Page 31 - The Language of Composition 4e Teacher Edition Sample.indd

Opening chapters provide targeted
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instruction covering all the AP course skills.
The opening chapters develop key reading and writing skills for the three types of Guided Tour
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essays on the AP Exam:
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• Chapter 1, Rhetorical Analysis , teaches AP Rhetorical Analysis Essay writing

(exam FRQ 2)
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• Chapter 2, Argument , teaches AP Argument Essay writing (exam FRQ 3)

Copyright (c) 2023 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Uncorrected proofs have been used for this sample chapter.
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• Chapter 3, Synthesis , teaches AP Synthesis Essay writing (exam FRQ 1)
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With scaffolded, step-by-step instruction; AP Tips; activities; revision guidance;
and model student essays, these chapters help develop the reading and writing skills
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of the AP English Language course from the ground up. Each chapter is divided into
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three distinct sections that end with Culminating Activities aligned to the AP Units

and Personal Progress Checks .
for 15 minutes by police officers while he stood game, and may never play another down in the 3
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Strictly for use with its products. Not for redistribution.
outside a New York City hotel (the officers said it league because of it. Megan Rapinoe has been a
was a case of “mistaken identity”). Just because stalwart of the L.G.B.T.Q. movement and equal
we are athletes doesn’t mean we are unaffected pay, even when it meant standing up to the presi-
by what happens around the country, nor does it dent of the United States and refusing to visit the
obligate us to keep our mouths shut. White House. Venus Williams has done more
section 2 / culminating activity Sports have never been apolitical, and as than most people know to continue the legacy of
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• If possible, step away from it. Clear your mind for a few hours — a day or more if
long as they continue to be played by human
3
you can. Return to your work with fresh eyes as a reader instead of as the writer. Billie Jean King in fighting for equality in women’s
beings, they won’t be.
tennis. Coco Gauff, at such a young age, is fiercely
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• Reread one final time with a clear head. This is just a tune-up. What small
Crafting an AP Argument Essay Muhammad Ali spent decades as a voice for active online and has spoken publicly and pas-
changes can you make to improve word choice and sentence structure?
Argument
justice, even after he was sentenced to five years
Although the definition of consumerism is “the promotion of the interests of consumers,” sionately in support of Black Lives Matter.
in prison for refusing to be drafted because of
Synthesis
the term is associated with excessive acquisition of goods and services. Critics believe Yet even with all this progress, I still feel like
his religious beliefs. At the 1968 Olympics in
that consumerist societies push people to work more than they should, borrow money we as athletes have a long way to go. Section 2 / From Reading to Writing: Crafting an AP ® Synthesis Essay
activity Revising a Paragraph Mexico City, Tommie Smith and John Carlos
and accrue debt, and spend less time with family and friends than they otherwise would. Today, given the television coverage we 15
were booed when they raised their black-gloved
Revise the paragraph you wrote in the activity on page 152. As you work on a second
In an article in the Atlantic magazine, writer Amanda Mull claims that “Consumerism is receive and our prominence on social media,
draft, try to respond to all of the revision questions that apply to a body paragraph of a
fists on the podium, and afterward faced waves
how Americans construct their identities, express their opinions, and mediate the drudg- athletes have platforms that are larger and more
ery of everyday life.” synthesis essay. of criticism from the public and the media alike visible than ever before. The way I see it, that
when they returned home to the United States. also means that we have a greater responsibility
Write an essay that argues your position on the role of consumerism in the United States to speak up. I will not shut up and dribble.
Write an essay that argues your position on the role of consumerism in the United States
Colin Kaepernick risked his career when he
today. knelt during the national anthem before an N.F.L. 2020
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Analyzing a Sample AP Synthesis Essay
The following student essay responds to the prompt we introduced on page 130. As you
In this op-ed, Osaka argues that athletes have the same rights as other citizens to
read it, think about how you would provide feedback to help this student revise her draft.
speak out about their experiences and opinions. She begins by describing LeBron James’s
Developing Sophistication in an activism as a specific example and then claims that people of all other industries and pro-
Section 3 It’s likely that you’ve been writing pro-con lists for assignments since elementary school.
fessions are allowed — encouraged, even — to share their personal and political views.
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AP Argument Essay
“The Value in the Voice of Celebrities”
By that logic, Osaka wonders whether athletes, if told to “shut up and dribble” (par. 1), are
Abigail Kortering
only valued for their physical abilities. Why, she implies, do we simultaneously idolize and
dehumanize celebrity athletes? “Sports have never been apolitical,” she claims, “and as
These lists are helpful when you want to see two sides of an issue and to identify the
With the rise of the internet, celebrities have more of a voice than ever before. The
long as they continue to be played by human beings, they won’t be” (par. 11). After listing
strongest arguments for and against a proposal or an idea. In reality, though, an issue is
top news headlines have to do with what a celebrity did or their opinion on a certain
specific examples of athletes whose activism has helped bring public attention and sys-

