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 Grade English” here.
Eleventh grade is different from ninth and tenth grade because it is heavily guided by the College Board/ AP Curriculum and intended to prepare students for the AP Language and Composition Exam in May. (A passing grade on the three-hour exam can earn students a semester’s worth of English credit in college.) Since most students come in to 11th grade with little to no experience with rhetoric (the primary focus of the Language and Composition course), we have to work very hard and squeeze A LOT in. I am lucky enough to have the same group for 9th, 10th, and 11th grade, so I’m trying to change this, but I still think we have to work twice as hard junior year.
In addition, due to the county curriculum and the AP Literature course offered in 12th grade, I still feel an obligation to introduce students to some major works of American Lit in eleventh grade too. However, because of time constraints, they do about 95% of their literature study outside of class. I usually provide optional study guides to help students as they read and then assess their comprehension in no more than two or three class periods through a socratic seminar and in-class essay. It is a big change for most students, but it works well. In fact, most of them tell me at the end of the year that they really prefer this technique.
This will be only my third year teaching this course, and – honestly – it is still a work in progress for me (it always is, really). Here’s my tentative plan for AP English 11 2014 – 2015 (heavily influenced by this teacher’s website):
Any other AP Language and Composition teachers out there?!? I’d love to hear how you structure your class! This is still relatively new to me and I’m tweaking every year…
E
Not Lang, but Lit. However, I want to incorporate more Lang into my Honors English 11 Class, so I am very interested. I would love to hear more.
I teach 11th grade but not english, science! I took AP Lang my junior year though, and Lit my senior year. Loved them both! Those AP tests can be killer though.
I have taught AP Language and Comp for seven years and it has become my favorite course, although at first I felt completely overwhelmed. It was so very different from any literature-focused course I had ever taught–or taken!–and it was a bit like learning a foreign language the first few years. I start with the basics of argument and rhetoric, learning the new terms and at the same time introduce them to close-reading for style (anaphora, etc) rather than literary elements. I organize my year using eight major rhetorical modes: after argument we do narration, then definition, description, exemplification, compare/contrast, cause & effect, process analysis, what am I missing? Oh, close reading or text analysis. Each one takes about 2-3 weeks. We read essays organized along that mode, then we write an essay in that mode. By March/April they are learning to combine modes in one essay and to choose which is effective for which writing purposes. We do plenty of practice for the exam, and read one full-length work a month (i.e. Tracy Kidder’s Mountains Beyond Mountains), mostly outside of school. Like you, I am always looking for new resources and ideas!
Hello,
I am teaching AP Lang for the first time. I would be ever so grateful if you could share some activities, unit plans, and lesson plans with me. My principal is giving me 2 weeks to get something together. HELP!!!
I teach AP Lang and I enjoy it. One thing I am going to do this year at the suggestion of last year’s students is start MC even earlier this year. Normally I start it in November and I give practice tests in chunks under time. One thing I do is I handout a MC analysis chart that I have the students fill out to track their progress or regress. The list the number of questions, number right, number wrong, number guessed and then they calculate their percentage since the goal is to get 50% or more correct. This really helps them see how they are doing and they seem to like it.
Lisette,
Hello. I was just reading your post about MC and how you have your students track it. This is my first year teaching AP Lang, and I am to say the least overwhelmed. I am interested in viewing the MC analysis chart you created for your students. Would you mind sending me a copy of it?
I am also interested in the MC analysis chart. If you are willing, I would love to receive a copy. You would be credited, of course.
Thanks.
Maureen
Lisett,
I was reading your post and I am extremely interested in your MC tracker. I have taught 8th grade ELA for six years but my principal is now moving me up to English III AP. Would you please be able to help me out with any reference(s) or any helpful tips about the AP exam. Thank you in advance and I hope to hear from you.
Lisette, I know that this is an old post , but could you share your AP m/c tracker? Thanks!
Much like many of the other posters, I too am a new AP Lang. teacher this year. I would love a copy of your MC tracker!
Thank you!
I, too, am teaching this class. Would you please share your MC chart with me? Thank you for sharing your experience.
Cathy
I sent it to you. Did you get it?
I too would love to see the MC chart!! Thanks for sharing!
D
Lisette,
Wow! Everyone is interested and loving this MC chart! I am also teaching AP Lang for the first time this year, and would love to see it as well. How exciting to have so many teachers interested in your work!
Thanks so much,
Emily R
Hi Lisette,
Would you send it to me too, please? I am teaching Lang. for the first time this year.
Hi Lisette! I found your info. and thought I’d ask for your assistance. This is my first year teaching high school and I am looking for a good way to structure my English 11 class, which focuses on
American Lit as well as 9th grade ELA. My background is in middle school ELA and I really want to be organized, but not spend hours on end grading, staying organized, and planning. Any tips, materials, or products you’d suggest. Also what website maker do you use for your students and parents?
Urban & ESL ELA Organization Seeker
I would love a copy of the analysis as well. I need all the help I can get.
Hi, Lisette! Next year will be my first year teaching AP 11th, and I would also love a copy of your MC tracker! I would be so grateful for that and any other resources you would feel comfortable sharing! Thanks so much!
I would love to see the MC Chart also. Thank you for sharing as I am just starting on the AP journey with my students.
I, too, would love a copy of your MC chart. If you would be so kind as to send it to me, I would appreciate it. Thank you!
I am new to teaching AP Lang and would love to receive a copy of your MC chart.
Thank you in advance!
Melissa
I am also a new teacher of AP Language and I would love a copy of your MC chart. Thank you all for posting and sharing wonderful ideas!
Stephanie
New to AP would love all the help I can get…thanks
I would love any help you could give, thank you for your write up 🙂 I will be teaching AP Lang this year and would love it if you could send me the chart too. Thank you!
HI! New to AP Lang this year. I need all the help I can get!
Would you mind sending a copy of the chart my way?
I think this simplified form of Annual Outline is super – most are so cluttered with details, it is hard to follow. Where do you ladies get your M/C questions from? All the writing prompts, from over the years appear on the CB website, but where do you scour the M/C questions from?
I would love to have your chart – thank you!
I would love to have the chart myself. I was assigned the class late after many schedule changes. Thanks!!
I would love a copy of the MC chart, as I am new to AP Lang.
Hi. This is my first year teaching AP English 11/12! I am just shy of hyperventilating!! Could you please send me a copy of the MC chart as well? My focus before was Reading Comprehension-this is a whole new ball game!