TECH STUFF, A FULL-LENGTH PRACTICE EXAM, AND THE “H” FROM REHUGO: DEADLINE 10 P.M. SUN. 5.2 (JUNIORS)/10 P.M. WED. 5.5 (SOPHOMORES)
Last week, you downloaded the Respondus lockdown browser on your Mac so you can work on secure AP testing materials. This week, you’ll download and engage in a released, full-length AP exam on the AP testing app app as the next part of getting yourself exam ready. Separately you’ll work on the “H” of REHUGO. Finally, you’ll participate during class in a two-part Socratic seminar discussion on Jim Schutze’s The Accommodation.
This Week’s Assignments
Start by downloading the 2021 AP digital testing app, which is now available. And before you ask, yes, I’m giving you a grade for downloading the app. You will download it to your district laptop by going to the “Self Service” app on your Mac, where the AP digital testing app should appear on your list of available choices. You may recall that the district sent you a notice that you should keep your laptop going for this to automatically download, but if that hasn’t happened you need to do it yourself. (TO BE CLEAR: You’ll be taking an all-digital exam on June 7 at 11 a.m. Central time, and you must download and install the app on your testing computer, then log in with your College Board username and password.) Pro tip: If you will be taking the exam on your own, non-school device, you’ll need to download the app at cb.org/ap2021examapp.
Once you’ve got the app installed, you’ll see that the AP’s Digital Practice is now live — and practicing with example questions in the digital testing app is the best way for you to prepare for the logistics/physical mechanism of taking your upcoming digital exam(s). Load the app,, and you’ll be able to:
- Try each type of multiple-choice and/or free-response question they’ll encounter on exam day.
- Preview the flow of the exam and practice using the tools and features in the app.
- Confirm that your technology works as expected.
By 10 p.m. Sunday, May 2 (juniors) or Wednesday, May 5, install the app, log in with your credentials, and take the full Digital Practice AP English Language and Composition. Note that your computer will be locked for the duration of the practice exam, so plan accordingly. You won’t be able to open an internet browser, cut and paste text outside of the application, etc. If you need to access these functions before the end of practice, you can exit the practice experience by clicking More and then exit; if you exit the practice session, you will need to return, reset Digital Practice and the App Demo in My AP and retake the exam.
When you’ve completed the questions, you can go to My AP to access a copy of your responses and the multiple-choice answer key and free response scoring guidelines. Take a screenshot of your score, then send it to me via Remin as demonstrable proof that you have attempted the practice. Your score does not matter for this assignment. This is a mandatory participation grade, not a scored grade. Remember, the only way you can access these is to complete the Digital Practice, not the App Demo.
Then, separately, you’ll work on the “H” of REHUGO — history — adding detailed notes about your choice of three (3) seminal events in US and/or world history, then writing two detailed paragraphs about each historical events. Your notes should include key dates, a thorough description of the event, the major players in the event, any big ideas/universal truths you connect with the event, and why you chose that particular event. As always with REHUGO, you’ll also want to make sure that you create a thorough index of the possible essay topics in which the events you selected might prove helpful as evidence.
Last but definitely not least, you’ll bring the 15 questions you developed about The Accommodation as part of last week’s homework to class on Monday/Tuesday (juniors) or Thursday/Friday (sophomores) to use as part of. our two-day Socratic seminar on the book. You’ll turn the questions in for a grade in a Google form, the link for which I’ll supply in the chat function during your second class of the week. I’ll also be taking a grade on your participation in the Socratic Seminar.
So much to do, so little time. See you in class!
THE “E” IN REHUGO, ALL THINGS THE ACCOMMODATION, AND AP EXAM PREP — DEADLINE 10 P.M. SUNDAY, 4.25.21 JUNIORS/10 P.M. WED. 4.28.21 SOPHS
It’s STAAR week, so we only have one synchronous class this week — Monday for juniors, Friday for sophomores or Wednesday for extended-time students — since all teachers will be involved in the testing effort. We’ll be devoting this single class to a timed writing wherein you’ll use evidence from Jim Schutze’s book The Accommodation, giving you your first chance to rock your “R” work toward the REHUGO project. Independently, you’ll use your extra class and homework time to complete the “E” for entertainment section of the REHUGO project, prepare for a two-day Socratic seminar on The Accommodation, read the syllabus for upcoming AP “Live” Instruction videos and work on a related multiple-choice assignment in AP Classroom.
