English Language and Composition
Course Description
As with any classroom preparatory materials, changes may be made according to the needs of the participants.
Throughout the week, various reading strategies will be interwoven with the activities detailed below. Methods include mini-lecture, discussion, group investigation, and participant presentation.
The goal of the presentation is to equip teachers with relevant theory, strategies, and activities to enhance their instruction as AP instructors.
Brief Outline of the Course:
Day 1
- Review the basics of rhetoric for the AP English Composition classroom, including the five canons of rhetoric and a brief history of rhetorical principles.
- Writing: focus on helping students develop clarity and grace through style exercises and sharing of best practices. (Share unit plans).
- Analysis: review of a rhetorical analysis to scaffold for students the difference in rhetorical analysis and the literacy analysis, and elements to include in a rhetorical analysis.
- Examine the 2008 rhetorical analysis exam question.
- Discuss & share classroom applications.
Day 2
- Make explicit the rhetorical situation in writing and analysis
- Approach argument with strategies and tactics from the rhetorical tradition, including the topics, the commonplaces, and the questions
- Explore various types of arguments
- Use literary theory as a tool of analysis for texts of all genres, viewing 'everything as an argument'
- Expand students’ repertoires of practice through multiple perspectives in the rhetorical situation
- Examine the 2008 argument exam question.
- Discuss & share classroom applications.
Day 3
- Investigate historical and contemporary writing from multiple genres for analysis: sharing of lessons/units around this topic, culminating in student writing prompt.
- Study of several progymnasmata (rhetorical exercises) to increase copia: "an abundant and ready supply of language"
- Review past prompts on media and discuss elements of media literacy and share activities for classroom use.
- Engage with visual literacy and connect to reading strategies.
- Examine the 2008 synthesis exam question.
- Discuss & share classroom applications.
Day 4
- Write multiple-choice questions. (This may 'fit in' earlier in the week).
- Review and discuss multiple-choice strategies.
- Investigate new media literacies.
- Develop synthesis question and unit of study using backwards planning, incorporating elements of rhetoric, literacy theory, and media studies.
Day 5
- Present curriculum units and synthesis assessments.
- Wrap-up.
