2020 AP EXAM SCHEDULE
AP Exam Practice
LITERARY TERMS
from 1st semester 2020: Click HERE.
Click HERE for the 2020 sem 1 google doc for LITERARY TERMS!
from 2nd semester 2020: Click HERE.
AP PRACTICE ACTIVITIES
Tale of Two Cities
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AP MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST ON Tale of Two Cities (use scanner). If you need a copy of the test, click HERE. Spend a total of no more than 60 min. max. Do not use any resources. HINT: If you can eliminate ONE choice, you should guess rather than leaving an answer blank for this practice test only. Click HERE for a briefing on how the AP Lit. & Comp. exam is set up. Write your answers on YOUR OWN SHEET OF PAPER. Label this sheet “AP MC Tale of Two Cities Test.” Also on this sheet, jot down your test number and total number of minutes your spent. As you are taking the test, if you run into literary terminology unfamiliar to you, do not look up these terms. On the BACK of this same sheet, make a list/record any unfamiliar literary terms or new vocabulary. Your group will need these lists to consolidate.
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AP ESSAY EXAM on Tale of Two Cities. (The question may be typed on the last page of your Tale of 2 Multiple Choice test, but if you need a copy of the question with tips!, click 2016 TTC AP essay_001 or HERE.) You may word process the essay (double-spaced). If you hand write it, please write legibly and do not write on the back side of the pages. The time limit is 40 min. max. Spend about 10 min. of planning and 30 min. writing.. You may NOT use any outside resources. Of course, this means you may NOT use the text. Here’s the question: In literature, some characters are clearly heroic or villainous. Other characters, however, are more ambiguous, displaying a mixture of positive and negative qualities. In a well-organized essay, consider two or three such characters in A Tale of Two Cities, explain what makes them ambiguous, and discuss how this ambiguity contributes to one or more of the novel’s themes. Click HERE! Brief on how the AP Lit. & Comp exam is set up. -
Do WA ______ Reaction AP EXAM (2 sides)
side one: First, read the sheet called “How to Score an AP Exam.” Click 2013 AP essay scoring explained for the sheet. After reading, think about how your essay matches those descriptors.
Write a side of a page sharing your reaction to the concept of/format of/taking/results of your first AP Exam. What have you learned in the process of taking the Multiple Choice and doing the first essay? IDEAS FOR COMMENTING: What was it like taking the tests, reaction to your results, how did the group consensus debrief go, what did you learn in the process, any questions about your score? Be sure to discuss what you’ve noticed in your essay now that some time has passed. Fire away!
2nd side: Now, look up 5 of the literary terms our class identified as problematic. Check out the GOOGLE DOC for our class list of troublesome terms/words on AP MC exam 1. Write down 5 of these terms, their definitions, and an example on the back of this journal. Some examples of some of the most common difficult terms are these: aphorism, antithesis, anaphora, allegory/allegorical, apostrophe–in the poetic sense of the word, alliteration, bathos, pathos, chiasmus, didactic, litotes, synecdoche, syntax.
A Prayer for Owen Meany Q3
Click 2013 AP first essay choice of summer novel Fay Weldon 1996… for a copy of the hand-out to review with the question for this essay. You must use A Prayer for Owen Meany for this essay. You MUST HAND WRITE THE ESSAY! Please write legibly and do not write on the back side of the pages. The time limit is 40 min. max. 10 min. of that 40 min. must be spent planning the essay. YOU WILL TURN IN YOUR PLANNING WORK FOR OLSON TO PEEK AT. You may NOT use any outside resources. Of course, this means you may NOT use the text. BE SURE TO WRITE DOWN WHEN SCORE YOU THINK YOU WILL GET (OUT OF 9) AT THE TOP OF THE ESSAY AND SAY WHY.
Here’s the prompt: The “nature vs. nurture” debate has raged for many years. The question is whether a person’s inherent nature or the way he or she is “nurtured,” or raised, is the more critical factor in determining what kind of person he or she will eventually become. Write a well-organized essay discussing your position. Use examples from your observation, experience, and/or reading (particularly of A Prayer for Owen Meany) to support your position.
AP Essay on A Prayer for Owen Meany. You may word process the essay (double-spaced). If you handwrite it, please write legibly and do not write on the back side of the pages. The time limit is 40 min. max. About 10 min. of that 40 min. should be spent planning the essay. You may NOT use any outside resources. Of course, this means you may NOT use the text.
Here’s the prompt:
The “nature vs. nurture” debate has raged for many years. The question is whether a person’s inherent nature or the way he or she is “nurtured,” or raised, is the more critical factor in determining what kind of person he or she will eventually become.
Write a well-organized essay discussing the position put forth from reading A Prayer for Owen Meany
The Great Gatsby–plan, read, score
Click 2020 AP Q3 Deception Gatsby Practice Scoring.
Pride and Prejudice Q3
CLICK 2020 rubric CB full size.
Do the AP Q3 Deception essay for Pride and Prejudice–fill out the first page of planning for 10 minutes. Write for no more than 30 minutes. Please double space your essay. Do not consult any other sources. Please highlight your thesis.
Q3 AP Essay on Pride and Prejudice. You may word process the essay (double-spaced). If you hand write it, please write legibly and do not write on the back side of the pages. The time limit is 40 min. max. About 10 min. of that 40 min. should be spent planning the essay. You may NOT use any outside resources. Of course, this means you may NOT use the text.
Prompt idea 1: Deception
Prompt idea 2:
Prompt idea 3:
Using Pride and Prejudice, write an essay in which you analyze the sources of conflict and explain how the conflict contributes to the meaning of the work. In addition analyze the author’s choices in diction and imagery that help to develop the reader’s understanding of the conflict and how it relates to the meaning of the work. Avoid plot summary. 
