When I had my younger son a year ago, I was in the tough position of asking a long-term substitute to lay the foundation for my students’ entire year of learning. My maternity leave stretched…
Welcome Back to Teaching Tuesday! Today is the third edition of “What I Teach,” and I’m sharing my full course outline for 11th Grade: AP Language and Composition/American Literature. If you missed them, check out “What I Teach: Ninth Grade English” + background info on my courses in general here AND “What I Teach: Tenth...Read More »
This fall, I’ve received many messages from new AP Language and Composition teachers who are trying to find their feet. After some reflection, I decided to offer a few of the ideas and proces…
This is the second half of a two-part series about teaching AP Language and Composition. You can check out the first part here. Good feedback is everything. I still struggle with this, as feedback …
Welcome Back to Teaching Tuesday! Today is the third edition of “What I Teach,” and I’m sharing my full course outline for 11th Grade: AP Language and Composition/American Literature. If you missed them, check out “What I Teach: Ninth Grade English” + background info on my courses in general here AND “What I Teach: Tenth...Read More »
How in the world do we start? There are so many ways to design an AP English Language course, that it’s hard to decide what to do the first week. For some schools, schedules are pretty fluid the first ten days or so, so you may be constantly dropping and gaining students. For others, students […]
Agree or disagree with this cartoon and explain why the artist is making an allusion to The Great Gatsby? What does this say about the importance of the book?
Just in case you’re new to this whole AP Lang thing: April is NOT the time to squeeze in that last bit of new content or that skill you just never addressed. It’s over. Those ships have sailed. While half the class is out taking other AP exams, the rest of you can get in […]
These student reference sheets for synthesis, rhetorical analysis, and argumentation are an easy-to-use tool that AP Language and Composition students will turn to again and again. Perfect for introducing the course, teaching each essay, or end-of-the-year review, these “cheat sheets” are available in an attractive, print-and-go format. Each quick reference sheet includes information about the AP Language and Composition exam, tips for unpacking the tasks involved in each essay, and suggestions for reading/writing. Definitions, close reading, thesis statements, organizational patterns, common pitfalls—it’s all captured in six total pages (two pages per essay so that you can copy them front-to-back). This product is also available in the AP Language and Composition Bundle. Save over 20%--buy now and get all the updates at no additional cost! Related Resources: AP Lang & Comp Introductory Unit: What Does it Mean to Be An AP Student? AP Lang & Comp Unit: History of English Rhetorical Analysis Bundle: Organizers, Activities, and Assessments A friendly note: This work is protected by copyright. You may use my products in your classroom, but you may not distribute them (this includes posting them online for public access). The copyright information on each page must remain intact. If you are interested in sharing with your colleagues, please send them the link to my store! Multiple license discounts are available. Let’s connect! My blog: The Rhetor’s Toolbox Pinterest: The Rhetor’s Toolbox on Pinterest
How in the world do we start? There are so many ways to design an AP English Language course, that it’s hard to decide what to do the first week. For some schools, schedules are pretty fluid the first ten days or so, so you may be constantly dropping and gaining students. For others, students […]
When AP English Language & Composition was introduced in 1980(ish), AP Lit teachers were skeptical. A whole course based on non-fiction? Cake walk. They soon learned the opposite; in so many ways, the course was more challenging than one rooted in fiction. Times changed. When Lang was designed, the vast majority of American high schools […]
This zipped resource includes a powerpoint presentation, student materials and answer key to ready your students for the AP English Language and Composition exam. Perfect for distance learning! This resource includes the following: - Powerpoint - AP Vocabulary Term Review - AP Rhetoric Practices Do Now & KEY - AP Sample Passage & MC Questions & KEY - AP Question Stems - AP Syntax Overview This product references information on the AP English Language & Composition Exam and on APSTUDYNOTES.ORG. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE AP EXAM, COLLEGE BOARD, OR ANY OTHER GROUPS; THIS PRODUCT IS EXCLUSIVELY FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES. NEED MORE NO PREP RESOURCES? ELA Print and Go Lesson Plans ELA Task Cards Novel Studies Culturally Relevant ELA Lessons Emotional Intelligence SEL Curriculum Social Justice & Global Citizenship Curriculum Poetry Lessons & Units Writing & Grammar Units Holiday Print and Go Lesson Plans Social Studies Lessons & Units ELA Rubrics and Assessments Differentiation & SpEd Professional Development *** VISIT MY WEBSITE FOR TEACHING RESOURCES & TIPS SUBSCRIBE FOR WEEKLY INSPIRATION
How in the world do we start? There are so many ways to design an AP English Language course, that it’s hard to decide what to do the first week. For some schools, schedules are pretty fluid the first ten days or so, so you may be constantly dropping and gaining students. For others, students […]
Engaging, informative, provocative–TED talks are the perfect tool for the English language arts classroom. In my AP Lang & Comp class, they are a refreshing source of high-quality rhetori…
Looking for techniques to teach visual literacy? Read on to learn about the OPTIC strategy for rhetorical analysis of visual texts and images.
