A NOTE ON ASSIGNMENTS: I'll post general information for assignments on NetMoeller, and more detailed information on the class Weebly, specifically links and documents on the Class Blog. Students remain responsible for assignments given verbally, despite what NetMoeller may say; students who are absent from class should contact the teacher to check if they missed any verbal assignments.
The cornerstones of this class, like most English classes, are reading, writing, discussion, and research. Yet, the AP Language class focuses on three particular skills:
Reading/Discussion: You'll have some kind of reading assignment for almost every class. Keep in mind that the definition of "text" covers a wide swath of media: speeches, articles, books, political cartoons, advertisements, documentary films, and, of course, books. Much of your reading can be found in The Language of Composition, 2nd Edition; other assignments can be found on the Weebly on the various unit pages. Here's how I'll assess your reading:
The cornerstones of this class, like most English classes, are reading, writing, discussion, and research. Yet, the AP Language class focuses on three particular skills:
- Rhetorical Analysis: Essentially, the study of how writers, speakers, authors influence audiences. Unlike literary analysis, rhetorical analysis involves not just focusing on what a speaker says, but how he/she says it. Aristotle defined rhetoric as "the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion." You'll use close reading to develop a sense of a text, then write about how/how well a speaker achieves his/her purpose.
- Argument / Persuasion: The Language of Composition defines argument as "a persuasive discourse, a coherent and considered movement from a claim to a conclusion."
- Synthesis: Considering various viewpoints in order to create a new and more informed viewpoint.
Reading/Discussion: You'll have some kind of reading assignment for almost every class. Keep in mind that the definition of "text" covers a wide swath of media: speeches, articles, books, political cartoons, advertisements, documentary films, and, of course, books. Much of your reading can be found in The Language of Composition, 2nd Edition; other assignments can be found on the Weebly on the various unit pages. Here's how I'll assess your reading:
- Quizzes: Typically, you can count on a reading quiz whenever you are assigned a text (which, again, is often!). I am not trying to trick you with questions on these quizzes; I want evidence that you read and understood the text. Quizzes are to be taken in blue or black ink or on DyKnow.
- Reading Questions / Blog Entries: For each reading in The Language of Composition, you'll find discussion questions. On occasion, I will ask you to complete these questions for homework in two ways: formerly on a document to be submitted to the dropbox, or informally as a means of crafting a blog response.
- Seminar Discussions: Typically, we'll have seminar discussions once a week. After each seminar, you'll post a response to your blog based upon summary, analysis, and self-evaluation (see Seminar Guidelines & Evaluation button below).
- AP Sample Reviews: Throughout the year, I'll assign you samples of AP essay responses to read and to score for homework. We'll discuss these in class as a means of increasing your understanding of quality writing and the AP score system.
- Vocabulary Development: In order to increase your lexicon (or "Word Hoard," as the Beowulf poet calls it), you'll subscribe to Anu Garg's "Word-A-Day" email service. You can find the link at http://www.wordsmith.org/awad/. Subscribe, and you'll received an email a day, with a specific theme for each week. Past weekly themes include Germanic words, words for baddies (bad guys), and words that have many unrelated meanings. I'll assess your vocabulary knowledge periodically on quizzes and tests (typically after five or ten new words have come through).
Writing/Research: Writing (the cornerstone of any healthy English class) will be done in varied forms in this class:
What changes did I make throughout the writing process? Why did I make them?
What strategies did I use to appeal to my audience?
How do my strategies connect with other texts that we've read and discussed in class?
Quarter Project: You'll complete a quarter-long project that will assess your acquisition of skills learned that term. You'll be assigned this work early enough that you can finish it for the end of the quarter. Here's the list of projects, by quarter:
Writing Center: Finally, as intelligent scholars and stewards of our Marianist charism, you'll staff the Moeller Writing Center (MWC). Your involvement is as follows:
- Blog Entries: You'll keep a blog on http://students.weebly.com/ ; I'll provide you with your password and user name. Types of and topics for entries will be varied; generally, though, you'll be writing informally as a means of exploration for later writing and discussion. Though I'll typically provide a topic for you, you will sometimes have open topics related to readings. You'll also be asked to form entries based upon questions for readings in The Language of Composition.
