Course Syllabus
Welcome
We are pleased that you selected this scheduled course to fulfill your unique educational needs. You are now a member of the Mizzou Academy's large and diverse student body—a student body that comes from all parts of the United States and many parts of the world.
Although the freedom to choose when and where to study is a privilege, it is also a responsibility that requires motivation and self-discipline. To succeed at learning, you will need to develop a study plan by setting realistic goals and working toward them.
Meeting times: This is an 18 week online course composed of an orientation week and 17 weekly sessions. Expect to invest about 5 hours a week on course activities and assignments.
Course Overview
In the second semester, students will continue to read and write critically about works of nonfiction and practice strategies for successful academic writing. The course emphasizes rhetorical analysis, persuasive argumentation and synthesizing information from a variety of sources. This Advanced Placement (AP) course is designed to reflect the kinds of study common to a freshman-level college English course and provides a survey of critical reading and writing skills that students are expected to demonstrate on the College Board’s AP English: Language and Composition Exam.
Most AP courses consist of 2 semesters and you should complete semester 1 before starting semester 2. AP exams are offered early in May.
NOTE: If you enroll after the start date in an AP course, it is important that you adjust the pacing chart accordingly so you can complete your course before the scheduled AP exam dates (Links to an external site.) or use this link to find more information about Advanced Placement and to see the AP Exam Calendar (Links to an external site.).
Course Description
In the second semester of Advanced Placement English: Language and Composition, you will examine compositional methods and strategies for both expository analysis and persuasive argumentation, and you will put those strategies into practice in your original compositions. Much of the second semester will involve self-directed assignments, which means that you will have many opportunities to read what you like and express what you think. I very much look forward to hearing what you have to say.
Your reading material will cover a wide range of nonfiction sources, including selected essays, full-length nonfiction books of your choosing, political cartoons, charts, graphs, and other kinds of visual communication. You will think critically about the information you receive from real-world sources, and you will continue to craft, shape, and color your ideas in ways that will help you join the world of academic conversation.
AP English: Language and Composition is designed for accomplished readers and writers at the eleventh- or twelfth-grade level. Students will read and write critically about works of nonfiction (such as essays, letters, editorials, historical narratives, political cartoons, photographs) and practice strategies to write successfully in the academic setting.
This is an Advanced Placement (AP) course, which means it is designed to reflect the kinds of study you would find in a freshman-level college course. One objective of this course is to prepare you to take the College Board's AP English: Language and Composition Exam in May, for which many universities grant college credit. This course provides a survey of the kinds of critical reading and writing skills you will be expected to know and demonstrate on the exam. You also will learn strategies for writing well, particularly in time-pressured situations such as the exam. If you choose to take the AP exam, you can find detailed information and sample questions at the College Board website (Links to an external site.).
Please note that you are not required to take the AP exam and that the College Board did not develop this course. No course can prepare you with the exact material that the exam might contain. Therefore, you should base your decision about whether to take the exam on your full academic experience and your own evaluation of your reading and writing skills.
As you progress through this course, keep in mind that your goal is to better understand all the layers of meaning within the texts you read and to write with purpose and precision. This is not a solely intellectual pursuit. The better you are at interpreting what you read and communicating what you know, the more meaningful and pleasurable reading and writing are.
Whether you plan to take college English courses in the near future or take the AP exam, this course will offer insights into the world around you, and you will explore some intriguing topics of thought and conversation.
This course is demanding; expect to devote time and effort to its completion to make it both personally and academically rewarding.
Required Materials
No textbooks are required (all instructional material is embedded), but they will need to acquire a copy of one of the following books on their own (any edition or ebook is fine) for the semester project:
For your spring semester project, you will read ONE of the following memoirs:
- Night (Elie Wiesel)
- Persepolis (Marjane Satrapi)
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou)
- A Long Way Gone (Ishmael Beah)
Note: If you completed the fall semester of AP Language and Composition with Mizzou Academy, you have already read one of these books for your fall semester project. You will need to choose one of the other three books as your subject for the spring semester project.
