AP© Language & Composition

Syllabus 2024-2025

Ms. Kate Hogg Office Hours by appointment:

E-mail address: [email protected] 7:30 – 7:55 am or 3:30-4:00 pm
Plan Area: L109 AP Resource - 6th period

Course Introduction (from 2019 College Board CED):

An AP English Language and Composition course cultivates the reading and writing skills that students need
for college success and for intellectually responsible civic engagement. The course guides students in
becoming curious, critical, and responsive readers of diverse texts and becoming flexible, reflective
writers of texts addressed to diverse audiences for diverse purposes. The reading and writing
students do in the course should deepen and expand their understanding of how written language
functions rhetorically: to communicate writers’ intentions and elicit readers’ responses in
particular situations.
Enduring ▪ RHETORICAL SITUATION (RHS) ▪ REASONING AND ORGANIZATION (REO)
Understandings Enduring Understanding: Individuals write within a Enduring Understanding: Writers guide understanding of a
: particular situation and make strategic writing text’s lines of reasoning and claims through that text’s
choices based on that situation. organization and integration of evidence.

▪ CLAIMS AND EVIDENCE (CLE) ▪ STYLE (STL)

Enduring Understanding: Writers make claims Enduring Understanding: The rhetorical situation informs the
about subjects, rely on evidence that supports the strategic stylistic choices that writers make.
reasoning that justifies the claim, and often
acknowledge or respond to other, possibly
opposing, arguments.
Developing critical literacy: In most colleges and universities, the course is intended to strengthen the
basic academic skills students need to perform confidently and effectively in courses across the curriculum.
The course introduces students to the literacy expectations of higher education by cultivating essential
academic skills such as critical inquiry, deliberation, argument, reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Few
colleges and universities regard completion of this entry-level course as the endpoint of students’ English
language education; subsequent courses in general and specialized curricula should continue building and
refining the skills students practice in their rhetoric and composition courses.

Facilitating informed citizenship: While most college rhetoric and composition courses perform the
academic service of preparing students to meet the literacy challenges of college-level study, they also serve
the larger goal of cultivating the critical literacy skills students need for lifelong learning. Beyond their
academic lives, students should be able to use the literacy skills practiced in the course for personal
satisfaction and responsible engagement in civic life.

Core Texts:

Freitas, Timothy, et al. AMSCO Advanced Placement English Language and Composition.

PerfectionLearning Corporation, 2020.

Freitas, Timothy, et al. AMSCO Writing for the AP Lang Exam. PerfectionLearning Corporation, 2024.

Approved Texts:
Student-selected non-fiction independent reading

District Grading Scale:

90 – 100% = A 70-79% = C
80 – 89% = B 60-69% = D
Below 60% = F

Late Work/Retake Opportunities:

*Retake Opportunities: Students who score a C or lower on a writing assignment may schedule a writing
conference with the instructor to revise or rewrite a piece.

Late Work: Any assignment may be turned in late with the understanding that it will be graded after all
current assignments have been graded. If an absence is excused, students have the number of days they
were absent to turn in missing work and will be counted as full credit. Unexcused late work cannot earn
higher than 50%. Assignments will close one week after the due date. This is a college-level course and it is
important to turn work in on time so that you can stay current with the course.
Unit One: What Do We Notice? Reading a text closely. Big Ideas: RHS
CLE

Strategies/Activities:

Introduce Rhetorical Framework (Exigence)

o SPACECAT
o LENS (Locate/Excavate/Nest together/…Suggests that…)
o 4 Questions for any text: What do you notice? What questions does it create? What connections can you make? What
realizations do you come to?
Key Questions: ▪ What provoked the writer to develop this ▪ Where in the text does the writer establish a claim?
text?
▪ What kind of evidence does the writer use to defend
▪ How does the writer makes comparisons their claim?
in order to relate to the audience &
▪ What is the function of particular evidence in your
advance the writer’s purposes?
argument, and how do you convey that function?
▪ How does the writer’s choices in diction
& syntax influence how the audience
perceives the writer’s argument?

