AP Language and Composition Mr. Bird jbird@wths.net Mr. Edler medler@wths.net Mrs. Edler sedler@wths.

net Required Texts/Novels The Great Gatsby-Fitzgerald The Things They Carried-OBrien

Additional Supplies Dictionary and Thesaurus Notebook specifically for AP Language and Composition Folder to keep extra readings and handouts USB or similar storage item for essays. Course Description What this section of AP Language and Composition will do is challenge your basic ideas on writing and create and unification between the students writing and their critical thinking skills. The class will be as close to a college level class in terms of writing strategies, techniques, and appropriate reading levels. In this section of AP Language and Composition we will begin to study the unique relationship between your personal writing and the critical thinking skills needed for successful completion of higher academic course work. Furthermore, this is not a course about grammar, the sentence, or unified paragraphs in any isolated sense; there will be the occasional lesson dealing with sentence level and word choice issues. Ultimately, it is a course in which you write, write, write, read, read, read, think, think, think, and revise, revise, revise. When you come to any academic situation you bring your individual self(s), your personal histories, your beliefs, your prior schooling, your regional or national origin, your rich cultural heritage. You are not expected to check your individual identity at the door on the way in, as you might a hat or a coat. So while this course will help you develop facility with writing and rhetorical competencies, rhetorical reading, and critical thinking, it is also about the intersection of the personal and public, the private and social in your thinking, your reading, your writing, and your life. To come to these ends, you are invited to engage in extended reflection and reflexivity, collaborative learning, informal writing, and formal writing. The coursework will push you to explore what you know about culture (academic and otherwise), civic participation, and yourself. As the instructor, I can create an engaged, interactive learning community, but it will take your active presence and willingness to work and learn to make this a strong learning experience for yourself and others. Course Requirements Typed (formal) papers: You will be required to write process driven formal essays throughout the year. Each assignment will vary in length. However, each assignment

will rely on a process that involves reader responses, teacher conferences, and selfreflection. Each portion of the process is important to the paper writing. Informal writing: This includes in-class essays, guided writing, freewriting, prewriting, response papers, in-class essays, microthemes, journal writing, or any combination of these. Conferences: You may schedule one-on-one conferences with the instructor. If so, the meeting place will be announced. Grading: In order to pass this class you must do all of the work, including inclass discussions, informal writing, drafting, and peer critiques. Therefore, if you are absent during any class period, contact the instructor immediately. Grade Breakdown (1st semester) Summative (Formal): 50% Formative (Informal): 50% AP Language and Composition papers are graded according to the instructors professional judgment of the overall quality of the writing and thinking, taking into account the outcome goals listed earlier and including the following: how well the essay fulfills the assignment; to what extent it demonstrates the principles taught in the course or expected of students in the course; how effectively it communicates with its audience; to what extent it engages its readers; how easily it can be read and comprehended (reading ease is affected by factors such as organization, grammatical correctness, and the physical appearance of the essay); how welldeveloped it is; and any other criteria that pertain to particular assignments. Late papers/assignments are not accepted except under extraordinary circumstances and after prearranged agreement with the instructors. Academic Dishonesty Any student who has chosen to plagiarize can receive a failing grade for the course. We believe that many cases of plagiarism stem from misunderstandings about how to use sources correctly, how to paraphrase, etc. You are here to learn. As teachers, we are here to set the context for you to learn. If you are unsure about whether or not you might be plagiarizing please talk to us. If you get caught cheating we do have the right to fail you. Please consult the WTHS student handbook for further information concerning plagiarism. Community Discourses, Diversity, and Personal Responsibilities: In class discussions, readings, and writing throughout this quarter, we will examine ideas from diverse perspectives. At this school, students and faculty are afforded an academic environment that allows for intellectual expression; challenging issues and ideas may arise, but none of these should be expressed in an inappropriate manner either verbally or in writing. One of the goals of a university is to challenge us to think again about what we know (and all that we dont know). This demands that we all share responsibility for creating and maintaining a democratic and civil learning environment in our classrooms and in the larger university community: we will be conscious of and accept responsibility for what we say and do, how we act, how our words and actions have consequences, and how our words and actions affect others.

Racism, sexism, and other non-democratic or oppressive behaviors are unacceptable.