Advanced Placement Language & Composition & American Literature & Composition Dr. Pat Faulkner

Syllabus The syllabus for 2013-14 is posted on my webpage on the Woodland website. This PowerPoint is posted as well. My email address is pfaulkner@henry.k12.ga.us. My cell number is 678-663-7590—it’s on my website. Please email or text me if you have any questions.

Two Courses in One The state of Georgia requires that every student have an American Literature credit on their transcript. Because in Henry County American Literature is taught exclusively in 11th grade, AP Language and American Literature are combined. In this class, we study the American Literature through American novels from several of the different literary movements in American history.

Fiction & Nonfiction In most literature classes, fiction is the basis of the course. In AP Language, nonfiction is the basis of the course. In our study of language, we focus on rhetoric-the art of using language to manipulate people into doing what we want them to do.

AP Exam The AP exam is in May each year. The exam is composed of 54 multiple choice questions based on non-fiction reading passages and three different types of essays: an argumentative position paper, a rhetorical analysis paper, and a synthesis paper incorporating provided outside sources.

Novels In a typical year we read these works: The Scarlet Letter A self-selected memoir The Awakening As I Lay Dying Native Son The Great Gatsby 1984

Vocabulary We use the Sadlier-Oxford SAT/ACT Vocabulary Workshop. Vocabularyworkshop.com 1. Units are two weeks long with 20 words. Students receive the words and definitions on the Monday of the first week. 2. Students write sentences with the words on the novel we are currently reading. Sentences are due on Friday of the first week.

Vocabulary, continued 3. On Monday of the second week students complete a reinforcement activity in preparation for the quiz/test. 4. Students will have a quiz on the second Friday. The units are accumulative up to 80 words. Every even number unit the students will have a quiz and a test on the second Friday.

Homework Most writing assignments are done in class. Students will have one mini-research paper based on one of the assigned novels. Students will have vocabulary sentences to write every two weeks. The majority of the outside of class students will have is the novel reading and assignments based on the novels.

Supplies Regular notebook paper without fringes Dividers Binder Pencils Blue or black pens

Rhetoric Skills Because this course is based on rhetoric, students have to create a new way of thinking about what they are reading—nonfiction. We will take baby-steps in learning these skills. Students may see a drop in their writing scores as they learn to write on a college level using more erudite (scholarly) vocabulary and writing styles. This is painful for many students, but they do survive.