Educator edition
AP English Language and Composition
AP English Language and Composition classes, and advanced grades 11–12 writing courses.
20 cases
How to use this educator editionAP Lang educator edition
- The student page, reduced, with the same page number as in the student edition.
- Sample answers are blue, italic and start with a key symbol.
- The educator column names the case, the page and this edition.
- Blocks for this page, always in the same order.
How to use this educator edition
Each sheet shows one student page on the left and notes for you on the right. Student pages keep their page numbers in this book. Each case starts with a Case plan sheet.
The educator column
Answers
A sample answer Each answer is a complete response a strong student could write. Your students’ wording will differ.
Heat check
- Low: most students can discuss this without personal stakes.
- Medium: the talk can turn personal. Use the cool-down.
- High: plan the cool-down before class.
Plan the courseAP Lang educator edition
Plan the course
| Case | Task | Students make | Full chapter, min | One period, min | Code of ethics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Is the screening canceled? | Write a rhetorical analysis of Gia’s final correction: how does it rebuild trust with readers who saw the original screenshot? | Rhetorical analysis, 1 thesis + 2 body paragraphs (about 450 words), timed at 35 minutes | 99 | 50 | SPJ Code of Ethics |
| 2 Does the worksheet show what Dec knows? | Compare the three teacher messages in decision 2 as arguments: which one would a teacher most likely act on, and why? | Comparative analysis, about 500 words | 90 | 50 | CEC Ethical Principles and Practice Standards |
| 3 What should a group do after a public mistake? | Write a rhetorical analysis comparing Gia’s first draft with the model correction. | Comparative rhetorical analysis, about 500 words, 40 minutes | 94 | 50 | PRSA Code of Ethics |
| 4 Who gets a say when a shared room changes? | Write a synthesis-style argument: should the board adopt Option C? | Synthesis essay, about 550 words, 40 minutes | 102 | 50 | ASPA Code of Ethics |
| 5 Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned? | Analyze the rhetoric of Rachel’s FICA moment in Friends: how does humor shape what viewers learn and miss about pay? | Rhetorical analysis, about 450 words | 73 | 45 | PayrollOrg Code of Ethics |
| 6 What can your family see in your college records? | Rhetorically analyze the university parent-access guide: how does it manage two audiences at once? | Rhetorical analysis, about 450 words | 73 | 45 | AACRAO Ethics and Practice |
| 7 Did one complaint get the novel banned? | Rhetorically analyze two public comments to a review committee, one effective and one not. | Analysis, about 500 words | 74 | 50 | ALA Code of Ethics |
Plan the course, continuedAP Lang educator edition
Plan the course, continued
| Case | Task | Students make | Full chapter, min | One period, min | Code of ethics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Is it a recommendation or an ad? | Rhetorically analyze Gia’s original review and argue how disclosure changes its ethos. | Rhetorical analysis plus argument paragraph, about 550 words | 85 | 50 | FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255) |
| 9 What is on your ballot, and where do you check? | Rhetorically analyze a voter guide aimed at young people. | Analysis, about 500 words | 85 | 50 | SPJ Code of Ethics |
| 10 Whose job is it to fix the blocked route? | Compare two messages to the city (one angry and absolute, one precise) and argue which is more likely to get the route fixed. | Comparative analysis, about 500 words | 84 | 50 | ASPA Code of Ethics |
| 11 Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates? | Analyze how an employer’s pay explanation (educator-provided) persuades, then evaluate whether it answers Jordy’s question. | Analysis, about 500 words | 83 | 45 | SHRM Code of Ethics |
| 12 When can a school limit what students say? | Rhetorically analyze a passage from Justice Fortas’s majority opinion in Tinker. | Rhetorical analysis, about 500 words, 40 minutes | 83 | 50 | ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct |
| 13 Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin? | Analyze a “be sustainable” poster’s rhetoric and write a more effective, specific version. | Analysis (about 350 words) plus revised poster text | 74 | 45 | FTC Green Guides (16 CFR Part 260) |
Plan the course, continuedAP Lang educator edition
Plan the course, continued
| Case | Task | Students make | Full chapter, min | One period, min | Code of ethics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Does giving credit let the crew use the song? | Analyze the persuasive strategy of a common online myth (“10 seconds is fair use”) and write a correction for creators. | Analysis (about 350 words) plus 100-word correction | 81 | 45 | AIGA Standards of Professional Practice |
| 15 Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job? | Rhetorically analyze the internship listing and write a revised, honest version. | Analysis (about 400 words) plus revised listing | 87 | 50 | NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice |
| 16 Who wrote the new building rule? | Analyze how the notice uses visual and verbal choices to claim authority it never explains. | Rhetorical analysis, about 450 words | 81 | 45 | ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct |
| 17 How should the crew give out ten free seats? | Write an argument addressed to the twenty students who didn’t get a seat, defending the method the crew chose. | Argument letter, about 450 words | 88 | 45 | The Belmont Report |
| 18 Why is the theater curtain still falling apart? | Write a synthesis argument: what should students bring to a school board budget hearing? | Synthesis essay, about 550 words, 40 minutes | 95 | 50 | ASPA Code of Ethics |
| 19 What should Gia say in her two-minute comment? | Analyze how two sample comments to the committee use rhetorical choices, then write your own. | Analysis (about 350 words) plus a 90-second comment | 75 | 50 | ASPA Code of Ethics |
Plan the course, continuedAP Lang educator edition
Plan the course, continued
| Case | Task | Students make | Full chapter, min | One period, min | Code of ethics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Can the crew post this image as true? | Analyze how the viral caption persuades, then write a verification note that uses the same brevity honestly. | Analysis (about 400 words) plus note | 75 | 50 | RTDNA Code of Ethics |
Standards in this editionAP Lang educator edition
Standards in this edition
Common Core codes come from our standards map for this grade band. Each code links to its official page.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20
RI.11-12.7 Combine and evaluate sources in different media to answer a question or solve a problem. Lessons 1, 2, 3 and 4
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20
W.11-12.1 Write arguments that analyze substantial topics or texts, using valid reasoning and enough relevant evidence. Lessons 13, 14, 17 and 19
W.11-12.1.a Introduce a precise, informed claim, show why it matters, distinguish it from opposing claims and organize the argument logically. Lessons 1, 2, 3 and 4
W.11-12.1.b Develop claims and counterclaims fairly and fully, with the best evidence for each, keeping the audience’s knowledge, values and possible biases in mind. Lessons 1, 2, 3 and 4
W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately. Lessons 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 18 and 20
W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience. Lessons 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20
Claims and Evidence (CLE) AP English Language and Composition. A big idea of the course: writers make claims, support them with evidence and often answer opposing arguments. Lessons 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 20
Reasoning and Organization (REO) AP English Language and Composition. A big idea of the course: writers guide readers through their reasoning by how they organize a text and bring in evidence. Lessons 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18 and 19
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) AP English Language and Composition. A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20
Style (STL) AP English Language and Composition. A big idea of the course: writers choose words, sentences and tone to suit their rhetorical situation. Lessons 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 11, 15, 16, 19 and 20
Professional standards in this editionAP Lang educator edition
Professional standards in this edition
A code of ethics is a standard a profession sets for its own members. Codes for journalists and public relations are voluntary. The rules of professional conduct for lawyers are adopted in each state and can lead to discipline. The FTC guides are law-related guidance, not ethics codes.
SPJ Code of Ethics, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). Professional code.
Revised September 6, 2014, at SPJ's National Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.
Who it binds: No one is legally bound. SPJ calls the code “not a set of rules” and says it is not legally enforceable under the First Amendment. SPJ encourages its use “by all people in all media.”
Seek Truth and Report It: Lessons 1, 9, 18 and 20
Minimize Harm: Lesson 19
RTDNA Code of Ethics, Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA). Professional code.
Revised code adopted June 11, 2015.
Who it binds: Journalists in broadcast and digital news, as guidance. RTDNA says the code “does not dictate what journalists should do in every ethical predicament.” It is not a law.
Truth and accuracy above all: Lessons 1 and 20
Independence and transparency: Lessons 3 and 14
Opening statement (before the guiding principles): Lesson 9
Professional standards in this edition, continuedAP Lang educator edition
Professional standards in this edition, continued
PRSSA Ethical Principles for PR Students & Professionals (professional values and member pledge), Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), the student organization of PRSA. Professional code.
No date shown on the page.
Who it binds: PRSSA student members. PRSSA asks members to follow its Code of Ethics and Conduct and encourages chapters to have members sign the pledge when they join. PRSSA lists the same six professional values as PRSA and says it “models its ethics guidelines after those of its parent organization, PRSA.” It does not say it adopts the PRSA Code word for word. The pledge says members who violate it may be barred from PRSA membership.
PRSSA Code of Ethics and Conduct (member pledge): Lesson 1
CEC Ethical Principles and Practice Standards, Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Professional code.
No adoption date shown on the page.
Who it binds: Special education professionals, who CEC says “are guided by” these principles and standards. It is not a law; IDEA and Section 504 are the laws.
Special Education Standards for Professional Practice: Teaching and Assessment: Lesson 2
Special Education Professional Ethical Principles: Lesson 2
exceptionalchildren.org/
Professional standards in this edition, continuedAP Lang educator edition
Professional standards in this edition, continued
Code of Ethics of the Education Profession, National Education Association (NEA). Professional code.
Adopted by the 1975 NEA Representative Assembly. NEA's web page, titled “Code of Ethics for Educators,” was published September 14, 2020.
Who it binds: Educators, including education support professionals. NEA says the code states “the aspiration of all educators” and that only NEA and its affiliates set remedies for violations. It is not a state licensing rule or a law.
Principle I: Commitment to the Student, item 8: Lesson 2
Principle I: Commitment to the Student, item 2: Lesson 7
PRSA Code of Ethics, Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Professional code.
First developed in 1950. The current code was adopted by PRSA members in October 2000, according to PRSA's Board of Ethics and Professional Standards handbook. The page shows no later revision date.
Who it binds: PRSA members. PRSA says the code “applies to PRSA members.” It is voluntary: PRSA says it has no legislative or government power to enforce it, though its board can bar or expel members sanctioned by a government agency or convicted in court for conduct that breaks the code.
Free Flow of Information: Lessons 3 and 8
Disclosure of Information: Lessons 12 and 20
Competition: Lesson 14
Professional standards in this edition, continuedAP Lang educator edition
Professional standards in this edition, continued
Credo for Ethical Communication, National Communication Association (NCA). Professional code.