FOR FUN, take a look that this Austen Pride & Prejudice Facebook page:
http://www.much-ado.net/austenbook/
Beowulf or Grendel
2018 Gift Topic—Beowulf
OR
2017 Origins Topic–Grendel
CLICK 2020 Q3 Beow Gift or Grendel Origins Essay.
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Do AP Essay #3 Q3 either on
a Gift and Beowulf OR
on Origins and Grendel. Before you write the essay, you must spend 10 minutes brainstorming on page two of the purple planning sheet.
Then, set your timer for 30 minutes to hand write the essay. Be sure to DOUBLE SPACE the essay and write legibly. When you are done, answer the debriefing questions at the bottom of the purple brainstorming sheet AND score yourself using the rubric. Click 2020 Q3 Beow Gift or Grendel Origins Essay if you need the hand-out.
Tips on How to Approach the
AP Lit. Essay on Poetry
Unlocking a poem’s meaning: There are two parts: the “What”- (central purpose) and the “How”- (stylistic devices employed to enhance meaning)
a. Annotate copiously as you read the first time for poem’s meaning (central purpose) and stylistic devices.
b. Determine poem’s central purpose- there is always a deeper meaning unrelated to plot in great poetry. For example, what universal comment is the poet making about life, mankind, or the human condition? Plato
believed that “Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history.” What vital truth has the poet discovered? How does the speaker feel (his attitude) about his subject?
c. Re-read the poem, once again noting stylistic devices. You should be analyzing and determining the poem’s tone/s, and contemplating the irony within the poem-it will be there. Don’t be afraid to take risks;
readers reward the unique and insightful thinker.
d. Locating shifts IS essential- look for transitions in the poem: but, therefore, since, although, etc. Also, use clear transitions in your essay. These help the reader follow the flow of your essay.
e. Make a very brief plan before you write: cluster, list, etc.
f. Begin to write. Get to the point. Cite title, poet, and central purpose, perhaps making a philosophical comment as you introduce your thesis. Try to make a strong first impression. Keep your paragraphs organized; don’t digress.
g. Write to express, not impress. Inflated writing seldom gets the
top scores.
h. Use all your time, approaching the poem chronologically-line by line, or stanza by stanza- if you are comfortable with that; if not, you might approach your analysis through the different elements: irony, tone,
alliteration, metaphors, etc.
i. Before you end your essay, revisit the title and its implications,making sure you include a reference to it in your essay.
j. Pay careful attention to the first and last two lines of the poem.
k. Save a minute or two to proofread your essay; if you cannot read it, the readers won’t be able to either!
l. Make sure you have put the title in quotation marks and that you have included the poet’s name.
m. Do not confuse the poet with the speaker. They will almost always be different and you will run into trouble if you do.
Other Points to Remember
1. Always refer to the poet or speaker by last name only-never use first name only.
2. Give support and more support. Use the poem!
3. Use ellipsis dots to shorten a long quote, and keep quotations from the poem as short as possible. One word is often enough. The readers have the poem in front of them; a full sentence is nearly always too much
by far.
4. When citing an element, don’t just mention it. Explain how it functions
5. Avoid “laundry lists” of elements that go nowhere.
6. When referring to a word as a word, underline it or put quotes around it. (“Nothing” is repeated frequently)
7. Place the end punctuation mark inside the quotation.
8. If you finish writing before time is up, DON’T. You should be using every single minute.
9. Read your response backward; this allows you to catch mistakes because you are forced to look at each word.
10. Check spelling as best as you can.
11. Avoid giving your essay a title.
12. Do not bother with line numbers; they are not necessary in a timed writing, and we do not look at them.
13. Underline titles of long works; use quotation marks around titles of shorter works. Poems are put in quotation marks!
14. Do NOT write in pencil.
15. Do not use white out; the AP readers understand that you are writing a rough draft.
16. Don’t define terms; the readers are experienced AP teachers and college professors.
“It’s a Woman’s World”
NEW 2020 with 6 point rubric
Click HERE.
Do an AP essay based on Eavan Boland’s “It’s a Woman’s World.” 
Click 2019 Boland AP Essay Packet for the packet guiding you through the process. You will turn this packet in with your annotations along with the essay, which may be typed double spaced or handwritten. Spend no more than 40 min. total. Spend a full 10 minutes planning–-you must use the white worksheet, and then spend 30 minutes writing. Before you start, think about the differing approaches we have discussed in terms of how to “unpack” a poem:
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Consider choosing ONE of the following analytical approaches: 1.) Explicate, 2.) Perrine, or 3.) TP-CASTT
See below:
1. METHOD #1: EXPLICATE! How to Explicate a Poem and DIDLS (diction, imagery, details, language, syntax) Click HERE for this sheet. 2. METHOD #2: PERRINE’S Question Method Click 2016 3 Poetry Analysis Methods for this sheet. 3. METHOD #3: TP-CASTT Click 2015 TP-CASTT Poetry Method001(1) for this sheet.
Once you have chosen your approach, you might use it to analyze your assigned poem applying any literary terms that you see evidence of in the poem and discuss any universal questions that surface in the poem. Be sure to try to find the connection between the use of the devices and how they inform the major universal questions/themes that surface in the poem.
HERE ARE THE DIRECTIONS NOW THAT YOU ARE READY TO START THE TIMER FOR 40 minutes total:
Click 2019 Boland AP Essay Packet for the packet guiding you through the process. You will turn this packet in with your annotations along with the essay, which may be typed double spaced or handwritten.
Before reading the AP essay prompt typed at the top above the poem, 
read the rubric (on page two of the packet). This is what the AP readers used when this was the poem chosen for the AP Lit. Exam poetry essay a number of years ago.
Now it is time to start.
First, read the poem carefully (maybe aloud to your cat?)–probably twice!
