AP English Language and Composition Essay Rubric

The Learned, Diego Rivera (1928)

AP Essay Rubric                                                                                

For each of the Advanced Placement English Language and Composition Essays (the Synthesis, the Analysis, the Argumentative/Persuasive), consider the following to determine the AP Rubric Grade.

Freshman English and AP English--Writing Portfolios

Saint Jerome Writing, Caravaggio (1605)

Scholars:

It is very important that you keep and do not lose any of the assignments for this class.  After the AP Exam, you are required to return all work to me to keep in a writing portfolio.  I will keep the writing portfolio in my classroom; you will be able to access it at any time.  Thank you.

AP English Language and Composition Essay Scoring Guide

Sweet Score--Skylark, Gene Davis (1960)

The rubric below is one that I created by synthesizing (combining) sources elsewhere (handouts from workshops, Internet sites, and my own observations/experience as an AP Reader). Unfortunately, I do not have all the necessary attribution, as I have been adding to it and subtracting from it over many years.  I want to thank all those anonymous sources for their input. (Always give credit to others when appropriate.) This rubric is not a product of The College Board (the company that creates the AP Exam), although it contains language from College Board rubrics, as well as the valuable input I receive yearly from fellow AP Readers of the essays.  Cut and paste the text after the asterisks into a word document, print the item out, and always bring it to class (keep in notebook).

Elaborative Techniques

(from B.E.S.T. Standards)

 

Logical Reasoning

(from B.E.S.T. Standards)

 

Freshman English and AP English--Time Magazine List of the Top Ten Greatest Speeches

Mary's First Speech, Winston Churchill (no date)

Check out this link to what Time Magazine considers the top 10 greatest speeches:

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1841228_1841749_1841738,00.html

AP English--Analysis Prompt for President Obama's Speech on the Death of bin Laden

After the Storm, Boris Kustodiev (1921)

Analyze President Obama's speech on the death of bin Laden.  Identify the President's purpose for delivering this speech and then explain how he effectively utilizes rhetorical devices to support and achieve his objective.

Freshman English and AP English--Why do I Make You Handwrite Notes?

Memories of a Night, Luigi Russolo (1911)

All Classes--Handwriting Actually Improves Memory 

Students sometimes ask me why they can't just copy and paste, or type some notes.  Brain research demonstrates that actually using your hand to write out the letters and words is more beneficial than typing, and certainly more beneficial than just copying and pasting.

Check out this link:

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Writing-Helps-Memory-More-than-Typing-181157.shtml

Office Hours

To be arranged if needed.

About the Teacher

Mr. James Mulhern has been teaching for over thirty-two years in a variety of settings--college, high school, middle school, at-risk, and alternative environments. He has taught English, Writing, Math, History, Science, and a job skills course. Mr. Mulhern has editorial experience working for Houghton Mifflin Company (textbooks and The American Heritage Dictionary, Third Edition) and Ploughshares, a literary magazine, both based in Boston. He also worked for National Evaluation Systems, a teacher test publisher in Amherst, Massachusetts, and for Clark Boardman Callaghan, a law publishing house in New York City.

He was employed in the healthcare arena (unit management positions) for over ten years in New York, Massachusetts, and California. A few of the medical facilities where he worked include The Massachusetts General Hospital and Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, as well as St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco, California.

He taught writing and literature at Emerson College in Boston. Currently, he is on staff as adjunct faculty at Broward College in Fort Lauderdale. Mr. Mulhern was an AP Exam Consultant and Teacher Mentor for the National Math and Science Initiative (2012-2020); he was also a Reader for the Advanced Placement English Exam (College Board) from 2011 through 2019. In addition, he works as a freelance editor, publisher, writer, and web curator. 

James Mulhern's writing (fiction, poetry, nonfiction) has appeared in literary journals and anthologies over one hundred and fifty times. His writings have been published in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, India, South Africa, Singapore, Japan, and Australia. He has been recognized several times: Finalist for the Tuscany Prize in Catholic Fiction, recipient of a fully paid writing fellowship to Oxford University, Runner-Up for the InkTears Short Story Award, longlisted for the Fish Short Story Prize, two Honorable Mentions for the Short Story America Prize, nominee for a Pushcart Prize in fiction, recipient of the Kirkus Star, a Readers' Favorite Book Award winner, a Notable Best Indie Book Award winner, author of a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year, a Red Ribbon Winner for the Wishing Shelf Book Awards, twice a Finalist for the Wishing Shelf Book Awards, and shortlisted for the Aesthetica Creative Writing Award 2021 for his poetry.

All of the proceeds from his publications are donated to charities or a scholarship for an ATCHS graduating senior.

A Few Published Poems:

https://thegalwayreview.com/2020/01/17/james-mulhern-piano/ 
 
https://thegalwayreview.com/2020/01/13/james-mulhern-brother/ 

https://thegalwayreview.com/2019/12/21/james-mulhern-catherine/ 

https://thegalwayreview.com/2019/12/07/james-mulhern-the-crosswalk/ 

https://eunoiareview.wordpress.com/2020/01/01/copacetic/

A Few Published Stories: 

https://www.fictionontheweb.co.uk/2016/08/keep-calm-and-carry-on-by-james-mulhern.html

https://www.fictionontheweb.co.uk/2015/11/assumptions-by-james-mulhern.html

http://writingdisorder.com/james-mulhern/

https://boomerlitmag.com/james-mulhern/

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