Approved by the NCA Legislative Council in 1999; reaffirmed in 2011; reaffirmed with edits in 2017 and 2024.
Who it binds: NCA members, who “endorse and are committed to practicing” its nine principles. It is a statement of values with no enforcement process.
“We accept responsibility for the short- and long-term consequences of our own communication…” (one of nine unnumbered principles): Lesson 3
“We advocate sharing information, opinions, and feelings…” (one of nine unnumbered principles): Lessons 6 and 9
“We strive to understand and respect other communicators' intent…” (one of nine unnumbered principles): Lessons 7 and 16
“We advocate truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, and reason…” (one of nine unnumbered principles): Lesson 18
“We endorse freedom of expression, diversity of perspective, and acknowledgement of dissent…” (one of nine unnumbered principles): Lesson 19
natcom.org/
ASPA Code of Ethics, American Society for Public Administration (ASPA). Professional code.
Revised 2013. ASPA has promoted ethical standards for public servants since 1984.
Who it binds: ASPA members, who “may be sanctioned” for failing to uphold it. ASPA also aims to raise awareness among “all those who work in public service in all sectors.”
5. Fully Inform and Advise.: Lessons 4 and 18
3. Promote democratic participation.: Lessons 4, 10 and 19
4. Strengthen social equity.: Lesson 17
aspanet.org/
ALA Code of Ethics, American Library Association (ALA). Professional code.
Adopted in 1939; amended June 30, 1981; June 28, 1995; January 22, 2008; and June 29, 2021.
Who it binds: Librarians, library trustees and library staff, as a framework. ALA says the principles “cannot and do not dictate conduct to cover particular situations.”
Principle 1 (of 9): Lesson 4
Principle 2 (of 9): Lesson 7
Professional standards in this edition, continuedAP Lang educator edition
Professional standards in this edition, continued
PayrollOrg Code of Ethics, PayrollOrg. Professional code.
No date shown on the document.
Who it binds: Payroll professionals who belong to PayrollOrg. It is not a law; tax and wage laws are separate.
Item 2: Lesson 5
Item 5: Lesson 5
IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). Professional code.
No date shown on the page.
Who it binds: IABC members, who must agree to the code when they apply and renew. IABC can end the membership of anyone found to have violated it.
“I communicate accurate information”: Lesson 5
“I protect confidential information”: Lesson 11
“I do not guarantee results”: Lesson 13
AACRAO Ethics and Practice, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO). Professional code.
Adopted by the AACRAO Board on December 3, 2009; amended March 31, 2010; ratified by members April 23, 2010; reviewed without changes in 2016 and 2019.
Who it binds: AACRAO members, such as college registrars and admissions officers. It is not a law; FERPA is the federal law on education records.
Standards of professional practice: Lesson 6
Principles of professional ethics: Lesson 6
FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255), Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Law or regulation.
Current text as revised July 26, 2023 (88 FR 48102), read on the eCFR.
Who it binds: Advertisers, endorsers (including influencers and reviewers) and intermediaries such as PR firms, under Section 5 of the FTC Act. The Guides are the FTC's “administrative interpretations” of that law. They are law-related guidance, not an ethics code.
§ 255.5 Disclosure of material connections: Lesson 8
§ 255.0 Purpose and definitions, paragraph (f): Lesson 8
Professional standards in this edition, continuedAP Lang educator edition
Professional standards in this edition, continued
NPPA Code of Ethics for Visual Journalists, National Press Photographers Association (NPPA). Professional code.
No revision date shown on the page.
Who it binds: Visual journalists (news photographers and video journalists) and the people who manage visual news. The code says they “are accountable for upholding” its ten standards. It is not a law.
Code of Ethics, standard 3: Lesson 10
ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, American Bar Association (ABA), Center for Professional Responsibility. Professional code.
Adopted by the ABA House of Delegates in 1983 and amended since.
Who it binds: Lawyers. The ABA writes the Model Rules as a model. Each state adopts its own rules of professional conduct, most based on this model, and those rules bind the lawyers it licenses. Lawyers can be disciplined for breaking them. The rules do not bind people who are not lawyers.
Rule 3.1 Meritorious Claims and Contentions: Lessons 10 and 16
Rule 2.1 Advisor: Lesson 12
Rule 4.1 Truthfulness in Statements to Others: Lesson 15
Rule 4.3 Dealing with Unrepresented Person: Lesson 15
americanbar.org/
Professional standards in this edition, continuedAP Lang educator edition
Professional standards in this edition, continued
SHRM Code of Ethics, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Professional code.
As amended April 24, 2023.
Who it binds: SHRM members (human resources professionals). SHRM's bylaws set disciplinary procedures for violations.
Fairness and Justice: Lesson 11
Use of Information: Lesson 11
AIGA Standards of Professional Practice, AIGA, the professional association for design. Professional code.
Text read in AIGA's Design Business + Ethics (2009 edition). AIGA's current web page for the standards could not be opened.
Who it binds: AIGA members. AIGA says the standards “represent the distinction of an AIGA member in the practice of design.”
The designer’s responsibility to the public: Lesson 12
The designer’s responsibility to society and the environment: Lesson 13
The designer’s responsibility to other designers: Lesson 14
FTC Green Guides (16 CFR Part 260), Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Law or regulation.
October 11, 2012 (77 FR 62124), current text read on the eCFR.
Who it binds: Marketers who make environmental claims, such as calling a product “recyclable.” The Guides say they “do not operate to bind the FTC or the public,” but the FTC can act under Section 5 of the FTC Act against claims that are deceptive. They are law-related guidance, not an ethics code.
§ 260.12 Recyclable claims: Lesson 13
NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice, National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Professional code.
Approved by the NACE Board of Directors in 2017; updated 2025.
Who it binds: NACE members: college career-services staff and employers' recruiting staff, who “are expected to use the Principles.”
4. Comply with laws: Lesson 15
naceweb.org/
Professional standards in this edition, continuedAP Lang educator edition
Professional standards in this edition, continued
The Belmont Report, National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research; published by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Research ethics.
Published in the Federal Register on April 18, 1979 (44 FR 23192).
Who it binds: Researchers who study people. It is a statement of ethical principles for research with human subjects. It is not a membership code, and by itself it is not a law.
B. Basic Ethical Principles: 3. Justice: Lesson 17
C. Applications: 1. Informed Consent: Lesson 17
Access, language and discussionAP Lang educator edition
Access, language and discussion
Supports in this edition
- Vocabulary: Keep a list of analytical verbs (concedes, qualifies, redirects) and the big-idea terms visible.
- Read aloud: Read the passage aloud once before annotation; offer recordings of longer texts.
- Bilingual planning: Allow annotation and planning in any language; the essay is written in the course language. Never ask a student to disclose a disability, immigration status, family finances or private records to take part.
- Oral rehearsal: Have students state their thesis and first line of reasoning aloud to a partner before drafting.
- Other ways to respond: For students with accommodations, allow extended time or dictated drafting during practice; the analytical expectations stay the same.
Cognates
The terms and evidence sheets list English and Spanish cognates in the Support block, such as context (contexto). Point them out before reading. A fluent Spanish reader checks every list before release.
Heat check
Every sheet rates how likely the page is to start a hard conversation.
- Low: most students can discuss it without personal stakes.
- Medium: use the cool-down if talk turns personal.
- High: plan the cool-down before class.
No one has to share
No student needs to share private experiences, create a social media account or post publicly. Students can answer every question with the evidence on the page.
How this book works
Each case is a short chapter. The pages follow the same order in every case, so you learn the layout once.
What happened Read the story and the question you will answer.
Key terms Learn the words the case needs, each with its Spanish word.
Reading passage Read a longer passage about the case. Stop and think at each question.
Look at the evidence Read each document. Write what it shows and what it leaves out.
Key idea and In the news Read the idea behind the case, a code of ethics and two real news stories.
Sort the evidence Decide which evidence supports each claim and whose view is missing.
Practice Choose the best response and fix two phrases in a student’s draft.
Your task Follow the numbered steps, plan in the boxes and write your draft.
Check your work Answer yes-or-no questions and mark your level in the rubric.
Questions to discuss Write short answers, then finish My take.
Talk about this case at home Take home a page of questions for your family.
Labels on the page
Evidence AGroup-chat post
A document from the case. Read it closely and compare it with the other documents.
Real sourcePublisherDate
A real news story, code or study. Scan its code to read the original.
Directions on each page
On your ownA short direction under a heading tells you what to do if you work without a teacher, and about how long it takes.
When a page continues
Some sections run onto a second page. Its heading says “continued,” and it keeps the next page number.
Filling in this book
- Fill it in on paper or in a PDF app. Save a copy before you type.
- What you type stays on your device. Nothing is sent to us.
- Do not write private information about yourself or other people.
Contents
- 1 Is the screening canceled?3
- 2 Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?23
- 3 What should a group do after a public mistake?44
- 4 Who gets a say when a shared room changes?64
- 5 Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?83
- 6 What can your family see in your college records?103
- 7 Did one complaint get the novel banned?123
- 8 Is it a recommendation or an ad?142
- 9 What is on your ballot, and where do you check?161
- 10 Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?182
- 11 Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?202
- 12 When can a school limit what students say?222
- 13 Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?242
- 14 Does giving credit let the crew use the song?262
- 15 Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?283
- 16 Who wrote the new building rule?302
- 17 How should the crew give out ten free seats?323
- 18 Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?343
- 19 What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?363
- 20 Can the crew post this image as true?384
Lesson 1Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?
Content note
The optional film clip from The Hunger Games (2012) shows coercion and danger to young people. Preview it before class, or skip it, because students need only the evidence in the story.
Overview
Students read a short story about a neighborhood screening. A cropped seven-second clip in the crew’s group chat seems to say the event is canceled. Students compare the post with two documents, the coordinator’s meeting transcript and a booking email, and decide what the evidence supports. They then write a short group-chat update that corrects the claim and says which entrance to use.
Before this case
Students should already be able to:
- name the exigence, audience and purpose of a short text
- quote evidence precisely and explain its effect
- write a thesis that names a writer’s choices
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- explain how Gia’s correction answers its exigence and its audience
Objectives, continued
- analyze order of information and concision as choices with effects
- link each choice to readers who are already traveling
- revise commentary so it explains an effect instead of naming a device
Materials
- This chapter, one copy per student
- Gia’s correction (the best option in the case page’s second practice question), the post in Evidence A and Jordy’s holding message
- The rhetorical situation grid
- A timer set for 35 minutes
The task in this edition
Task: Write a rhetorical analysis of Gia’s final correction: how does it rebuild trust with readers who saw the original screenshot?