Unit Two: What Do I Think About It? Identifying and Creating Claims. Big Ideas: RHS
CLE
REO
Strategies/Activities:
o Rhetorical Framework (Exigence & Message)
o SOAPSTone
o LENS (Locate/Excavate/Nest together/…Suggests that…)
o Identify Appeals (Logos, Pathos, Ethos)
o 3 I’s (Individuals/Industries/Ideologies) in Perspective and Audience(s)
o American Identity Beliefs & Values
o Marketing: Audience Segmentation
Key Questions: ▪ Where in the argument does the writer ▪ What is the function (e.g., to illustrate, to clarify, to
present their thesis, and why might they have set a mood, to provide an example, to associate, to
chosen this particular placement? amplify or qualify a point) of particular evidence in the
writer’s argument, and how do they convey that function?
▪ How does the writer’s choice of evidence
reflect the rhetorical situation and advance their ▪ How does the writer’s commentary establish a logical
purposes? relationship between evidence and the claim it supports?
▪ How does the writer anticipate and ▪ How do you consider your perspective on the subject and
address the audience’s values, beliefs, needs, narrow ideas to establish a position on the subject and
and background, particularly as they relate to compose a thesis?
the subject of the argument?
▪ What do you know or assume about your audience’s
▪ How does the writer tailor the evidence, values, beliefs, needs, and background, particularly as
organization, and language of their argument in they relate to the subject of your argument?
consideration of both the context of the
rhetorical situation and the intended audience’s
perspectives on the subject and the audience’s
needs?

Unit Three: Connecting an Argument Big Ideas: RHS

CLE
REO
STL
Strategies/Activities:

o“Browsing” vs “Searching” mentality

oIntroduce Burkean Parlor metaphor
o“They Say; I Say” templates for composing an article recommendation & response
oWho’s at the table? Who should be? (expanding perspectives and voices relevant to the issue –
particularly those underrepresented or discounted)
Key ▪ Where in the argument does the writer ▪ How does the writer’s commentary establish a logical relationship
Questions: present their thesis, and why might they have between evidence and the claim it supports?
chosen this particular placement?
▪ How and why does the writer consider, explain, and integrate
▪ How does the writer’s choice of
 evidence reflect the rhetorical situation and others’ arguments into their own argument?
advance their purposes?
▪ How does the writer acknowledge others’ intellectual property in
▪ How does the writer anticipate and their argument?
address the audience’s values, beliefs, needs,
▪ How does a writer’s consideration of a source’s credibility or
and background, particularly as they relate to
the subject of the argument? reliability and the use of that source in the writer’s argument affect
both the writer’s credibility and their argument’s persuasiveness?
▪ How does the writer tailor the evidence,
▪ How does the writer strategically choose words based on not only
organization, and language of their argument in
consideration of both the context of the their denotations and connotations but also their potential effect in
rhetorical situation and the intended audience’s the rhetorical situation?
perspectives on the subject and the audience’s ▪ How does the writer arrange sentences in a text to emphasize
needs? ideas?
▪ What is the function (e.g., to illustrate, to
clarify, to set a mood, to provide an example,
to associate, to amplify or qualify a point) of
particular evidence in the writer’s argument,
and how do they convey that function?

Unit Four: Structuring and Organizing Arguments Big Ideas: RHS

CLE
REO
Strategies/Activities:

o Identify intended Audience(s) from writer’s choices (Marketing: Audience Segmentation)

o Identify Appeals (Logos, Pathos, Ethos)
o LENS for Claim, Evidence then explain relationship between (Why use *this* example for *this* audience?)
o American Identity Beliefs & Values
o Claims of Fact, Value, & Policy
o 3 I’s (Individuals/Industries/Ideologies) in Perspective and Audience(s)
o Harris Moves (Rewriting: How to do Things with Texts, Joseph Harris)
o Introduce Lines of Reasoning, focus on Toulmin structure (Claim; Data; Warrant)
o Construct a Non-textual “essay” for one of the issues from our readings:
o 4-6 texts (charts, maps, images)
o Compose a Claim/Thesis, but all evidence for your argument represented in informative & interpretive
visual texts
o Using SOAPSTone for Essay Introductions
o Conclusions: from lunch table to whole cafeteria (Connect to Big Picture)

Key Questions: ▪ How do you respond to an ongoing ▪ How might you sequence the paragraphs of your
conversation about a subject? argument to enhance your line of reasoning?
▪How do you consider your perspective on the ▪ To what degree does your claim support,
subject and narrow ideas to establish a position complement, or contrast with others’ claims on this subject?
on the subject and compose a thesis?
▪ How might conceding, rebutting, and/ or refuting
▪What do you know or assume about your alternative perspectives on a subject affect your credibility?
audience’s values, beliefs, needs, and
▪ How does your commentary establish a logical
background, particularly as they relate to the
subject of your argument? relationship between evidence and the claim it supports?