Then do the pre-reading–use page 3 and annotate letting the EXPLICATE, PERRINE, or TPCASTT guide you. Spend no more than 10 minutes on this pre-writing sheet. When the 10 minutes is over, set your timer for 30 minutes and start writing (or typing) the essay. Stop exactly at 30 minutes. 
After writing the essay, give yourself a predicted score (1-9) and tell why you think you deserve this score. If you typed the essay, make sure you print it out and staple it to the packet.
SCORING SAMPLES:
Score “It’s a Woman’s World” AP Essays using the worksheet given out in class. HERE’S HOW: 1. Review the poem “It’s a Woman’s World” by Eavan Boland found on page AP1 in the very back of our blue Poetry Packet. Next review the scoring rubrics on pages AP3 and AP4. If you need a copy of the scoring rubric, click HERE. 2. Read the sample AP essays on this poem written by actual AP Lit test takers in 1997, the year this poem appeared on the exam. (see pages AP 5-AP 10 in the yellow section of the blue POETRY PACKET. If you don’t have your blue POETRY packet, click HERE and scroll way down.) 3. Score each essay using the rubric you were given.
NOTE: YOU WILL FIRST SCORE THE ESSAYS ON THE 9 POINT SCALE, AND THEN SCORE EACH ESSAY ON THE NEW 6 POINT SCALE!
For each essay, predict a “gut score.” Make sure you write down justification for the scores on the worksheet. If you need a copy of this worksheet, click HERE. Then check your “gut score” with the rubric(s) and adjust it if necessary. (This is worth 5 points, but the experience is priceless.) I f you need a copy of the scoring rubric, click HERE.
For a copy of the essays in the Poetry packet, click HERE (part 2) and scroll down. If you would like a copy of the poem, click HERE.
OLD–pre 6 point rubric
Score “It’s a Woman’s World” AP Essays using the worksheet given out in class. 
HERE’S HOW:
1. Review the poem “It’s a Woman’s World” by Eavan Boland found on page P9 or AP1 (in the very back of our blue Poetry Packet). 
2. Next review the scoring rubrics on pages AP3 and AP4. If you need a copy of the scoring rubric, click HERE. 3. Read the sample AP essays on this poem written by actual AP Lit test takers in 1997, the year this poem appeared on the exam. (see pages AP 5-AP 10 in the yellow section of the blue POETRY PACKET. If you don’t have your blue POETRY packet, click HERE and scroll way down.)
4. Score each essay using the rubric (each group got a different color) you were given. For each essay, predict a “gut score.” Make sure you write down justification for the scores on the worksheet. If you need a copy of this worksheet, click HERE. Then check your “gut score” with the rubric(s) and adjust it if necessary. (This is worth 5 points, but the experience is priceless.) I f you need a copy of the scoring rubric, click HERE.
For a copy of the essays in the Poetry packet, click HERE (part 2) and scroll down. If you would like a copy of the poem, click HERE.
“Death of a Toad”
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OPTIONAL . . . but highly worth the time! 
EXTRA EXTENSION: Find out what all the fuss was about! Read the most controversially-scored AP Essay ever! It was about the poem by Richard Wilbur called “The Death of a Toad.” The poem is reprinted on page AP 11 in the back of your blue POETRY PACKET. Read the scoring guide on page AP 12 and then the controversial essay on ages AP 13-14 (or click HERE). This essay was discussed for over 2 hours before the AP graders came to resolution!
“The Death Of a Toad.” Read the pages (pages AP 11-AP15) in our blue poetry packet surrounding the controversy in the scoring of the 1998 AP Essay on Richard Wilburs’ “The Death of a Toad.” Read the poem and the prompt for the essay on p. AP 11 carefully. Then read the scoring rubric on page AP 12. The controversial essay is on pages AP 13-14. The final scoring of this essay took finally came about after about 3 hours of discussion. Apparently, one AP reader gave it a 2 out of 9, and the other gave it a 9 out of 9. Neither reader was willing to budge. They MUST be within 1-2 points of one another. It took the “MASTER READER” and hours of discussion to decide. Knowing that, read the essay again and decide what score you would give it and WHY? 
Jot down your opinions on this essay and why you think it deserved the score you gave it. What else would you like to share about this poem? Finally read the letter Dick (Richard Wilburs) sent to a student named Penny who wrote to him to ask about the poem. What do you think of his response? What a rare treat–to actually have a poet share that much about his poem with a student! I’ll share what happened with the scoring of this essay later if anyone in class decides to read it.
Q2 Barber “The Street”
Hamlet MC.
Hamlet Essay
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AP Essay #4: AP Universal Questions Practice Essay
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Following the prompt below, use either Hamlet or R&G as the basis of your essay. You may NOT use any outside resources. Of course, this means you may NOT use the text however tempting it may be. You may word process the essay (double-spaced). If you hand write it, please write legibly, and do not write on the back side of the pages. The time limit is 40 minutes max. Use about 10 minutes of that time to plan the essay. Remember to record your predictions and feelings about the essay on your white AP Practice Tracking Sheet directly following completion of the essay. Here is the prompt:
“Literature is the question without the answer.” Analyze a central question the work raises and the extent to which it offers any answers. Examine how the author’s treatment of this question affects your understanding of the work as a whole.
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Frankenstein MC
BANK of AP PRACTICE ESSAYS:
POSSIBLE TOPICS
Faye Weldon Click 2013 AP first essay choice of summer novel Fay Weldon 1996… for a copy of the hand-out to review with the question for this essay. You may word process the essay (double-spaced). If you hand write it, please write legibly and do not write on the back side of the pages. The time limit is 40 min. max. About 10 min. of that 40 min. should be spent planning the essay. You may NOT use any outside resources. Of course, this means you may NOT use the text.
