Over the course of three sessions, Lauren and I use the language from the College Board released exam rubrics to inspire strategies that will enhance sophistication in students’ analysis and argument writing. Each video provides instruction on how to not only potentially earn the sophistication point, but also explains how to provide specific, concrete scaffolds to encourage student growth.

 

The first session focuses on addressing tension and complexity―both when reading and when writing―and explains how students can situate their writing within a broader context.

 

The second session offers insights as to how teachers can help students make their own effective rhetorical choices when communicating, which, consequently, empowers them to become more thoughtful writers of their own original arguments.

 

To round out the series, we focus on the most abstract elements of sophistication by providing a more tangible approach to crafting a vivid and persuasive style in conjunction with developing nuanced arguments. (Hint: well-constructed topic sentences are key.)

 

Over the course of these sessions, it is our hope that both teachers and students will feel empowered to capture one of the most elusive concepts in English: the unicorn of sophistication!

 

Part 1: Identifying and Exploring Complexity, Tension, and Greater Context

Part 2: Making Effective Rhetorical Choices

Part 3: Exploring Nuance and Writing Persuasively

Watch the next set of videos in our series, for Concept #3, here!

Click here to download the presentations for the full series — use in your daily lessons!

Timothy Freitas (Master of Arts, Teaching, Secondary English Education), a College Board-endorsed AP^® English Language and Composition consultant, has been teaching AP^® English Language and Composition for more than a decade and AP^® English Literature and Composition for almost as long. He has also been an AP^® Reader and in 2017 was invited to work on the College Board’s Instructional Design Team for the new AP^® English Language and Composition framework. Timothy works as a consultant and professional development facilitator for Massachusetts Math and Science Initiative (now Mass Insight Education) and is typically assigned to work in New York City when consulting for the National Math and Science Initiative. Timothy teaches in Massachusetts, currently at Whitinsville Christian School and formerly at Blackstone Valley Tech.

Lauren Peterson (Master of Arts, Education) has been teaching AP^® English Language and Composition in a number of states for more than ten years, most recently at Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, where she is also the schoolwide literacy leader. Before this position, Lauren served as a curriculum and instructional coach in Duval County, Florida. Lauren worked for College Board on a pilot curriculum designed to both remediate common AP^® English Language challenges and also prepare students for Microsoft Office Specialist Certification. As an independent consultant for the National Math and Science Initiative, Lauren has written diverse curricula used by students across the country as well as training materials for beginning and experienced AP^® English Language teachers. Lauren served as an AP^® English Language Reader and continues to work as an AP^® English Language trainer for new and experienced teachers.

Advanced Placement^® is a trademark registered and/or owned by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.