1. Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition 2010 Professional Development (shortened and adapted by Ms. Teref) Ira Abrams Chicago Public Schools

2. The “uni-prompt” Is there a single, essential question that students are being asked in your class? Can you reduce all three AP Lit questions to a single question?

3. The uni-prompt (no matter how CollegeBoard phrases their prompts, they’re always asking the same question) Mr. Abrams’ version of the uni-prompt: -How do writers use literary techniques in order to communicate (or explore) specific, complex meanings? -In make-up lingo: What strobing and contouring techniques did Kim Kardashian use to beautify her face? -In gaming lingo? Other lingo? or Ms. Teref’s version: -What do writers do as artists to make a situation dramatic? ex: The other side of embroidery: http://www.needlenthread.com/2012/08/other-side -hand- embroidery.html

4. Raising the level of student work Essays scored 4 or lower most often result from students “dumbing down” the task. A series of lower-scoring sample essay opening paragraphs will be projected in the next few slides. What instructions would you give these students in order to get them to engage the task more fully?

5. The Prompt and the Problem The following prompt can be found on Question 1 of the 2010 AP English Lit/Comp Exam: Read carefully the following poem by Marilyn Nelson Waniek. Then write an essay analyzing how Waniek employs literary techniques to develop the complex meanings that the speaker attributes to The Century Quilt. You may wish to consider such elements as structure, imagery, and tone. 2010 Q1 Sample B; score: 4

6. …and the Problem again… 2010 Sample A; score: 3

7. …and the Problem again… 2010 Q1 Sample XX; score: 2

8. …and the Problem again 2010 Q1 Sample R – Score 4

9. 1. Identify a) a list of problems these students were experiencing b) roots of the problems 2. What advice would you give to these students’ teachers?

10. Here’s what Mr. Abrams would ask 1.Should students be trained to repeat the prompt in the first paragraph? 2.Should students be trained to organize essays around a list of literary techniques/devices? 3.Should the first paragraph make specific claims about the complex effect or meaning of the text? Or should it remain vague?

11. Do you agree that the problem is that… These writers don’t discuss specific “complex meanings” that the speaker attributes to The Century Quilt. They introduce specific literary techniques without stating how these are used by the poet “to develop the complex meanings that the speaker attributes to The Century Quilt.”

12. Review the Prompt for 2010 Q1 (let’s break down the question below) Read carefully the following poem by Marilyn Nelson Waniek. Then write an essay analyzing how Waniek employs literary techniques to develop the complex meanings that the speaker attributes to The Century Quilt. You may wish to consider such elements as structure, imagery, and tone.

13. What an adequate response might look like: Sample YYY; score: 9

14. -What strategies does this highly successful student-writer use? - What is this highly successful student-writer NOT doing?

15. Do you agree with Mr. Abrams conclusion? The first paragraph has a thesis or central tension which defines the complex meanings attributed to the quilt. The description of the quilt’s theme or meanings respects that fact that the poem’s meaning is not static but “develops” as we read and as we deepen our understanding of the work.

16. Do you agree with this analysis of Mr. Abrams’? The student does not repeat the prompt. There is no laundry list of technical terms for literary techniques. There is not much of a distracting “grabber”- type introduction. Nearly all of this first paragraph is about the poem; there is a brief “grabber” sentence, but it is seamlessly related to the statement of the poem’s theme (i.e.“complex meanings”).

17. How does the successful writer introduce the “literary techniques”? The one “technique” mentioned in ¶ 1, “symbol”, is not from the list of suggested techniques in the prompt; moreover, it is embedded in a meaningful statement about a specific idea:

18. A different way to succeed: 2010 Q1 Sample VVV – Score 8

19. A different way to succeed VVV remains vague in the first paragraph and does not provide a specific interpretation of the complex meanings attributed by the speaker to the quilt. However, the student does not dumb down the task and, eventually, produces a specific statement connecting the structure of the poem with a specific description of the quilt’s meaning.

20. Time to look at some essays: a) a 5 b) a 3/4 c) a 6/7 or an8/9

21. Review the Q1 prompt and scoring guide Do not begin reading the scoring guide at “9”. Instead read the description of a “5” essay first, then read the description of a “4/3” essay. After that, you may proceed in any order you would like. Notice the repeated or almost repeated phrases and words that establish the distinctions between the various score-descriptions. In particular notice the significant differences between the descriptions of “upper half” (5-9) essays and the description for “4/3” essays.

22. Examine the Sample Essays using the questions that have been distributed: Don’t focus too much on whether this essay is good or bad. Look at what strategies the student writer has used and whether these strategies have been used effectively or not.

23. Sample Essay Discussion Procedure 1.Read the assigned sample essays from your packet. 2.Score each essay from 1-9 (we do not have any “–” or “0” scores today) and WRITE DOWN YOUR SCORES! 3.Once everyone at your table has scored the essays, you may begin to discuss the essay. 4.The table leaders’ consensus score will be announced, with brief commentary. 5.Discuss the essays again at your table with the aim of coming to a consensus.