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
How should AP English Language teachers get in ALL the rhetorical modes (or modes of discourse)? There are four ways we can pull it off.
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 […]
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…
Improve reading comprehension and boost speaking and listening skills with this unit for whole-class reading discussion or literature circles. Discussion handouts require students to summarize, analyze author’s craft, define vocabulary, and identify text support. Students also select quotations to draw conclusions, make predictions, and form connections. These activities guide their reading and prepare them for Readers’ Roundtable, which imitates the style of Socratic Seminar. Each discussion procedure handout guides students through a quick-write, goal setting, partner rehearsal, inner and outer circles, whip-around and hot seat, observation notes, and reflection. As your students engage in their own reading discussion, they take ownership for their learning while meeting the rigorous standards of Common Core. This 42-page resource comes as a Zip file and includes the following: teacher instructions discussion preparation handouts graphic organizers exemplars student response sheets discussion procedure handouts with journal prompts and reflection questions editable discussion procedure (PowerPoint slide) observation notes handout rubric (and editable version) “hot seat” posters (color and black/white) absence activity reading schedules Are you preparing students for standardized assessments? These resources may interest you: Common Core Writing Task: We Shall Overcome & Second Inaugural Address The Man He Killed and The Sniper Writing Task Paired Passage: First Lesson & Those Winter Sundays Writing Task Paired Passage: Ain't I a Woman & Phenomenal Woman Want to get students out of their seats? Then you may also be interested in my Trashketball games: Elements of Fiction Review Game A Midsummer Night's Dream A Raisin in the Sun Of Mice and Men Frankenstein Pronouns & Antecedents Subject & Verb Agreement Idioms Trashketball Review Game (Advanced) Sentence Parts Sentence Structures Sentence Problems Going paperless? Then check out my new digital learning resources: Digital Learning Resources Meaningful and Memorable English Language Arts by © OCBeachTeacher All rights reserved by author. Limited to use by purchaser only. Group licenses available. Not for public display.
By now, you’ve probably heard about Bluey, the wildly popular Australian kids show about a family of dogs. Although it’s created primarily for kids ages 4-7, the show has themes and topics that hav…
When teaching students non-fiction and informational texts, use this chart to guide students on how best to annotate for rhetorical strategies. Great for: AP English Language and Composition courses Rhetorical Analysis studies Other Related Resources Other Rhetorical Analysis Lessons Lessons for ANY Literary Text Poetry Sleuths Activity
Dear New AP Language Teacher, We need to talk. You’re about to fall madly in love with a course, and because I used to be married (and I mean this in almost every sense of the word) to said course, I need to prep you. Listen up. AP English Language is DEMANDING. The planning and […]
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 […]
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.
Angie Kratzer's 50-resource bundle of AP English Language & Composition resources fits together to create a complete course.
One of the essential skills that our AP English students need is to develop a line of reasoning in the essay writing.
What is a Rhetorical Choice When writing a rhetorical analysis essay, one of the most common points of confusion for students is the difference between a rhetorical device and a rhetorical choice. A rhetorical device is a noun, such as metaphor or juxtaposition. It describes what the author uses in their writing. A rhetorical choice ... Read More about What is a Rhetorical Choice
This was the mantra repeated by a presenter at one of the first AP conferences I attended. We were examining methods to break students out of shallow analysis. The past few years of teaching AP Lan…
The exhilaration of a new relationship and the world-ending-feeling after a breakup summarize the range of emotions that occur in the daily life of a high school student. The longing for acceptance by self and others is everything as high schoolers gain a better understanding of themselves as a friend, partner, student, and job-worker. What better way to get students interested in Rhetorical Analysis than to compare it to element’s of their everyday life. To begin, students in English III at Byron Nelson High School deconstructed one of the nation’s oldest break up letters, the Declaration of Independence. They analyzed its literary text structure which included the Preamble (introduction to the conflict which is also the claim), the Declaration (rights and beliefs), a list of grievances (specific complaints), and a counterargument (perspective from the “other side”). Next, student’s scrutinized the popular Country song from Old Dominion called “Break Up with Him” to study the tricky use of sound counterargument. As a culminating, summative activity, students then wrote their own break up letter using the rhetorical structures and devices they’ve been studying throughout the unit. The lesson objective states “Using “The Declaration of Independence” as a model, you must “declare your independence” from something that is a problem for you: something that makes your life difficult, unhappy, or stressful. This can be a relationship with a person, a problematic object, a bad habit, or even a situation you find yourself in often. You may be as creative as you like!" Once the subject of the essay was chosen, students then had to incorporate the rhetorical appeals of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos and include at least one rhetorical device of choice; furthermore, the location of these literary devices were easily located by color-coding the corresponding statements within their essay. Breaking Up with Anxiety Breaking Up With Sugar Because of its cross-curricular emphasis through incorporating Historical text in conjunction with the relevant, meaningful, and personal context of the assignment, this lesson met multiple objectives outside of the English III, 15A TEK. This meets International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)’s standard of a Creative Communicator (6D) in which “Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.” in addition to being a Knowledge Constructor (3D) in which “Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories and pursuing answers and solutions.” Additional examples include Breaking Up with Cats and Breaking Up with Loneliness.