AP Essay You may word process the essay (double-spaced). If you hand write it, please write legibly and do not write on the back side of the pages. The time limit is 40 min. max. About 10 min. of that 40 min. should be spent planning the essay. You may NOT use any outside resources. Of course, this means you may NOT use the text. THE PROMPT: Choose a novel or a play that depicts a conflict between a parent (or a parental figure) and a son or daughter. Write an essay in which you analyze the sources of the conflict and explain how the conflict contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid plot summary. 
Click HERE for the prompt with some suggested works. You may use any works of “literary merit.” Click HERE for the Literary Time Periods Time line/Works Most Frequently Appearing on the AP Open-ended Essay.
AP Essay: AP Universal Questions Practice Essay
You MUST use a work of literature we have read as part of the curriculum in this class. You may NOT use any outside resources. Of course, this means you may NOT use the text.
“Literature is the question without the answer.” Analyze a central question the work raises and the extent to which it offers any answers. Examine how the author’s treatment of this question affects your understanding of the work as a whole.
You may word process the essay (double-spaced). If you hand write it, please write legibly, and do not write on the back side of the pages. The time limit is 40 minutes max. Use about 10 minutes of that time to plan the essay.
Resources
Literary Terms
The following sites are very helpful in defining literary terms (and recommended by the AP College Board readers of the Lit. Exam):
http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/lit_terms/
http://www.poeticbyway.com/glossary.html
Literary Criticism
http://www.literaryhistory.com/index.htm
AP Practice POETRY TERMS:
Click 2009 Poetry Terms FINAL MASTER BLANK STUDENT TYPE ON or 2008 AP POETRY TERMS.Scan001 for a copy of the common terms we’ve used with poetry.
AP POETRY TIPS:
Click 2012 POETRY TIPS _001
For help with poetry analysis:
1. How to Explicate a Poem Click HERE for this sheet.
2. TP-CASTT Click 2015 TP-CASTT Poetry Method001(1) for this sheet.
3. DIDLS (diction, imagery, details, language, syntax)
What are FIG questions? Click 2014 FIG Questions Explanation Sheet.
Tips on How to Approach the
AP Lit. Essay on Poetry 
Unlocking a poem’s meaning: There are two parts: the “What”- (central purpose) and the “How”- (stylistic devices employed to enhance meaning)
a. Annotate copiously as you read the first time for poem’s meaning (central purpose) and stylistic devices.
b. Determine poem’s central purpose- there is always a deeper meaning unrelated to plot in great poetry. For example, what universal comment is the poet making about life, mankind, or the human condition? Plato
believed that “Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history.” What vital truth has the poet discovered? How does the speaker feel (his attitude) about his subject?
c. Re-read the poem, once again noting stylistic devices. You should be analyzing and determining the poem’s tone/s, and contemplating the irony within the poem-it will be there. Don’t be afraid to take risks;
readers reward the unique and insightful thinker.
d. Locating shifts IS essential- look for transitions in the poem: but, therefore, since, although, etc. Also, use clear transitions in your essay. These help the reader follow the flow of your essay.
e. Make a very brief plan before you write: cluster, list, etc.
f. Begin to write. Get to the point. Cite title, poet, and central purpose, perhaps making a philosophical comment as you introduce your thesis. Try to make a strong first impression. Keep your paragraphs organized; don’t digress.
g. Write to express, not impress. Inflated writing seldom gets the
top scores.
h. Use all your time, approaching the poem chronologically-line by line, or stanza by stanza- if you are comfortable with that; if not, you might approach your analysis through the different elements: irony, tone,
alliteration, metaphors, etc.
i. Before you end your essay, revisit the title and its implications,making sure you include a reference to it in your essay.
j. Pay careful attention to the first and last two lines of the poem.
k. Save a minute or two to proofread your essay; if you cannot read it, the readers won’t be able to either!
l. Make sure you have put the title in quotation marks and that you have included the poet’s name.
m. Do not confuse the poet with the speaker. They will almost always be different and you will run into trouble if you do.
Other Points to Remember
1. Always refer to the poet or speaker by last name only-never use first name only.
2. Give support and more support. Use the poem!
3. Use ellipsis dots to shorten a long quote, and keep quotations from the poem as short as possible. One word is often enough. The readers have the poem in front of them; a full sentence is nearly always too much
by far.
4. When citing an element, don’t just mention it. Explain how it functions
5. Avoid “laundry lists” of elements that go nowhere.
6. When referring to a word as a word, underline it or put quotes around it. (“Nothing” is repeated frequently)
7. Place the end punctuation mark inside the quotation.
8. If you finish writing before time is up, DON’T. You should be using every single minute.
9. Read your response backward; this allows you to catch mistakes because you are forced to look at each word.
10. Check spelling as best as you can.
11. Avoid giving your essay a title.
12. Do not bother with line numbers; they are not necessary in a timed writing, and we do not look at them.
13. Underline titles of long works; use quotation marks around titles of shorter works. Poems are put in quotation marks!
14. Do NOT write in pencil.
15. Do not use white out; the AP readers understand that you are writing a rough draft.
16. Don’t define terms; the readers are experienced AP teachers and college professors.
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Fifty Fun Things to do during an AP Exam
by Roy Deering, AP Instructor in Oklahoma
NOTE: You should not attempt these things during an actual exam. The following is meant for entertainment purposes only.
1. Bring a pillow. Fall asleep (or pretend to) until the last 15 minutes. Wake up, say “oh geez, better get cracking” and do some gibberish work. Turn it in a few minutes early.
2. Get a copy of the exam, run out screaming “Andre, Andre, I’ve got the secret documents!!”
3. If it is a math/science exam, answer in essay form. If it is long answer/essay form, answer with numbers and symbols. Be creative. Use the integral symbol.
4. Make paper airplanes out of the exam. Aim them at the instructor’s left nostril.
5. Talk the entire way through the exam. Read questions aloud, debate your answers with yourself out loud. If asked to stop, yell out, “I’m so sure you can hear me thinking. ” Then start talking about what a jerk the instructor is.