Students make: Rhetorical analysis, 1 thesis + 2 body paragraphs (about 450 words), timed at 35 minutes
Pacing
Opener (page 3): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read What happened aloud. Skip the opening question.
Key terms (pages 4 and 5): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Pacing, continued
Look at the evidence (page 9): 8 min. Short on time: 5 min. Students read Evidence A and B and skip the boxes.
Look at the evidence (page 10): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read Evidence C aloud. Skip its boxes.
Key idea (pages 11 and 12): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Sort the evidence (page 13): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Practice (page 14): 8 min. Short on time: skip. Hand out Gia’s correction instead.
Your task (pages 15 and 16): 8 min. Short on time: 4 min. Fill in the grid together. Students write only the thesis.
Your draft (page 17): 35 min. Short on time: 35 min.
Check your work (pages 18 and 19): 8 min. Short on time: skip. Collect drafts and give feedback on the commentary yourself.
Questions to discuss (pages 20 and 21): 8 min. Short on time: skip.
Talk about this case at home (page 22): at home.
Periods: full chapter 99 minutes; one period 50 minutes.
Lesson 1Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 1 plan, continued
Standards
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. In this case: Students analyze the exigence (a trip about to start) and audience of the screenshot and of Gia’s correction.
Claims and Evidence (CLE) A big idea of the course: writers make claims, support them with evidence and often answer opposing arguments. In this case: Students test whether the cropped clip can carry the claim “canceled.”
Style (STL) A big idea of the course: writers choose words, sentences and tone to suit their rhetorical situation. In this case: Students analyze how the word “access” shifts meaning once the clip is cropped.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.
RI.11-12.7 Combine and evaluate sources in different media to answer a question or solve a problem.
W.11-12.1.a Introduce a precise, informed claim, show why it matters, distinguish it from opposing claims and organize the argument logically.
Standards, continued
W.11-12.1.b Develop claims and counterclaims fairly and fully, with the best evidence for each, keeping the audience’s knowledge, values and possible biases in mind.
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.
Codes of ethics
- SPJ Code of Ethics: Seek Truth and Report It
- RTDNA Code of Ethics: Truth and accuracy above all
- PRSSA Ethical Principles for PR Students & Professionals (professional values and member pledge): PRSSA Code of Ethics and Conduct (member pledge)
Heat map
Opener (page 3): Low
Key terms (pages 4 and 5): Low
Look at the evidence (page 9): Low
Look at the evidence (page 10): Low
Key idea (pages 11 and 12): Low
Sort the evidence (page 13): Medium
Heat map, continued
Practice (page 14): Medium
Check your work (pages 18 and 19): Low
Try it at your school
Find out how your school sends urgent updates.
- Ask a teacher or front-office staff which channel carries official changes (email, app, website)
- Save the official channel so you can check it before reposting
- Next time a screenshot circulates, post “still checking” instead of a verdict
- Suggest to your student council that urgent updates include the original link
Who to ask: Front-office staff, a teacher, the student council advisor or a school librarian
Safety: Don’t share other people’s names or messages from a private chat. Check any official source with a trusted adult if it asks for personal information.
Sources
- Scholastic, “Sunrise on the Reaping announcement,” June 6, 2024
- Robert M. Entman, “Framing,” 1993
- Society of Professional Journalists, “SPJ Code of Ethics,” September 6, 2014
Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?
A cropped clip in the group chat seems to cancel the crew’s screening, so you check the original documents and write an update.
On your ownRead What happened. Underline the sentence that worries the crew. About 4 minutes.
Your role: You’re the one who reads the full transcript before Gia posts. New skill: Find the original source.
What happened
It is Friday afternoon at the Common Room, a shared event space inside a bookshop in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Mateo, 22, booked the room for tonight’s 6 p.m. screening, the crew’s first in the neighborhood. He has been moving tables and chairs all afternoon.
Gia, 21, is helping between her class and her shift at a café. Jordy is testing the projector and captions. Sami is on her way from the print shop.
At 4:52 p.m., someone forwards a seven-second clip to the group chat. The clip comes from a meeting about the room. Its caption asks whether the screening is canceled.
Gia wants to warn people before they leave home. Mateo hopes the post is wrong. Gia has about ten minutes before she has to leave for work.
Your question: Is the screening really canceled, and what should the crew tell people?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.
Claim A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
En español: afirmación
In this case: The caption “Screening canceled?” is a claim. It ends with a question mark, and no document confirms it.
Context Context is the information around an event or a quote that you need to understand what it means.
En español: contexto
In this case: The full transcript adds the words “through that reader tonight.” Those words show that only the broken side door is closing.
Framing Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward.
En español: encuadre
In this case: The crop and the caption choose what viewers notice: “removing access,” not “through that reader.”
Holding statement A holding statement is a short update that says what is known, what is still being checked and when people will hear more.
En español: comunicado provisional
In this case: Jordy posts: “We’re checking the original. Hold your plans for a moment.”
Who is involved
Mateo
Booked the room for tonight
“I’ve been moving these tables all afternoon. Please tell me we didn’t cancel this in a group chat.”
Gia
Leaving soon for a café shift
“Sami’s already on the train from the print shop. “We’re figuring it out” doesn’t tell her whether to keep coming.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, what do you think is going on?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
Reading passage
Whose version travels fastest
On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 6 minutes.
Words to know
- Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
- Context: Context is the information around an event or a quote that you need to understand what it means.
- Framing: Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward.
- Holding statement: A holding statement is a short update that says what is known, what is still being checked and when people will hear more.
The story: A real clip with a false caption
By late Friday afternoon, the Common Room is almost ready. The event space, tucked inside a Fort Greene bookshop, has rows of folding chairs that Mateo has been arranging since lunch. Jordy is checking whether the projector’s captions are readable from the back row. Gia has about ten minutes before she has to leave for a café shift. Sami, who uses a manual wheelchair and usually enters through the side door, is already on the train from the print shop.
At 4:52 p.m., a seven-second clip reaches the group chat. It comes from a meeting about the room. The coordinator says, “we are removing access,” and the clip ends. The forwarded caption supplies the conclusion the video does not: “They’re removing access tonight. Screening canceled?”
Nothing about the clip is fabricated. That is what makes it persuasive. The voice is real, the words are real and the meeting happened. Gia’s instinct is protective. People are already asking whether to turn around, and she wants to save them a trip. Mateo’s instinct is hopeful, and he says plainly that he wants the clip to be fake. Jordy’s instinct comes from editing. A sentence that stops at “access” usually has more after it.
Your role in this case is specific. You are the one who reads the full transcript before Gia posts. Every reply the crew sends will be read by people making decisions on the move, so the order of the crew’s next three steps matters.
Stop and think. Why can a real clip mislead people more easily than a fake one?
Reading the record against the clip
The caption makes a claim, a statement that something is true that can be checked with evidence. Two documents test it. The coordinator’s 3:30 p.m. transcript reads: “The side-door reader is broken. We are removing access through that reader tonight. Existing room bookings remain in place. Use the staffed front entrance while we repair it.” Mateo’s booking email from Tuesday confirms Friday, 6 to 9 p.m., a step-free front entrance and staff at the desk from 5:30.
Set side by side, the documents show that the clip is accurate but incomplete. Context, the information around a quote that you need to understand what it means, narrows “removing access” to a single broken reader. The email adds something the transcript does not: the front entrance is step-free. It also leaves something out. It was sent before Friday’s meeting, so it says nothing about the side door.
The crew’s response follows the evidence in order. First, Jordy sends a holding statement, a short update that says what is known, what is still being checked and when people will hear more: “We’re checking the original. Hold your plans for a moment.” Notice what it avoids. It does not repeat the word “canceled,” and it does not call the clip fake. Then Gia posts the correction in the same chat where the rumor spread, with the time, the entrance and the original update. Jordy captions it so it can be read without sound. Mateo keeps a link to the full transcript beside the cropped clip.
Stop and think. The holding statement avoids the word “canceled.” What might happen if it repeated the word, even to deny it?
Selection, emphasis and who controls the story
Robert Entman’s research defines framing through two actions: selecting some aspects of a situation and making them more salient (Robert M. Entman, “Framing,” 1993). In plain terms, framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward. The seven-second crop is a frame built by subtraction. It selects “removing access” and removes the qualifier. Analyzing a frame does not require proving anyone’s motive. It requires showing what was selected and what was left out.
The pattern reaches far beyond one group chat. When Suzanne Collins announced a new Hunger Games novel, her publisher quoted her on propaganda and “the power of those who control the narrative” (Scholastic, June 6, 2024). In the 2012 film’s reaping scene, the Capitol stages an official ceremony, yet it cannot control how the crowd reacts when Katniss volunteers for Prim. In our reading, the scene and the clip raise the same question: whose version does the edit make easiest to see?
Research suggests the defense is teachable. A Stanford study found that most of 3,446 students judged posts by how they looked rather than by who made them (Stanford Graduate School of Education, November 18, 2019).
Selection, emphasis and who controls the story, continued
A district-wide field study in high school government classes found that teaching lateral reading measurably improved how students judged online claims (Wineburg et al., Journal of Educational Psychology, July 2022). News organizations hold themselves to a similar standard. The RTDNA code warns that “trending” or “going viral” may increase urgency, but these “only heighten the need for strict standards of accuracy” (RTDNA Code of Ethics, June 11, 2015). Finding the original source is the first skill in this series, and every later case builds on it.
Stop and think. Entman says a frame works by selection and emphasis. What did the crew’s correction select and emphasize?
Sources
Real sourceRobert M. Entman1993
Framing
Real sourceScholasticJune 6, 2024
Sunrise on the Reaping announcement
Real sourceStanford Graduate School of EducationNovember 18, 2019
High school students are unprepared to judge the credibility of information on the internet, according to Stanford researchers
Real sourceJournal of Educational Psychology (Wineburg et al.)July 2022
Lateral reading on the open Internet: A district-wide field study in high school government classes
Real sourceRadio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)2015
RTDNA Code of Ethics
Notes
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 8 minutes.
Evidence AGroup-chat post, Friday 4:52 p.m.
The post
They’re removing access tonight. Screening canceled?” A seven-second clip is attached. In it, the coordinator says “we are removing access,” and the clip ends there.
Look closely: Which word in the caption goes further than the clip itself?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence BCoordinator’s meeting transcript, Friday 3:30 p.m.
The full update
“The side-door reader is broken. We are removing access through that reader tonight. Existing room bookings remain in place. Use the staffed front entrance while we repair it.”
