Booker T.

Washington High School Course Syllabus and Outline for AP Language and Composition
Mrs. Waugh
Course Theme for AP Language and Composition with a focus on American Literature and
Argumentation- America Singing: Diverse Voices in American Culture
INSTRUCTOR: Tara Waugh
ROOM NUMBER: 316
EMAIL: waughta@tulsaschools.org or tara.waugh42@gmail.com
WEBSITE: http://www.tarawaugh.weebly.com
TEXTS: Read, Reason, Write by Dorothy Slayer, Rhetorical Devices: A Handbook and Activities for Student Writers, 50
Essays: A Portable Anthology, The Norton Reader, The Language of Composition, Voice Lessons by Nancy Dean
COURSE DESCRIPTION: As stated in the AP English Language and Composition Course Overview, "An AP course in
English Language and Composition 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. Summer reading is an essential part of the preparation for this course. Students will prepare for and be expected
to take the AP English Language and Composition Exam. Students may be granted advanced placement, college credit, or
both as a result of satisfactory performance. COURSE GOALS: 1)Developing critical literacy: "...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."
2) Facilitating informed citizenship:"...[college rhetoric and composition courses] also serve the larger goal of cultivating
the critical literacy skills students need for lifelong learning. Beyond their academic lives, students should be a bale to use
the literary skills practiced in the course for personal satisfaction and responsible engagement in civic life. "
"To support these goals, rhetoric and composition courses emphasize the reading and writing of analytic and
argumentative texts... in combination with texts representing the English-language literary traditions...[The] course
focuses students' attention on the functions of written language in and out of the academy, asking students to practice the
reading as well as the writing of texts designed to inquire, to explain, to criticize, and to persuade in a variety of rhetorical
situations. In this approach to the study and practice of written language, a writer's style is important because of its
rhetorical, rather than its aesthetic, function.
Upon completing this course students should be able to:
analyze and interpret samples of effective writing,
identifying and explaining an
authors use of rhetorical strategies and techniques for
a specific purpose;
apply effective strategies and techniques in their own
writing;
create and sustain arguments based on readings, write
for a variety of purposes;
produce expository, analytical and argumentative
compositions that introduce
a complex central idea and develop it with appropriate
evidence drawn from
primary and/or secondary sources, research, and/or
personal experience with
cogent explanations and clear transitions;

demonstrate understanding and mastery of standard

written English as well
as stylistic maturity in their own writings;
demonstrate understanding of the conventions of citing
primary and
secondary sources;
move effectively through the stages of the writing
process, with careful
attention to inquiry and research, drafting, revising,
editing and review;
write thoughtfully about their own process of
composition;
revise a work to make it suitable for a different
audience; and
analyze images and video as rhetorical text.

METHODS Class discussion, journal writing, Socratic Method, cooperative learning, reading and annotating, in-class writing
exercises, lecture and note-taking, essay writing, peer editing, one-on-one consultation, revising, essay first drafts, revised essays, final
exam, direct instruction, oral and silent reading, composition modeling, audio-visual, and research.
WEBSITE: My website contains syllabi, handouts, and special notes. Here, you can view links that I thought might be helpful or
interesting. I will also post links or websites that I recommend to students. Visit this site often. It is created for you and is to be used
as aid in learning and understanding in my classroom. I will also be utilizing Remind. If you sign up to receive texts from this site,
then if I post that an assignment is due then you will receive that post as a text message.

ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES
All assignments must be treated as FINAL DRAFTS. If you do not meet all of the following standards, you will not earn a grade for
that particular assignment.
Head your paper using MLA format
Write in complete sentences.
Answer all questions and/or all parts of questions.
Use clean, undamaged paper.
Write legibly. If I cannot read it, I cannot grade it and will give you a zero.
It is expected that you will remember that you have homework assignments to submit, and your assignments must be ready for turn in
before the bell rings, complete, stapled, and with all curly edges removed. Please note that I will not wait for you to write your heading
on the paper, staple papers together, finish your work, or cut off curly edges from a spiral notebook during class time, as this should be
completed on your own time. All of this must be done before the bell rings, and you must be in your seat and ready to learn once the
bell rings. The only exception to this is excused tardiness (with a pass) or absence.
Expect homework nightly. Homework must be written in blue or black ink, or typed. All assignments handed in must have a proper
heading. Failure to use a proper heading will result in a point deduction for the assignment.The following is what your heading must
look like (on the top left side of your page, starting on the top line of your paper):
Your name
Mrs. Waugh
AP Lang class period
Date
(centered) Label the Assignment
ASSESSMENTS Multiple choice quizzes; short answer and essay exams; narrative, analytical, expository, & persuasive essays;
creative writing; oral presentations; visual presentations (including the use of Power Point, Prezi, Glog, Photostory). Some
assignments will be submitted to Turnitin.com.
GRADING - Daily assignments, exams, and quizzes will be graded on a point system. Major writing assignments will be assessed
using a scale adapted from the Advanced Placement and the BTW English Department Rubric, The grade on this scale will be
converted into a point-system grade. Grades are based on a points-possible system and letter grades are based on the schools grading
scale. A participation grade will be given most weeks. Students will receive participation points for being prompt, respectful, prepared,
and attentive.
A= 100-90, B= 89-90, C= 79-70, D= 69-60, F= 59 & below
ABSENCE AND TARDY POLICYIt is the students responsibility to find out what he or she missed due to absence. In addition, it
is the students responsibility to schedule arrangements for make-up tests. Tests or quizzes can be made up before or after school only.
Note that this is an honors class, and as such, I will not chase you down to remind you to make up a quiz. Assignments due on the day
you were absent will be expected the day you return. You will have one day for each day of absence to make up any work. After this
time window is up, your assignments INCLUDING MISSED TESTS OR QUIZZES will become zeroes and will no longer be
accepted. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to check the homework board in the classroom and talk to a classmate to find out
what you missed in class. Please do not come ask me what you missed once class has started. This should be taken care of during the
time between classes or before or after school.

Major projects and papers will be assigned well in advance of a due date. If a major project or paper is not turned in on or before a due
date, regardless of your attendance in the class, the assignment will NOT BE ACCEPTED. Consideration may be given for
extenuating circumstances. (Extenuating circumstances do not include running out of printer ink, suddenly discovering a faulty printer,
having computer disc issues, the Internet going down at your home, staying up until two in the morning only to have your computer
crash, etc.). You, the student, are responsible for timely submission of your work. Emailed assignments will be accepted, but they must
be submitted on or before the due date and time. An assignment submitted via e-mail will not be accepted after the start of the class
period on the date that it is due. E-mail failure does not equate an extension on an assignment. Allow yourself plenty of time to be sure
that the assignment was properly sent. Remember, printers break, computers malfunction, and dogs eat papers only the night before
major assignments are due. Begin and finish your work before the due date and you will have no problems with machines, utilities, or
animals. Please do not ask for exceptions. My rules are applied fairly to everyone; if you have problems, see me before papers are
due.
Unexcused tardies are not allowed. Tardy students who do not have a pass from the office or another teacher will not be allowed to
make up quizzes, bell work, or any other activities that are missed due to tardiness. In addition, homework will not be accepted from
you if you are tardy without a pass. Homework is due at the beginning of the hour, and if you are not there and you do not enter the
room with a pass, it will be considered late. If you are more than fifteen minutes late without a pass, you will be written up for truancy.
LATE WORK: If your absence is unexcused, late work will not be accepted for any reason (this includes all quizzes, tests, projects
and papers). No late work will be accepted unless it is an EXCUSED absence.
.****Due to printing restrictions, I am unable to print assignments for you. Typed assignments must be printed before class begins;
otherwise, you will receive a zero.
MAKE-UP WORK:

Check white board, make-up work folder or website for handouts and assignments missed.

You will need to get class notes, journal topic, etc. from a friend

Some assignments may not be made up if they have been discussed in class or returned to students.

Points lost for peer group revisions can only be made up in a writing conference with me OUTSIDE of the class period.
****If for some unfortunate reason you receive, ISI, it is your responsibility to get your assignments and turn them in on time.
EXTRA CREDIT: Extra credit assignments may be given. Do NOT ask for extra credit at the end of a grading period.
CLASS RULES AND VALUES:
1.
Be in your assigned seat when the bell rings.
2.
Be prepared for class. Bring notebook, textbook, and writing implement every day.
3.
Restroom, Office and Hall Passes: Take care of personal business before class. Please do not interrupt me or other students to
ask to leave or go to the bathroom.
4.
No food or beverages are allowed in the classroom except for water in a clear container. All inappropriate food/ beverage
items will be thrown away.
5.
Try your best at all times.
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

Respect: Out of courtesy to me and your classmates, please do not talk while another is addressing the class. Treat others as
you would like to be treated.

Pay attention to me, to your peers, to deadlines, to the text, and to other teachers.

Keep up with daily assignments and reading.