6. Bring cheerleaders.
7. Walk in, get the exam, sit down. About five minutes into it, loudly say to the instructor, “I don’t understand any of this. I’ve been to every lecture all semester long! What’s the deal? And who are you? Where’s the regular guy?”
8. Bring a Game Boy (or today’s popular equivalent). Play with the volume at max level.
9. On the answer sheet (book, whatever) find a new, interesting way to refuse to answer every question. For example: I refuse to answer this question on the grounds that it conflicts with my religious beliefs. Be creative.
10. Bring pets.
11. Run into the exam room looking about frantically. Breathe a sigh of relief. Go to the instructor, say “They’ve found me, I have to leave the country” and run off.
12. Fifteen minutes into the exam, stand up, rip up all the papers into very small pieces, throw them into the air and yell out “Merry Christmas. “If you’re really daring, ask for another copy of the exam. Say you lost the first one. Repeat this process every fifteen minutes.
13. Do the exam with crayons, paint, or fluorescent markers.
14. Come into the exam wearing slippers, a bathrobe, a towel on your head, and nothing else.
15. Come down with a BAD case of Turet’s Syndrome during the exam. Be as vulgar as possible.
16. Do the entire exam in another language. If you don’t know one, make one up! For math/science exams, try using Roman numerals.
17. Bring things to throw at the instructor when s/he’s not looking. Blame it on the person nearest to you.
18. As soon as the instructor hands you the exam, eat it.
19. Walk into the exam with an entourage. Claim you are going to be taping your next video during the exam. Try to get the instructor to let them stay, be persuasive. Tell the instructor to expect a percentage of the profits if they are allowed to stay.
20. Every five minutes, stand up, collect all your things, move to another seat, continue with the exam.
21. Turn in the exam approximately 30 minutes into it. As you walk out, start commenting on how easy it was.
22. Do the entire exam as if it was multiple choice and true/false. If it is a multiple choice exam, spell out interesting things (DCCAB. BABE. etc. . ).
23. Bring a black marker. Return the exam with all questions and answers completely blacked out.
24. Get the exam. Twenty minutes into it, throw your papers down violently, scream out “Forget this!” and walk out triumphantly.
25. Arrange a protest before the exam starts (i. e. Threaten the instructor that whether or not everyone’s done, they are all leaving after one hour to go drink)
26. Text.
27. Every now and then, clap twice rapidly. If the instructor asks why, tell him/her in a very derogatory tone, “The light bulb that goes on above my head when I get an idea is hooked up to a clapper. DUH!”
28. Comment on how sexy the instructor is looking that day.
29. Come to the exam wearing a black cloak. After about 30 minutes, put on a white mask and start yelling “I’m here, the phantom of the opera” until they drag you away.
30. Go to an exam for a class you have no clue about, where you know the class is very small, and the instructor would recognize you if you belonged. Claim that you have been to every lecture. Fight for your right to take the exam.
31. Upon receiving the exam, look it over, while laughing loudly, say, “You don’t really expect me to waste my time on this drivel? Days of our Lives is on!!!”
32. Bring a water pistol with you.
33. From the moment the exam begins, hum the theme to Jeopardy. Ignore the instructor’s requests for you to stop. When they finally get you to leave one way or another, begin whistling the theme to the Bridge on the River Kwai.
34. Start a brawl in the middle of the exam.
35. If the exam is math/science related, make up the longest proofs you could possibly think of. Get pi and imaginary numbers into most equations. If it is a written exam, relate everything to your own life story.
36. Come in wearing a full knight’s outfit, complete with sword and shield.
37. Bring a friend to give you a back massage the entire way through the exam. Insist this person is needed, because you have bad circulation.
38. When you walk in, complain about the heat.
39. Bring cheat sheets for another class (make sure this is obvious. . . like history notes for a calculus exam. . . otherwise you’re not just failing, you’re getting kicked out too) and staple them to the exam, with the comment “Please use the attached notes for references as you see fit. “
40. After you get the exam, call the instructor over, point to any question, ask for the answer. Try to work it out of him/her.
41. One word: Wrestlemania.
42. Bring balloons, blow them up, start throwing them around like they do before concerts start.
43. Try to get people in the room to do the wave.
44. Play frisbee with a friend at the other side of the room.
45. Bring one pencil with a very sharp point. Break the point off your paper. Sharpen the pencil. Repeat this process for one hour.
46. Get deliveries of candy, flowers, balloons, telegrams, etc. sent to you every few minutes throughout the exam.
47. During the exam, take apart everything around you. Desks, chairs, anything you can reach.
48. Complete the exam with everything you write being backwards at a 90 degree angle.
49. Bring a musical instrument with you, play various tunes. If you are asked to stop, say, “It helps me think. ” Bring a copy of the Student Handbook with you, challenging the instructor to find the section on musical instruments during finals. Don’t forget to use the phrase “Told you so.”
50. Answer the exam with the “Top Ten Reasons Why Professor xxxx is a Terrible Teacher”
Tips on How to Approach the AP Lit. Essay on Poetry
Unlocking a poem’s meaning: There are two parts: the “What”- (central purpose) and the “How”- (stylistic devices employed to enhance meaning)
a. Annotate copiously as you read the first time for poem’s meaning (central purpose) and stylistic devices.
b. Determine poem’s central purpose- there is always a deeper meaning unrelated to plot in great poetry. For example, what universal comment is the poet making about life, mankind, or the human condition? Plato
believed that “Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history.” What vital truth has the poet discovered? How does the speaker feel (his attitude) about his subject?
c. Re-read the poem, once again noting stylistic devices. You should be analyzing and determining the poem’s tone/s, and contemplating the irony within the poem-it will be there. Don’t be afraid to take risks;
readers reward the unique and insightful thinker.
d. Locating shifts IS essential- look for transitions in the poem: but, therefore, since, although, etc. Also, use clear transitions in your essay. These help the reader follow the flow of your essay.