Look closely: Which four words narrow what “access” means? Underline them.
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
Evidence CBooking email to Mateo, sent Tuesday
The booking email
Friday, 6–9 p.m. Screening confirmed. Front entrance: step-free. Staff member at the desk from 5:30 p.m. Contact the coordinator for arrival support.
Look closely: What does this confirm? What does it not say about the side door?
What it shows
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: framing
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.
The clip in the group chat is real, but that only tells you the video is authentic. A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence. Context is the information around an event or a quote that you need to understand what it means. Here, the clip stops before the rest of the coordinator’s sentence, so the clip alone cannot confirm the caption’s claim.
Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward. Media researcher Robert Entman uses this idea to study what messages select and emphasize. The crop makes “removing access” stand out and hides “through that reader,” the words that limit the change to one broken side door. You do not have to prove that anyone meant to mislead people. You only need to show what the edit leaves out.
A holding statement is a short update that says what is known, what is still being checked and when people will hear more. It gives people a next step while the crew checks the documents. The correction that follows needs the time, the door and a contact for arrival help. People who are already traveling need those details before they arrive.
Professional standards
Real sourceSociety of Professional Journalists (SPJ)
SPJ Code of Ethics: Seek Truth and Report It
“Verify information before releasing it. Use original sources whenever possible.”
In plain words: Journalists who follow the SPJ code check a claim against the original source before they share it.
Question: What does the full meeting transcript say right after the point where the seven-second clip ends?
Your answer
The transcript goes on to say ___, which means ___.
In the news
Real sourceCrashCourse (YouTube)January 22, 2019
Check Yourself with Lateral Reading: Crash Course Navigating Digital Information #3
Shows the move the crew makes: leave the screenshot, open new tabs and check who made it and what other sources say.
Real sourcePolitiFactAugust 1, 2022
Viral image shows fake story from The Atlantic about Biden
A real fact-check of a fabricated news screenshot: the image looked official, but the outlet never published it.
Notes
Sort the evidence
On your ownCompare each piece of evidence with each claim. Write supports, challenges or neither in each box. About 6 minutes.
Draw an arrow from each piece of evidence to the claim it supports or challenges. Which claim is left standing, and which gap still needs a check before you post?
| Evidence | Claim 1The screening is canceled. | Claim 2The screening is on; use the staffed front entrance. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 The clip: “we are removing access…” ends mid-sentence. | Supports | Neither |
| 2 The transcript: access is removed “through that reader,” and existing bookings remain in place. | Challenges | Neither |
| 3 The booking email: Friday 6–9 p.m., screening confirmed, step-free front entrance. | Challenges | Supports |
Still open
- Can every visitor use the temporary entrance?
Whose perspective is missing?
Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?
The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose the message you would send and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 8 minutes.
The post arrived a few minutes ago, and nobody has checked the original yet. What do you send to the group chat?
A Cancel your plans before you travel.
B We’re checking the original. Hold your plans for a moment.
C The post is fake. Ignore it.
Why I chose it
Improve a draft
A student’s first draft
Hey everyone, so there was a clip going around that said the screening was canceled but 1 that is NOT true lol. Someone didn’t watch the whole thing and posted it anyway which is kind of annoying. I checked with Mateo and he said the booking is still good. They are just removing access through one door so everything is fine and 2 you can come like normal. The event is still happening Friday. Bring snacks if you want, Jordy is doing the projector. See you there!! Also if you have questions ask Mateo.
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
AP Lang
Your task
On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Write a rhetorical analysis of Gia’s final correction: how does it rebuild trust with readers who saw the original screenshot?
- Fill in the rhetorical situation grid for Gia’s correction.
- Write a thesis that names Gia’s purpose and two choices that serve it.
- Write two body paragraphs, one for each choice, in 35 minutes.
- Quote Gia’s exact words in each paragraph.
- Explain how each choice affects readers who are already traveling.
- Revise the paragraph a peer marks. Then answer the questions on the Check your work page.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Exigence
Audience
Purpose
Two choices
Your task, continued
Thesis
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 35 minutes.
Body paragraph 1
Body paragraph 2
Check your work
On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 8 minutes.
Does your thesis name Gia’s purpose and the choices that serve it?
YesNoDoes each paragraph quote Gia’s exact words?
YesNoDoes your commentary link each choice to readers who are already traveling?
YesNoDoes your line of reasoning build from one paragraph to the next?
YesNo
How your work is scored
Mark one box in each row.
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | Repeats the screenshot’s claim or ignores the documents. | Mentions a source but not the detail that changes the meaning. | Uses the transcript or email to correct the claim accurately. | Uses both documents and names what they still cannot confirm. |
| Reasoning | Treats the clip as fake or as final. | Corrects the claim but adds a guess about motive. | Explains the difference between an entrance change and a cancellation. | Explains how the crop produced the wrong conclusion and avoids inventing motive. |
| Audience & purpose | Message would not help someone decide whether to leave. | Gives the verdict but leaves out time or entrance. | Gives time, entrance and a contact. | Anticipates access needs and people who saw only the original post. |
How your work is scored, continued
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revision | No change after feedback. | Surface edits only. | Adds a missing fact or removes an unsupported claim. | Explains why each edit makes the update more usable. |
The sentence I revised, and how
I changed ___ to ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 8 minutes.
1 The clip is real. How did it lead people to the wrong conclusion?
2 Should the crew say why they think the clip was posted? Why or why not?
3 Jordy’s holding message does not repeat the word “canceled.” Why might that matter?
4 What rule could the Common Room adopt for urgent updates? What would the rule cost?
My take
My claim: ___.
My take, continued
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
The limit of the evidence is ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
Talk about this case at home
Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?
In this case, a short video clip in a group chat makes a group of friends think their movie night is canceled. Your student compared the clip with the full meeting notes and a booking email, then wrote a message that corrects the mix-up.
Questions to talk about
- What would you check before you share a screenshot?
- Where does your school post official updates, such as closings?
- What makes a correction easy to trust?
Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.
See the case online.
Lesson 2Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?
Content note
This case discusses disability, evaluations and support plans. No student should share their own grades, diagnosis or support plan, so keep the discussion on Dec’s situation.
Overview
Students read about Dec, a high school senior who explains a circuit well out loud but loses his place on a dense practice sheet. They sort the evidence into what is observed, what might explain it and what is not established, using a summary of the IDEA evaluation rule. They then redesign the practice sheet or draft a support request that Dec could approve.
Before this case
Students should already be able to:
- identify the claim and evidence in a short argument
- explain how audience shapes a message
- write a thesis about effectiveness
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- evaluate three short messages by their claims, evidence and tone
- link each choice to a busy teacher audience
- concede what the evidence cannot show
- revise commentary to explain how this teacher would likely respond
Materials
- This chapter, one copy per student
- The three messages in the case page’s second practice question
- Evidence B, Dec’s study-table notes, as context
- The claim, evidence and reasoning chart
The task in this edition
Task: Compare the three teacher messages in decision 2 as arguments: which one would a teacher most likely act on, and why?
Students make: Comparative analysis, about 500 words
Pacing
Opener (page 23): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read What happened aloud. Skip the opening question.
Key terms (pages 24 and 25): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Look at the evidence (pages 29 and 30): 8 min. Short on time: 5 min. Students read Evidence B and skip the boxes.
Key idea (pages 31 and 32): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Sort the evidence (pages 33 and 34): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Pacing, continued
Practice (page 35): 8 min. Short on time: 4 min. Read the three options aloud. Skip the draft fixes.
Your task (pages 36 and 37): 8 min. Short on time: 6 min. Fill in the chart for Message A together.
Your draft (page 38): 30 min. Short on time: 30 min.
Check your work (pages 39 and 40): 8 min. Short on time: 2 min. Students write only the revision field.
Questions to discuss (pages 41 and 42): 8 min. Short on time: skip.
Talk about this case at home (page 43): at home.
Periods: full chapter 90 minutes; one period 50 minutes.
Standards
Claims and Evidence (CLE) A big idea of the course: writers make claims, support them with evidence and often answer opposing arguments. In this case: Students evaluate which teacher message makes a claim the evidence supports.
Lesson 2Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 2 plan, continued
Standards, continued
Reasoning and Organization (REO) A big idea of the course: writers guide readers through their reasoning by how they organize a text and bring in evidence. In this case: Students order a support request: goal, observation, question.
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. In this case: Students write in Dec’s voice, with his permission, for a teacher audience.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.
RI.11-12.7 Combine and evaluate sources in different media to answer a question or solve a problem.
W.11-12.1.a Introduce a precise, informed claim, show why it matters, distinguish it from opposing claims and organize the argument logically.
W.11-12.1.b Develop claims and counterclaims fairly and fully, with the best evidence for each, keeping the audience’s knowledge, values and possible biases in mind.
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.
Standards, continued
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.
Codes of ethics
- CEC Ethical Principles and Practice Standards: Special Education Standards for Professional Practice: Teaching and Assessment
- CEC Ethical Principles and Practice Standards: Special Education Professional Ethical Principles
- Code of Ethics of the Education Profession: Principle I: Commitment to the Student, item 8
Heat map
Opener (page 23): Medium
Key terms (pages 24 and 25): Low
Look at the evidence (pages 29 and 30): Low
Key idea (pages 31 and 32): Low
Sort the evidence (pages 33 and 34): Medium
Practice (page 35): Medium
Check your work (pages 39 and 40): Low
Try it at your school
Learn your school’s route for asking about support.
- Find your school’s student handbook or website page on learning support
- Write one question you’d want answered, without naming a classmate
- Ask a counselor who handles support requests and how parents or students start one
- If a friend is struggling, ask them what they want before doing anything
Who to ask: School counselor, special-education coordinator or a teacher you trust
Safety: Don’t share anyone’s grades, diagnosis or support plan. A parent or guardian usually has to be part of a formal evaluation request for students under 18.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Education, “IDEA regulations, 34 CFR § 300.304 (evaluation procedures),” No date listed
- CAST, “Universal Design for Learning Guidelines 3.0,” 2024
Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?
Dec can explain a circuit out loud but gets lost on a crowded worksheet, so the crew asks what the task measures.
On your ownRead What happened. Underline what Dec can do out loud and where he gets stuck. About 4 minutes.
Your role: You’re the one who reads the goal line before anyone decides what Dec knows. New skill: Check what a task is meant to measure.
