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AP® English Language and Composition

Basic & On Demand

Enrollment for Basic and On Demand courses is open on a rolling basis.

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Plus

Teachers can use the complete Plus course curriculum for flexible instruction.

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Course Summary

Learn to think and write analytically across a variety of written and oral communication modes. Develop and enhance academic writing, critical reading, and rhetorical analysis skills, focusing primarily on nonfiction literature such as memoirs, essays, op/ed articles, news stories, and editorials. Students also explore the rhetoric of visual media, including photographs, films, advertisements, comics, and music videos. 

This course prepares students for the AP® English Language and Composition exam.

Curriculum

This is a 2-semester course. We do not recommend taking both semesters simultaneously.

Unit 1: Introduction to Rhetoric
  • Grammar Review: Clauses
  • Introduction to Rhetoric and SOAPS
  • Introduction to Close Reading
  • Rhetorical Modes
  • Grammar: Active/Passive Voice
  • Ethos
  • Pathos
  • Logos
  • Style Analysis: How Diction Affects Tone
Unit 2: Introduction to Rhetorical Analysis
  • Connotation
  • Syntax
  • Introduction to Rhetorical/Style Analysis
  • How to Write A Timed AP® Essay
  • Rhetorical Analysis of Figurative Language
  • Diction Analysis
  • Writing a Rhetorical Précis
  • Writing the Assertion Journal
Unit 3: Rhetorical Analysis
  • Gerunds
  • Full Rhetorical Analysis Essay
  • Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions
  • Compare and Contrast Essay
  • AP® Exam Multiple Choice Questions
  • Direct and Indirect Object
  • Appositive Phrases
  • Agreement and Tenses
Unit 4: Cause and Effect Essays
  • Anecdotes
  • Cause and Effect Rhetorical Strategy
  • Cause and Effect Essay Writing
  • Cause and Effect Essay Outline
Unit 5: Research
  • Satire Analysis
  • Satire as Argument
  • DIDLS Prose Analysis Method
  • AP® Argument Essay
  • Conducting Research Overview
  • Determining a Topic For Research
  • Writing the Research Proposal
  • Collecting Data for Research
  • Research Organizing: Outlines
  • Primary and Secondary Sources
  • Avoiding Plagiarism
  • Research Paper Writing Style
  • Research Paper Introduction
  • Research Paper Body
  • Handling and Citing Sources in APA Style
  • Research Paper Conclusion
Unit 6: Other Essay Types and Multiple Choice
  • Analyzing Speeches
  • Analyzing Letters
  • Argument Essay Outline
  • Using Pathos and Logos in Your Argument
  • Narrative Writing Techniques
  • Descriptive Writing: Details and Imagery
  • Synthesis Essay Tips
  • Interpreting the Writing Task
  • Evaluating Visual Texts
  • Evaluating Op-Eds
  • Writing Op-Eds
  • Process Analysis Essay