e. Make a very brief plan before you write: cluster, list, etc.
f. Begin to write. Get to the point. Cite title, poet, and central purpose, perhaps making a philosophical comment as you introduce your thesis. Try to make a strong first impression. Keep your paragraphs organized; don’t digress.
g. Write to express, not impress. Inflated writing seldom gets the
top scores.
h. Use all your time, approaching the poem chronologically-line by line, or stanza by stanza- if you are comfortable with that; if not, you might approach your analysis through the different elements: irony, tone,
alliteration, metaphors, etc.
i. Before you end your essay, revisit the title and its implications,making sure you include a reference to it in your essay.
j. Pay careful attention to the first and last two lines of the poem.
k. Save a minute or two to proofread your essay; if you cannot read it, the readers won’t be able to either!
l. Make sure you have put the title in quotation marks and that you have included the poet’s name.
m. Do not confuse the poet with the speaker. They will almost always be different and you will run into trouble if you do.
Other Points to Remember
1. Always refer to the poet or speaker by last name only-never use first name only.
2. Give support and more support. Use the poem!
3. Use ellipsis dots to shorten a long quote, and keep quotations from the poem as short as possible. One word is often enough. The readers have the poem in front of them; a full sentence is nearly always too much
by far.
4. When citing an element, don’t just mention it. Explain how it functions
5. Avoid “laundry lists” of elements that go nowhere.
6. When referring to a word as a word, underline it or put quotes around it. (“Nothing” is repeated frequently)
7. Place the end punctuation mark inside the quotation.
8. If you finish writing before time is up, DON’T. You should be using every single minute.
9. Read your response backward; this allows you to catch mistakes because you are forced to look at each word.
10. Check spelling as best as you can.
11. Avoid giving your essay a title.
12. Do not bother with line numbers; they are not necessary in a timed writing, and we do not look at them.
13. Underline titles of long works; use quotation marks around titles of shorter works. Poems are put in quotation marks!
14. Do NOT write in pencil.
15. Do not use white out; the AP readers understand that you are writing a rough draft.
16. Don’t define terms; the readers are experienced AP teachers and college professors.
Literary Terms Resources
The following sites are very helpful in defining literary terms (and recommended by the AP College Board readers of the Lit. Exam):
http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/lit_terms/
http://www.poeticbyway.com/glossary.html
Literary Criticism
http://www.literaryhistory.com/index.htm
AP Practice POETRY TERMS:
Click 2009 Poetry Terms FINAL MASTER BLANK STUDENT TYPE ON or 2008 AP POETRY TERMS.Scan001 for a copy of the common terms we’ve used with poetry.
AP POETRY TIPS:
Click 2012 POETRY TIPS _001
Tips on How to Approach the AP Lit. Essay on Poetry
Unlocking a poem’s meaning: There are two parts: the “What”- (central purpose) and the “How”- (stylistic devices employed to enhance meaning)
a. Annotate copiously as you read the first time for poem’s meaning (central purpose) and stylistic devices.
b. Determine poem’s central purpose- there is always a deeper meaning unrelated to plot in great poetry. For example, what universal comment is the poet making about life, mankind, or the human condition? Plato
believed that “Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history.” What vital truth has the poet discovered? How does the speaker feel (his attitude) about his subject?
c. Re-read the poem, once again noting stylistic devices. You should be analyzing and determining the poem’s tone/s, and contemplating the irony within the poem-it will be there. Don’t be afraid to take risks;
readers reward the unique and insightful thinker.
d. Locating shifts IS essential- look for transitions in the poem: but, therefore, since, although, etc. Also, use clear transitions in your essay. These help the reader follow the flow of your essay.
e. Make a very brief plan before you write: cluster, list, etc.
f. Begin to write. Get to the point. Cite title, poet, and central purpose, perhaps making a philosophical comment as you introduce your thesis. Try to make a strong first impression. Keep your paragraphs organized; don’t digress.
g. Write to express, not impress. Inflated writing seldom gets the
top scores.
h. Use all your time, approaching the poem chronologically-line by line, or stanza by stanza- if you are comfortable with that; if not, you might approach your analysis through the different elements: irony, tone,
alliteration, metaphors, etc.
i. Before you end your essay, revisit the title and its implications,making sure you include a reference to it in your essay.
j. Pay careful attention to the first and last two lines of the poem.
k. Save a minute or two to proofread your essay; if you cannot read it, the readers won’t be able to either!
l. Make sure you have put the title in quotation marks and that you have included the poet’s name.
m. Do not confuse the poet with the speaker. They will almost always be different and you will run into trouble if you do.
Other Points to Remember
1. Always refer to the poet or speaker by last name only-never use first name only.
2. Give support and more support. Use the poem!
3. Use ellipsis dots to shorten a long quote, and keep quotations from the poem as short as possible. One word is often enough. The readers have the poem in front of them; a full sentence is nearly always too much
by far.
4. When citing an element, don’t just mention it. Explain how it functions
5. Avoid “laundry lists” of elements that go nowhere.
6. When referring to a word as a word, underline it or put quotes around it. (“Nothing” is repeated frequently)
7. Place the end punctuation mark inside the quotation.
8. If you finish writing before time is up, DON’T. You should be using every single minute.
9. Read your response backward; this allows you to catch mistakes because you are forced to look at each word.
10. Check spelling as best as you can.
11. Avoid giving your essay a title.
12. Do not bother with line numbers; they are not necessary in a timed writing, and we do not look at them.
13. Underline titles of long works; use quotation marks around titles of shorter works. Poems are put in quotation marks!
