For all you “regular AP” folks:  You will have to take the AP test at the end of the year to receive college credit for my course. You can earn up to six hours just like the dual credit peeps.  You must also take many applied practices in class and a full practice exam in March which will be a participation test grade. Thank me later. Or kill me. Whichever.

Test Format  - Multiple Choice (45%)- 60 minutes to answer 55 questions  -10 minute break between Section 1 and 2  - Three Essays (55%)- 55 minutes for synthesis essay, 40 minutes for argument essay, and 40 minutes for analysis essay

The 3 Prompts will Be:  Argument Essay  Rhetorical Analysis Essay  Synthesis Essay

Thesis and Topic Sentences  - Everything you write should relate back to your thesis, which should, in turn, relate back to the prompt.  - Use topic sentences and transitions for each paragraph.  - Have your thesis and topic sentences written out in your outline before you begin to write. This will help keep your essay tight and structured.

Speculate!  Every non-fiction piece will have various levels of complexity It’s your job to look for that curve, that shift  If you do, you will take your essay to the next level of critical analysis

Argument Question:  Recognize the complexity of the question That is ½ of the purpose of the argument That is a path to a higher score- qualify!!!  If you qualify, make sure you still favor a side. Don’t come across as wishy-washy.  Do not use hypothetical evidence It must be real (use your AP History knowledge, your knowledge from reading & being an informed citizen)

Synthesis Essay  Make sure you cite by using quotes, summaries, or paraphrases  Make their words work for you by incorporating only what you need of the quote  Embed their words in your own words  You must cite 3 or more documents  Yes, you can bring in outside information  The synthesis essay is not worth more, so don’t waste all your time on it

For the Rhetoric Essay  You can always fall back on diction/word choice, but the reader will also reward you for discussing the function of syntax- the rules of language.

Remember:  Discussing purpose & effect( WHY the author uses the device or what his/her intended effect is) is more important than listing terms

AP Critical Thinking Ability  This test is assessing your thinking skills just as much as your writing skills Be willing to take risks Don’t write what everyone else is going to write Use mature and interesting evidence/examples to support your point

Avoid:  -“shows” – go deeper  -“positive” or “negative”  -Writing, “In conclusion…” in your conclusion  -Restating the thesis exactly in both your intro and conclusion

Tips Discussing purpose & effect is always much more important than listing terms  Read the prompt carefully and make sure you know exactly what is being asked before you dive right in  You no longer get points off for wrong answers, so make sure you GUESS on every question you’re not sure about. You never know…

Think like the College Board  The front line and the last line of the piece will be important Discuss their function

Don’t explain the terms  Remember your audience  Your reader knows what polysyndeton is, asyndeton, etc.  Your reader is a college professor or an experienced AP Teacher  If you can’t remember the technical term, or freeze up, discuss punctuation or diction, or ANYTHING you feel might be purposeful or have an effect

Compare-Contrast  If you get a compare-contrast, immediately pick the passage that is more complex, and spend more time writing about it.  The compare/contrast will be about writing styles.

Use Effective Verbs –WRITE THESE DOWN (present tense focusing on what the author is doing)  Conveys, reveals, connotes, delineates, emphasizes, accomplishes, advocates, represents, presents, implements, enhances, contrasts, demonstrates, reflects, asserts, contributes, creates, permeates, flows, illustrates, alludes, displays, paints

Speculate about our culture  The trend in recent years is to include essays or non-fiction pieces with prompts that ask the reader to comment on our culture Ex. ○ Entertainment/technology ○ The media & its effect on democracy ○ Money/Narcissism

Remember…  Who your audience is: College professors & experienced AP Teachers  Make sure you have a mature academic voice & a mature perspective

 Look for the underlying points Ex. The Onion A Modest Proposal

Don’t use a formula for your structure (“5 par. Essay”)

Most Common Multiple Choice Questions  Word in context- what does this word mean  Main idea- be able to grasp important point  Terms- literary devices  Function- what is the effect of a device/word?  Organization/structure- characterizing/clustering

Multiple Choice Help  Don’t skip questions- answer every one  Circle your answers in the book & then, after each passage, transfer them over  If you are running out of time, quickly answer the word in context questions  Read the FULL question- those “EXCEPT” questions can kill you

Stamina  Eat and sleep right the TWO days before the test (including the day of the test, which is May 12)  You don’t want to burn out by the last section of the multiple choice or by the last essay This could make a difference between a 3 and a 4 or a 2/3

What to bring  You must bring : a blue or black pen, a couple of sharpened #2 pencils, and a highlighter is optional.  DO NOT BRING CELL PHONES.  Dictionaries and thesauri are not allowed either.

Ask me in class, ask me during tutorial, or me: