AP English Language & Composition

The Fine Print

Course Goals

To focus on three modes of essay writing: synthesis, argument, and rhetorical analysis
To engage in formal and informal writing to practice and develop your writer's voice
To craft compositions that introduce a complex central idea, develop it with sufficient and appropriate evidence drawn from personal knowledge and experience, and utilize secondary sources
To identify and communicates a writer's target and purpose in an active, arguable manner, offering evidence of rhetorical tools and strategies
To successfully synthesize sources, while ensuring your voice stays in the lead as you develop an interweaving of experts and evidence
To correctly and consistently apply MLA 8th edition conventions, including page-formatting, parenthetical citation, and works cited constructions
To move beyond competent in essay construction, with compelling and original openings, succinct, arguable thesis statements and topic sentences, and robust, well-supported body paragraphs
To collaborate in pre-writing argument development
To revise and improve all essays following detailed writing feedback provided by the instructor
To develop and refine vocabulary, syntax, and mechanics

The Language of Composition, 2nd Ed., Shea, Scanlon & Aufses
EasyBib or BibMe (free online)
MLA Handbook, 8th Ed., (hard copy or ebook)
The New York Times (free digital classroom subscription)
They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, 2016 MLA Update, 3rd Edition, Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein
Princeton Review Essential SAT Vocabulary Flashcards, 2nd Ed.
A test prep book will not be assigned until the second semester due to changes in the exam.