14. Do NOT write in pencil.
15. Do not use white out; the AP readers understand that you are writing a rough draft.
16. Don’t define terms; the readers are experienced AP teachers and college professors.
-
AP Essay You may word process the essay (double-spaced). If you hand write it, please write legibly and do not write on the back side of the pages. The time limit is 40 min. max. About 10 min. of that 40 min. should be spent planning the essay. You may NOT use any outside resources. Of course, this means you may NOT use the text. THE PROMPT: Choose a novel or a play that depicts a conflict between a parent (or a parental figure) and a son or daughter. Write an essay in which you analyze the sources of the conflict and explain how the conflict contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid plot summary. Click HERE for the prompt with some suggested works. You may use any works of “literary merit.” Click HERE for the Literary Time Periods Time line/Works Most Frequently Appearing on the AP Open-ended Essay.
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AP Essay: AP Universal Questions Practice Essay
You MUST use a work of literature we have read as part of the curriculum in this class. You may NOT use any outside resources. Of course, this means you may NOT use the text.
“Literature is the question without the answer.” Analyze a central question the work raises and the extent to which it offers any answers. Examine how the author’s treatment of this question affects your understanding of the work as a whole.
You may word process the essay (double-spaced). If you hand write it, please write legibly, and do not write on the back side of the pages. The time limit is 40 minutes max. Use about 10 minutes of that time to plan the essay.
Tips on How to Approach the
AP Lit. Essay on Poetry
Unlocking a poem’s meaning: There are two parts: the “What”- (central purpose) and the “How”- (stylistic devices employed to enhance meaning)
a. Annotate copiously as you read the first time for poem’s meaning (central purpose) and stylistic devices.
b. Determine poem’s central purpose- there is always a deeper meaning unrelated to plot in great poetry. For example, what universal comment is the poet making about life, mankind, or the human condition? Plato
believed that “Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history.” What vital truth has the poet discovered? How does the speaker feel (his attitude) about his subject?
c. Re-read the poem, once again noting stylistic devices. You should be analyzing and determining the poem’s tone/s, and contemplating the irony within the poem-it will be there. Don’t be afraid to take risks;
readers reward the unique and insightful thinker.
d. Locating shifts IS essential- look for transitions in the poem: but, therefore, since, although, etc. Also, use clear transitions in your essay. These help the reader follow the flow of your essay.
e. Make a very brief plan before you write: cluster, list, etc.
f. Begin to write. Get to the point. Cite title, poet, and central purpose, perhaps making a philosophical comment as you introduce your thesis. Try to make a strong first impression. Keep your paragraphs organized; don’t digress.
g. Write to express, not impress. Inflated writing seldom gets the
top scores.
h. Use all your time, approaching the poem chronologically-line by line, or stanza by stanza- if you are comfortable with that; if not, you might approach your analysis through the different elements: irony, tone,
alliteration, metaphors, etc.
i. Before you end your essay, revisit the title and its implications,making sure you include a reference to it in your essay.
j. Pay careful attention to the first and last two lines of the poem.
k. Save a minute or two to proofread your essay; if you cannot read it, the readers won’t be able to either!
l. Make sure you have put the title in quotation marks and that you have included the poet’s name.
m. Do not confuse the poet with the speaker. They will almost always be different and you will run into trouble if you do.
Other Points to Remember
1. Always refer to the poet or speaker by last name only-never use first name only.
2. Give support and more support. Use the poem!
3. Use ellipsis dots to shorten a long quote, and keep quotations from the poem as short as possible. One word is often enough. The readers have the poem in front of them; a full sentence is nearly always too much
by far.
4. When citing an element, don’t just mention it. Explain how it functions
5. Avoid “laundry lists” of elements that go nowhere.
6. When referring to a word as a word, underline it or put quotes around it. (“Nothing” is repeated frequently)
7. Place the end punctuation mark inside the quotation.
8. If you finish writing before time is up, DON’T. You should be using every single minute.
9. Read your response backward; this allows you to catch mistakes because you are forced to look at each word.
10. Check spelling as best as you can.
11. Avoid giving your essay a title.
12. Do not bother with line numbers; they are not necessary in a timed writing, and we do not look at them.
13. Underline titles of long works; use quotation marks around titles of shorter works. Poems are put in quotation marks!
14. Do NOT write in pencil.
15. Do not use white out; the AP readers understand that you are writing a rough draft.
16. Don’t define terms; the readers are experienced AP teachers and college professors.
-
Fifty Fun Things to do during an AP Exam
by Roy Deering, AP Instructor in Oklahoma
NOTE: You should not attempt these things during an actual exam. The following is meant for entertainment purposes only.
1. Bring a pillow. Fall asleep (or pretend to) until the last 15 minutes. Wake up, say “oh geez, better get cracking” and do some gibberish work. Turn it in a few minutes early.
2. Get a copy of the exam, run out screaming “Andre, Andre, I’ve got the secret documents!!”
3. If it is a math/science exam, answer in essay form. If it is long answer/essay form, answer with numbers and symbols. Be creative. Use the integral symbol.
4. Make paper airplanes out of the exam. Aim them at the instructor’s left nostril.
5. Talk the entire way through the exam. Read questions aloud, debate your answers with yourself out loud. If asked to stop, yell out, “I’m so sure you can hear me thinking. ” Then start talking about what a jerk the instructor is.
6. Bring cheerleaders.
7. Walk in, get the exam, sit down. About five minutes into it, loudly say to the instructor, “I don’t understand any of this. I’ve been to every lecture all semester long! What’s the deal? And who are you? Where’s the regular guy?”
8. Bring a Game Boy (or today’s popular equivalent). Play with the volume at max level.
9. On the answer sheet (book, whatever) find a new, interesting way to refuse to answer every question. For example: I refuse to answer this question on the grounds that it conflicts with my religious beliefs. Be creative.
10. Bring pets.
11. Run into the exam room looking about frantically. Breathe a sigh of relief. Go to the instructor, say “They’ve found me, I have to leave the country” and run off.
