English Language and Composition

Schedule

• Monday, Day 1
• Topics and Activities
  • Introductions
  • Overview of AP* English Language
  • Student Enrollment
  • Course Focus
  • Designing Your Syllabus for AP Audit
  • Key Ideas for Success
  • Sharing Best Ideas about Teaching Reading
  • Discussion of Passages from AP Examinations
  • Deconstructing Prompts.
• Assignments
  • Find a complex passage in one of our texts, write five multiple-choice questions, and bring these questions to class. Think about an innovative way to teach one of the rhetorical techniques and/or strategies to your class and prepare to discuss your approach with other participants.
• Today's Tip
  • We must teach students to read deeply, widely, and analytically. When we help them articulate their thinking - rather than trying to teach them tricks, stock phrases, or formulas - we help students develop the necessary skills for becoming better thinkers and writers.

• Tuesday, Day 2
• Topics and Activities
  • Teaching Rhetoric
  • Technical Terms and Vocabulary
  • Sample Essays
  • Techniques
  • Leading Discussions
  • Sharing Best Ideas
  • Scoring Rhetorical Analysis Samples from 2012
  • Teaching Visual Analysis
• Assignments
  • Write a prompt for an open argument question and bring it to class to share. Read assigned selections.
• Today's Tip
  • While knowing how rhetorical terms work is more important than knowing their name, the terms are the most efficient way to speak about rhetorical practices.

• Wednesday, Day 3
• Topics and Activities
  • Teaching Argument (Rogerian, Toulmin, Classical)
  • Sample Essays
  • Techniques
  • Leading Discussions
  • Sharing Best Ideas
  • Scoring Argument Samples from 2012
• Assignments
  • Write a researched-argument prompt and bring it to class.
• Today's Tip
  • Students need to have a number of possible means and methods to use when constructing arguments. No one form suffices.

• Thursday, Day 4
• Topics and Activities
  • The Synthesis Question
  • Critical Vocabulary
  • Sample Essays
  • Techniques
  • Leading Discussions
  • Sharing Our Best Ideas
  • Scoring additional Samples from 2012
  • Putting It All Together
  • Workshop Evaluation
• Assignments
  • Start to reflect on implementing the techniques you've learned into your classes.
  • Have a safe trip home!
• Today's Tip
  • The focus of our AP* class should be to provide students with a rich, college-level experience with composition and rhetoric.