English Language and Composition
Chris Baldwin
Monday
Morning Session
The "Nuts and Bolts" of the AP* English Language Exam: Recent changes in format, question patterns for essays, methods of evaluation and grading, characteristics of successful free response essays. Available College Board and additional resources (Publications), and skills required : i.e. knowledge of terminology, analytical voice, style, close reading skills, multiple choice reasoning, organizational skills for timed writes, synthesis question, and most importantly, development of a mature perspective.
Afternoon Session
Curriculum development focusing on: developing analytical voice, style, and mature perspective in student essays. Introduction into Rhetorical modes , i.e. definition, classification, description, comparison contrast, cause and effect, argument and persuasion.
Tuesday
Morning Session
Focus on rhetorical strategies: Language, diction, concrete detail, tone in achieving author's purpose using student writing and nonfiction analysis. Close reading skill development and how to use AP* English Language prompts (College board Handout) as teaching tools.
Afternoon Session
Detailed focus on comparison and contrast and cause and effect strategies, rhetorical terminology and how these terms apply to AP* essay requirements. Grading of this year's question, Sharing of successful participant lessons.
Wednesday
Morning Session
Development of argumentative skills and related persuasion techniques. Classroom strategies to develop argumentative maturity. Classroom activities that develop oral argumentative and evaluative skills.
Afternoon Session
Continuation of Argumentative techniques focusing on methods for evaluating effectiveness of arguments and persuasions. Grading of this year's argument question. Discussion of recommended readings and suggested College Board syllabi.
Thursday
Morning Session
Practice scoring of this year's "deconstruction rhetorical analysis question" and past prompts of similar nature. Focus on both formulaic and personalized response techniques. Scoring of historical document questions with emphasis on pre 20 th Century non-fiction, letters, and journals.
Afternoon Session
How to combine literature (particularly American Literature) with language curriculum and broader school requirements and state standards. Participant Sharing, creation of curriculum.
Friday
Morning Session
Discussion of multiple-choice section of the exam and developing related reading skills. Writing multiple-choice questions from reading.
Final "Nuts and Bolts" discussion, summary off ongoing group discussions on issues that have developed during the week. Sharing of promising practices and individual curriculum development.
