AP Course:

AP English Literature & Composition

Kathy Hale

CONSULTANT: Kathy Hale

Kathy has taught AP English Literature for 25 years in San Diego and Hawaii.  She has attended the AP Literature Reading nine times and has acted as a prose table leader.  Kathy has also served as an AP Mentor coaching English Literature mentees through an online platform. Other leadership roles that she has held in her school district include serving as English team leader, AP Coordinator, beginning teacher induction coach and district facilitator, and Visiting Committee member for the Western Association of School Credentialing. Kathy became an AP English Literature national consultant for College Board in 2018 leading both Saturday in-service workshops and summer APSIs across the country.  

In addition to her English credential, she also holds a supplemental one in Dance. Kathy is married to Jonathan Hale, her college sweetheart, and is the proud mom of two sons. 

Class Description:

I am requesting that workshop participants read the novel Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I think it is important that a workshop covers the classics but also gives teachers some new novels and curriculum to use with students.

Day One

  • Welcome and Introductions

  • Equity and Access statement and discussion

  • Review new course framework -- Unit 1, short prose + activity

  • Review AP Central and additional online resources 

  • AP English Literature Changes and Digital Platform overview

  • Course and Exam Design -- New Instructional Resources, AP Central

  • Question 2: Prose -- 2023 Poetry prompt, 6-point rubric, anchor papers, scoring guide, syllabus

  • Instructional strategies and differentiation for teaching Poetry plus tone and organization

  • Video on Q2 – panel guests and debrief

  • Developing students’ analytical skills with Prose

  • Multiple-choice poetry passage -- exploration, strategies and practice

  • More on Digital Platform and AP Reading

  • Prose prompt from 2019 -- instructional strategies

  • Writing Lessons (the “Composition” part of the course)

Day Two

  • Review and Reflection

  • AP English Literature Changes and Digital resources -- continued

  • Question 1 -- Poetry Prompt -- 2023 prompt, 6-point rubric, anchor papers, scoring guide

  • Instructional strategies and differentiation for teaching Prose

  • Answering the Prompt -- open form vs. closed form

  • Teaching annotation, building an interpretation, and organizing essay 

  • Developing students’ analytical skills with Poetry

  • Video on Q1 – panel guests and debrief

  • Designing AP Unit 2 - Poetry Unit

  • Multiple-choice prose passage -- review and more practice of MC strategies

  • Literary Terms Expansion project

  • Poetry prompt from 2019 -- instructional strategies

  • Writing Lessons (the “Composition” part of the course)


Day Three

  • Review and Reflection

  • AP English Literature Changes and Digital resources -- final piece

  • Teaching a longer text and sample lessons -- Begin with the end in mind

  • Review Unit III resources --  Longer Works of Fiction

  • Video on Q3 – panel guests and debrief

  • Review unit plans for Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby power points

  • Question 3 -- Open Q -- 2023 prompt, 6-point rubric, anchor papers, scoring guide

  • Teaching theme + organizing the open Q for students 

  • AP Reading -- question leader commentary, using instructional planning reports

  • Designing your Syllabus

Day Four

  • Review and Reflection

  • Literary Terms -- teaching students how to connect quotes to literary terms to meaning

  • Design unit of choice from new resources plus How to Organize Course (binder)

  • Syllabus preparation (powerpoints as needed for longer works) and Writing Resources 

  • Managing the grading load -- survival discussion and different ways to give feedback

  • Instructional strategies, lessons and differentiation to take back to the classroom

  • Next steps, Closing questions and Equity in the Classroom