Have homework completed and ready to turn in on the due date at the beginning of the hour. Papers without names will be
considered late work. Consistently being unprepared for class will result in disciplinary action.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: In this class, academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating on quizzes or exams (this
includes talking during one of these), submitting essays that you did not write or that are the same in content as another students,
copying the exact words of a source without using quotation marks, copying a sources sentence structure, using a sources ideas
without documentation, or assisting others in these actions. The plagiarism policy of Booker T. Washington High School will be
strictly enforced. Any work that has been plagiarized will result in a zero, and both administration and parents will be notified.
CELL PHONE POLICY: The Deans cell phone policy will b e strictly enforced.
DISCIPLINE: Rules are posted in the room. Please follow them. Violations of classroom rules will be handled as follows:
verbal warning, written warning, staying after class, phone call /email to parent or guardian, a meeting with counselors and/or parent,
office referral. These are the consequences when you break a rule. One of these will happen, but there is no predetermined order.
Either you or I will pick the most appropriate one, based on what will help you the most. I will do my best to be fair to each and every
one of you, which means that students might get different consequences if I think they need different things to not make the same

mistake. If you ever think that there is a better consequence for you than the one I chose, let me know what you think it is, and I will
be happy to listen, but please do not complain about what happens to someone else.
SUPPLIES: ( Please purchase by Monday, August 29, 2016)
Box of tissues
Three-ring binder (1 inch) with dividers (No spirals!)
7 dividers labeled Voice Lessons, Vocabulary, Grammar/ Writing, Notes, Outside Reading, Timed Writing, AP Test stuff
Continuous supply of college-ruled notebook paper (No spiral paper!)
Pens (with blue or black ink only)
A flash drive (aka a jump drive or a thumb drive) This is the best way for a student to keep his or her typed assignments for all
classes. / Access to google drive
Highlighters (various colors)
Pencils (for scantrons)
Sticky notes - an endless supply
Soon-to-be-Brilliant Department Handbook - print the first 8 pages from this link:http://btw.tulsaschools.org/Portals/Tulsa/BTW/
docs/Department%20handbook.pdf
TEXT CLAUSE: We will examine a variety of literature (written, oral, and cinematic). If any reading material or film covered in
class is a conflict of interest for any student or parent, an alternative will be provided. Please send written notification (email or
handwritten) one week before the text or film is read or viewed in class. Please read my course outline and visit my website often to
see if any assignment is a conflict of interest.
COMMUNICATION: It is important to have constantly open lines of communication between the teacher, parents, and students. The
best way to contact me is by email- I will usually answer the same day. Also, for general class information you can visit my website or
remind. Additionally, if a student has a D grade for an extended period of time in my class they can expect a phone call or email to
parents. I welcome parent contact and questions, and look forward to hearing from many of you.
HOW TO DO WELL IN THIS CLASS: Students will always ask Whats the easiest way to pass your class? There is a simple
answer to this question: Show up to class every day on time and do the assigned work carefully and consistently. Students who do this
in mine or any other class find it virtually impossible to fail, and in fact usually do quite well. The secret to being a good student (or,
really, being good at anything) is no secret: show up and try. Its that simple.
FINAL WORDS: I look forward to a great year where minds are expanded, horizons are broadened and we all become more
knowledgeable world citizens. Our world is truly a remarkable place inhabited by extraordinary people. Enjoy being transported to
different times and places and celebrate the differences among the many voices that construct American culture, while at the same
time recognizing our common bonds. The only prerequisite for this course is to come to class with an open mind and a willingness to
learn!
Words and ideas taken from AP College Board, Brook Bullock, Brenda Casper, Eileen Erickson, Dr. Malone and Dr. Mercer, Discipline with Dignity, Bea Hoxie and
MYP other sources.

COURSE OUTLINE:
Freakonomics (summer reading) and Argumentation -- Inquiry questions: How can I determine figurative, connotative, and technical meanings of
words using inferences and context in an informational text? How can I analyze the effectiveness and structure an author uses in an argument? How
can I determine an authors purpose in a text with effective rhetoric? How do I analyze the rhetoric, style, and aesthetics of an argument?
essay test / project
Monty Pythons Argument Clinic
Essays by Orwell, Jefferson, King, Dillard
Argumentation: Rhetorical Triangle, Appeals to Ethos, Pathos, and Logos, Toulmin, Rogerian, Classical Western
syntactical analysis: specifically looking at Muhammad Ali, Charles Dickens, E.B. White, Kate Chopin, Frederick Douglass
They Say, I Say
Review AP terms, grammar, and what makes good writing (question, organization, evidence, commentary, grammar, voice/style)
DIDLS, SOAPSTone, TPCASTT, PLEAD
First glimpse of the AP test
Religion, Rhetoric, and Revolution - Inquiry questions: How does conflict lead to change? What problem-solving strategies can individuals use