Perfect for printing and posting in the classroom, this set of AP Language and Composition curricular requirements (standards) is accompanied by a standards checklist for teacher use and "I Can" statement bookmarks for students. I keep mine posted next to daily learning objectives to help students (and administrators) see connections between objectives and standards. Contents: Overview Terms of Use & Credits AP Language and Composition Curricular Requirements Checklist AP Language and Composition “I CAN” Statements (Bookmarks) 8.5”x11” Curricular Requirements Posters (one per requirement) A friendly note: This work is protected by copyright. You may use my products in your classroom, but you may not distribute them (this includes posting them online for public access). The copyright information on each page must remain intact. If you are interested in sharing with your colleagues, please send them the link to my store! Multiple license discounts are available. Let’s connect! My blog: The Rhetor’s Toolbox Pinterest: The Rhetor’s Toolbox on Pinterest
If you’re in AP Lang exam review mode, you probably plan to spend the least amount of time dealing specifically with Question 1. Why do I think that? But it needs a little love, and students still need a refresher going into the exam. Review Tip #1: Practice dealing with images. It is likely that […]
Whether you’re looking to explore more of what TeachArgument has to offer, or you’d simply like to receive awesome lesson plans in your email all year long, you’ve come to the right place. Simply enter your information below to begin receiving our highly engaging, rigorous, and awesome pop culture lesson plans in your email immediately! You can expect ELA lesson plans that: Are aligned to the newest and most rigorous standards! Lend themselves to the upper echelon of the newest teacher-evaluation models! Bolster the skills demanded by next-generation tests! Will save you hours and hours of planning time! Are so engaging, your students will be thanking you!
I’ve been starting to play around a little bit with my curriculum/ course-framework for next year and thought some of you might enjoy seeing how I organize my year. I’ll be sharing ninth grade English today, and – hopefully – tenth & eleventh grade/ AP Language and Composition in the future. First, though, here are...Read More »
We’re sliding into testing season (except it’s that long, slow, shallow kind of slide with spikes, barbs, and razor blades along the way). You dread it. They dread it. Even your #2 pencils dread it; they were made for writing, after all, not bubbling. Students need exposure to the types of questions they’ll face, but […]
These 25 Short AP Lit Books are perfect for encouraging non-readers and readers alike. Use them when you are short on time or desire depth.
Are you a teacher looking for ways to prepare your middle and high school students for advanced reading and writing? Look no further. This post will give you the top four skills all ELA students should learn. Inspired by AP English Literature and Composition skills and objectives, you'll learn strategies, tips, lesson ideas, and more for effective and efficient English language arts instruction.
New to AP English Language? Trying to figure out how to teach it? There's more than one right way to go about teaching this course.
I recently started teaching rhetorical analysis to my sophomores. This unit precedes our research paper, and so one of the goals of my rhetorical analysis
The AP English Language exam focuses on reading, analysis, and writing about imaginative literature such as fiction, poetry, and drama from various periods.
Learn how one of Marco's expert teachers is able to grade efficiently and effectively in order to provide her students with top-notch feedback on their AP® U.S. English Language work!
AP Language and Composition shouldn’t be the only place where students learn certain skills. In fact, these skills are so important, they should really be spiraled down into all of the grade levels leading up to Lang. Here are my top four recommendations to consider in your vertical articulation
This unit bundle provides a sets of handouts/anchor charts, lessons, & assessments for teaching Rhetorical Situation (aligned to AP Language & Composition CED Unit 1). Includes: Rhetorical Situation Anchor Charts (Speaker, Context, Audience, Message, Purpose, Exigence, Rhetorical Choices) Rhetorical Situation 15-Day Unit Lesson Plans (pre-assessment prompt, 1-day lessons for each rhetorical situation element, formative assessment, summative assessment, peer review activity, editable & self-grading) Parts of a Rhetorical Analysis Essay Handouts (Introduction Strategy, Thesis Statements Structures, Body Paragraph Organization Methods, Process for Explaining Evidence, & Conclusion Strategies) Rhetorical Situation Visual Text Quiz - Self-Grading (visual text, 5 multiple choice questions w/4 answers choices each, editable & self-grading) Good for classes like AP Language & Composition, AP Seminar, or nonfiction reading units in English courses (& maybe history courses). This collection of documents is intended to aid teachers who teach the AP Lang & Composition course & is not endorsed by the College Board. AP Language & Composition is a course designed to meet College Composition courses. Refer to College Board website for more details about the course & exam. Visit my blog for more information on how I use my TpT products in my classroom!
Browse 70 rhetorical analysis essay topics in this MEGA-list of texts for writing a rhetorical analysis essay using ethos, pathos, and logos.
Doug Savage's Savage Chickens "comics" are a single-frame comic drawn on a sticky note that illustrates the life of chickens whose experiences reveal the "savage" truths of the human existence. Teaching satire in secondary ELA is a high-interest and humorous way to engage studen
WHAT IS IT? ★ An anchor chart that can be blown up and posted in your room ★ A one-page quick reference for students to use all year when analyzing authors craft and rhetorical devices. WHAT’…
This blog post answers the question what is SPACECAT to help AP Lang students learn to write a rhetorical analysis essay.
An excellent game for preparing students for the AP Literature and Composition exam by reviewing the terms they need to know when writing about literature. Just print out, cut out strips, and hand them to all your students. To play the game, you print out the file and cut along the dotted lines to c...