Learn 4 ways AP English language teachers can help students improve evidence driven concrete details in rhetorical analysis.
AP English Language multiple choice test prep can be miserable, but you can spread out the misery or even eliminate it.
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 […]
HOW TO WRITE: AP Rhetorical Analysis Paragraphs and Read more about diction, rhetorical, analysis, strategies, verbs and syntax.
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
I’m so thankful that some students will have the opportunity to take the paper-pencil exam May 12. It just feels . . . normal. It also feels normal to write an old-fashioned blog post about ways to tackle an analog anything. Thank you, trees, for giving your lives for this paper-pencil AP English Language & […]
If you want to know how to annotate a book for AP English Literature and Composition, follow these 5 steps to annotate effectively and prepare for the AP exam.
The AP English Language exam focuses on reading, analysis, and writing about imaginative literature such as fiction, poetry, and drama from various periods.
What are "rhetorical pyramids"...? A lovely pattern that prompts your students to condense their rhetorical analysis into several "triangles" -- to be cut out, folded, and taped, forming an origami pyramid of analytical glory. This is a fun little activity that promises to engage your kiddos while conducting some high level analyses. (Teaching middle school? This is perfect. Teaching AP? Your students will swoon over the prospect of pairing some arts and crafts with the rigorous rhetorical analysis that's sure to follow.) Grab our Rhetorical Pyramid templates now for only $2.99!
Students can ALWAYS use more practice when it comes to citing and embedding direct quotes in research papers. These stations are flexibly designed to give students the practice they need to level up blending MLA direct quotes. WHAT THIS IS: Flexible! Consider this a big practice bundle, full of everything you can think of for integrating MLA direct quotes in research writing. You can use these as stations, but they are not intended to all be used in one day! Allow students to choose the skills they need to work on. Or, you choose for them! Use them as a whole class practice activity and then have students finish the exercises on their own or with a partner. Because of the amount of stations included, you can use these stations over the course of several days, or you can use them as needed. These stations are all editable! Change whatever you need to make this relevant for your students and your assignment. WHAT'S INCLUDED: Station 1: choosing the best evidence to support your ideas Station 2: shortening direct quotes to flow with writing Station 3: summarizing a quotation that needs clarification Station 4: analyzing a quotation to add value to your ideas Station 5: blending a quote using commas and colons Station 6: formatting direct quotes in correct MLA style Station 7: sandwiching direct quotes into the paragraph Station 8: choosing strong verbs to introduce quotes Station 9: sorting direct quotations as correct or incorrect Station 10: reviewing quotation guidelines with task cards EACH STATION HAS: A learning target A simple self-assessment rubric for students Directions (and several also have a quick reference page) Activity Answer Key THE FORMAT: All of the activities for these stations are in Google Drive format (mainly Docs and Slides with a couple Google Forms). There are versions included for both digital and print use! Simply download the Google files as PDFs or PowerPoint files to print them. Types of activities include the following: inserting research into an existing sample essay identifying the parts of a quote that are most important to support a writer's ideas evaluating the effectiveness and accuracy of a summarized quote choosing the most effective analysis of a quote using context from a source to introduce a quotation manipulating required parts of a direct quote annotating example research paragraphs to identify the required components strong verb word wall and mini dictionary sorting quotes based on correct and incorrect punctuation task cards to review all of the learning targets in the practice bundle WHAT THIS IS NOT: These practice exercises do not provide the direct instruction. They are intended to follow your direct instruction on research writing and MLA style. However, you can definitely use the resources included to deliver your instruction. Please note that presentations are not included. If you need direct instruction on MLA quotations, you can find the slideshow I use here: MLA Direct Quotations Lesson. Sometimes, practice really does make perfect. If your students could benefit from some additional MLA quotation practice, this bundle will serve them well! RELATED RESOURCES: The Writing Games! Engaging MLA Research and Writing Skills Dice Game Argumentative Research Paragraph Instructional Materials Plagiarism Mini-lesson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Couple Tips: * Be sure to click the "follow" button that is located next to my picture so that you can hear about sales and new products! * By providing feedback on your purchased products, you can earn points, which ultimately translate into cash toward future purchases...bonus! Plus, I'd love to hear from you. ©Reading & Writing Haven All rights reserved by author. Duplication limited to single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.