12. Fifteen minutes into the exam, stand up, rip up all the papers into very small pieces, throw them into the air and yell out “Merry Christmas. “If you’re really daring, ask for another copy of the exam. Say you lost the first one. Repeat this process every fifteen minutes.
13. Do the exam with crayons, paint, or fluorescent markers.
14. Come into the exam wearing slippers, a bathrobe, a towel on your head, and nothing else.
15. Come down with a BAD case of Turet’s Syndrome during the exam. Be as vulgar as possible.
16. Do the entire exam in another language. If you don’t know one, make one up! For math/science exams, try using Roman numerals.
17. Bring things to throw at the instructor when s/he’s not looking. Blame it on the person nearest to you.
18. As soon as the instructor hands you the exam, eat it.
19. Walk into the exam with an entourage. Claim you are going to be taping your next video during the exam. Try to get the instructor to let them stay, be persuasive. Tell the instructor to expect a percentage of the profits if they are allowed to stay.
20. Every five minutes, stand up, collect all your things, move to another seat, continue with the exam.
21. Turn in the exam approximately 30 minutes into it. As you walk out, start commenting on how easy it was.
22. Do the entire exam as if it was multiple choice and true/false. If it is a multiple choice exam, spell out interesting things (DCCAB. BABE. etc. . ).
23. Bring a black marker. Return the exam with all questions and answers completely blacked out.
24. Get the exam. Twenty minutes into it, throw your papers down violently, scream out “Forget this!” and walk out triumphantly.
25. Arrange a protest before the exam starts (i. e. Threaten the instructor that whether or not everyone’s done, they are all leaving after one hour to go drink)
26. Text.
27. Every now and then, clap twice rapidly. If the instructor asks why, tell him/her in a very derogatory tone, “The light bulb that goes on above my head when I get an idea is hooked up to a clapper. DUH!”
28. Comment on how sexy the instructor is looking that day.
29. Come to the exam wearing a black cloak. After about 30 minutes, put on a white mask and start yelling “I’m here, the phantom of the opera” until they drag you away.
30. Go to an exam for a class you have no clue about, where you know the class is very small, and the instructor would recognize you if you belonged. Claim that you have been to every lecture. Fight for your right to take the exam.
31. Upon receiving the exam, look it over, while laughing loudly, say, “You don’t really expect me to waste my time on this drivel? Days of our Lives is on!!!”
32. Bring a water pistol with you.
33. From the moment the exam begins, hum the theme to Jeopardy. Ignore the instructor’s requests for you to stop. When they finally get you to leave one way or another, begin whistling the theme to the Bridge on the River Kwai.
34. Start a brawl in the middle of the exam.
35. If the exam is math/science related, make up the longest proofs you could possibly think of. Get pi and imaginary numbers into most equations. If it is a written exam, relate everything to your own life story.
36. Come in wearing a full knight’s outfit, complete with sword and shield.
37. Bring a friend to give you a back massage the entire way through the exam. Insist this person is needed, because you have bad circulation.
38. When you walk in, complain about the heat.
39. Bring cheat sheets for another class (make sure this is obvious. . . like history notes for a calculus exam. . . otherwise you’re not just failing, you’re getting kicked out too) and staple them to the exam, with the comment “Please use the attached notes for references as you see fit. “
40. After you get the exam, call the instructor over, point to any question, ask for the answer. Try to work it out of him/her.
41. One word: Wrestlemania.
42. Bring balloons, blow them up, start throwing them around like they do before concerts start.
43. Try to get people in the room to do the wave.
44. Play frisbee with a friend at the other side of the room.
45. Bring one pencil with a very sharp point. Break the point off your paper. Sharpen the pencil. Repeat this process for one hour.
46. Get deliveries of candy, flowers, balloons, telegrams, etc. sent to you every few minutes throughout the exam.
47. During the exam, take apart everything around you. Desks, chairs, anything you can reach.
48. Complete the exam with everything you write being backwards at a 90 degree angle.
49. Bring a musical instrument with you, play various tunes. If you are asked to stop, say, “It helps me think. ” Bring a copy of the Student Handbook with you, challenging the instructor to find the section on musical instruments during finals. Don’t forget to use the phrase “Told you so.”
50. Answer the exam with the “Top Ten Reasons Why Professor xxxx is a Terrible Teacher”
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Do the 2nd Scansion Practice Quiz. The following tips/ info should help you. TO DETERMINE RHYTHMIC PATTERN: Try ITAD: iambic (u/), trochaic (/u), anapestic (uu/), dactylic (/uu), pentameter. TO DETERMINE RHYME: You use small letters to designate the rhyming pattern. For example, use an “a” to designate the last sound at the end of the first line. Use a “b” to designate a different sound than sound “a.” Use a “c” to designate another different sound than sounds “a” or “b.” Use a “d” to designate another different sound at the end of a line than sounds “a” or “b” or “c,” etc.) TO FIGURE OUT THE SONNETS ON THE RIGHT COLUMN OF THE BACK SIDE OF THE PINK QUIZ, YOU NEED TO KNOW THE FOLLOWING: There are two types of sonnets–Shakespearean (consists of 3 quatrains rhyming like this abab,cdcd,efef and 1 couplet=gg) and Petrarchan (consists of an octave=abbaabba and a sestet=cdecde or cddcdd or cdccdc or cdcdcd or lots of other options). Click HERE for about 30 sonnets with which to practice. At the end of the practice sonnets, there’s some excellent info. on the sonnet form. If you would like to read a Shakespearean sonnet every day, click http://sonnetaday.com/about.php for the link. You can also get a sonnet e-mailed to you every single day by registering at this site! Ahhh! Finally, here is an excellent website that gives an overview of the sonnet and all kinds of variations. Click http://www.sonnets.org/basicforms.htm FOR FUN: Check out Alan Rickman reading Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 130 My Mistress Eyes” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw6Swr-ME40&mode=related&search=
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