COURSE CONTENT/ GOALS

Students enrolled in this class should expect to:

Write in several forms (narrative, expository, analytical, and argumentative essays about a variety of subjects that are based on readings that represent a wide variety of prose styles and genres (types of writing).

These assignments include, but are not limited to public policies, popular culture, and personal experiences.

 Examples of assignments include:

      Letters to the editor of our school and local newspaper\

      Journalistic Reviews of plays and non fiction with textual evidence to advance your position

       “High Stakes” writing to specific audiences(college admission essays, scholarship essays, major research assignment requiring formal presentation with power point to list a few.

      Letters to your parents asking for something about which you are sure they will say no and learning how to write to anticipate and pre-empt the opposition by presenting an argument that includes analysis and synthesis of ideas from an array of sources. This assignment is appropriately called, “If you can convince our parents, you can convince anyone!”

      Analytical arguments that both inform, explain, and convince

      Recording unfamiliar vocabulary and literary terms in a personal lexicon  as a writing resource

      Learning to effectively create and present power point presentations to augment and visually illustrate your researched projects

      Frequent ( and sometimes unannounced) timed writings based on SAT and released essay prompts from the AP Language and Composition test

      A myriad of daily, weekly and project-based writing assignments designed to help you develop as a

The standards and practices below are set as daily objectives

and apply to all units of study:

      Essays that require you to write to specific audience expectations: college scholarship essays, personal statement, Opinion Editorials and especially essays that require you to experience the full range of styles of writing.

• Use rhetoric effectively. We will study how and why powerful writing controls tone, establishes and maintains voice, and achieves appropriate emphasis through diction (word choice) and sentence structure.
• Read a variety of nonfiction pieces that include but are not limited to essays, journalism, political writing, science writing, autobiographies and biographies, diaries, history and literary criticism.
• apply critical standards independently, orally and in writing to specific literary works.
• To read some fiction to help you understand the writer’s use of linguistic and rhetorical choices, but to primarily read nonfiction works
• Hone your of critical listening, reading, and speaking and primarily writing skills with daily reading and writing assignments
• To write daily to become skillful writers who understand the techniques employed by the authors we study
• To write in a variety of informal contexts
• Examples of these assignments include: Daily journal keeping, collaborative write, daily in-class responses to reading
• Developing organizational skills for coherence, use of repetition, transitions, and emphasis
• Three major projects that require you to research information, conduct interviews, synthesize your information in an organized manner, and use MLA editorial style for editorial formatting.
• To engage in active research that goes beyond the parameters of a traditional research paper by requiring you to present an argument of your own that included the analysis and synthesis of ideas from an array of sources.
• To develop the ability to evaluate, use, and cite primary and secondary sources in your researched projects.

On line link for free additional support with MLA Style formatting:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/

• To analyze how graphics and visual images relate to written texts and serve as alternative forms of texts in their own right (auditory/visual/tactile media)
• Weekly extensive vocabulary building so that you use words correctly and powerfully in your writing,
• Ongoing Academic Language Development skill
• Learn, understand, identify, use, and apply literary techniques in your writing.
• Examples of this include: Assignments that promote effective use of diction, tone voice, style, varied sentence structure (including appropriate use of subordination and coordination), balancing generalizations and specific illustrative details in your writing
• Timed writing using AP released essay prompts
• Practice to prepare for the multiple choice portion of the AP Language and Composition Exam

Primary Types of Writing Required:

·        Writing to understand: We will practice and write informal, exploratory writing activities that enable you to discover what you think in the process of writing about your reading assignments.

·        Writing to explain: Expository, analytical essays which require you to draw upon textual details to make and explain judgments about a work’s artistry and quality, as well as its social and cultural values

·        Writing to evaluate: You will draft, revise, and produce final drafts of analytical/ Argumentative essays in which you draw upon textual details to make and explain judgments about a work’s artistry and quality, as well as its social and cultural values.

·        In-class timed writing based on SAT II essay prompts (25 minute timed writing) and the AP released essay prompts (45 minutes)

·        Narrative Writing: You will read biographies, autobiographies, diaries, history and literary criticism. to build vocabulary, learn strategic ways to craft language in your own writing that provides balanced and thoughtful

·        Daily writing in variety of informal contexts. Some of these will be used in study/peer group writing sessions to help you draft more extensive writing. Others will be collected by me with comments and returned. Some of these are stand-alone assignments and will receive a letter grade.

·        Establishing and maintaining a Writing Portfolio to archive your work as a writer. Although I do not require that specific number of assignments be included in the Portfolio due to multiple revisions of a single piece of writing, presentation of your writing portfolio is a major requirement in this class. You are expected to be a prolific and

·        You are required to write down and accurately define words and literary terms which are unfamiliar to you in an ongoing Personal Vocabulary Lexicon. Use a hard bound journal or binder for this purpose during in-class or solitary close reading. This is the only resource you will be allowed to use during practice initial practice timed writings and in-class essays and will serve as a personal Writer’s Resource.

 Don’t be afraid to take chances in your writing!

Your Writing journals and Portfolio should reflect personal growth and a writer. This is an opportunity to become more aware of your development as a writer. The process of revision takes our writing beyond the ordinary to mastery of the writer’s craft.

 Just Good Practice:

·        Completing reading assignments on time. Discussions on unread texts are meaningless.

·        Participation in class discussions. (You are required to actively listen, contribute your understanding and insight,

·        Keep a copy of all major typed assignments and bring all required materials to class each day.

·        Coming to class prepared to learn and work: Keep up with daily reading, reflections and writing assignments if you miss a day, review the class policy on absences and missed assignments.