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 […]
Essay Analysis Select one of your exam essays for analysis. You may mark sentences with letters, or you may color-code with highlighters. L — (literal) Your thought was stated directly in the text The Joads are traveling from Oklahoma to California I — (inference) Your thought was not stated directly in the text, but there …
With this digital character analysis interactive notebook for The Crucible, students will analyze the main characters' development in the story. There is a graphic organizer for each main character in the play, plus compare and contrast graphic organizers to help teach character foil. These graphic organizers include the character's main role in the story, whether each character is static or dynamic, and more! SMARTePlans are digital, Google-based, interactive lessons for the technology-driven classroom. Why Choose SMARTePlans? - Create a digital, paperless classroom - Incorporate technology into the classroom - Compatible with Chromebooks, Tablets, Desktops, and Smart Devices - Prepares students for 21st Century Tech Demands - Engaging - Interactive - FUN! This digital interactive ePlan includes teacher instructions (GoogleDrive and Microsoft OneDrive) and a link to 26 slides of character analysis teaching resources for S.E. Hinton's novel, "The Outsiders." Students will create a character profile for each of the main characters. Because of the digital and interactive nature of Google Drive resources, these slides can be edited by teachers and students. You can use them again and again. Students will also complete multiple compare/contrast activities. This resource is available in my 2016 SMARTePlans Growing Bundle: SMARTePlans 2016 Growing Bundle Membership for Google Drive Your students will LOVE this digital resource, and you will see their writing improve. Check out other SMARTePlans SMARTePlans Google Drive Resources Connect with me! The Daring English Teacher Facebook The Daring English Teacher Twitter The Daring English Teacher Pinterest The Daring English Teacher Blog #TpTdigital
If you've heard your students rapping about American history in the halls, then you're already well aware that Broadway's smash hit "Hamilton" has done something remarkable. This lesson bundle takes full advantage of "Hamilton's" popularity with students by prompting them to engage in close reading and rhetorical analysis with the rich lyrics that make the musical such a hit. Materials include a guided rhetorical analysis of "Alexander Hamilton," a concept-specific analysis of "My Shot," a powerful exercise on the power of deliberate repetition, and an awesome synthesis writing task. Join the TeachArgument Community for instant access to these and all of our other pop culture materials! OR, grab this lesson bundle now for only $4.99!
This blog post offers 5 quick-and-easy rhetorical analysis activities for AP® Language and Composition teachers.
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 »
Are you a high school AP English Student? The AP English Language and Composition essay is part of the final exam to determine if you get your Advanced Placement (AP) English credit, freeing you from 1 or 2 composition classes in college....
Writing the claim. It’s the sentence we hype up, the “one sentence that holds the WHOLE PAPER TOGETHER!!!” No pressure, right? Well the truth is, there IS a lot of pressure to get this sentence right and a lot of pressure on us to help students write them. My kids want
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 »
One of the most important goals of any English class should be to help students learn how to express themselves to an audience -- how to tell their own stories, how to provide much-needed information, and how to convince others to see things from a different perspective. Below are some…
My favorite teaching units are my research and rhetorical analysis unit. I love teaching rhetorical analysis and assigning students a rhetorical analysis PAPA square. Read on to learn more about the rhetorical analysis PAPA square activity and to sign up to receive your own free copy! I love providing my students with the knowledge and resources they need to critically read and analyze text, know why it is powerful, and understand how the author crafted it. I feel that truly understanding the language and the text, primarily through rhetorical analysis, is something that makes all of my students critical thinkers.
