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 …
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
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 »
Looking for techniques to teach visual literacy? Read on to learn about the OPTIC strategy for rhetorical analysis of visual texts and images.
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
Looking for techniques to teach visual literacy? Read on to learn about the OPTIC strategy for rhetorical analysis of visual texts and images.
I get it, and I want to help! When I had my first baby in July of 2011, I did EVERYTHING wrong. I had no idea how maternity leave worked for teachers, I didn’t know what questions to ask or what benefits I had available, and I ended up making LOTS of mistakes when it came to...Read More »
Looking for techniques to teach visual literacy? Read on to learn about the OPTIC strategy for rhetorical analysis of visual texts and images.
Looking for techniques to teach visual literacy? Read on to learn about the OPTIC strategy for rhetorical analysis of visual texts and images.
Looking for techniques to teach visual literacy? Read on to learn about the OPTIC strategy for rhetorical analysis of visual texts and images.
Looking for techniques to teach visual literacy? Read on to learn about the OPTIC strategy for rhetorical analysis of visual texts and images.
This blog post shares activities to teach creative writing, along with creative writing prompts and lesson plans your students will love!
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
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!
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 »
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.
This resource includes 45 engaging slides that teach students about line of reasoning for both AP Seminar and AP English Language and Composition. It features a mini-lesson and activities to reinforce learning.
Ready to start your AP Language and Composition class off the right way? Set clear expectations and goals for your students early with this course expectation guide resource! If you are just getting started with teaching AP Lang or if you are looking to revamp with some added structure, look no further than this Course Expectation Guide! Included in this 4 page resource, you will find: An AP Lang course description for your students Supply list Classroom expectations for the year Grading policy and weighted percentage categories broken down Revision procedures on timed writing and polished essays Habits of Mind explained Participation rubric to help students push themselves in the right direction
Tackle the AP Language and Composition exam with confidence using any of these four classroom-tested review strategies. This list will give you plenty of ways to prepare for the exam while having fun and working hard to get students as ready as possible for test day.
They’re analytical. They’re argumentative. They’re intriguing. They’re bite-sized. Assertion journals are hands-down my favorite way to teach and assess writing. Here’…
This is a collection of 10 units designed to cover a year of AP Language and Composition. [NOTE: This alignment, however, does not match up with the College Board unit design] Units include... Rhetorical and Critical Reading Introduction to Rhetorical Analysis Modern Discourse Introduction to Synthesis Argumentation Introduction to Argument Debates The Crucible The Rhetoric of Activism The Great Gatsby **Audit Syllabus Included**
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…
Look no further for print and go AP Lang rhetorical analysis graphic organizers or AP Lit literary analysis graphic organizers to help students understand and analyze any literary or non-fiction texts. The graphic organizers are a must-have for AP Literature and Composition, AP Language and Composition, or a Pre-Advanced Placement course. However, if you are teaching any type of rhetorical analysis or literary analysis, the graphic organizers will help any student analyze text no matter what class they are in. This bundle includes PRINT and DIGITAL versions. Print Versions For each graphic organizer, I have included detailed instructions for students to keep in their notebooks/binders and a blank one for students to fill in. They are graphic and include visual cues to help students remember each part they should analyze and take notes on with their text. Digital Versions These have been created with Google Slides™️ so you can use these in a blended or distance learning setting. For each graphic organizer, I have included detailed instructions for students on the left side of the slide and blank graphic organizers for students to fill in on the slide. They are colorful since they are not meant to be printed. ★Looking for just the DIGITAL Versions? Click HERE. Or looking for just the PRINT Versions? Click HERE.