▪ How might your consideration of a ▪ How might you acknowledge others’ intellectual

source’s credibility or reliability and the use of property in your argument?

that source in your argument affect both your ▪ How might you contextualize your claim by
credibility and your argument’s persuasiveness? establishing boundaries or limitations?
▪How do you choose words that increase your ▪ How might you select modifiers— specific words,
credibility with a particular audience? phrases, or clauses— to qualify your claim?
▪How do you address the subject’s complexities
in your reasoning and avoid oversimplifications
and generalizations?

Unit Five: Structuring and Supporting Coherent Arguments Big Ideas: RHS
Composing an Editorial for a Real Audience CLE
REO
STL
Strategies/Activities:

o Anatomy of an Editorial (deconstruct)

o 2 different approaches and/or tones
o Titles as Claim (Thesis)
o Call to Action: Make it “Do-able”
o Style as a Writer’s Tool:
o Avoid “to be” verbs
 o Effective use of dash
o Relationships: Independent and Dependent Clauses

Key Questions: ▪ How do you respond to an ongoing ▪ How might you select modifiers— specific words,
conversation about a subject? phrases, or clauses— to qualify your claim?
▪How do you consider your perspective on the ▪ To what degree does your claim support,
subject and narrow ideas to establish a position complement, or contrast with others’ claims on this subject?
on the subject and compose a thesis?
▪ How and why might you concede, rebut, and/or
▪What do you know or assume about your refute another’s claim?
audience’s values, beliefs, needs, and
▪ How might you sequence the paragraphs of your
background, particularly as they relate to the
subject of your argument? argument to enhance your line of reasoning?

▪ How might your consideration of a ▪ How does your commentary establish a logical

source’s credibility or reliability and the use of relationship between evidence and the claim it supports?
that source in your argument affect both your ▪ How and why might you consider, explain, and
credibility and your argument’s persuasiveness? integrate others’ arguments into your own argument?
▪How do you choose words that increase your ▪ How might you acknowledge others’ intellectual
credibility with a particular audience? property in your argument?
▪ How might more precise word choices ▪ How might you arrange clauses, phrases, and
reduce potential confusion and affect how the words to emphasize ideas?
audience perceives your perspective?
▪ How might you arrange sentences in a text to
▪How do you address the subject’s complexities
emphasize ideas?
in your reasoning and avoid oversimplifications
and generalizations?
▪ How might you contextualize your claim
by establishing boundaries or limitations?

Mid-Course Assessment *may occur mid-Unit Six

(Teacher-created from Question Bank)
Multiple Choice: Writing:
1 passage Reading Rhetorical Framework of an Editorial
1 passage Writing (approx 20 Write in response to ACT style prompt
Qs)

Unit Six: Synthesizing Perspectives and Refining Arguments Big Ideas: CLE
Argumentation with Reasoning and Support STL
Strategies/Activities:

o “I only know what I see” – assign roles for an engaging topic (i.e. homework, dress codes). Explore
priorities, responsibilities, values, from the assigned perspective. Round table discussions/mini-socratic
seminars
o Claims of Fact, Value, & Policy
o Style as a Writer’s Tool:
o Internal & external transitions
o Using tone words to influence your audience’s reaction
o Revision Activity in Pairs. Take an existing mid-range Argument student sample and revise identified
areas of the essay to improve the effectiveness of the essay.
Key Questions: ▪How do you consider your perspective on the ▪ Considering your line of reasoning, which methods of
subject and narrow ideas to establish a position development might you use to develop your ideas and advance
on the subject and compose a thesis? your purposes?
▪What do you know or assume about your ▪ How might you sequence the paragraphs of your
audience’s values, beliefs, needs, and argument to enhance your line of reasoning?
background, particularly as they relate to the
▪ How does your commentary establish a logical
subject of your argument?
relationship between evidence and the claim it supports?
▪ How do you address the subject’s
▪ How might you arrange sentences in a text to
complexities in your reasoning and avoid
oversimplifications and generalizations? emphasize ideas?

▪ How might you contextualize your claim ▪ Which words might you choose in your argument after

by establishing boundaries or limitations? considering not only the words’ denotations and connotations
but also their potential effect in the rhetorical situation?
▪ How might you select modifiers—
specific words, phrases, or clauses— to qualify
your claim?