·        Don’t dismiss Free writing and double-entry reading journals (they count)

·        Actively work on Academic Language Development, vocabulary, and learning unfamiliar literary terminology (Personal Lexicon)

·        Complete the major writing assignments (approximately every two weeks)

·        Read and critique the required “book of choice” each marking period on time

You will receive direct instruction and plenty of time to practice and hone your writing skills.

Expect daily in-class writing assignments, a formal paper assigned approximately every two weeks , timed in-class essays, In-class Writer’s Workshop Seminars on Academic Language Development, the Writer’s Craft, Vocabulary Building, Organizing Writing, and more. There will be lots of opportunities to receive guided practice, peer review, and individual conferencing for multiple revisions. In short, you will receive assistance for any aspect of advancing your proficiency as a critical reader and writer.

You will produce final drafts worthy of publication and present you best work in “Author’s Chair”.

·        IMPORTANT: Required supplementary reading and Critiques: (I will remind you of this requirement at the beginning of each marking period, but it

You are required to select one “book of choice”  each marking period                   (approximately every six weeks) from the provided reading list or best seller’s list to critique using an AP essay prompt and self-scoring rubric. These readings and essays are required in addition to those listed below.

Sample Essay prompt for book of choice:

Read your book of choice carefully. Considering such literary elements as style, tone, rhyme, and diction, write a well organized essay that examines the author’s use of these literary devices in developing the characters in the book or play. Do not write a plot summary. You must select a work of literary merit.

Required Texts and Materials

The Norton Reader, Linda H. Peterson, Joan C. Brereton, W, W, Norton and Company, Inc.

 SUPPLEMENTARY Texts/ Materials:

The Bedford Introduction to Literature, (selected text) Michael Meyer

We will use this as a supplement to the primary text:  Excellent guide for writing research papers, language development, and literary terminology guide. We will study Chapter 50, Critical Strategies for Reading, pp. 2029-2145 for help in understanding, looking at examples, and applying these strategies to writing. Some of them include Biographical, Psychological, Historical, Gender, Mythological, Reader-Response, and Deconstructionist strategies for critical reading.

Guidelines for the LITERAY RESEARCH PAPER  on page 2096-2119 in the Bedford Introduction to Literature have clear examples of

There is also and excellent glossary of Literary terms a college student is expected to know. These should be added to your Personal Lexicon as we review, pre and post-test on these terms.

Cracking the AP English Language and Composition Exam, Richard Hartzell, Random House, Inc. New York, 2006-2007 Edition

(This book will be given to you at the beginning of the course. There is no charge. If you loose it, misplace it, lend it to a friend who does not return it, etc. you owe for the full price of this book.) Homework assignments, especially during the weekly in-class AP English Language and Composition in late March and April will come from this source.

Due to grant writing and generous community partners, I am able to provide some books so that you can “own” the text. This is important when you begin to read complex texts.

Additional texts, books, and prose as selected

Selected handouts and scoring rubrics

Films, cartoons, “photo-writes

Selected Music Videos

Guest speakers with oral histories- the students will record and write narrations and argumentative essays based on their critical listening and evaluation of the subject and positions of the speakers

Scholarship (Personal) Essays and Writing Contests (both creative and expository) as available.

Films, cartoons, “photo-writes, selected music videos

For political and editorial cartoons, we will use a rubric to assist you as you learn to critique and evaluate this form of visual media.

Lesson Goals:

·        Learn to identify artistic techniques (both obvious and subtle to successfully analyze the cartoons using multiple examples from the cartoon to support your interpretations

·        Develop critical questions to explore the artistic techniques used in political cartoons and how these techniques impact a cartoon's message

·        Evaluate an author or artist's meaning by identifying his or her point of view

·        Identify and explain the artistic techniques used in political cartoons

·        Analyze political cartoons by using the artistic techniques and evidence from the cartoon to support their interpretations

Teacher resources are available to students:

Teacher’s Resource for Political Cartoons:

International Reading Association. Read, Write, Think Lessons. Ed. Beth O’Connor. Lesson Authors: Victoria Mayers, Lynn Stone, Bellingham, Washington. April 2002, Ed. Beth O’Connor, Newark, DE

Read Write Think, established in April of 2002, is a partnership between the International Reading Association (IRA), the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and the Verizon Foundation.

> http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=794

The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists

http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT REVISIONS

IN THIS CLASS:

• At every juncture of our year long journey in developing writing skills and capacities, you will revise drafts of your work.
• Personal conferencing with me, class discussions about the writing process, Writer’s workshops, peer editing, and daily writing assignments are a critical component of your growth as a writer. They are also all requirements of the course.
• Pre and Post-writing conferences are required for major assignments. In addition, if you turn in a major assignment that meets none or few of the requirements specified in a Writing Rubric or Guideline, don’t be surprised to see an ® on the top of your paper. This means that this particular assignment is not ready to be graded and you must schedule an individual conference with me the same day to discuss how to revise the paper.

• We will engage in regular peer discussions and peer review of your writing. By the time you complete this course, you will be able to articulate your understanding of literature in class discussions, critically analyze, interpret, and write insightful papers about the works we read.

• Major assignments will undergo multiple revisions, including revisions that make it suitable for a different audience.

• I will sometimes ask you to write thoughtfully about your own writing and the writing process. These assignments are reflective in nature and although you receive credit for engaging in the process, they are never graded.

• You will also present your best work in “Author’s Chair” celebrations of your accomplishments before an audience of your instructors, peers, and community partners.