AP English Language and Composition Course Guide and Rhetorical Analysis

Course Information and Contact Details

• Instructor: Mrs. Lindsay Witherow
• Contact Email: Iwitherow@ware.k12.ma.us
• Course: AP English Language and Composition

Introductory Rhetorical Analysis Activity: Cereal Box Study

• Step 1: Group Formation & Setup

  • Arrange seating to sit together facing one another.
  • Elect a group notetaker to record observations and a group presenter to share findings with the class.
  • Sanitize hands prior to handling cereal samples (optional/not required).

• Step 2: Sensory & Target Audience Assessment

  • Evaluate the cereal bag's visual appeal, scent, and flavor.
  • Identify the intended demographic and target audience (e.g., young children, mothers who do yoga).
  • Predict the overall visual design, slogans, and structural features present on the cereal box.

• Step 3: Brand Identification

  • Collaborate as a group to guess the exact brand name and specific cereal type before receiving the physical box.

• Step 4 & 5: Detailed Packaging Analysis

  • Target Audience Analysis: Identify who the cereal is engineered for and justify why using specific design evidence.
  • Visual & Emotional Triggers: Analyze colors, logos, and mascots to evaluate how they make the audience feel.
  • Textual & Credibility Claims: Examine slogans, phrases, and health claims, assessing what they imply about the manufacturing company.
  • Product Idealization: Compare the visual presentation of the cereal on the box art against the reality of the physical product inside.
  • Interactive Features: Identify extra packaging elements (e.g., games, recipes, promotional activities) and determine their intent and target audience.

• Step 6: Group Findings Presentation

  • Present key analytical findings to the class while explicitly pointing out visual features on the physical box.
  • Observe and compare rhetorical strategy differences across various cereal brands during peer presentations.

• Step 7: Identifying Rhetorical Appeals

  • Locate explicit instances of rhetorical appeals on the cereal box packaging and document specific evidence.

• Step 8: Class Synthesis & Debrief

  • Share at least one identified rhetorical appeal from the assigned box with the class.
  • Participate in a class-wide discussion to determine which cereal box made the most persuasive appeal to ethos, pathos, and logos.

• Clean Up Protocol

  • Reseal all cereal bags tightly.
  • Dispose of all trash and stray crumbs in the classroom waste receptacle.

Rhetorical Appeals Overview

• Ethos:
  • Definition: An appeal to credibility, authority, or ethics.
  • Application on Packaging: Uses brand reputation, official endorsements, quality guarantees, or health certifications to build audience trust.

• Pathos:
  • Definition: An appeal to emotion, feelings, and audience desires.
  • Application on Packaging: Uses vibrant colors, cartoon mascots, nostalgia, and fun activities to trigger specific emotional responses.

• Logos:
  • Definition: An appeal to logic, reason, and structured evidence.
  • Application on Packaging: Uses nutrition statistics, vitamin percentages, organic claims, and structural design to logically justify purchase decisions.

Thesis Writing Formula and MLA Formatting

• MLA Heading Standards:

  • Positioning: Top-left corner of the page.
  • Format structure:
    • Student Name
    • Mrs. Witherow
    • AP Language
    • 27 August 2026

• Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Formula:

  • [Company name] persuades [target audience] to buy [cereal name] through [box feature #1], [#2], and [#3].

AP English Language and Composition Course Overview

• Course Mission & Philosophy (CED Page 9):
  • Cultivates reading and writing skills necessary for college success and intellectually responsible civic engagement.
  • Guides students in becoming curious, critical, and responsive readers of diverse texts.
  • Develops flexible, reflective writers equipped to address diverse audiences for diverse purposes.
  • Deepens understanding of how written language functions rhetorically to communicate intentions and elicit responses in specific situations.

AP Exam Structure and Skill Category Weights

• Section I: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)

  • Structure: $45$ questions in $60\,\text{minutes}$.
  • Question Types: Consists of Reading-based questions and Writing-based questions.

• Section II: Free Response Questions (FRQ)

  • Structure: $3$ essays in $120\,\text{minutes}$, preceded by a mandatory $15\text{-minute}$ reading period.
  • Essay Breakdown:
    • FRQ 1: Synthesis Essay
    • FRQ 2: Rhetorical Analysis Essay
    • FRQ 3: Argument Essay

• Exam Skill Categories & Weights:

  • Rhetorical Situation – Reading: $11\% - 14\%$
  • Rhetorical Situation – Writing: $11\% - 14\%$
  • Claims and Evidence – Reading: $13\% - 16\%$
  • Claims and Evidence – Writing: $11\% - 14\%$
  • Reasoning and Organization – Reading: $13\% - 16\%$
  • Reasoning and Organization – Writing: $11\% - 14\%$
  • Style – Reading: $11\% - 14\%$
  • Style – Writing: $11\% - 14\%$

Course Policies and Grading Framework

• Grading Breakdown:

  • Summative Assignments: $50\%$
  • Formative Assignments: $35\%$
  • Daily Assignments: $15\%$

• Late Work Policy:

  • Late work is accepted with a $50\%$ grade deduction within $5\text{ school days}$ of the original due date.
  • Absence Policy: Students are allowed $2\text{ school days}$ for every $1\text{ day}$ of excused absence to complete missing work without penalty before late deductions apply.

• Extra-Help Hours:

  • After School: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (by appointment).
  • Before School: Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (by appointment).

• Revision Policy:

  • Students are allowed to revise many major writing assignments.
  • The recorded grade will always be the highest score earned by the student.

• AP Classroom Expectation:

  • Most AP Classroom assignments are completed in class.
  • Students must bring active login credentials and a fully charged Chromebook to every class session.

Long-Term Assignments and Reading Schedule

• Continuous Assignment Requirement:

  • Rhetorical Précis entries assigned regularly throughout the course.

• Long Works Schedule:

  • Quarter 1: Student Choice
  • Quarter 2: The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
  • Quarter 3: Literature Circles
  • Quarter 4: Student Choice

Summer Reading & Initial Homework Tasks

• In-Class Activity:

  • Discuss summer reading cultural experiences with a neighbor.
  • Submit summer reading notebooks at the front of the room.
  • Pick up a course resource folder.

• Homework Assignment:

  • Personalize and decorate the resource folder prior to the next class.
  • All artwork and decorations must be school-appropriate.