Advanced Placement Summer Institute — English Language and Composition
Course Description
This intensive four-day summer institute provides teachers with strategies and resources to prepare students for success on the AP English Language and Composition Exam. Using the structure of the actual AP test as a guide, participants will explore instructional approaches adaptable to courses organized by genre, theme, or historical chronology. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the rhetorical situation and designing lessons that help students become critical thinkers capable of applying their skills in real-world contexts. Rigor in reading, writing, and analysis will be modeled throughout the workshop.
Through demonstration lessons, collaborative activities, and guided practice, participants will strengthen classroom instruction and assessment practices. Teachers will engage with AP-style materials, scoring rubrics, and College Board electronic resources while developing strategies tailored to their own classrooms.
Key topics include:
- Structuring arguments and addressing the synthesis prompt
- Teaching rhetorical analysis effectively
- Strategies for success with AP multiple-choice questions
- Selecting and analyzing appropriate texts
- Balancing fiction and nonfiction in the curriculum
- Designing and scoring essays using AP rubrics
- Teaching grammar and syntax in context
- Planning lessons, units, and an audit syllabus
- Classroom strategies that promote engagement, critical thinking, and rigor
Participants will leave with a professional toolkit of classroom-ready materials, practical strategies, and the confidence to lead a rigorous and engaging AP English Language and Composition course.
Four-Day Workshop Syllabus
Day 1: Foundations & Rhetorical Analysis
- Overview of the AP English Language and Composition Course and Exam
- Understanding the rhetorical situation and real-world application
- Close reading nonfiction texts
- Rhetorical analysis exercises and discussion
Day 2: Argumentation & Synthesis
- Structuring arguments and thesis development
- Teaching the synthesis essay
- Integrating multiple sources effectively
- Guided practice with AP-style prompts
Day 3: AP Multiple Choice & Text Selection
- Strategies for AP multiple-choice success
- Selecting and analyzing texts: balancing fiction and nonfiction
- Incorporating contemporary and real-world examples
- Collaborative lesson and unit design
Day 4: Writing, Grammar, Scoring & Curriculum Planning
- Teaching grammar and syntax in context
- Essay scoring workshops using AP rubrics
- Developing lessons, units, and an audit syllabus
- Classroom strategies for engagement and rigor
- Reflection, portfolio development, and next steps
