Honors & Advanced Placement

1. Honors & Advanced Placement FBHS Information Night May, 2012

2. Welcome • Introductions • Congrats on your choice to take this journey!

3. What is AP? • Advanced Placement • College Level Textbook • AP Exam to determine college credit

4. FBHS AP Program • 11th Grade – AP US History, AP English Language • 12th Grade – AP English Literature • College Class for 2012-2013 • Anthropology 4: Cultural Anthropology • Yet to be Determined

5. FBHS AP Program, Cont. • AP Environmental Science • AP Calculus

6. AP Requirements • “B” or better in previous year’s class • CR Assessment on May 24th • CST Scores • Teacher Recommendation

7. AP English 11 • Objectives: • -college-level reading/writing • -American Literature canon • -rhetoric, argument, analysis • -passing the AP Language and Composition exam • Curriculum: • -nonfiction • -American Literature • -writing

8. AP English 11 – Cont. • AP Test Prep (test in May): • regular essay practice • MC practice near test date • practice test prior to test date • test-taking strategies • Pacing: • consistent • Summer work: • pick up during last week of school

9. AP US History • More material and more depth than Ca. standards. • College level text rather than HS level text. • Supplemental reading each week to accompany chapter in text. • Approximately 50-70 pages of reading per week

10. AP History Cont. • No Projects • Lots of writing • Most classes consist of lecture and discussions. • Very fast paced—must get through entire course by second week of May. • Summer work. • Success depends on consistent effort. • Questions?

11. AP Environmental • Objective: • Study the interrelationships of the natural world • Identify and analyze environmental problems both natural and human-made • Evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems • Examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them

12. AP Environmental • College Level Textbook • Primary documents and other outside readings • Heavy in laboratory and field investigation • Some will be done outside of class time

13. AP Environmental (con.) • Summer Work • Novel: Silent Spring • Writing journal or write in personal text • Pick up last week of school • AP Test (May) • 3 hours • 100 multiple choice, 4 free response

14. AP Calculus

15. Will Colleges except my Calculus credits? Maybe …. Maybe Not! This will Depend on the School & Your AP Test Score.

16. Why Take Calculus? • GPA Bump if you take the AP Test. • Calculus Class is often considered one of the weeding out classes in college, i.e. if you can’t do it – you won’t succeed in that major. • Having taken Calculus you will be significantly more prepared than a student who has not. After taking the class once, the material will be significantly easier, hopefully earning you an “Easy A” the second time around.

17. Why Take Calculus? • Taking Calculus again in college will not require you to learn all new material, thus allowing you to adjust to college life, pace, teachers, roommates, jobs, etc… • Looks good on your transcript and application! • Everyone isn’t doing it! This gives you an edge over other college applicants that did not take the course. • A lot of majors require calculus, so you will have to do it anyway!

18. What am I expected to do? • Summer Packet – reviewing concepts that are used throughout the course. • Homework – A serious Calculus student will dedicate a portion of each night to completing their assigned work. • Quizzes – There will be a minimum of one quiz per week covering the topics from the prior week. • Tests – Chapter and Mid-Chapter Tests will be given to monitor progress.

19. What’s on the AP Test? • Multiple Choice – 17 questions with calculator • Multiple Choice – 28 questions without calculator • Free Response – 2 questions with calculator • Free Response – 4 questions without calculator • Typically a 35%-40% passes with a 3/5 on the test. (A score of 3 is the typically the lowest score a college will allow when giving Calculus credit.)

20. Should I do it? • Give it a try – You may surprise yourself! Students who don’t expect success often are. • Don’t fear the name! Calculus classes are often math brained folks favorite class. Not to mention the bragging rights that you will earn by taking the class! • Colleges do not like a senior slump. Continue on with your math, it looks good on your application, plus your probably going to have to do it anyway. • There is flexibility with other extracurricular activities – just don’t let yourself get to far behind! • Give the course at least six weeks before you even consider dropping. The calculus doesn’t even start till then! • Calculus is awesome… you just don’t know it yet, so sign up!

