Grade Level 11 or 12
2 Semesters
Homework: High
Prerequisite: Current Teacher recommendation and meeting with current AP English teacher to review writing abilities if successfully completing English 10 honors with an A: successful completion of English 11 Honors with a B or higher: successful completion of English 11 with a B or higher. Any student who does not meet these requirements may request enrollment pending a review of student work, and a meeting with the current AP English Teacher.

This course is the equivalent of an entry level college course that engages students in the study of the rhetorical analysis of any form—ranging from memoirs, short stories, novels primary resources, and opinion pieces, to political cartoons, grafts, and images—across any subject under the fictive and non-fictive domain. Students are expected to read carefully and perceptively to deepen their understanding and appreciation of all forms of written and expressive communication as they establish foundational competencies in the analysis of both imaginative literature, and expository writing as critical standards for interpreting the effects of an author’s artful manipulation of language are developed throughout the course. Students also study writing and speaking skills that will allow them to express their interpretations logically and precisely as they continually study, and develop their own rhetorical craft.

Our goal is to instill an understanding that the consideration of how a work is composed is equally as important as distilling meaning from that work—that the craft of the writing (or the selected medium) adds depth, color, and creativity, forcing one to better receive the intended purpose of the work. As we come to understand the relationship between craft, and final product, we will work to implement these skills ourselves, becoming more adept at expressing our purpose, defining our stance, and engaging with our audience.

Tecumseh High School