How to overcome the “5-6” score hump

Mr. Chilton, AP Lit

Modified Cornell Notes Today (collected and graded):

NOTES

1

2

3

4

5

Questions/Examples

1

2

3

4

5

Summary at the end

3 sentences

​

Handouts for today:

​

2015 Q1 Poetry (6)

​

2013 Q3 Open (6)

​

Prompt, Scoring Guide, Sample, Scoring Commentary

The Plateau

How do we continue to grow?

How do we have the “growth mindset”?

​

How do we overcome the coming “senioritis”?

Summer Essay: 4

2nd Essay: 5

Holiday Break Essay: 6

Poetry Essay: 5

Elemental Essay: 6

Next Essay: 6?

Ideas?

​

Tell a partner before we discuss together

1. Be conscious of your laziness.

Be conscious of your natural desire to remain stationary…

and tell it to go away.

Make the daily and active choice to dedicate yourself to always improving.

2. Vary sentence structure:

1. Length
2. Order
3. style

1. Length

�I need two volunteers to read aloud

1st Volunteer:

2nd Volunteer:

What did you Learn/observe?

​

Tell a Partner

B. Order

• The demonstrative statement structure is very formulaic:
• Text + analysis + effect
• Vary your sentence structure so that it doesn’t appear formulaic
• Break into multiple sentences whenever necessary.

​

Varying sentence structure:

• “I see you Harlem,” demonstrates Hughes’ empathetic attitude which creates in the audience a desire to understand and relate to the narrator.

​

• The audience has a desire to understand and relate to the narrator when Hughes states his empathetic attitude (“I see you Harlem”)

​

• Hughes empathetic attitude is demonstrated by saying “I see you Harlem,” thus creating in the audience a desire to understand and relate to the narrator.

2C. Vary Your style

• Use different openers and conclusions as learned from before
• Incorporate certain elements of creative writing (especially descriptive writing and imagery)

NB: However, continue to do things I’ve taught you: Demonstrative statements, Textually-based analysis, removing “fluff,” etc.

3. Utilize Literary Terms

When in doubt: Imagery, tone, symbol, metaphor, diction.

​

Summary vs. analyze

4. Outline

Review 2 Dub on Outlining:

​

My website--“2 Dub”--

How to Outline

• As many textual details as possible
• I’ve taught you and then no one does it...

5. Write your hands off

• Practice outside of class (I’ll gladly read over it on my own time)
• Give yourself an essay a week
• During exam: never turn it in early. Write until the bell rings.
• As a general rule, there is a direct correlation between length and depth.

6. Have lunch with Chilton and discuss your writing.

• To help me prepare, tell me in advance and give me a sample of writing you’d like to discuss.
• I’m here to help you. I enjoy seeing you grow and learn. Time is short.

7. Study and emulate exemplary essays

�Read them on your own→

My website→ “AP Literature test prep”

In class today...

• Evaluate handouts with your partner
• Analyze them based on the rubric found in your “Writing Packet”--> “AP Essay Scoring Rubric” and “Scoring Guide”
• 15-20 minutes
• Look for these intangibles:
• Openers
• Transitions
• Use of elevated diction
• Dependence on literary terms
• Focusing on prompt
• Smooth transitions
• Use of modified “demonstrative statements”
• Balance of summary vs. analysis

Please don’t write on them and please return them as you leave today.

What did you learn?

​

whole class discussion

8. Get an accountability partner.

• Who is someone you respect intellectually in AP literature?
• Tell them you want to work with them.
• Every single essay--review with them.

• Get with that partner.
• Get out your old essays.
• Read each others and give feedback.
• each partner needs to come up with 2-3 things to improve on for next time and do it! Just do it!