21. AP English 12 "Wisdom and Spirit of the Universe! Thou Soul that art the eternity of thought, That giv'st to forms and images a breath And everlasting Motion! not in vain, By day or star-light, thus intertwine for me The passions that build up our human Soul, Not with the mean and vulgar works of man, But with the high objects, with enduring things, With life and nature, purifying thus The elements of feeling and of thought, And sanctifying, by such discipline, Both pain and fear; until we recognize A grandeur in the beatings of the heart. --William Wordsworth, The Prelude (Book First, II. 401-414)

22. AP English 12, Cont. • Objectives • Understanding the "passions that build up our human soul" through the study of "high objects" and "enduring things" so that we might "recognize a grandeur in the beatings of the heart." • Become college-level readers and writers • Become familiar with World Literature from 16th Century to Contemporary Era • Score personal best on AP Exam (minimum of 3)

23. AP English 12, Cont. • Texts • college textbook vs. high school textbook • Anthology - Perrine’s Literature: Structure Sound, and Sense, ed. Thomas Arp & Greg Johnson • Voice Lessons, by Nancy Dean • Book-length Texts: • Crime and Punishment • The Metamorphosis • Hamlet • Jane Eyre • The Stranger • Heart of Darkness • Invisible Man • My Antonia • Johnny Got His Gun • The Glass Menagerie • Tartuffe • A Doll’s House • Obasan • Pride and Prejudice • More, as time permits

24. AP English 12, Cont. • Writing • Frequent and various response to literature • Practice AP tests • Focus on balance of general rhetorical stance with use of specific details and proof as evidence of position

25. AP English 12, Cont. • The Test • 55 Multiple Choice covering a variety of poetry and prose selections (1 hour): 45% of overall score • 3 Free-Response Questions - Essays (2 hours): 55% of overall score • 2 Essays based on given unseen texts • 1 Essay based on knowledge of texts studied throughout high school

26. AP English 12, Cont. • Expectations • My philosophical approach • Time commitment • Summer assignments • 2 Novels with writing assignments • Mythological & Archetypal Basis for Literature • August 11th Pre-test and BBQ • Depth and Breadth of Reading and Writing

27. Now what to do for AP….. • There are several steps. • Be organized and meet deadlines. • If you choose to not continue – see your counselor ASAP.

28. AP Contract Details • Complete summer work • Participate in classroom discussions • Complete reading assignments and homework • Complete college class with a grade of “C” or better (History or English students only) • Due with both signatures May 18th • All forms do at one time.

29. Apply to College of the Redwoods • Registration Card • Fill out Concurrent Enrollment • Fill out CR Application • BOG Fee Waiver (Family of 4 income $33,525) • Turn into Counseling Office before May 18th. Include $16 Fee

30. College Class Costs • $46 per unit ($138 for 3 unit class x both semesters) plus $16 Health Fee = $154 • Please note: approved BOG Fee Waivers will take unit cost for class away but you are still responsible for the $16 • Required Textbook for class

31. Honors English • Objectives • Focus on Writing and Critical Reading • Cover English 10 Standards PLUS more extensive writing practice and more novels / plays • Focus on skills and vocabulary necessary for success in advanced upper-grade courses (both English and non) • Preparation for AP classes

32. Honors English • Curriculum • Standard English 10 Textbook • Book-length texts cover World Lit: • Mythology • Oedipus Rex • Julius Caesar • Frankenstein • Hard Times • Things Fall Apart • All Quiet on the Western Front • Slaughterhouse Five • City of Thieves • Animal Farm • Lord of the Flies

33. Honors English, Cont. • Writing • 7-9 Literary Analysis / Response Essays • 2 Research Projects • 5 Timed CAHSEE Essays • 6-8 Timed SAT Essays • Other writing assignments and projects • Summer Assignment • Mythological & Archetypal Basis for Literature

34. Honors English, Cont. • Expectations • My philosophical approach • Time commitment • Depth and Breadth of Reading and Writing

35. Honors History • Goal is to help develop skills for AP in 11th grade. • More rigorous than CP World History. • Ca. standards but with more depth. • Focus on developing writing. • A few projects. • AP Text as opposed to general high school textbook.

36. Honors History Cont. • Reading at least three nights a week. • Quizzes on reading. • Decent amount of homework every week. • Questions?

37. Honors Contract • Complete al assignments • Be prepared and participate in all classroom discussions • Read all assigned chapters and books • Complete all summer homework • Maintain at least a C at the end of the 1st semester