Dear Adjusting AP Teacher,

Veteran and newbie AP teachers alike faced a difficult task this year: rewriting a curriculum to suit a new course description and frankly, a new test. As an AP teacher somewhere in the middle, I tried to embrace what was useful and build on what I already had (and honestly, cringed that I spent ALL last year compiling every single AP lesson).

One big mind shift was in regards to standards. As mentioned previously, I use Standards Based Grading, and in the past, I parcelled the FRQs out as Standard 5B: Analytic Writing (Rhetorical Analysis) and Standard 5C: Persuasive Writing (Synthesis and Argument). Now, however, with the new rubrics, the standards are pretty straightforward: thesis development, evidence and commentary, and sophistication and voice. 

The greatest achievement in these changes, for me, is that my job is better spelled out. AP wants a defensible thesis; I can teach what that looks like and we can define "defensible." AP wants sophistication; I can break down the ways to do that as outlined in the new rubric. 
Everyone else might be complaining, but I am actually a little relieved. 

Because I am using a self-paced, individualized method, my students take notes on my instructional videos to start each unit. Below are my uploaded videos on thesis development and evidence/commentary. 
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Thesis Development:

Below is my base notes video overview. Then I model composing a thesis for all three question types.

Evidence and Commentary

Again, I have a base video that overviews the "what" and "how" of evidence and commentary. My model videos are just for a single body paragraph, but there are lots of full models on YouTube, my own channel included.

So there it is. I figured I could just sit on these until people find them or share them out. They aren't perfect - and I might even re-record some of them next year - but it's a start!