Unit 1
The Art of Persuasion: Rhetoric, Power, and Manipulation
The Art of Persuasion: Rhetoric, Power, and Manipulation
Notebook Entry #1
AP Notebook Entry #1 Ignorance and Comfort and Returning to the Cave.docx
Sell This Bad Product!
Sell This Bad Product.docxChoose one of the options for your Notebook Entry #2
Notebook Entry #2
AP Notebook Entry #2: Guts, Gore, and Good Arguments.docx
Notebook Entry #2
AP Notebook Entry #2: Brains, Emails, and Chores: Why Zombies Get Us .docxCommon Assessment #1: Complete both MC and Writing Portion in Notebook
Unit 2
Argumentation, Synthesis, and Philosophy
Argumentation, Synthesis, and Philosophy
Argumentative Practice essay (Selfie)
2024 AP English Language and Composition Question 3 Selfie.pdfSynthesis Practice essay (Sharenting)
Sharenting Prompt.pdfRhetorical Analysis Practice essay (Rosa Parks)
Rhetorical Analysis Practice prompt (Rosa Parks).pdfUnit 3
Refinement and Polish
Refinement and Polish
Rhetorical Analysis Practice essay (David Foster Wallace)
Prompt: In both "This is Water" and "Consider the Lobster," David Foster Wallace crafts thought-provoking discussions that challenge readers to reconsider their assumptions about everyday life and morality. Wallace employs a range of rhetorical strategies to guide his audience toward critical reflection and empathy.
Choose either as your focus text, then write a well-developed essay analyzing how Wallace uses rhetorical strategies to achieve his purpose.
Short Response Questions for "The Myth of Sisyphus" by Albert Camus
Why does Camus claim that “one must imagine Sisyphus happy”?
How can Sisyphus find happiness in a task that appears pointless and eternal (endless)?
Do you agree that acceptance of life’s absurdity (or trying to find meaning in a meaningless world) can lead to happiness or fulfillment? Why or why not?
Practice Argumentative Essay (Camus)
Prompt: In "The Myth of Sisyphus," Albert Camus explores the concept of absurdity, describing Sisyphus's eternal task of rolling a boulder up a hill only for it to roll back down as a metaphor for the human condition. Camus argues that life is inherently meaningless, yet humans can find meaning and personal fulfillment through the act of rebellion—by embracing the struggle itself. Camus writes, "The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy."
Write an essay in which you take a position on the extent to which struggle and adversity are necessary for personal meaning and fulfillment. Use evidence from literature, history, philosophy, or your own experience to support your argument.
Choose one of the two options below for your assignment (either rant or humor analysis)
Rant about a pet peeve (Option #1)
Samantha Irby has mastered the art of the rant—turning everyday annoyances into hilarious, exaggerated, and painfully relatable stories. Whether it’s the horror of answering phone calls, the awkwardness of social outings, or the absurdity of making small talk, she transforms minor grievances into comedy gold.
Now it’s your turn!
Write a short humorous rant in the style of Samantha Irby (or, if you prefer, in the spirit of Family Guy's "What Grinds My Gears?").
Your rant should:
Focus on an everyday pet peeve: (group projects, bad Wi-Fi, loud chewers, unread emails, “fun” icebreakers, people who walk too slowly, etc.)
Use hyperbole (exaggeration): to make your frustration as dramatic as possible
Include self-deprecating humor: make fun of yourself along the way
Use colloquial, conversational diction: (write like you're complaining to a friend)
Play with sentence structure: (fragments, repetition, rhetorical questions) for comedic effect
Example opening:
Nothing fills me with more existential dread than seeing a "Hey, can I call you?" text. Call me? What are we, in the early 2000s? Are you my doctor with test results? Is my house on fire? No? Then text like a normal person. I cannot—WILL NOT—engage in real-time dialogue like some kind of medieval peasant who doesn’t have access to emojis and a "read" receipt delay strategy. Absolutely not.
Second example opening:
You wanna know what really grinds my gears? When people leave the microwave with one second left and don’t clear it. Like, come on, just press the button! Now I gotta walk over, see “:01” blinking at me, and hit “Cancel” like I’m cleaning up after your unfinished business. It's not hard. It’s basic microwave etiquette.
That, and when someone says “Let’s circle back” in a meeting but never actually circles back. Just say you don’t wanna talk about it!
Practice Analyzing Humor in Rhetoric (option #2)
Prompt: Samantha Irby, an American comedian and essayist known for her candid storytelling, explores social anxiety, personal boundaries, and modern friendship in both her essays "The Worst Friend Date I Ever Had" and "hung up!" She employs rhetorical choices such as self-deprecation humor, hilarious anecdotes, hyperbolic and blunt diction (word choice), thought-provoking sarcasm, and vulgar profanities to have us giggling out of our chairs with each page, while also being quite convincing on the troubles of modern day life.
In a well-developed body paragraph, utilizing two pieces of evidence, analyze one or two of Irby's rhetorical choices and how they assist her to achieve her purpose.
Practice Rhetoric Analysis essay (Brainworms)
Applied-Practice_Q2_Rhetorical-Analysis_Sacks-Brainworms.pdfFinding the Purpose and Significant Choices with Trevor Noah
While reading "The World Doesn't Love You," you are tasked with two objectives.
Objective one: Identify five choices and provide a two sentence explanation of why it's a choice and what its purpose is. Then star the most substantial or significant choices he makes in your opinion.
Objective two: List all the purposes of this piece, meaning why Noah wrote this and what he is trying to show or persuade us of.
Trying on Coates' Style
Requirements: Choose one of the three prompts below and create a one-two page letter, narrative, or poem.
Letter to Someone Who Needs to Hear It
Write a letter to a younger sibling, cousin, or a future child about a truth they’ve learned about life, identity, or the world. Write with the same raw honesty Coates uses in addressing his son.
A Day in My Skin
Inspired by Coates’ exploration of the Black experience in America, write a personal narrative about a moment when they became deeply aware of their identity—whether through race, culture, language, or personal experience.
“What I Want You to Know”
Write a poem titled “What I Want You to Know” that captures the essence of what you wish to tell a loved one about their experiences, struggles, or dreams.
Rhetorical Analysis Body paragraph for "Letter to My Son"
After reading "Letter to My Son" by Ta-Nehisi Coates, published in Between the World and Me (2015). In this essay, written as a letter to his teenage son, Coates reflects on race, history, and the American Dream. Read the essay carefully, then write a well-developed body paragraph in which you analyze how Coates uses rhetorical strategies to develop his message.
In your response you should do the following:
Respond to the prompt with a topic sentence or claim that analyzes the writer's rhetorical choices.
Select and use evidence to support your line of reasoning.
Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning.
Demonstrate an understanding of the rhetorical situation (what's going on and why this topic is being brought up).
Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.
Extra credit opportunity: write a full essay on "Letter to My Son"
Discussion Question for "A Good Man is Hard to Find"
In a well-developed paragraph, how does "A Good Man is Hard to Find" use the grandmother's character to explore the idea of performative goodness—acting "good" for appearance or social approval rather than from genuine morality? Provide examples from the text to support your analysis.
Unit 4
Practice and Preparation
Practice and Preparation