★ Included are: 1. Jolliffe’s Rhetorical Framework Diagram - Rhetorical Situation: Exigence, Audience, Purpose - Rhetorical Appeals: Ethos, Pathos, Logos - Tone - Organization/Form/Structure - Surface Features: Diction, Syntax, Imagery, Figurative Language 2. Rhetorical Appeals in Depth: Ethos, Pathos, Logos 3. SOAPStoneS for Rhetorical Analysis: Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, Tone, Style 4. DIDLS for Rhetorical Analysis: Details, Imagery, Diction, Language, Sentence Structure 5. Dante’s Fourfold Method for Interpreting Symbol and Allegory: Literal/Historical, Political, Moral/Philosophical, Spiritual 6. TWIST for Literary Analysis: Tone, Word Choice, Imagery and Detail, Style, Theme 7. SIFT for Literary Analysis: Symbols, Imagery, Figures of Speech, Tone and Theme 8. TP-CASTT for Poetry Analysis: Title, Paraphrase, Connotation, Attitude/Tone, Shifts, Title, Theme 9. LEAD for Diction Analysis: Low or Informal Diction, Elevated Diction or Formal Diction, Abstract and Concrete Diction, Denotation and Connotation 10. SMELL for Persuasive / Argument Analysis: Sender-Receiver Relationship, Message, Emotional Strategies, Logical Strategies, Language 11. 3 Levels of Reading: Literal, Interpretive, Thematic 12. PAMDISS for Self-Evaluation of Writing: Purpose, Audience, Mode, Diction, Imagery, Syntax, Structure 13. OPTIC for Analyzing Visual Texts: Overview, Parts, Title, Inter-relationships, Conclusion 26 total PRINT pages = 13 Graphic Organizers with Instructions + 13 blank ones for student use. 13 Google Slide™️ DIGITAL files (one for each graphic organizer) and teacher directions that will show you how to assign these in Google Classroom™️. It is important for you to choose the Google account that you have created your Google Classroom with. This is most likely your school account. The resource MUST be in the same account. Related Products →ACT English Test Prep / Grammar, Usage, and Rhetorical Rules Review Sheet →Freebie - Ten Tips for the ACT Reading Test
Looking for techniques to teach visual literacy? Read on to learn about the OPTIC strategy for rhetorical analysis of visual texts and images.
Looking for techniques to teach visual literacy? Read on to learn about the OPTIC strategy for rhetorical analysis of visual texts and images.
This blog post shares activities to teach creative writing, along with creative writing prompts and lesson plans your students will love!
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.
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!
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 […]
This unit is designed for the AP Language classroom that incorporates American Literature. It combines multiple AP skills (reading visual texts, synthesis, argument, rhetorical analysis, etc) while moving through the text. Preferably positioned in the second semester, this unit does not go into depth about the rhetorical situation, claims and evidence, or reasoning and organization, but their understanding of each is practiced and honed. If you wanted to incorporate this earlier, plan to spend time building understanding of those concepts (i.e. exigence, thesis, counterclaim, etc). Includes: Full Teaching Narrative Three Act Quizzes (with Keys and Rubrics) A Full Test A Modified Question 3 FRQ A "Witch Hunt" Game "What's the 'Tea' in Salem?" Tabloid Activity A Propaganda Visual Text Gallery Propaganda in Salem Project Over 20 Files
One of the essential skills that our AP English students need is to develop a line of reasoning in the essay writing.
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 is a step-by-step guide that explains how to write a rhetorical analysis essay (14 total steps). When I started teaching AP Language and Composition, I found it hard to explain the rhetorical analysis essay to my students. I typed up this document to help clarify the process for my students (an...
Remember that time you watched a Facebook video and gave up sugar for a whole week? Or was it gluten? It was probably wine. OK, so that didn’t stick but don’t feel bad; you did agree to donate to that charity. And the proceeds from those cookies you bought went to a really good cause. Speaking of cookies, how often have you picked up a lifestyle magazine and convinced yourself you could be the next Martha Stewart? Also, why do they always put the health and fitness magazines right next to the check out? That’s where I pay for my candy bars! ‘They cancel each other out, though’. That’s what I tell myself when I add them to my basket. I know I’m not the only one guilty of impulse purchases. Be honest… what about those gorgeous, super uncomfortable shoes you never wear but bought because they were on sale? Or the time you ordered that exercise equipment with complete confidence that it would transform you into a supermodel/olympian. Oh wait, maybe that was me… My point is (and I promise you, I do have one) – whether we’re aware of it or not – our choices aren’t as free as they seem. So many of our decisions, every single day, are guided by other people. Usually marketing executives. Sometimes journalists. Occasionally politicians and activists. More frequently celebrities and social media ‘influencers’. Even friends and family have the power to persuade us to change our behavior, think like they do, or ‘call your mother once in a while’. The fact that persuasion is so prevalent in every aspect of our culture means there are a ton of ways you can teach it using fun, relatable, and relevant examples that your students