Course Syllabus

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AP english language & composition, First Semester

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI HIGH SCHOOL

Welcome

We are pleased that you selected this course to fulfill your unique educational needs. You are now a member of the Mizzou Academy's global student body.

Course Overview

This is a 16 week online course composed of an orientation week and 15 weekly sessions. Expect to invest about 9-15 hours a week on course activities and assignments.

The AP English Language and Composition course focuses on the development and revision of evidence-based analytic and argumentative writing and the rhetorical analysis of nonfiction texts. Students will develop evidence-based analytic and argumentative essays that proceed through several stages the writing process and drafts.  Students will evaluate, synthesize, and cite research to support their arguments.  Throughout the course, students will develop a personal style by making appropriate grammatical and rhetorical choices.  Additionally, students will read and analyze the rhetorical elements in non-fiction texts, including graphic images as forms of text.

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 to the pacing chart accordingly so you can complete your course before the scheduled AP exam dates or use this link to find more information about Advanced Placement and to see the AP Exam Calendar.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

This online course will:

  • prepare you to take the College Board Advanced Placement English Language and Composition Examination.
  • help you become a skilled reader and writer by composing in several forms, writing informally, and writing expository, analytical, and argumentative compositions.
  • develop your research skills and the ability to evaluate, use, and cite primary and secondary sources.
  • build strategies for revising your writing in order to develop a wide-ranging vocabulary and an effective use of rhetoric, including tone, voice, diction, and sentence structure.
  • develop on online learning community of AP scholars.

On a more personal note, as you can see from the course objectives, this course is not designed only for the AP exam. It will also reflect the aspiration of creating lifelong learners through student-centered, active learning. We will be using a variety of readings and activities to keep you motivated and learning. This course will be both rigorous and rewarding, and your instructor looks forward to exploring the content and application of language and composition with you this year.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisite courses for AP English Language and Composition.

Students should be able to read and comprehend college-level texts and apply the conventions of Standard Written English in their writing.

Required Materials

  • Speakers or a pair of headphones (headphones preferred)
  • You will be required to purchase ONE of the following texts.  You will be given more information about which book to purchase in Lesson 6.
    • I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (ISBN-10: 0812980026)
    • A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah (ISBN-10: 0374531269)
    • Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (ISBN-10: 0375714839)
    • Night by Elie Wiesel (ISBN-10: 0374500010)

Technical Requirements

The most up-to-date requirements can be found here: 

Additional requirements for the course are below: 

  • audio and video recording capabilities (e.g. smartphone, camera)

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.

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.

Most Mizzou Academy courses include graded quizzes, submitted assignments, online discussions, or a combination of these elements.

You may use any assigned readings, your notes, and other course-related materials to complete your graded quizzes, submitted work, and/or online discussions. The points you earn on your submitted work will count toward your final course grade. Be sure to check your work carefully for errors (e.g. spelling, grammar, and punctuation) as errors may result in points being deducted.

Each lesson provides step-by-step instructions on how to submit your work.

Graded Quizzes

All quizzes for Mizzou Academy Online / MU High School courses are taken online. After you submit them, you’ll quickly receive a report on how you did.

NOTE: The graded quizzes cannot be retaken because you will receive immediate feedback for all items you’ve missed.

Submitted Assignments

Assignments may consist of written work (essays, compositions, etc.), collaborative projects, journal entries, audio or video recordings, multimedia presentations, graphics, etc. Each assignment will list the instructions for completing that assignment. 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. See your Helpful Resources section of your course for tutorials.

Canvas automatically allows students to resubmit assignments. However, students should not resubmit assignments without prior instructor approval.

Grades

Your final grade will be based on the number of points you earn on assignments and exams.

You will be able to see your exam percentage in the "Exams" column in your gradebook.

 

Grading Scale
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. 

Exams

You are required to take two proctored exams for this course.

See the "About Exams" in the policies section for additional information on exams at Mizzou Academy.

AP Exam

When you register for the AP exam, please use the Mizzou Academy/University of MO High School provider code: 041. If you have any questions, please let your AP instructor or our AP Coordinator, Alicia Bixby know. Ms. Bixby’s email is bixbya@missouri.edu. 

AP - Discussions

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.

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 obained 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 K-12" 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.

EBSCOhost

Canvas and Technical Support

Canvas will be used as the primary platform for accessing course materials and assignments for this class.

Course Summary:

Course Summary
Date Details Due