Beyond this, there are a few important dates you need to recognize, record and prepare for:
- Wednesday, 5.5.21, 2 p.m. — The Accommodation Book Talk with author Jim Schutze
- Wednesday 5.12.21, 1 p.m. — Back-to-back FRQ essays in AP Classroom (regular testors will have 80 minutes, extended testers will be given 2 hours)
- Wednesday, 5.19.21, 1 p.m. — Full-length AP Language practice exam ( regular testors will have 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete the practice exam, extended-time testors will be given 90 minutes for the multiple-choice section and 3 hours and 15 minutes for the free-response section)
- Wednesday, 5.26.21, 1 p.m. — Back-to-back FRQ essays in AP Classroom (regular testors will have 80 minutes, extended testers will be given 2 hours).
Without further ado…
This Week’s Assignments
- Show up ON TIME for the start of your Monday (juniors), Wednesday 1 p.m. (extended time) or Friday class (sophomores), and be sure to bring your completed “R” book notes. You’ll need those notes and your copy of The Accommodation to complete this week’s timed writing. Pro tip: If you have extended time, your one and only testing time will be at 1 p.m Wednesday, 4.21.21. for both sophomores and juniors.
- Complete the “E” — entertainment — section of REHUGO. For ease of reference, here’s the formal assignment, and our associated slides that break down each section as we go. As a general piece of advice, it always helps to revisit the list of prompts and then get started on each section. You’re looking for evidence you can use across a variety of platforms, so keep the goal in. mind as you select and capture your evidence on your own personal REHUGO “cheat sheet.” Pro tip: There are no required categories for the music and art sections since you have so much freedom here. Again, this is YOUR “cheat sheet” so write down the things that will be most useful to you: artists, genre, comparative works, theme, materials, lyrics, etc.
- Link through and read this AP Exam Live Practice syllabus. Note that there are 8 total videos coming over the next two weeks — but we’ll stretch them out since we’re taking the final, June 7 digital exam administration. I’ll start assigning these videos in AP Classroom next week, but for now, go to the Assessments section of AP Classroom and complete the multiple-choice assessment — the 2020 released MCQ — you’ll see assigned there. It will be available at 5 p.m. on Monday, and you will have an hour to complete it (90 minutes if you have extended time).
- Read, record and acknowledge the important dates listed above by replying to this blog under your complete, full name, period listed, by stating “I have read and recorded all important dates listed above, and understand what is expected of me during this critical exam-preparation period.”
This is where the magic starts to happen as we get ourselves exam ready. Good luck — and see you in class this week!
This Week? REHUGO, Reading and Readiness — Due 4.18.21 (JUNIORS)/4.21.21 (SOPHOMORES)
Not a lot of exposition this week because we’ve turned the corner toward getting ourselves exam-ready — so, straight to the work at hand.:
This Week’s Assignments
- Come ready and one time your first class this week take the reading quiz on Chapters 21-30 of The Accommodation, then finish reading the book. You’ll be writing a timed essay next week on the book that will require you to employ evidence from every section of the text.
- Complete Unit 9 in AP Classroom — including watching the videos and answering the FRQ and MCQ — by 1o p.m. Sunday, 4.18.21 for juniors and Wednesday 4.21.21 for sophomores.
- Complete the reading section of this grading period’s REHUGO project, which I’ll provide an overview for in your first class of this week, by your grade-level standing weekly deadline. This work will be helpful for the entire exam, but particularly helpful for Question 3, the argumentative essay. Pro tip: Use 1984 and The Accommodation as two your assigned books.
We’re at the point in the year where your attendance and timely completion of assigned work is critical to your success.