- In-Class Essays: These types of writing exercises will typically mirror AP Language written responses. Many will be unannounced, and we'll often "trade & grade" in class after you write.
- Microscopic Skills: As rhetoric and writing can be analyzed on the word and sentence level, you'll hone your diction and syntax skills throughout the year. To do so, you'll complete "Grammar as Rhetoric and Style" exercises in The Language of Composition and various in-class exercises from the text Voice Lessons.
- Research: Though you'll have self-selected research topics throughout the year, you'll conduct research throughout the entire year, using the Modern Language Association's (MLA) format. Though your Language of Composition text includes an MLA Works Cited page guide, Purdue's Online Writing Lab (OWL) is the most accessible, best resource for you to use in research.
- First Drafts (Not rough drafts!): Sometimes, you'll write these in class; typically, though, you'll have time at home to write so you can bring your work to the following class for review.
- Teacher / Peer / Group Review Sessions: We'll typically do these in class, with a whole-class modeling session followed by pair/group reviews and read-alouds. Sometimes, I'll ask you to go to the writing center during M-block so your peers can review your writing. You'll earn credit for the depth and relevance of your responses.
- Formal Drafts: After your writing has been reviewed, you'll compose formal drafts that will be both submitted to the dropbox and printed on the selected due date. For each revised assignment, you'll complete a self-evaluation of your writing practices in which you trace the development of your writing. Though this will vary for each assignment, your self-evaluation will typically include the following questions:
What changes did I make throughout the writing process? Why did I make them?
What strategies did I use to appeal to my audience?
How do my strategies connect with other texts that we've read and discussed in class?
Quarter Project: You'll complete a quarter-long project that will assess your acquisition of skills learned that term. You'll be assigned this work early enough that you can finish it for the end of the quarter. Here's the list of projects, by quarter:
- Grapes of Wrath Research Essay: Rhetoric, Style, Argument
- Advertising a Just Economy to Two Audiences, Visually and Linguistically
- TED Talk: Choose Your Own Adventure
- Non-Fiction Independent Reading Project
Writing Center: Finally, as intelligent scholars and stewards of our Marianist charism, you'll staff the Moeller Writing Center (MWC). Your involvement is as follows:
- Serving A Mentor Group: You've been assigned a mentor group; while many of you will serve your own MG, not everyone will do so because of numbers. See this file (Excel) for your mentor group. Within the first two weeks of the year, you'll speak to your mentor group, informing them of your role and availability. Each quarter, you should complete a minimum of 10 tutorials with students, either in the morning or during M-block. It is your responsibility to schedule these tutorials and to advertise your presence to your MG.
- Completing A Blog-a-Quarter: You'll complete a blog every quarter in which you reflect upon and evaluate your work in the WC. See the MWC page for details; they're here, (PDF) too.
- Occasional Assignments: Besides just working in a peer-to-peer setting, you'll also create videos, handouts, and publicity pieces for the Writing Center. Typically, this will be done with a partner...and I'm asking for creativity here!
Weighted Category Grades
Writing: 35 % (based on revised writing, revision work, blog entries, informal writing, AP-style prompts)
Participation: 15 % (based on seminar grades)
Tests / Quizzes: 20 % (quizzes after readings, tests at the end of units / quarters)
Microscopic Skills / Vocabulary: 15 % (in-class activities, Language of Composition exercises, Word-A-Day quizzes)
Quarter Project: 10 % (besides the final grade, you'll earn points for planning and revising)
Writing Center Duties: 5 % (ten tutorials a quarter, assignments, one blog a quarter)