AP® Lit: Beat the Senior Slump with Q3 Review

think of teaching an AP Course, especially AP Literature, as similar to training for an endurance sporting event. The first several months you are conditioning and building basic skills, during your peak units you solidify their knowledge and stamina, but the last four to six weeks, you are essentially in a taper. You know there is a balance between keeping their legs (or minds in this case) fresh–and risking burn out or a confidence crisis.

My seniors have been counting down the days for weeks now, and I can feel their attention slipping to their future. I don’t blame them; I am excited for their next steps too. However, I also know their incredible efforts this year have brought us to this last moment, the test, a victory lap of sorts. To beat the Senior Slump and the last minute panic, I have been using these strategies to get students engaged, excited, and ready for their Q3 essays.

Topic Station Rotation

 This activity helps students connect abstract ideas with concrete moments in a novel or play. Each station has an oversized piece of paper with an abstract topic written in the center. Using a timer, have students rotate in teams or pairs to each station. At each stop students read the previous students’ work and add their ideas. My tasks at each stop were 1.) Specific characters and scenes, 2.) Key Quotes that support the scenes, 3.) a Universal Theme, 4.) A symbol related to the theme with a 2 sentence explanation. Requiring different students to write each rotation can encourage collaboration and 100% participation. Let us know what stops or information you would add! See more detailed instructions and examples here!

Q3 Speed Dating

Hardly a new idea, but my students really enjoyed speed dating different Q3 Prompts. Using Released FRQ Q3 Prompts, each table or group gets two copies of the same prompt. Each student takes a copy of this graphic organizer with them as they rotate between prompts. Give students time to read, plan, then turn and talk. What works? Which character works? What evidence could you use to support your ideas? The conversations helped students think deeply about the texts and recall important information. The speed dates also give them confidence that their selected major work will fit multiple prompts! I encourage my students to have a Varsity and a Junior Varsity work. If one novel or play won’t work, have another one ready to put in the game! Want to stretch it? Have students select one of their speed dates to develop a full outline or essay.

Get Groovy

Create a shared playlist with songs abstractly connected to the major work(s) you are planning to review. Tell students they can recommend a (SCHOOL APPROPRIATE 😅) song that either creates a character parallel or is thematically related to the text. Students should have to provide the song and the shared theme or character parallel. Students could complete this on a google form or shared slides to make it easy for you to add them to the class play list. If you want to push your students further, challenge them to include a specific scene or detail from the text AND a connected song lyric. These playlists are a great way to add to your class culture– and create a fun time capsule over the years! Students enjoy seeing what songs students added in the past and guessing the connections to the text. Check out our Antigone, Othello, Fences, and Pride and Prejudice playlists here on Spotify!

You and your students have worked so hard this year to make it to this final stretch. Keep your students moving, talking, laughing, and reflecting through these last weeks on our way to the celebration of all they have learned! We would love to hear ideas you have used to help students stay connected during exam review.