Unit Seven: Style as Substance Big Ideas: RHS

Analyze the Relationship Between Writers’ Choices and the Audiences’ CLE
Beliefs & Values. STL
Strategies/Activities:
o Four Questions when encountering a text
o Command and Conquer approach to prompts (Timm Freitas: Garden of English)
o TAME thesis structure
o Revision Activity in Pairs. Take an existing mid-range Analysis student sample and revise identified
areas of the essay to improve the effectiveness of the essay.
o Identify skills assessed by AP Reading Multiple Choice questions
o Annotate Question Stems
o Identify terminology & sophisticated vocabulary
o Annotate passage
Key ▪ Who or what is the writer, audience, ▪ How does the writer anticipate and address the
Questions: message, purpose, and context that comprise audience’s values, beliefs, needs, and background,
this rhetorical situation? particularly as they relate to the subject of the argument?
▪ What provoked or inspired the writer to ▪ What is the function (e.g., to illustrate, to clarify, to set a
develop this text? mood, to provide an example, to associate, to amplify or
qualify a point) of particular evidence in the writer’s
▪ How does the writer’s syntactical and
argument, and how do they convey that function?
word choices in their thesis reflect their
rhetorical situation and the scope of their ▪ How does the writer use transitional elements to introduce
argument? evidence or indicate its relationship to other ideas or
evidence?
▪ How does the writer’s thesis preview
their argument’s line of reasoning? ▪ How does the writer’s commentary establish a logical
relationship between evidence and the claim it supports?
▪ How does the writer consider the
rhetorical situation when crafting their message? ▪ How does a particular body paragraph not only establish
relationships among the claim, evidence, and commentary
▪ What perspectives on the subject might
but also contribute to the reasoning of the writer’s
the audience have due to their shared and/or argument?
individual beliefs, values, needs, and
backgrounds? ▪ How does the writer’s sequencing of paragraphs reveal the
argument’s line of reasoning?
▪ How do the writer’s choices in the text
reflect both the constraints and the available ▪ How does the writer strategically choose words based on
means of persuasion within the context? not only their denotations and connotations but also their
potential effect in the rhetorical situation?
▪ How do the writer’s rhetorical choices in
the introduction and/or conclusion not only ▪ How do the word choice, syntax, and conventions
reflect their purpose and context but also employed by the writer contribute to their writing style?
address the intended audience’s needs and
perspective on the subject?
▪ How does the writer’s choice of
evidence reflect the rhetorical situation and
advance their purposes?

Unit Eight: Using Style Strategically Big Ideas: RHS

Analyze the Relationship Between an Artist/Designer’s Choices and the STL
Message.
Strategies/Activities:
● Basic Principles of Art, Photography, and Design
Key Questions: ▪ Who or what is the artist, audience, ▪ How does the artist anticipate and address the
message, purpose, and context that comprise audience’s values, beliefs, needs, and background,
this rhetorical situation? particularly as they relate to the subject of the argument?
▪ What provoked or inspired the artist to ▪ What is the function (e.g., to illustrate, to clarify, to set a
develop this text? mood, to provide an example, to associate, to amplify or
qualify a point) of particular elements in the text, and how
▪ How does the artist’s choices reflect
do they convey that function?
their rhetorical situation and the scope of their
argument? ▪ How does the artist use transitional elements to
introduce evidence or indicate its relationship to other
▪ How does the artist consider the
ideas or evidence?
rhetorical situation when crafting their message?
▪ How does a particular material, method, element, or
▪ What perspectives on the subject might
device not only establish relationships among the claim,
the audience have due to their shared and/or evidence, and commentary but also contribute to the
individual beliefs, values, needs, and reasoning of the artist’s argument?
backgrounds?
▪ How does the artist’s sequencing and/or layout reveal
▪ How do the artist’s choices in the text
the argument’s line of reasoning?
reflect both the constraints and the available
means of persuasion within the context? ▪ How does the artist strategically choose materials and
methods based on their potential effect in the rhetorical
▪ How does the artist’s choice of materials
situation?
and methods reflect the rhetorical situation and
advance their purposes? ▪ How do the word choice, syntax, and conventions
employed by the artist contribute to their style?
Unit Nine: Where Do I Go From Here? Big Ideas: RHS
Writing Portfolio & Reflection CLE
REO
STL
Strategies/Activities:
Students review their own writing for AP Language & Composition course, but also any writing for
other courses or Audiences.
o Share past student samples of:
o Annotated Table of Contents
o Learning Letter
Key Questions: ▪ What is your relationship with the audience, ▪ What is the function (e.g., to illustrate, to clarify, to set a
and how do you want the audience to perceive mood, to provide an example, to associate, to amplify or
you? qualify a point) of particular evidence in your argument,
and how do you convey that function?
▪ What is the relationship between your
introduction and conclusion and your thesis? ▪ How does your commentary establish a logical
relationship between evidence and the claim it supports?
▪ Will presenting your thesis in the introduction
or conclusion more effectively accomplish your ▪ How might you evaluate your reasoning to avoid flaws
purposes? that might negatively affect an audience’s acceptance of
your argument?
▪ When writing an introduction to an argument,
which rhetorical choices might you make to ▪ To what degree do the quantity and quality of your
orient, engage, and/or focus the audience? evidence provide apt support for your line of reasoning?
▪ How might you revise your thesis statement in ▪ How might you use transitional elements to achieve
light of new evidence? coherence at different levels of your argument: clause,
sentence, paragraph, section, etc.?
▪ How does the writer tailor the evidence,
organization, and language of their argument ▪ How might more precise word choices reduce potential
in consideration of both the context of the confusion and affect how the audience perceives your
rhetorical situation and the intended perspective?
audience’s perspectives on the subject and the
▪ How do the word choices, syntax, and conventions that
audience’s needs?
you employ contribute to your writing style?
▪ What diction and syntax choices should you
▪ How might you arrange clauses, phrases, and words to
make in order to influence not only how your
audience perceives you but also the degree to emphasize ideas?
which they may accept your argument? ▪ How might you use punctuation and text features to
▪ How do you choose words that increase your achieve a purpose and/or create an effect (e.g., clarify,
credibility with a particular audience? organize, emphasize, indicate purpose, supplement
information, contribute to a tone)?
▪ How do you recognize your own biases and
then make word choices in your argument in
consideration of those biases?
▪ How and why might you consider, explain, and
integrate others’ arguments into your own
argument?
▪ Considering your line of reasoning, which
methods of development might you use to
develop your ideas and advance your
purposes?

