AP Language & Composition College Board Approved Original Syllabus: AP LANG

If you'd like to save yourself a million hours, here is my 16 page ultra detailed syllabus for AP Language & Composition. It has been approved by the AP College Board. (Within the document I have authorization code that you will use with College Board). This is *extensively* detailed unlike other AP course overviews you might find. I incorporate all 9 units that the College Board requires, and I divide the course into 8 thematic units and spend about 3-4 weeks on each unit. I specifically created this syllabus so that I could implement it for any combination of real school or distance learning for any school year. All of the links to the non-fiction articles, images, speeches and other pieces are directly included on this syllabus. Within the syllabus I have also listed the main topic questions for students to consider as they do the (listed & linked) readings. I have also detailed (right here in this syllabus) the 8 main mini papers they will write throughout the year.

You do not need any specific textbooks to teach this design. All of the materials can be found online. I do incorporate practice tests here and there (from the Princeton Review "Cracking the AP" book).

I have noted throughout the syllabus where all of the specific AP curricular requirements are being met [CR1, CR4] etc.

From my syllabus: "The coursework is divided into eight units, with each unit lasting approximately 3 ½ -4 ½ weeks. Generally speaking, we try to cover two main units per 9 week marking period. Along with frequent timed in-class essays and other short writing assignments, students will write at least 8 major papers, one per culmination of each unit.  The following several pages will detail the unit topics, tentative materials to be considered and tentative writing assignments.  With the goal of metacognition, students will always be asked to discover their own theme and content related materials to share with the class. Responses to teacher and student-selected nonfiction work will focus on: analyzing rhetorical strategies and devices; refuting arguments and providing evidence; evaluating the rhetorical situation including author’s bias, purpose, and intended audience.

The “Big Ideas” that drive the content of the course are: [CR1]

1. RHETORICAL SITUATION (RHS) Enduring Understanding RHS-1: Individuals write within a particular situation and make strategic writing choices based on that situation. 
2. CLAIMS AND EVIDENCE (CLE) Enduring Understanding CLE-1: Writers make claims about subjects, rely on evidence that supports the reasoning that justifies the claim, and often acknowledge or respond to other, possibly opposing, arguments. 
3. REASONING AND ORGANIZATION (REO) Enduring Understanding REO-1: Writers guide understanding of a text’s lines of reasoning and claims through that text’s organization and integration of evidence. 
4. STYLE (STL) Enduring Understanding STL-1: The rhetorical situation informs the strategic stylistic choices that writers make."

I have researched and found the best non-fiction pieces for students to read and analyze and have the direct links in this syllabus. For each of the 8 units, I have 10-40 readings listed. These are my own creative ideas--For example, one unit is "Where the Rhetoric of Science Communes with Poetry." Another unit is "Can Art Make an Argument?" In the very few areas of the syllabus where I have borrowed ideas, I have specifically attributed credit and linked there.

Although the course is obviously nonfiction based, I love being able to incorporate the humanities and to give the students a truly enriching year of study. I have detailed a unit on Civil Rights with thoughtful, varied pieces (ranging from the more traditional historical speeches you might expect to music, art and slam poems) for consideration.

I have also shared the resources I've made for individual lessons within this syllabus. Please see some of those:

Rhetoric of Art unit is HERE.

My AP Lang Rhetoric of Science unit is Here.

Power of Speeches unit is Here.

Synthesis Essay Practice with Essays and Poetry

My AP Lang close reading of text with answer key is HERE.

Hand with Sphere Higher Level Questions and Key

Civil Rights unit is Here.

My Creative Writing project that also gets them reading non-fiction and practicing AP terms is HERE.

The Hill We Climb Rhetorical Analysis

The Power of Words in Speeches

The Rhetoric of Science Unit

Memoir Non Report Project Unit

Close Analysis of Text and Key

And a great end-of-the-year resource: AP Lang Multiple Choice Terms Test

If you want to have students analyze the rhetoric of film, here is an awesome unit they enjoy, and you can even access the full movie free on YouTube:
Phantom of the Opera Critical Viewing Guide & Key.

What to do after the AP exam in May?

At the end of the school year with just a couple weeks remaining after the AP exam, I have students do a totally unique and creative rhetorical strategies story-based fragrance marketing project: Unit Here. In the unit, I have included lots of background info, non-fiction article reading and guides that students can use to develop a knowledge base before creating their fragrance. I also include my own example fragrance presentation that I made for Hemingway. Yes--it was very fun!

If you like using songs to teach English Language Arts, I've created a full course elective I call "The Literature of Music" HERE, or you can click and check out these individual units:

Dueling Ballads

Murder Ballads

Apparition de l'église éternelle

Graphic Organizer for Analyzing Songs

Lana Del Rey Music is Poetry

Songs with Multiple Interpretations

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

The Dark Side of Oz

The Phantom of the Opera

Youtube Ambience Poetry Activity

The Rhetoric of Music Unit

Lyrics as Poetry Assignment and Rubric

Classic 1970s songs

Elvis Movie Soundtrack Assignment

Interested in other English Language Arts resources, Teaching Poetry, novels, Creative Writing or American Literature?

See over 250 time-saving resources in My Store Here.

Follow me for one free resource in just one email a month.

Find me on Instagram @teachingwithdebbie or my blog

If you are new to TPT or google: After purchasing this syllabus resource, you will see an “Add to Google Drive” button in the “My Purchases” section of your account. Clicking this button will create a unique copy of your file/folder in your Google Drive, so you will have your own unique link to the file(s). Additionally, any edits that you make to your copy won’t be reflected in my original file.