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.
Need help making rhetorical analysis accessible for each of your students? What about help understanding how to teach rhetorical analysis through both devices and strategies? This 116-page unit includes 27 lessons designed for the 90-minute block and 37 reproducible student handouts. Each lesson ind...
by The Daring English Teacher One of my favorite units to teach in my classroom is rhetorical analysis because students learn the power, beauty, and effectiveness of language. When teaching rhetorical analysis, we teach our students to analyze how the author writes rather than simply looking at what the author writes. We teach our students to look at the author’s effectiveness. We teach our students to look at which strategies an author uses and why those particular strategies are so effective. Teaching our students about rhetorical analysis helps them not only in the classroom setting but also in the real world. Knowing how and why people, corporations, and advertisements can effectively convince and persuade people to take actions, purchase goods, or hold certain values and beliefs play a critical role in informed decision-making skills. And while it may sound like teaching rhetorical analysis might be a bit dry and mundane, that could not be further from the truth. Teaching rhetoric and rhetorical analysis can be both exciting and entertaining. Getting Started with Rhetorical Analysis When I introduce rhetorical analysis to my students for the first time, I always start with direct instruction and I use this rhetorical analysis unit to introduce the content. By introducing and teaching students about rhetorical analysis, rhetorical appeals, and rhetorical devices, they become familiar with the subject. Furthermore, providing students with examples helps them grasp the concept. Rhetorical Analysis with Sticky Notes Teaching Unit Once students have a basic understanding, I then teach modeled annotation and analysis. I teach students how to annotate text, and as we class, we annotate the same text together. To help students gain confidence in their annotation and rhetorical analysis skills, I first have students annotate with me as a whole class. Once they branch out, I have them annotate in pairs and share their annotations with another group and then with the class. By practicing annotations in this scaffolded way, students learn how to annotate the text and identify rhetorical devices and appeals in a manner that helps them build confidence in their skills. Annotating Text Made Easy When beginning to plan your rhetorical analysis unit, it is always good to use a wide variety of texts that represent a diverse group of people, and with teaching rhetoric and rhetorical analysis, there are so many speeches to choose from. Here is a list of my favorite speeches to analyze. Rhetorical Analysis Student Practice Once students have a basic understanding of rhetoric and rhetorical analysis, I move on to independent practice. By doing so, I can use small classroom assignments and activities as formative assessments to gauge student understanding. One way to move toward independence is to ask your students rhetorical analysis questions that get your students thinking critically. In a blog post, I've compiled these 15 rhetorical analysis questions to use when analyzing a text. Another way that you can have students move toward understanding and independence is by having them complete a rhetorical triangle analysis of your selected text. In doing so, students demonstrate their understanding of the text. You can download a free rhetorical organizer HERE! Click here to download a copy of this organizer. Engaging and Fun Rhetorical Analysis Activities Toward the end of my rhetorical analysis unit, I incorporate more fun and engaging activities that allow students to demonstrate their understanding. In a previous blog post, I share my favorite historical and political speeches that are excellent for a rhetorical analysis unit. COMMERCIALS When analyzing rhetoric, my students love watching commercials to see which appeals and devices companies use as marketing strategies. Since commercials are usually thirty seconds to a minute in length, this makes a great warm-up activity. I like to show a commercial right after the bell rings at the start of class, ask students to identify which devices and appeals they find, and explain why those devices and appeals are effective. GROUPS ANALYSIS POSTERS A couple of years ago I had my students complete collaborative rhetorical analysis poster projects. Each group of three to four students received a different political or historical speech to analyze. Students read, annotated, and analyzed the text. Then, they identified various appeals and strategies that the speaker used and wrote a summary of the speech. This project took two fifty-five-minute class periods to complete. I wrote more about this project on my website: Collaborative Rhetorical Analysis Poster Project. ARTISTIC PAPA SQUARES Another one of my favorite rhetorical analysis projects is the artistic PAPA square. PAPA is an acronym that stands for Purpose, Argument, Persona, and Audience. Using this acronym for rhetorical analysis, students create an artistic square that has two requirements: visually, it resembles the topic; and it also analyzes the text for its use of appeals and devices. Usually, I have my students complete this project for one of their sources during our big research unit. You can read more about this project and sign-up to receive a free assignment handout on my website: Artistic PAPA Square. Here are some more amazing resources and teaching tips for rhetorical analysis: Persuasion Techniques Bell Ringers by Nouvelle ELA Persuasive Essay Writing: Snowball Collaborative Activity by Presto Plans Real Life Persuasion Lessons and Activities by Room 213
Fiveable offers weekly live reviews in 19 AP® subjects, backed by a global community of teachers and students. Resources, notes, study guides, and more.