What happened
Anika, 16, and Dec, 17, are at the study table twenty minutes before theater rehearsal. They are building a light circuit for a school set. Dec can explain out loud how the current travels through the circuit. On the written practice sheet, he loses his place in the instructions.
The sheet has six dense paragraphs and one small diagram. Anika’s first idea is to run the same timed practice sheet again. Then she draws a larger sketch, and Dec traces the whole circuit correctly.
Mari, 19, is on her break from the bookshop. She does not assume she knows why Dec is stuck. Dec wants help with this task, but he does not want a diagnosis from the group chat.
Your question: Does the practice sheet show what Dec knows, and what should Dec ask his teacher?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.
Learning goal A learning goal is the knowledge or skill that a task is meant to show.
En español: meta de aprendizaje
In this case: The practice brief names one goal: explain how a simple circuit works. It does not list speed or reading six dense paragraphs.
Evaluation An evaluation is a school's formal process for learning about a student's needs, using more than one measure.
En español: evaluación
In this case: Dec’s practice sheet is not an evaluation. It is one observation the crew can describe to a teacher.
Eligibility Eligibility is meeting the requirements for a particular service or program.
En español: elegibilidad
In this case: A practice sheet cannot show whether Dec is eligible for special education. Under IDEA, no single measure can be the only basis for that decision.
Who is involved
Dec
Theater crew, working on the circuit sheet
“I can show you where the current goes. Then I get halfway through the written question and lose my place.”
Anika
Studying the circuit with Dec
“I kept pointing at the page and saying “it’s right there.” I never looked at how the question was written.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, why do you think Dec gets stuck on the worksheet?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
Reading passage
One score, two explanations
On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.
Words to know
- Learning goal: A learning goal is the knowledge or skill that a task is meant to show.
- Evaluation: An evaluation is a school's formal process for learning about a student's needs, using more than one measure.
- Eligibility: Eligibility is meeting the requirements for a particular service or program.
- Context: Context is the information around an event or a quote that you need to understand what it means.
The story: What the study table shows
Twenty minutes before rehearsal, the study table looks like a small workshop. Anika, a high school junior who helps build theater sets, and Dec, a senior who pulls the curtain at every show, are wiring a light circuit for a school set. Dec can narrate the path of the current without hesitating: out of the battery, through the switch and the LED, and back. The written practice sheet stops him. It asks students to read six dense paragraphs, use one small diagram and answer four questions in complete sentences. Partway through, Dec loses track of which line the question wants him to follow.
Each friend responds according to habit. Anika, who likes to solve a problem herself, suggests running the timed sheet again. Later she notices her own mistake. She kept pointing at the answer instead of at how the question was built. When she redraws the circuit at a larger size, Dec traces it correctly from start to finish. Mari, who is dyslexic and moves between print and audiobooks, does not claim to know what is happening for Dec. She asks him to explain it to her first, then compare that with the worksheet.
Dec sets the terms. He wants help with this assignment, and he wants his friends to describe what happened rather than announce what is wrong with him. Your role is to read the goal line before anyone decides what Dec knows.
Stop and think. Anika wants to avoid doing the thinking for Dec. How can a clearer format still test the learning goal?
Measuring the goal, not the format
Lesson 1 taught a habit that transfers directly: go back to the original source. Here that source is the practice brief. Its goal is to “explain how a simple circuit works.” It sets no time limit. A learning goal is the knowledge or skill that a task is meant to show, and naming it changes the question. The issue is no longer whether Dec can finish the sheet. It is whether the sheet measures the goal or something next to it, such as reading dense text under pressure.
The evidence is uneven, and that is useful. The study-table notes record two observations on the same afternoon. Spoken, with a larger sketch, Dec’s explanation was correct. Written, he skipped a line and answered a different question. Neither observation explains why. Lesson 1’s term context applies here. A written answer is real evidence, but like a cropped clip it shows one frame of a larger picture.
Anika’s revised plan is modest. She wants one clear diagram and one instruction at a time, followed by Dec explaining why the circuit works. She does not want to do the thinking for him. That last condition matters. A new format is only a fair test if it still requires Dec to show the learning goal.
Stop and think. The notes record what happened but not why. Why is it important to keep those two things separate?
The limits of a study session
Schools have a formal process for questions the crew cannot answer. An evaluation is a school’s formal process for learning about a student’s needs, using more than one measure. Eligibility is meeting the requirements for a particular service or program. The federal IDEA regulations require a public school to use a variety of assessment tools and forbid using any single measure as the sole basis for an eligibility decision (U.S. Department of Education, IDEA regulations, 34 CFR 300.304). As the law turned fifty, K-12 Dive traced where IDEA, evaluations and individualized education programs came from (K-12 Dive, December 3, 2025).
The same logic appears in design and in civil rights guidance. CAST’s guidelines encourage giving learners more than one way to take in information and show what they know (CAST, Universal Design for Learning Guidelines 3.0, 2024). A systematic review and meta-analysis examined how well that approach works in practice (Almeqdad et al., Cogent Education, May 29, 2023). The Department of Justice says testing accommodations should let a test measure skill rather than disability (ADA.gov, February 28, 2020).
Professional ethics adds a privacy boundary. The NEA code says educators “shall not disclose information about students obtained in the course of professional service” without a compelling professional purpose or a legal requirement (National Education Association, Code of Ethics, 1975). Friends are not bound by that code, but the crew follows its spirit. Dec decides what Ms. R hears, and a study session stays a study session.
The limits of a study session, continued
The skill you practiced here, checking what a task is meant to measure, returns in later cases. You will ask it of a pay statement, a sample ballot and a school budget.
Stop and think. IDEA forbids using a single measure as the only basis for eligibility. What risk is that rule designed to prevent?
Sources
Real sourceU.S. Department of EducationNo date listed
IDEA regulations, 34 CFR § 300.304 (evaluation procedures)
Real sourceK-12 DiveDecember 3, 2025
IDEA at 50: How the landmark law changed education
Real sourceCAST2024
Universal Design for Learning Guidelines 3.0
Real sourceCogent Education (Almeqdad et al.)May 29, 2023
The effectiveness of universal design for learning: A systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis
Real sourceADA.gov (U.S. Department of Justice)February 28, 2020
ADA Requirements: Testing Accommodations
Real sourceNational Education Association (NEA)1975
Code of Ethics of the Education Profession
Notes
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 8 minutes.
Evidence APractice brief, handed out Monday
The assignment
Goal: Explain how a simple circuit works. Read the six paragraphs below before you answer. Use the diagram to trace the path of the current from the battery through the switch and the LED and back. Answer questions 1–4 in complete sentences.
Look closely: Which skill does the goal line name, and which does it leave out?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence BStudy-table notes, Wednesday 3:40 p.m.
Dec’s explanation
Out loud, with the larger sketch: traced the whole path, battery to switch to LED and back. Correct. Written sheet: skipped a line in the instructions and answered a different question from the one asked. Dec: the layout is hard to follow.
Look closely: What did Dec get right out loud that the sheet did not record?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: learning goals
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.
Dec’s written answer and his spoken explanation give the crew different information. A learning goal is the knowledge or skill that a task is meant to show. The practice brief names one goal: explain how a simple circuit works. It does not list speed, and it does not list reading six dense paragraphs. So the next question is what the sheet was meant to measure and what got in the way.
CAST’s Universal Design for Learning Guidelines encourage giving learners more than one way to take in information and show what they know. For Dec, a larger diagram is a practice option to test. It is not a diagnosis, and it does not change an official test. Ask Dec what helped, and check that he can still explain the circuit.
An evaluation is a school's formal process for learning about a student's needs, using more than one measure. Under IDEA, a federal law, a public school must use varied tools in an evaluation. No single measure can be the only basis for deciding eligibility. Eligibility is meeting the requirements for a particular service or program. A study session is not an evaluation, so Dec decides whether to ask his school how that process starts.
Professional standards
Real sourceCouncil for Exceptional Children (CEC)
CEC Ethical Principles and Practice Standards: Special Education Standards for Professional Practice: Teaching and Assessment
“Use culturally and linguistically appropriate assessment procedures that accurately measure what is intended to be measured”
In plain words: Special educators who follow CEC's standards use assessments that measure the skill the task is meant to measure.
Question: The goal is explaining a circuit. Which parts of the sheet test something else, like reading six dense paragraphs?
Professional standards, continued
Your answer
Besides its goal, the sheet measures ___, which means ___.
In the news
Real sourceEducation WeekOctober 13, 2025
Does Extended Time on Tests Actually Help Students With ADHD?
Asks the case’s question in real life: does a test accommodation help students show what they actually know?
Real sourceK-12 DiveDecember 3, 2025
IDEA at 50: How the landmark law changed education
Explains where IDEA, evaluations and IEPs came from and why schools must plan around each student’s needs.
Notes
Sort the evidence
On your ownRead each decision in the diagram. Write who decides it in each blank box. About 6 minutes.
Sort who can decide each question. Which decision belongs to the teacher, which to a formal school process, and which only to Dec?
Try a clearer practice format for the circuit goal
The teacher, who sets the practice format and the learning goal
Dec, who decides what to share and whether to ask
Start a formal IDEA evaluation or a Section 504 conversation
The school’s evaluation process, with a parent or guardian for a student under 18
IDEA evaluation rule: varied tools, no single measure as the sole basis
Whose perspective is missing?
Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?
The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.
Notes
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what the crew should try and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 8 minutes.
What should the crew try at the study table?
A Run the same timed sheet again so Dec gets more practice.
B Let Dec explain with a larger diagram, then compare his reasoning with the sheet.
C Tell Dec he probably needs an IEP.
Why I chose it
Improve a draft
A student’s first draft
Hi Ms. R, Dec failed the circuit sheet again and we think the test is unfair to him. He obviously knows the material because he explained it to us perfectly. At the study table he went through the whole thing out loud with no mistakes. 1 We think he might have a learning disability and should get an IEP so he can get extra time. My cousin has one and it helped her a lot. 2 Can you give him an easier version? We really think this would help him pass. Thanks, Anika and Mari.
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
AP Lang
Your task
On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Compare the three teacher messages in decision 2 as arguments: which one would a teacher most likely act on, and why?
- Copy the claim of each message into the chart.
- Note the evidence each message offers, if any.
- Decide which message a busy teacher would most likely act on.
- Write a thesis that names that message and the choices that make it effective.
- Draft your thesis paragraph and one body paragraph on the Your draft page.
- Finish the analysis, about 500 words, in the online workspace.
- Add one sentence that concedes what the evidence cannot show.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Message A: claim and evidence
Message B: claim and evidence
Your task, continued
Message C: claim and evidence
Thesis
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 30 minutes.
