not be condoned at.
Academic honesty means acting with integrity in all your school work by making sure that your work is your own and not copied from friends, books or the Internet. Academic dishonesty is therefore defined as submitting as your own work that which is not your own. All kinds of cheating are academically dishonest and come under the following broad terms:
· Malpractice: Gaining an unfair advantage in a class or homework assignment. Malpractice includes offenses such as receiving unauthorized help from friends, parents, tutors or siblings on what should be an individual assignment.
· Collusion: Assisting someone to cheat. Collusion includes offenses such as allowing one's work to be copied or handed in by another student.
· Plagiarism: The act of presenting another's words and ideas as one's own without crediting the source - this includes the Internet. Paraphrasing material or an original idea without properly acknowledging the source.
Copying: taking work of another student, with or without his or her knowledge and submitting it as one’s own.
Exam cheating: communicating with another candidate in an exam, bringing unauthorized
material into an exam room, or consulting such material during an exam in order to gain an unfair advantage.
Duplication: submitting work that is substantially the same for assessment in different courses without the consent of all teachers involved.
Falsifying data: creating or altering data which have not been collected in an appropriate way.
Falsifying documents and/or signatures will be treated as academic dishonesty.
Any student guilty of academic dishonesty will face the following consequences:
· First Offense: A zero for the work, a meeting with the principal, counselor and IB Coordinator if applicable, a meeting with, or letter sent home to parents. The student's name will be shared with the faculty.
· Second Offense: Each of the consequences of the first offense, plus a two-day suspension from school and the consequences attached to that.
· A violation of the Academic Honesty Policy signifies that a student is not in good standing with the Advanced Academics department.
· Offenses may result in expulsion from the AP program after review of the offense by the Academic Honesty Committee.
· If a student has been found in violation of the Honor Code, he or she will not be recommended for the National Honor Society or any of the other honor societies. If the student is already a member, the sponsor will be notified.
As a deterrent the school will use a computer program, Turnitin.com, to spot check for plagiarism. Students can avoid plagiarism by properly acknowledging the source of all materials using the APA and MLA style guide adopted by the school. If further assistance is needed, ask your teacher or a librarian for clarification.
How you can avoid academic dishonesty: Always strive to do all your work on your own. Do not give your work to another student. If you use someone else's words and thoughts, acknowledge them. Learn how to cite and reference sources using APA. When in doubt, ask for help.
How the school will help: subject teachers will provide lessons and review on this issue, showing examples of academic dishonesty and examples of good practice. Some of those teaching examples are included below:
1. Looking on someone else’s paper during a test or quiz.
2. Plagiarizing another’s words or ideas (including data downloaded from the internet) in a report, research paper, or extended essay.
3. Revealing to someone who has not taken a test or quiz what the questions or problems are.
4. Copying or conferring with other students or with adults on any independently designated assignment.
5. Writing notes in a convenient place and referring to them during a test or quiz.
6. Sliding your paper into viewing range of another student during a test or quiz.
7. Working out signals and using them to help someone on a test or quiz.
8. Looking at the paper of a student who is still working on a test when you come into the room from another class; checking out the teacher’s desk to see what might be helpful.
9. Misrepresenting the submission of information (events, hours, or other data).
10. Unauthorized use of technological devices to complete, disseminate or reveal to self or others information or answers.
11. Having knowledge of another student’s plan or participation in “cheating” without confiding directly or anonymously to WHHS personnel.
12. Any infraction that warrants a school referral, or violation of civil or criminal law.
Whether you are specifically asked to sign the honor pledge for each assignment or not, it will be understood that as a Western Hills student, you will always be able to sign the following:
On my honor, I promise that I will have neither given nor received help on this assignment/examination, nor will I pass information to others.