Unit Ten: How Can I Use This on the Test? Big Ideas: RHS
Apply test strategies to skills from the course. CLE
REO
STL
Strategies/Activities:

o How does understanding Argument help you Analyze? How does understanding Analysis help you
with Argument & Synthesis?

o Use “America and Americans” or students to create both an Argument and Analysis prompt following
the College Board model.
Enduring ▪ RHETORICAL SITUATION (RHS) ▪ REASONING AND ORGANIZATION (REO) Enduring
Understandings: Enduring Understanding: Individuals write within Understanding: Writers guide understanding of a
a particular situation and make strategic writing text’s lines of reasoning and claims through that text’s
choices based on that situation. organization and integration of evidence.
▪ CLAIMS AND EVIDENCE (CLE) ▪ STYLE (STL) Enduring
Enduring Understanding: Writers make claims Understanding: The rhetorical situation informs the
about subjects, rely on evidence that supports strategic stylistic choices that writers make.
the reasoning that justifies the claim, and often
acknowledge or respond to other, possibly
opposing, arguments.
 Unit Eleven: Contributing to the Conversation Big Ideas: RHS
Class Periods: 7 CLE
REO
STL
Strategies/Activities:

oReturn to Rhetorical Triangle for constructing opening & closing statements

oUse 3 I’s to diversify evidence in your presentation
oIdentify your opponents strongest examples/evidence and develop counterarguments
oAnticipate the areas your opponents will isolate in your year for attack. Develop qualifiers/modifiers
to limit their impact.
Key ▪ How does the writer tailor the evidence, ▪ How might you contextualize your claim by establishing
Questions: organization, and language of their argument in boundaries or limitations?
consideration of both the context of the
▪ How might conceding, rebutting, and/ or refuting
rhetorical situation and the intended audience’s
perspectives on the subject and the audience’s alternative perspectives on a subject affect your
needs? credibility?

▪ How does the writer make comparisons (e.g., ▪ How do you address the subject’s complexities in your

similes, metaphors, analogies, or anecdotes) in reasoning and avoid oversimplifications and

order to relate to the audience and advance the generalizations?
writer’s purposes? ▪ How do you organize your ideas when using particular
▪ How does the writer’s word choice reflect their methods of development?
biases and possibly affect their credibility with a ▪ How might you evaluate your reasoning to avoid flaws
particular audience? that might negatively affect an audience’s acceptance of
▪ In your argument, how might you seek to your argument?
persuade or motivate action though appeals— ▪ To what degree do the quantity and quality of your
the modes of persuasion? evidence provide apt support for your line of reasoning?
▪ What diction and syntax choices should you
make in order to influence not only how your
audience perceives you but also the degree to
which they may accept your argument?

Syllabus modified using Llyod Hoshaw’s template and units, along with resources provided by Jeff Blair - 2023