Technical Requirements
The most up-to-date requirements can be found here:
- Computer Requirements
- Browser Requirements
- Proctoring Requirements
- Microphone (external or internal)
- Webcam
Additional requirements for the course are below:
- audio and video recording capabilities (e.g. smartphone, camera)
Exams
You are required to take two proctored exams for this course.
Midterm Exam | Final Exam | |
---|---|---|
When to Request an Exam | 2 weeks before your midterm exam date | 2 weeks before your final exam date |
Questions and Type |
Multiple choice and Essay |
Multiple choice and Essay |
Points Possible | 190 points | 190 points |
Time Limit | 2 hours total in both parts | 2 hours total |
Quizzes & Assignments
You should submit all assigned work in sequence (Lesson 1, then Lesson 2, etc.) Assignments for the course are listed at the bottom of this syllabus.
Quizzes
Quizzes are taken online. After you submit them, you’ll quickly receive a report on how you did. Unlike exams, you may use any assigned readings, your notes, and other course-related materials to complete graded quizzes and assignments.
Assignments
Assignments may require you to submit your completed work in the form of a file (such as a text document, image, audio or video recording, or multimedia presentation) or a hyperlink for grading.
Reading and Using Feedback
After your work has been graded, you will receive a report that provides individualized feedback and comments on your work. Look carefully at what you missed and read any corresponding feedback. Then study the lesson materials to make certain that you can accomplish the associated learning objectives.
Each lesson provides step-by-step instructions on how to submit your work. Be sure to check submitted work carefully for errors (e.g. spelling, grammar, and punctuation) as they may result in points being deducted.
Grades
Your final grade will be based on the number of points you earn on assignments and exams.
The following grading scale applies only to students who meet this standard:
Grade | Percentage |
---|---|
A | 90–100 |
B | 80–89 |
C | 70–79 |
D | 60–69 |
F | 0–59 |
After completing the course, unofficial transcripts will be available in the Tiger Portal. See this page for information on requesting official transcripts.
AP - Discussions and Chats
Participation in online discussions (e.g., discussion forums, chats, community projects, and/or instructor conferences) is expected and will factor into your overall course grade.
All online discussions described in course lesson pages are required unless your instructor notes otherwise. Your instructor may also arrange additional required chats or instructor conferences. Be sure to regularly check the course calendar and announcements from your instructor regarding upcoming discussions and requirements.
Your participation in required online discussions will be evaluated on criteria such as frequency, timeliness, thoughtfulness and effort, and overall contribution to the knowledge base and learning experience of your classmates. You are also expected to monitor and respond to posts on discussion threads which you have started or have previously contributed to; you should not simply make a post and consider the discussion “done,” because it should be an ongoing conversation with your peers and/or instructor.
Postings that begin new discussion forum threads will be reviewed based on their relevance, demonstrated understanding of course concepts, examples cited, and overall quality. Postings that respond to other students’ posts will be evaluated based on relevance, degree to which they extend discussions, and tone.
In order to earn full credit for forum participation, you must (a) respond to the provided prompt and (b) if asked, post a relevant comment to at least two of your classmates’ posts. This may entail asking a question or comparing and/or contrasting your classmate’s post with your own.
In order to earn full credit for discussion forum participation, your posts and responses must be substantive. In other words, you will not earn credit for just replying "Good post" or "I agree" to a classmate.
AP - Late Work and Absences
Work must be turned in on time for full credit. If you are unable to complete an assignment on time, contact your instructor immediately. Prior permission from the online course instructor must be obtained for special circumstances to receive credit for late work. These decisions will be made on an individual basis.
You must notify your instructor if you expect to be offline for more than 1 week.
AP - Exam Prep Through LearningExpress Library
In the next section, you will find "Getting Started Resources." Within the Library Material is LearningExpress Library, which contains AP practice exams and study material, in addition to what is on the AP website.