Thesis paragraph
Body paragraph
Check your work
On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 8 minutes.
Is your thesis about effectiveness defensible?
YesNoDo you analyze the claims and evidence in each message?
YesNoDo you link each choice to a busy teacher?
YesNoDo you concede what the evidence cannot show?
YesNo
How your work is scored
Mark one box in each row.
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | Mentions only the score. | Describes Dec’s explanation vaguely. | Cites the goal and two specific observations. | Uses observations and notes what they cannot show. |
| Reasoning | Concludes Dec has a disability or the test is illegal. | Suggests easier content without linking to the goal. | Connects a possible format barrier to the learning goal. | Distinguishes classroom support from IDEA evaluation accurately. |
| Audience & purpose | Message speaks for Dec without his input. | Mentions Dec but ignores his voice. | Written in Dec’s voice with his permission. | Respects Dec’s control and gives the teacher a clear next step. |
How your work is scored, continued
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revision | No change. | Removes one problem line. | Replaces the diagnosis with an observation. | Explains how each change protects Dec’s privacy and agency. |
The paragraph I revised, and how
I revised ___ so that ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 8 minutes.
1 Is the practice sheet checking circuit understanding, reading speed or both?
2 How would you know a new format shows Dec’s learning more clearly instead of giving away the answer?
3 What does the IDEA evaluation rule cover, and why does a study session fall outside it?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
The limit of the evidence is ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
Talk about this case at home
Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?
In this case, a student can explain a light circuit out loud but gets lost on a crowded worksheet. Your student compared the worksheet’s goal with notes from a study session and thought about what the worksheet really measures.
Questions to talk about
- Can one test show everything a person knows? Why or why not?
- What makes the directions on a worksheet or a form easy to follow?
- Who at a school can students ask about help with schoolwork?
Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.
See the case online.
Lesson 3Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?
Content note
The recap caption blames younger attendees for a late start. Keep the discussion on the event in the story, and do not ask students to describe times they were blamed or stereotyped.
Overview
Students read a short story in which the crew’s recap caption blames “the younger crowd” for a late start. They build a timeline from Jordy’s setup log, which shows that a projector failure caused the delay, and compare it with Gia’s first apology draft. They then write a correction that names the error and a repair step with an owner and a way to check it.
Before this case
Students should already be able to:
- explain how a writer builds ethos
- quote evidence precisely and explain its effect
- write a thesis about a writer’s purpose
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- explain how each text constructs the writer’s ethos
- analyze specific word choices and their effect on Anika and other readers
Objectives, continued
- explain why conceding a specific error earns credibility
- revise commentary so it addresses a specific reader
Materials
- This chapter, one copy per student
- Gia’s first draft (Evidence D) and the model correction (the revised draft in the Practice answer key)
- The side-by-side annotation sheet
- A timer set for 40 minutes
The task in this edition
Task: Write a rhetorical analysis comparing Gia’s first draft with the model correction.
Students make: Comparative rhetorical analysis, about 500 words, 40 minutes
Pacing
Opener (page 44): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read What happened aloud. Skip the opening question.
Key terms (pages 45 and 46): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Look at the evidence (page 50): 6 min. Short on time: 3 min. Students read Evidence A and B and skip the boxes.
Pacing, continued
Look at the evidence (page 51): 6 min. Short on time: 4 min. Students fill in only the boxes for Evidence D.
Key idea (pages 52 and 53): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Sort the evidence (page 54): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Practice (page 55): 8 min. Short on time: 4 min. Skip the choice. Read the revised draft in the answer key aloud.
Your task (pages 56 and 57): 8 min. Short on time: 6 min. Students annotate only the first two sentences of each text.
Your draft (page 58): 30 min. Short on time: 30 min.
Check your work (pages 59 and 60): 8 min. Short on time: skip. Collect drafts and give feedback yourself.
Questions to discuss (pages 61 and 62): 8 min. Short on time: skip.
Talk about this case at home (page 63): at home.
Periods: full chapter 94 minutes; one period 50 minutes.
Lesson 3Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 3 plan, continued
Standards
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. In this case: Students analyze how Gia’s draft misreads its audience: Anika needs a fact, not reassurance.
Reasoning and Organization (REO) A big idea of the course: writers guide readers through their reasoning by how they organize a text and bring in evidence. In this case: Students reorder the correction so the inaccurate claim and the evidence come first.
Style (STL) A big idea of the course: writers choose words, sentences and tone to suit their rhetorical situation. In this case: Students analyze how “Sorry if this came across wrong” shifts responsibility onto readers.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.
RI.11-12.7 Combine and evaluate sources in different media to answer a question or solve a problem.
W.11-12.1.a Introduce a precise, informed claim, show why it matters, distinguish it from opposing claims and organize the argument logically.
Standards, continued
W.11-12.1.b Develop claims and counterclaims fairly and fully, with the best evidence for each, keeping the audience’s knowledge, values and possible biases in mind.
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.
Codes of ethics
- PRSA Code of Ethics: Free Flow of Information
- RTDNA Code of Ethics: Independence and transparency
- Credo for Ethical Communication: “We accept responsibility for the short- and long-term consequences of our own communication…” (one of nine unnumbered principles)
Heat map
Opener (page 44): Medium
Key terms (pages 45 and 46): Low
Look at the evidence (page 50): Low
Look at the evidence (page 51): Low
Key idea (pages 52 and 53): Low
Heat map, continued
Sort the evidence (page 54): Medium
Practice (page 55): Low
Check your work (pages 59 and 60): Low
Try it at your school
Help a club you’re in write a corrections rule.
- Ask the editor or advisor of a school newsletter, club account or yearbook how they fix mistakes
- Suggest a three-step checklist: name the error, show the evidence, say what changes
- Offer to test it on an old post together
- Keep any real examples anonymous
Who to ask: School newspaper or yearbook advisor, club advisor, student council secretary
Safety: Don’t repost someone else’s mistake to criticize them. Talk to the club privately first.
Sources
- Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), “PRSA Code of Ethics,” October 2000
- Society of Professional Journalists, “SPJ Code of Ethics,” September 6, 2014
- Critical Media Project, “Zootopia: the press conference,” No date listed
Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?
The crew’s recap caption blamed younger neighbors for a late start, but the event log shows the projector failed.
On your ownRead What happened. Underline the caption and the time the projector failed. About 4 minutes.
Your role: You’re the one who checks the log’s times before the correction goes up. New skill: Correct a public mistake.
What happened
It is Sunday at the edit desk. Caio, 24, edited a short recap of Friday’s screening. The crew posted it on Saturday morning. Gia’s caption, “Great night, once the younger crowd finally got organized,” sounded believable, because a few people did arrive late.
Then Jordy checks the setup log. The projector failed at 5:40 p.m. The replacement was not running until 6:20, twenty minutes after everyone was seated. The log also says Anika and Dec helped carry chairs before the doors opened.
Anika sends the group a voice note asking why she and Dec are the problem in the post. Gia wants to take responsibility. Her first draft of a correction is mostly about how bad she feels, and the recap caption is still up.
Your question: What should the correction say, and what will the crew do differently next time?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.
Claim A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
En español: afirmación
In this case: The caption claims the late start happened because “the younger crowd” was not organized. Jordy’s setup log checks that claim.
Correction A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information.
En español: corrección
In this case: Gia edits the original caption, not just her story, so people who saw it learn what was wrong.
Accountability Accountability is owning a mistake and doing what you said you would do to fix it.
En español: rendición de cuentas
In this case: The crew names who fixes the caption, who contacts Anika and Dec, and who checks the next recap against the log.
Who is involved
Gia
Wrote the recap caption
“I wrote ‘once the younger crowd finally got organized.’ A few people did come in late, so it felt true. I never checked why we started late.”
Jordy
Kept the setup log on Friday
“My log says Anika and Dec were carrying chairs before doors opened. The caption turned them into the reason we started late.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, what should Gia’s correction say first?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
Reading passage
When an explanation becomes blame
On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.
Words to know
- Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
- Correction: A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information.
- Accountability: Accountability is owning a mistake and doing what you said you would do to fix it.
The story: The log nobody opened
The crew’s first neighborhood screening, the one saved from a cropped clip in Lesson 1, went ahead on Friday. On Saturday at 11:08 a.m., the crew posted a recap. Caio, 24, had edited the video. Gia, 21, wrote the caption: “Great night, once the younger crowd finally got organized.” It seemed accurate to her in the loose way captions often do. A few people had arrived late, and the evening had started late, so the two facts fused into a cause.
On Sunday at the edit desk, Jordy opens the setup log. At 5:40 p.m., a projector failure was reported. At 6:00, attendees were seated. At 6:20, a replacement was connected, twenty minutes after the audience sat down. The final line notes that Anika and Dec, the two youngest people involved, carried chairs before the doors opened. Jordy writes in the chat that no one opened the log before posting, Jordy included.
Anika’s voice note lands next: “We were helping you set up. Why are we the problem in this post?” Gia had already drafted a response, which was never posted: “Sorry if this came across wrong. We love our younger neighbors and would never want anyone to feel excluded.” Rereading it, she recognizes the conditional “if” as a dodge. The draft also never mentions the projector.
Stop and think. How did two true facts, a late start and some late arrivals, combine into a false claim?
Two jobs in one caption
The caption did two jobs at once. It explained the late start, and it assigned blame for it to a group of people. The first job is a claim, a statement that something is true that can be checked with evidence.
Two jobs in one caption, continued
Lesson 1 gave you the method: find the original source. The log is that source, and it replaces the caption’s explanation with a mechanical one.
A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information. A strong correction here has a clear order. It names the wrong claim, states what the log shows and places the fix where the original audience will see it. Caio’s rule, fix the same post instead of burying it under a new one, follows from that last requirement.
Accountability is owning a mistake and doing what you said you would do to fix it. In practice, accountability becomes a list of named owners. Gia corrects the post. Caio keeps a visible correction note with the edit. Jordy adds a source check before publication. Each owner is a named person rather than the crew in general, so anyone can check later whether the work was done. Just as important is what accountability does not require. Anika should not have to comfort Gia or approve the correction in public. Jordy suggests offering Anika a private way to respond and then letting her decide what she thinks. Jordy also proposes a test of success that ignores view counts. Ask a few people who saw the first post why the screening started late. If they still say “the younger crowd,” the fix failed.
Stop and think. Why does accountability include limits on what the crew asks of Anika and Dec?
