This course is designed to help students become skilled readers and writers through engagement with the following course requirements:

Composing in several forms (e.g., narrative, expository, analytical, and argumentative essays) about a variety of subjects
Writing that proceeds through several stages or drafts, with revision aided by teacher and peers
Writing informally (e.g., imitation exercises, journal keeping, collaborative writing), which helps students become aware of themselves as writers and the techniques employed by other writers
Writing expository, analytical, and argumentative compositions based on readings representing a variety of prose styles and genres
Reading nonfiction (e.g., essays, journalism, science writing, autobiographies, criticism)
Analyzing graphics and visual images both in relation to written texts and as alternative forms of text themselves
Developing research skills and the ability to evaluate, use, and cite primary and secondary sources
Conducting research and writing argument papers in which students present an argument of their own that includes the analysis and synthesis of ideas from an array of sources
Citing sources using a recognized editorial style (e.g., Modern Language Association, The Chicago Manual of Style)
Revising work to develop:
A wide-ranging vocabulary used appropriately and effectively;
A variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of subordination and coordination;
Logical organization, enhanced by techniques such as repetition, transitions, and emphasis;
A balance of generalization and specific, illustrative detail; and
An effective use of rhetoric, including tone, voice, diction, and sentence structure.

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* Advanced Placement and AP are registered trademarks of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, these offerings.