Below we are providing you with a direct link to the College Prep Center of the LearningExpress Library. You can only launch it through this link. When you arrive, you should see "Mizzou Academy" on the left-hand side, showing that you are with our institution. You will want to create an account in order to save any work or test prep you do.
Once you click the link below, select "Prepare for your AP Exam". Please create a help ticket (Help -> Report a problem) if you cannot find what you are looking for.
Getting Started Resources (Canvas and Other Resources)
View the content below to learn more about each of these elements and how they work in your Mizzou Academy Canvas course.
Academic Integrity
Our academic integrity policy at Mizzou Academy is based on our values of ethical behavior, learning, and giving all stakeholders the benefit of the doubt. Collaboration, research, and technical literacy are vital 21st-century skills when combined with academic integrity.
Definitions
Mizzou Academy's academic integrity policy is aligned with the University of Missouri’s academic integrity policy. The definitions of what constitutes "cheating" and "plagiarism"are posted on the Provost’s Advising Council’s webpage which can be found here: https://advising.missouri.edu/policies/academic-integrity.
Issues Involving Violations of Academic Integrity
If, when completing any of your assignments or exams for this course, you are found to have demonstrated cheating or plagiarism as defined above, this is a violation of academic integrity. At your teacher's discretion, violations of academic integrity may be subject to either or both of the following actions:
- receiving a zero for the assignment or exam
- receiving an F for the course
Accessibility
If you anticipate barriers related to the format or requirements of this course, please let Mizzou Academy know as soon as possible. If disability-related accommodations are necessary (for example, a scribe, reader, extended time on exams, captioning), please contact Mizzou Academy.
About Exams at Mizzou Academy*
*This section describes the policies of exams at Mizzou Academy. This section only applies if you have exams in your course. See the section above to see if you have exams.
ABOUT EXAMS
Your exams are online. It is your responsibility to schedule your exams.
During exams, unless otherwise noted, you are not allowed to navigate away from the exam or use any other resources. If you deviate from the exam guidelines without proper prior permission, it is considered cheating on an exam.
SCHEDULING EXAMS
Global Courses
Mizzou Academy values fair testing and assessment to determine that students master essential course concepts and skills. During a proctored exam, tests are supervised by an impartial individual (a proctor) to help ensure that all exams maintain academic integrity. You will need to use a Mizzou Academy approved proctor. Please see the Exam Proctoring webpage for more information.
- Choose a proctor and make arrangements for taking the exam.
- At least 2 weeks prior to taking your exam, submit your proctor information to Mizzou Academy
- You will be sent an email notice indicating if your chosen proctor has been approved or denied.
- Arrive at your proctor’s testing site at the scheduled time with a photo ID. At testing time, you will log into your Mizzou Academy account and select the exam for your proctor to access and administer.
Global Classroom Courses
If you are taking a global classroom course, work with your local teacher to identify your date of the exam and how you will be proctored. You do not need to request an exam date with the above form.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR EXAMS
- Complete and review all assignments.
- Review the learning objectives; make sure you can accomplish them.
- Be prepared to explain any key terms and concepts.
- Review all the lessons, exercises, and study questions.
- Review any feedback and/or comments on your assignments and previous exams; look up answers to any questions you missed.
Additional Course Policies and links
**Not applicable to World Language courses.
Canvas and Technical Support
Canvas is where course content, grades, and communication will reside for this course.
- courses.mizzouk12.missouri.edu
- This course is mobile-friendly. Download the mobile apps on your iOS, Android device.
- Getting Started with Canvas
- View the Getting Started Canvas Guides.
- For Canvas, Passwords, or any other computer-related technical support create a ticket in Canvas or contact Mizzou Academy Support.
- How to Get Help in Canvas
- Mizzou AcademySupport Phone: +1 855 256-4975
- Tiger Portal login - https://education.missouri.edu/mizzou-academy/
- Mizzou Academy Email - MizzouAcademy@missouri.edu
Course Summary:
Date | Details | Due |
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