What research and professional codes add
A 2016 study of apologies found that acknowledging responsibility and offering repair mattered most among six elements (Lewicki et al., Negotiation and Conflict Management Research, April 6, 2016). Research on misinformation points the same way. A meta-analysis of 65 studies found that corrections work better when they explain what is true rather than simply denying the false claim (Walter and Murphy, Communication Monographs, May 15, 2018). Gia’s draft offered neither an explanation nor a repair.
Journalists write the prominence rule into their ethics. The RTDNA code says ethical journalism requires “owning errors, correcting them promptly and giving corrections as much prominence as the error itself had” (RTDNA Code of Ethics, June 11, 2015). NPR’s public editor describes naming the error, fixing it on the story and keeping a public list (NPR, October 21, 2022).
The film connection sharpens the stakes. In Zootopia (2016), Judy tells a press conference that a set of incidents has a biological explanation tied to one group, and Nick’s reaction shows a personal cost her official answer overlooks. In our reading, good intentions do not erase the effect of an unsupported claim about a group. The animal groups in the film are not a scientific model of human race. The crew’s caption is far smaller, but it made the same kind of move. Your job is to check the log’s times before the correction goes up.
Stop and think. Walter and Murphy found that explanations beat bare denials. What explanation should the correction give?
Sources
Real sourceNegotiation and Conflict Management Research (Lewicki et al.)April 6, 2016
An Exploration of the Structure of Effective Apologies
Real sourceCommunication Monographs (Walter & Murphy)May 15, 2018
How to unring the bell: A meta-analytic approach to correction of misinformation
Real sourceRadio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)2015
RTDNA Code of Ethics
Real sourceNPR Public EditorOctober 21, 2022
That was wrong
Real sourceCritical Media ProjectNo date listed
Zootopia: the press conference
Notes
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 6 minutes.
Evidence ARecap caption, posted Saturday 11:08 a.m.
The caption
Great night, once the younger crowd finally got organized.
Look closely: Which group does this caption ask readers to blame, and on what evidence?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence BSetup log, Friday evening
Jordy’s event log
5:40 p.m. Projector failure reported. 6:00 p.m. Attendees seated. 6:20 p.m. Replacement projector connected. Note: Anika and Dec helped carry chairs before doors opened.
Look closely: What happened at 5:40 that the caption never mentions?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
Evidence CVoice note to the crew
Anika’s message
“We were helping you set up. Why are we the problem in this post?”
Look closely: What fact does Anika add, and what is she asking the crew?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence DDraft correction, Saturday 2:15 p.m., not posted
Gia’s first correction
Sorry if this came across wrong. We love our younger neighbors and would never want anyone to feel excluded.
Look closely: What fact does this correct? Who does the word “if” put the problem on?
What it shows
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Key idea: corrections
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.
Gia’s caption did two jobs at once. It explained the late start, and it blamed a group of people for it. A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence. Jordy’s setup log checks the caption’s claim and shows a projector failure instead.
A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information. It should appear where people saw the mistake, so the crew should edit the recap caption itself. A 2016 study of apologies found that taking responsibility and offering to repair the harm mattered most. Gia’s first draft talks about loving younger neighbors, and it does neither.
Accountability is owning a mistake and doing what you said you would do to fix it. That means naming who corrects the caption, who contacts the people it blamed and who checks the next recap. Anika does not have to comfort Gia or approve the correction in public. The crew can offer her a private way to respond.
Professional standards
Real sourcePublic Relations Society of America (PRSA)
PRSA Code of Ethics: Free Flow of Information
“Act promptly to correct erroneous communications for which the practitioner is responsible.”
In plain words: Public relations professionals who belong to PRSA agree to fix their own mistakes quickly.
Question: The recap caption went up Saturday at 11:08 a.m. What should the crew change first, and where?
Your answer
The first change is ___, made in ___, because ___.
In the news
Real sourceNPR Public EditorOctober 21, 2022
That was wrong
How a real newsroom corrects mistakes: name the error, fix it on the story and keep a public list.
Real sourceNPROctober 8, 2017
Dove Expresses 'Regret' For Racially Insensitive Ad
A real brand apology after an ad played into a racial stereotype; compare the words with what changed afterward.
Notes
Sort the evidence
On your ownCompare the four accounts. Mark where they agree, where they differ and which one was written at the time. About 6 minutes.
Place the four accounts side by side. Where do they agree, where do they split, and which one was written down at the time?
Account 1
Caption: the night went well once the younger crowd got organized.
Account 2
Event log: projector failed at 5:40; replacement connected at 6:20; Anika and Dec carried chairs.
Account 3
Anika: “We were helping you set up.”
Where they agree
Where they differ
Check: Which account was recorded at the time rather than remembered afterward?
Whose perspective is missing?
Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?
The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what goes first in the correction and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 8 minutes.
What should go first in the correction?
A An explanation of how bad Gia feels about the caption.
B The wrong claim, and what the event log shows.
C Delete the post and stay quiet.
Why I chose it
Improve a draft
A student’s first draft
We want to apologize for our last post. We didn’t mean to offend anyone and we love having younger people at our events. It was a really stressful night and 1 things were hectic so we said something we shouldn’t have. Honestly we were all tired and trying to get everything set up on time, and it’s been a lot. We are sorry if anyone was hurt. 2 We promise it won’t happen again and we hope everyone keeps coming! Thank you all for your support and understanding, it means a lot to us.
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
AP Lang
Your task
On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Write a rhetorical analysis comparing Gia’s first draft with the model correction.
- Annotate both texts side by side for word choice and order.
- Write a thesis that explains how the two texts build the writer’s ethos differently.
- Draft your thesis paragraph and one body paragraph on the Your draft page.
- Explain how each choice positions Anika, not readers in general.
- Finish the analysis, about 500 words, in 40 minutes.
- Revise one paragraph after a peer marks a weak spot in the commentary.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
A choice in Gia’s draft, and its effect
A choice in the model correction, and its effect
Your task, continued
Thesis
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 30 minutes.
Thesis paragraph
Body paragraph
Check your work
On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 8 minutes.
Does your thesis explain how purpose differs between the two texts?
YesNoDo you analyze specific word choices?
YesNoDo you link choices to Anika and other readers?
YesNoDoes your commentary explain effects, not only devices?
YesNo
How your work is scored
Mark one box in each row.
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | No evidence about the delay. | Mentions “technical issues” vaguely. | Cites the projector failure from the log. | Cites specific times and corrects who actually helped. |
| Reasoning | Apologizes for feelings only. | Admits error but not what it was. | Names the inaccurate claim and replaces it. | Explains why the claim harmed a group and how the repair prevents a repeat. |
| Audience & purpose | Does not consider who saw the post. | Speaks to readers in general. | Reaches the people who were blamed. | Reaches the original audience and the blamed group through appropriate channels. |
How your work is scored, continued
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revision | No change. | Softens tone only. | Adds facts and a repair. | Adds facts, an owner, a check and removes shifting of blame. |
The paragraph I revised, and how
I revised ___ so that ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 8 minutes.
1 The caption felt true to Gia because a few people came in late. Why was that not enough evidence?
2 What evidence would show that the repair happened?
3 After the correction goes up, what is still up to Anika and Dec to decide?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
My take, continued
The limit of the evidence is ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
Talk about this case at home
Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?
In this case, a group of friends posts a caption that wrongly blames younger neighbors for a late start. Your student compared the caption with an event log and wrote a correction and a plan to repair the harm.
Questions to talk about
- What makes an apology feel complete?
- Where should a correction appear so the people who saw a mistake will see it?
- How can a group check a claim before it posts about an event?
Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.
See the case online.
Lesson 4Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?
Overview
Students read a short story about the Common Room, where a nonprofit board is considering paid evening rentals. The rentals would help close a $200 weekly budget gap. Students read the board agenda, a budget note and listening notes from evening users, then map who might miss the meeting. They write a note or a spoken comment with a budget question and an access question.
Before this case
Students should already be able to:
- cite sources in the form (Source B)
- write a thesis with a qualifier
- explain a source’s relevance in commentary
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- write a defensible, qualified thesis on Option C
- integrate at least two sources with commentary
- address the budget constraint in the line of reasoning
- concede precisely what the projection cannot guarantee
Materials
- This chapter, one copy per student
Materials, continued
- Evidence A, B and C, treated as Sources A, B and C
- The thesis frame with a qualifier
- A timer set for 40 minutes
The task in this edition
Task: Write a synthesis-style argument: should the board adopt Option C?
Students make: Synthesis essay, about 550 words, 40 minutes
Pacing
Opener (page 64): 4 min. Short on time: 2 min. Summarize What happened in one minute.
Key terms (pages 65 and 66): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Look at the evidence (page 70): 8 min. Short on time: 4 min. Students read Sources A and B and skip the boxes.
Look at the evidence (page 71): 4 min. Short on time: 2 min. Students read Source C and skip the boxes.
Key idea (pages 72 and 73): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Sort the evidence (page 74): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Practice (page 75): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Pacing, continued
Your task (page 76): 8 min. Short on time: 2 min. Students write only the thesis.
Your draft (page 77): 40 min. Short on time: 40 min.
Check your work (pages 78 and 79): 8 min. Short on time: skip. Collect drafts and give feedback yourself.
Questions to discuss (pages 80 and 81): 8 min. Short on time: skip.
Talk about this case at home (page 82): at home.
Periods: full chapter 102 minutes; one period 50 minutes.
Standards
Claims and Evidence (CLE) A big idea of the course: writers make claims, support them with evidence and often answer opposing arguments. In this case: Students use the budget figures accurately and conditionally in a comment.
Reasoning and Organization (REO) A big idea of the course: writers guide readers through their reasoning by how they organize a text and bring in evidence. In this case: Students structure a 90-second comment: position, effect, figure, request.
Lesson 4Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 4 plan, continued
Standards, continued
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. In this case: Students tailor the comment to a nonprofit board facing a real gap.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.
RI.11-12.7 Combine and evaluate sources in different media to answer a question or solve a problem.
W.11-12.1.a Introduce a precise, informed claim, show why it matters, distinguish it from opposing claims and organize the argument logically.
W.11-12.1.b Develop claims and counterclaims fairly and fully, with the best evidence for each, keeping the audience’s knowledge, values and possible biases in mind.
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.
Codes of ethics
- ASPA Code of Ethics: 5. Fully Inform and Advise.
- ASPA Code of Ethics: 3. Promote democratic participation.
