If you've ever worked with students who struggle with reading—or experienced that struggle yourself—you’ve likely seen it firsthand: the hesitation, the frustration, the visible discomfort when asked to read aloud or engage with a challenging text. These reactions are often misunderstood. Too...
Congratulations—or maybe condolences? You just found out you are teaching an Advanced Placement® (AP) English class next year. Whether it’s AP Language and Composition or AP Literature and Composition, the news likely came with a mix of excitement, dread, and the overwhelming question: What do I...
What the Earth signifies to me… We've covered that already. The Earth is suffering from pollution, and we must protect it! Been there, done that! Let's design Earth Day activities that offer a fresh perspective for our students!
The Secondary Source Short Answer Question (SAQ) on the AP history exam presents a unique challenge: students must analyze and synthesize historical interpretations from provided excerpts. This task requires more than simple reading comprehension; it demands critical thinking, contextualization,...
The argumentative essay question on the AP U.S. Government and Politics exam demands a synthesis of content knowledge, analytical skill, and persuasive writing. It challenges students to construct a coherent argument, supported by evidence from foundational documents and course concepts, while...
Ask a teenager how they feel about reading, and you’ll likely get an eye roll, a groan, or a halfhearted, “I don’t like books.”
The Long Essay Question (LEQ) on the AP U.S. History exam offers students an opportunity to construct a sophisticated historical argument, supported by evidence and contextualized within a broader historical narrative. Effectively teaching this component requires a structured approach that...
You may have heard about the “Irish” Thesis Formula, it is all over the internet, some teachers like it, others hate it, but whatever you think about it, it works as an important strategy for helping students set up a complex essay. The argument against it, it is too complex and asks students to do...
You may have heard about the “Irish” Thesis Formula, it is all over the internet, some teachers like it, others hate it, but whatever you think about it, it works as an important strategy for helping students set up a complex essay. The argument against it, it is too complex and asks students to do...
One of the things that I spent most of my time thinking about, when the redesigned AP U.S. History course went into effect, was how to deal with the new Short Answer Questions. These were new, we had never seen these before, so how would we approach them and how would I teach them to my students.
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