topic. Grocery store lines are packed full with tabloids and magazines with celebrity
rarely two-sided. Complicated issues are complicated because there are many facets to
temic change to various issues, Osaka concludes with her position that athletes carry a
them and there is no straightforward answer to the questions they raise.
faces blown up across them. There’s nowhere in America that celebrities haven’t
faces blown up across them. There’s nowhere in America that celebrities haven’t
“greater responsibility to speak up” (par. 15) than those without a widespread fanbase.
reached. Because of this rising platform, especially with the emergence and
reached. Because of this rising platform, especially with the emergence and
Exploring the Complexities or Tensions of an Argument
popularity of social media, celebrities are beginning to speak up in politics as well as
popularity of social media, celebrities are beginning to speak up in politics as well as
human rights activism. This rise of the celebrity voice has led to much controversy
human rights activism. This rise of the celebrity voice has led to much controversy
The complexity of an issue can also be described as its “nuance” or sometimes as its activity
The “Yes, But” Game: Conceding and Refuting
over whether it’s being done right, or whether it should be done at all. However,
“tensions.” When you capture those complexities throughout your argument, you move
Play the “yes, but” game with Naomi Osaka’s argument. Identify two different statements
celebrity activism is a positive and beneficial source of change, especially in today’s
the entire argument to a new level of sophistication — one that sees and evaluates the
she makes to which you can concede in some way but also refute in some way. You
day and age. Celebrity activism is valuable due to the expansive platform that
facets to draw an informed, thoughtful conclusion. We call those arguments qualified
might set up each of your responses in one of the two following ways:
celebrities possess as well as the practical application of their activism.
arguments, and they are sophisticated indeed. What follows are some ways to be sure
A main argument against the value of celebrity activism is that celebrities should
that your argument essays address those complexities. • In this text, Naomi Osaka asserts____________. While I can see that ____________,
Osaka fails to (consider/understand/account for) ____________.
not have power over the opinions of the American people or future legislation
because they are not more educated than professionals on topics of activism. Osaka
• Yes, I agree with Osaka that ____________ because ____________. But, that (belief/
Qualifying Your Argument: Considering Alternative Perspectives
assumption/claim) neglects to take into account that ____________.
counters this, saying, “Just because we are athletes doesn’t mean we are unaffected
Nearly all good arguments take other perspectives into consideration. In other words,
by what happens around the country.” Many celebrities have experienced the effects

they are qualified arguments , which acknowledge the limitations of their claims and 143
of natural disaster, global warming, racism, or sexism and can use their negative
positions. Qualifying your argument shows you are open-minded and considerate of
experiences to enact change in the world around them, like actress Emma Watson
other views and makes your position more reasoned, and also more reasonable. If you’re
who speaks out for women’s rights and gender equality. As a woman in a professional
not sure whether your argument is qualified, check to make sure you haven’t used
setting, she has an understanding of women’s struggles, and is therefore equipped to
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Guided Tour TE-xxix
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