to manage conflict and change? How are people transformed through their relationships with others? To what extent does power or the lack of power
affect individuals? How are prejudice and bias created and overcome? How can literature (and other art forms such as film
and TV) serve as a vehicle for social change? When and how should an individual take a stand? What writing techniques did the political writers of
this time use to persuade people? How was propaganda used by both sides to sway people beliefs?
Half-Hanged Mary by Margaret Atwood
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
McCarthyism and logical fallacies
Revolutionary Period Writers : Edwards, Paine, Henry, Jefferson, Adams, Chief Red Jacket, Crvecur, etc.
Annotating the prompts, Dear John, and Mad Libs
Revising 2s and 3s AP Rhetorical essay question
The Great Gatsby and Disillusionment of Social Status-- Inquiry questions: To what extent does Gatsbys wealth, and all the luxuries that it
provides, affect his ability to achieve what he desires? How do other characters attitudes toward wealth affect what happens throughout the
narrative? Can class status be changed? How does the historical context of when a text was written, or the historical setting of the narrative, affect
current readers interpretations? To what extent is Fitzgeralds message sustained or lost to present-day audiences? How do Fitzgeralds descriptions
of geography and setting influence our understanding of character motivations and conflicts?To what extent are characters and Americans
disillusioned, or unsatisfied with their lives (e.g., their relationships, employment, social status, wealth, families, personal histories, etc.)?
Confronting Inequality by Paul Krugman
Money Always Talks by Daphne Merkin
Poems by Dorthy Parker, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, T.S Eliot, Allen Ginsberg
literary lenses, imitation writing
Socratic Seminar - graded discussion
Politics, Propaganda , and Visual Rhetoric Inquiry questions: What is the nature of the relationship between the citizen and the state?
The Morals of the Prince by Machiavelli
Every Dictators Nightmare by Soyinka
The Tyranny of the Majority by Guinier
speeches by JFK, Lincoln, King, Queen Elizabeth
Political cartoons and ads: 1964 Daisy Girl, 1984 Reagan vs. Mondale, 2004 Bush vs. Kerry
Apple commercials, Adjusters
Create your own political campaign
Satire, Existentialism, and How to Question EVERYTHING Inquiry questions: How does a sane man live in an insane society?
Various political cartoons
A Modest Proposal
clips from The Colbert Report and Jon Stewart
Catch -22 by Heller OR Invisible Man by Ellison
Writings by Brent Staples, Zora Neal Hurston, Sarte
Write your own satire
American Adolescence: Psychology and the Bildungsroman:Inquiry questions: How do young people develop values, beliefs and a personal moral
code? How do values and beliefs change over time? What roles do fate (including class, historical period, racial group, country of origin, genetic
predispositions, etc.), and free will play? What common patterns (e.g. symbolic, structural, and stylistic) exist among all coming-of-age stories?
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin
The Bell Jar by Plath OR The Catcher in the Rye by Salinger
Poems and writings by Sexton, Giovanni, Cisneros, Barry, Kingston, Truth, Walker, Staples, White, Sedaris, Theroux, Ehrlich
Song of Myself: Identity, Conformity, and Society -- -How has the concept of civil disobedience influenced America?
What is the role of the individual in society? What is good for the community? What are implications for individuals?Why do people conform? Why
do others choose not to conform? What happens as a result of these choices?
essays by Joan Didion, William F. Buckley,
Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac
Kings Letter from a Birmingham Jail
Transcendentalism: Emerson and Thoreau
Whitman, Dickinson, Brooks
Every Day Use by Alice Walker
One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey
This Land is Your Land: The American Identity Inquiry questions: Is a person's identity limited by birth and experience? Can a individuals
escape the past? How and why is the search for self and essential pattern in literature and why is this search so critical to the African American
experience? What elements of society act against an individuals search for and understanding of self? How is American identity created?
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison OR Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
Harlem Renaissance poems (McKay, Hughes, etc)
Writings by Equano, Douglass, Hurston, Baldwin, King, Malcolm X, Tan, Moody, Morrison, Angelou, etc
Community Brain: Sources Role Playing and putting the sources in conversation
Synthesis Essay and Abstract Concepts Research paper: MLA, evaluating sources, Works Cited, etc.