This AP® English Language & Composition bundle is for the first-time instructor or seasoned teacher who needs to shake things up a bit. It contains 1018 pages of AP® Language resources (40 of my AP® products!). This bundle is perfect for a one-semester, 90-day, or A/B yearlong schedule. What's the difference between this bundle and the AP English Language Full Curriculum? This collection includes NO SPECIFIC FICTION. All products related to The Things They Carried are only in the full curriculum. ◈◈◈Aligned with the Course and Exam Description and changes to the exam!◈◈◈ The author is a veteran AP™ English Language & Comp. teacher and AP exam reader. WHAT'S INCLUDED: ◈◈◈◈◈The Basics◈◈◈◈◈ 180 Days of AP English Language: A Flexible Pacing Guide {FULLY EDITABLE!} 90 Days of AP English Language: A Flexible Pacing Guide {FULLY EDITABLE!} Step-by-Step Rhetorical Analysis Rhetorical Analysis Comprehensive Assessment Argumentative & Persuasive Writing: A Complete Unit Read 'em and Weave: The AP English Language Synthesis Question The Research Process for Every Student Rhetorical Mode Project How to Teach Rhetorical Modes Skill Alignment Chart for Angie Kratzer's Free Response Units ◈◈◈◈◈Multiple Choice Exam Resources◈◈◈◈◈ Question Stem Swagger on the AP English Language & Composition Exam AP English Language Multiple Choice Mini Practice Set #1 AP English Language Multiple Choice Mini Practice Set #2 Documentation AP English Language Multiple Choice Mini Practice Set #3 AP English Language Multiple Choice Mini Practice Set #4 AP English Language Multiple Choice Mini Practice Set #5 AP English Language Mini Practice Multiple Choice Set #6 AP English Language Multiple Choice Full Practice Test #1 AP English Language Mini Practice Multiple Choice Set #7 AP English Language Mini Practice Multiple Choice Set #8 AP English Language Mini Practice Multiple Choice Set #9 AP English Language Mini Practice Multiple Choice Set #10 AP English Language Mini Practice Multiple Choice Set #11 Full Multiple Choice Practice Test (Sets #1-#5) Full Multiple Choice Practice Test (Sets #6-#11) ◈◈◈◈◈Supplemental Resources◈◈◈◈◈ Exigence Lesson Plan (NEW!) Rhetorical Analysis: Cotton Mather's "Essays to do Good" Donald Trump's Speech at Mount Rushmore (Close Reading Activity) Reading to Rebel: A Handbook for Getting Teens Hooked on Pleasure Reading 5 Rhetorical Analysis Bell Ringers Rhetorical Analysis Review Pages 10 Argumentative Writing Prompts Tone Vocabulary Builder Tone Categories Poster Pack Logical Fallacies Identification & Discovery Exercises Exercises for "Minimalism" (A documentary on Netflix) Detect & Dismiss: How to Spot Fake News {12 Lesson Plans} A Modest Proposal: Four Lessons on Paraphrasing and Summarizing Ramen Noodle Summarizing and Cow Cud Paraphrasing Non-Fiction Rhetorical Analysis Bookmarks Hillary Clinton & Donald Trump: The Rhetoric of the First Debate Analyzing Allusion in President Obama's Second Inaugural Address