will respond to. In fact, I’ve got eight creative ideas right here! FREE LESSON FOR TEACHING PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES 1. Analyze print advertisements Even in this digital age, printed advertising isn’t slowing down. Whether it’s giant billboards, or flyers through our letterboxes, you have thousands of persuasive examples to choose from. But I’ve found that one of the best way to engage teenagers is to bring in magazines that appeal to their specific areas of interest and comb through the many (many) pages of adverts. You know your students, so pick a selection of sports, exercise, music, fashion… whatever you think they’ll connect with! 2. Pay attention to current political discourse Youtube is a modern goldmine for recorded speeches. Search for rallies, press conferences, debates, or state addresses to link your lesson to current affairs. But don’t limit yourself to politicians; activists are among the most savvy public speakers. Check the number of views and comments each speech has received for an idea of how effective and influential they’ve been. 3. Evaluate historical speeches Analyzing persuasive language of the past is a great opportunity for cross-curricular projects. Have a chat with the history teachers and find out what they have planned for their lessons. The Civil Rights Movement? An obvious choice would be Martin Luther King, Jr. The Cuban Missile Crisis? Look to John F. Kennedy. The Second World War? Look to Winston Churchill. The Women’s Rights Movement? You can’t do much better than Sojourner Truth. [Click here to view resources on analyzing rhetoric in speeches] 4. Embrace the season If you coincide your lessons with seasonal celebrations, your students will carry on making connections and building awareness even outside the classroom. Big events like the Super Bowl, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and the Olympics are all great opportunities to talk about the power of advertising. While your students watch seasonal commercials, get them to write down all the techniques they spot, like persuasive language bingo! 5. Look to Shakespeare Your students might not realize that persuasive language techniques are prevalent in fiction too, but it’s a great way to interject a language lesson into a literature study. One of my favorite ‘cross-over’ lessons involves Macbeth; Lady Macbeth is the consummate manipulator. But there are so many other examples of Shakespearean characters who use persuasive language to devastating effect – like Iago in Othello, or Claudius in Hamlet, or Cassius in Julius Caesar. 6. Look to the big (and little) screen In my experience, students love any excuse to watch TV in class! Which is lucky as TV and movies are full of fantastic examples of persuasive language. War films are always a good bet for rousing speeches, but my favorite clips to watch and deconstruct with my students are always the closing speeches in courtroom dramas. Persuasive Language Techniques CARDS 7. Turn your students into Ad Execs Encourage your students to learn by doing. Ask them to pick a product or an idea – something they’re passionate about – and design their own advert using persuasive language techniques. This is always a big hit in my classroom; my students jump at the chance to use their creativity in such a free and independent way. 8. Host a debate No study of rhetoric would be complete without a debate. After all, Artistotle defined rhetoric as ‘the art of argument’ so it really is the cherry on top of the persuasive language cake. There’s no better way for students to practice and show off their new persuasive skills and knowledge of ethos, logos, and pathos than to craft their own arguments. And to really get them fired up, the first debate can be choosing the debate topic! So, there you have it! Teaching rhetoric is one of my most favourite elements of teaching English because it is relevant, and all around us! What are your favourite ways for teaching persuasion? Looking for more resources for teaching RHETORIC? Check these out: Persuasive Essay and Propaganda Unit: Grades 7-12 by The SuperHERO Teacher Rhetoric, Propaganda, & Fallacies Flipbook: Mini-Lessons to Analyze Speeches by Secondary Sara Real Life Persuasion Lessons and Activities by Room 213 Persuasive Techniques Bell Ringers - Ad Analysis, Argument Writing, Music by Nouvelle ELA Persuasive Writing: Fidget Spinners by Presto Plans Ethos, Pathos, Logos: Understanding & Writing with Rhetorical Appeals by The Daring English Teacher Persuasive Writing - Graphic Organizers, Planning Pages, and Rubrics by Addie Williams
Ed Sheeran's hit song, "The Joker and The Queen," provides us with a lovely argument that's layered with rhetorical devices for students to unpack -- the most obvious being, of course, an extended metaphor. What's more, a remix of the original featuring Taylor Swift adds complexity by inserting a second argument into the first. This lesson bundle spans nine pages and includes five different comprehensive activities -- scroll down to learn more about the lesson itself! Purchase this lesson for just $4.99 -- OR, join TeachArgument for 24/7 access to ALL of our resources! Register here!
