This class is all about the exam;
this class is not at all about the exam.
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“We cannot stress enough the value of you: the value of your words, the value of your interpretation. That’s what we want to hear. This is a very empowering process. The AP English Literature exam is an opportunity for you to tell the world what you know, what you see, and what you think. And we just can’t wait until you test, so we can delve into the brain of yours and we can grow and thank you for it.”
“This AP exam is giving you an opportunity to make an argument, to tell us: ‘Teacher/professor/Mr./Ms./Dr. So-and-So, it doesn’t matter than I’m only 16, 17, 18 years old. I’ve read this text, and I have something to say.’ And then, you have the evidence to back that up.”
- Carlos Escobar
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��55 multiple choice questions -�1 hour �45% of the exam��3 essays - �2 hours �55% of the exam
AP Literature -
Exam Basics
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AP Literature -
Multiple Choice
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Free-response question 1 presents students with a poem.
This question assesses students’ ability to do the following:
Respond to the prompt with a thesis that presents a defensible interpretation.
Select and use evidence to support the line of reasoning. Explain how the evidence supports the line of reasoning.
Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating the argument.
Multiple Choice
AP Literature -
Essay #1
Poetry Analysis
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Free-response question 2 presents students with a passage of prose fiction.
This question assesses students’ ability to do the following:
Respond to the prompt with a thesis that presents a defensible interpretation.
Select and use evidence to support the line of reasoning. Explain how the evidence supports the line of reasoning.
Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating the argument.
Multiple Choice
AP Literature -
Essay #2
Prose Analysis
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Free-response question 3 presents students with a literary concept or idea, along with a list of approximately 40 literary works. Students are required to select a work of prose fiction either from their own reading or from the provided list and analyze how the literary concept or idea described in the question contributes to an interpretation of the work as a whole.
This question assesses students’ ability to do the following:
Respond to the prompt with a thesis that presents a defensible interpretation.
Select and use evidence to support the line of reasoning. Explain how the evidence supports the line of reasoning.
Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating the argument.
Multiple Choice
AP Literature -
Essay #3
Literary Argument
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Low stakes practice
Build confidence
Shave off time closer to the exam
Stress that students have agency and choice over the exam
Mix in test prep with fun
No test prep the day before.
(taper before)
Students own their progress and here or here
General
Test
Prep
Values
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Activity 1 - Stations around the Room
Students work through a passage individually or in a group.
Have letters A, B, C, D, and E posted around the room. Students move to the letter they believe is the correct answer when reviewing the questions. Students can defend their answer and others have the opportunity to change their mind and move to another letter or stay and defend their answer.
Benefits - Students are able to hear each other’s reasoning and defense of an answer, students are able to change their mind, offers the teacher and students a visual of what percentage are with each answer, students are up and out of their seats
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Activity 2 - Letter Grouping
Students complete a MC passage on their own or in a groups.
Randomly group students into A, B, C, D, and E groups. Each group has to decide whether their answer is the correct or incorrect answer for each question in the passage and offer text support as to why. Once the groups are finished, discuss as a class the questions giving each group a chance to give their reasoning. If two groups are correct, the class will vote to determine which group they believe to be correct.
Benefits - allows a thorough discussion of not only correct answers but of distractors as well, forces students to close read and consider answer they may otherwise disregard
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Activity 3 - Pyramid
Students read and answer a passage individually.
Students divide into pairs and work through the questions concluding with one correct answer they each agree on. Repeat this process in quads, then octaves, and so on until the entire class can agree on a correct answer for each question.
Classes can compete with each other to see which class scores the highest.
Benefits - everyone has a chance to use his or her voice, employs competition when going against other classes, students are able to hear and consider other positions
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Activity 4 - Questions/ No Answers
Students are given a passage and questions but no answers. Students read the passage and the questions. Students then hypothesize what the answer to be in small groups.
Put correct answers on notecards and pass around to different groups. Students align answers with questions. Review as a class.
Benefit - students focus on the stem of the question, students learn how to read with intent and trust their instincts about answers
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Activity 5 - Write Multiple Choice Questions
Working in small groups, students will take a prompt from either the poetry or prose essay prompt and write multiple choice questions for it. Students must include a variety of types of questions (big picture, sentence level, theme, tone, etc.). Distractors should be viable options.
Benefit - allows students to consider different types of questions and distractors
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Test
Construction
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Mark IT
The idea is that the more times students go back to the text to answer specific questions, the more prepared they will be to make inferences about the text
Multiple
Choice
Strategies
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Multiple Choice
Strategies
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Multiple Choice
Strategies
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Give students the correct answer and the distractor in a passage and let them practice choosing the correct one
Dealing
with
Distractors
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Free
Response
Question
Strategies
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