The American Dream and Nightmares - inquiry questions: What is the American dream? To what extent is it achievable by all? What values
does it reflect?
Paradox and Dreams John Steinbeck
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck or In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Academic Resumes
Gothic short stories by Bradbury, Faulkner, Irving, Poem James, Bierce
Modern Voices, Community, and Pop Culture: Inquiry questions: To what extent does pop culture reflect our societys values? What is the
relationship of the individual to the community?
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury OR Cats Cradle OR Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
High School Confidential: Notes on Teen Movies by David Denby, Whats eating America? by Pollan, Kid Kustomers by Schlosser
Writings by Vonnegut, Walker, Kingston, Kingsolver, O'Brien, Frazier, Ehrenreich, Schlosser, etc
SuperSize Me, American Fat
Text and Act by Taruskin, Society is Dead by Andrew Sullivan
The Big AP Exam Mysteries Unlocked and Essays Decoded
Writing Wednesdays
Multiple Choice Mondays
AP Terms
Group essay analysis
On-going
Sentence Composing for High School Grammar focusing on clauses and phrases
Writing rhetorical analyses, arguments, and synthesis essays will be a constant throughout this course
SAT Vocabulary, Greek/Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes and AP literary terms with examples
Voice Lessons focusing on diction, details, imagery, syntax, tone
Textbooks used: Read, Reason, and Write, 50 Essays, The Norton Reader, Rhetorical Devices, The Language of Composition
Writing Process including context/quote/analysis and peer editing
Debate days / Current Events
Advanced Placement in-class writing practice and practice tests
Annotations / Close reading skills
They Say, I Say exercises, Daily Grammar Practice, Rhetorical Grammar, Image Grammar
Movies shown throughout the year to supplement certain lessons: SuperSize Me, Dead Poets Society, Of Mice and Men, In Cold Blood, High Cost for a Low Price,
Waiting for Superman, The Great Gatsby, The Crucible, and various clips from historical documentaries and Disney films
***Ideas, wording, and phrasing borrowed from Brenda Casper, Brook Bullock, and various other wonderful teachers so kind to post their lessons online.

AP Language and Composition Syllabus Signature Page

Please sign this page and return this to me Block Day, August 31, 2016 noting that the parent/ guardian and student have read
and understood the syllabus (condensed and extended), course outline, plagiarism and classroom policies. Worth 10 points.
I have read and understand Mrs. Waugh classroom rules and expectations for AP Language and Composition. I also
understand that failure to comply with them will limit my success in AP Language.
Student Name(PRINT) ___________________________________________________________________________
Student Signature ______________________________________________________________________________
NOTE TO PARENTS
Parents, as this is a highly challenging course, I want to clearly present to you the reality of the content, grading, and work
ethic expectations. Please review this information and sign below.
I understand that my child will be encountering an array of challenges this semester. With the rigorous content of this course,
I am aware that my childs grade will most likely remain in the lower range for the first quarter of this class, as most AP
English Language grades gradually rise as students grow increasingly skilled with course concepts and assessments. I also
understand that the AP Language and Composition course is a unique and fruitful opportunity for my child to be challenged
with remarkably high standards and expectations; such circumstances will ultimately serve to help my child become an
independent learner. I acknowledge that myself or my child may, at some point, disagree with the instructor's grading
practices and / or classroom policies; however, I am aware that Mrs. Waugh is adhering to the national College Board
assessment standards and mandates. Lastly, if I have any concerns, I will contact Mrs. Waugh to set up an appointment or
discuss questions in person, via a phone, or using email interactions.
Most importantly, feel free to contact me anytime if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions. I believe it is important
for parents and teachers to work together to ensure the best education possible for each student. In order to communicate, I
would love to have your contact information. An email address is greatly appreciated. I look forward to a wonderful year.
To be completed by parent/guardian: PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY
Parent/Guardian Name(s) _________________________
Relationship to Student _________________________

Parent/Guardian Name ______________________

Relationship to Student ________________________

Home/cell Phone number(s) __________________________ Home/Cell Phone Number(s) _______________________

Work Phone Number(s) __________________________

Work Phone Number(s) ____________________________

E-mail address __________________________

E-mail Address ____________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature ___________________________________________________________________

Please Circle:
We have a computer at home with Microsoft Word (
We have a printer at home (

yes

no

yes

no

We have internet access at home ( yes

/
no )
Please provide any additional, important information concerning your child (allergies, recent life
changes, transition period, etc.).