- ALA Code of Ethics: Principle 1 (of 9)
Heat map
Opener (page 64): Low
Key terms (pages 65 and 66): Low
Look at the evidence (page 70): Low
Look at the evidence (page 71): Low
Key idea (pages 72 and 73): Low
Sort the evidence (page 74): Medium
Practice (page 75): Low
Check your work (pages 78 and 79): Low
Try it at your school
Find the room where your community’s decisions happen.
- With a trusted adult, look up an upcoming library board, school committee or rec-center meeting agenda
- Identify which body decides and whether the item is for discussion or a vote
- Write one question about who uses the space and when
Try it at your school, continued
- Check whether written comments are accepted if you can’t attend
Who to ask: Library staff, a rec-center manager, the school board clerk or a student council advisor
Safety: Go to public meetings with a trusted adult. Check whether comments and names become part of the public record before submitting.
Sources
- New York City Council, “NYC Council, Library Leaders, and New Yorkers Celebrate Library Budget Restorations to Restore Full Service, as Branches Reopen and Reinstate Services on Sunday for First Time in Months,” July 14, 2024
- NYC Mayor’s Office, “Mayor Adams Celebrates $58.3 Million Investment in City’s Three Library Systems,” July 1, 2024
- NY1, “Public libraries over the next two weeks to begin closing on Sundays,” November 17, 2023
- PIX11 News, “Last Sunday service held at Brooklyn Public Library,” December 17, 2023
- Carol Bacchi, “What’s the problem represented to be?,” No date listed
- NYC.gov, Brooklyn Community Board 13, “About community boards,” No date listed
Lesson 4Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 4 plan, continued
Sources, continued
- Design Council, “The Double Diamond,” No date listed
Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?
The Common Room’s board is weighing paid rentals on two free evenings, so the crew prepares a comment before the meeting.
On your ownRead What happened. Underline who decides and what the board is considering. About 4 minutes.
Your role: You’re the one who checks the budget figures before the crew speaks to the board. New skill: Weigh the trade-offs of each option.
What happened
It is the Friday after the crew’s first screening, and the board meeting is coming up. A small neighborhood nonprofit runs the Common Room alongside the bookshop. The nonprofit’s board is considering paid rentals on two evenings a week to help cover staffing. No vote has happened yet.
Mari, 19, works the bookshop counter and closes the shop. She knows that “just keep it free” does not pay the evening staff. Sami runs a print workshop in the room after her afternoon shift. It is one of the few step-free rooms nearby.
Caio, 24, runs the crew’s Tuesday film night. Tuesday is one of the evenings Option B would rent out. Mateo already has a headline for a petition. The crew agrees the room matters, but they do not agree on the best schedule.
Your question: Which option should the crew support, and what should they ask the board?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.
Proposal A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet.
En español: propuesta
In this case: Option B is a proposal on the board’s agenda. No vote has been taken, so it is not a decision yet.
Trade-off A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up.
En español: compensación entre opciones
In this case: Paid rentals help close the $200 weekly gap but take away free evenings Sami and Dec use.
Decision-maker A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.
En español: quien toma la decisión
In this case: The nonprofit board decides, not a city community board and not the crew.
Who is involved
Mari
Closes the bookshop, then stays for zine night
“I’m the one they pay to lock up, and I’m also one of the people using this room after. I can’t pretend either half away.”
Sami
Runs a print workshop in the room
“We keep deciding what the evening people need. Has anyone asked them yet?”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, what do you think the crew should ask the board for?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
Reading passage
What is the problem represented to be?
On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.
Words to know
- Proposal: A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet.
- Trade-off: A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up.
- Decision-maker: A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.
- Framing: Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward.
The story: The meeting nobody can attend
The Common Room’s board meets Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. The small nonprofit that runs the room alongside the bookshop is weighing paid evening rentals to help cover staffing. The agenda item is marked “for discussion,” and no vote has been taken. By Friday, the crew’s group chat has split along predictable lines. Mateo, who likes turning “we should” into a plan, has drafted a petition headline. Others are less sure a petition is the right tool.
Mari holds both sides of the problem in one job. She is paid to lock up the bookshop and then stays for zine night with her friends. She wants the free time protected, but she knows the bookshop has costs, and she proposes asking which hours earn money and testing a different arrangement. Sami raises a procedural objection. The crew keeps speaking for evening users without asking them. For her own part, she wants three things from the meeting: the actual proposal, a way to give input without speaking on the spot and a clear answer about what that input can change.
Caio, 24, runs the crew’s Tuesday film night, one of the evenings Option B would rent out. Dec rehearses on Thursdays. The proposed meeting time overlaps several people’s shifts. The people most affected by the decision are among those least able to attend it.
Stop and think. Sami wants to know what her input can change. Why does that question matter before anyone speaks?
Reading an agenda like an analyst
The documents lay out the choice. Option A keeps the current free evenings and leaves the funding gap. Option B replaces Tuesday and Thursday evenings with paid rentals. Option C pilots one rental evening for six weeks while seeking additional funding. Each is a proposal, a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet. The budget note puts evening staffing and utilities at $600 a week against $400 in grants and donations. Each rental is projected to add $120 after costs, so two would cover the $200 gap and one would leave $80. The note adds a caution the headline would never carry: demand is uncertain.
A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up. Every option has one. Option A protects the evenings and leaves the deficit. Option B closes the deficit on paper and ends two free nights. Option C limits the loss and leaves a smaller gap. It also leaves open what the board will do if the pilot falls short.
The policy scholar Carol Bacchi offers a sharper tool. Her approach asks what a proposed solution assumes the problem is (Carol Bacchi, “What’s the problem represented to be?”, November 1, 2017). Option B represents the problem as a $200 gap and treats two free evenings as the price. That representation is a form of framing, the Lesson 1 idea of choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward. It brings the budget forward and pushes Sami, Dec, Mari and Caio into the background. Bacchi’s question applies to the crew’s own preferences too. A petition to “keep it free” represents the problem as a threat to free space and leaves the staffing cost out of view.
Stop and think. Apply Bacchi’s question to Option C. What does it assume the problem is?
Decision-makers and public participation
A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice. The board controls its own schedule, so a strong comment names the proposal, explains one effect with evidence and asks for something the board can decide. Public agencies follow different rules. New York’s community boards, for example, have advisory authority (NYC.gov, Brooklyn Community Board 13, no date listed).
New York’s libraries show how funding decisions reach ordinary schedules. City budget cuts ended Sunday hours at every branch that still had them, and Brooklyn’s last Sunday was December 17, 2023 (NY1, November 17, 2023). Restored funding, part of a $58.3 million investment, brought Sunday service back starting July 14, 2024 (NYC Mayor’s Office, July 1, 2024). Council members thanked residents who called and wrote (New York City Council, July 14, 2024).
Professional codes speak to the board’s side of the table. The American Society for Public Administration asks public servants to “inform the public and encourage active engagement in governance” (ASPA Code of Ethics, 2013). The crew’s plan puts that into practice.
Decision-makers and public participation, continued
It sends the board a joint question that leaves room for disagreement. Mari checks the figures, Sami proposes a way to send written feedback and Mateo rewrites the petition as a request the board can answer. Your role is to check the budget figures before the crew speaks to the board.
Stop and think. A petition to keep the room free is also a frame. What does it bring forward, and what does it leave out?
Sources
Real sourceCarol BacchiNovember 1, 2017
What’s the problem represented to be?
Real sourceNYC.gov, Brooklyn Community Board 13No date listed
About community boards
Real sourceNY1November 17, 2023
Public libraries over the next two weeks to begin closing on Sundays
Real sourceNYC Mayor’s OfficeJuly 1, 2024
Mayor Adams Celebrates $58.3 Million Investment in City’s Three Library Systems
Real sourceNew York City CouncilJuly 14, 2024
NYC Council, Library Leaders, and New Yorkers Celebrate Library Budget Restorations to Restore Full Service, as Branches Reopen and Reinstate Services on Sunday for First Time in Months
Real sourceAmerican Society for Public Administration (ASPA)2013
ASPA Code of Ethics
Notes
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 8 minutes.
Evidence ABoard agenda, Wednesday 6:30 p.m. meeting
The proposal
Evening rentals, for discussion. Option A: keep the current free evenings; the funding gap remains. Option B: replace Tuesday and Thursday evenings with paid rentals. Option C: pilot one rental evening for six weeks while seeking additional funding. No vote has been taken.
Look closely: Is this a vote or a discussion? Which words tell you?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence BWeekly budget note for the board
The budget note
Evening staffing and utilities: $600. Current grants and donations: $400. Each paid rental is projected to add $120 after its extra costs. Two bookings would add $240; one would add $120. Demand is uncertain.
Look closely: Which number is a guess, and what could change it?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
Evidence CListening notes from evening users
The missing voices
Sami works afternoons. Dec rehearses on Thursdays. Mari closes the shop. A nearby resident worries about late noise. The proposed meeting time overlaps with several shifts.
Look closely: Whose voice is missing from these four notes?
What it shows
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: trade-offs
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.
The board is weighing a proposal about the free evenings. A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet. Option B would help close the $200 weekly gap, but it would end the free Tuesday and Thursday evenings. A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up. Every option on the agenda has one, including the one you prefer.
Carol Bacchi’s policy-analysis approach asks what a proposed solution assumes the problem is. Option B treats the $200 gap as the problem and two free evenings as the price. That leaves two questions open: who loses those evenings, and what happens if bookings come in lower than projected? Ask the same questions about your own favorite option.
A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice. Here, the nonprofit’s board controls its own schedule. A community board or a city agency would follow other rules. A strong comment names the proposal, explains one effect with evidence and asks for a decision the board can make. The board can still choose an option the crew did not ask for.
Professional standards
Real sourceAmerican Society for Public Administration (ASPA)
ASPA Code of Ethics: 5. Fully Inform and Advise
“Provide accurate, honest, comprehensive, and timely information and advice to elected and appointed officials and governing board members”
In plain words: ASPA members agree to give decision-makers, such as board members, accurate and complete information.
Question: The budget note projects $120 more per rental. What should it also tell the board about how certain that is?
Your answer
The note should also say ___, because ___.
In the news
Real sourceEducation WeekFebruary 6, 2023
Letting Students Decide Where Money Should Go: How One District Did It
A real district let students propose and vote on how shared school spaces and money would change.
Real sourceFirst Alert 4 (KMOV)June 4, 2026
St. Louis shuts down streets to cars, hands them over to neighbors
A city pilot that changes a shared space for a trial run, so neighbors can test trade-offs before anything is permanent.
Notes
Sort the evidence
On your ownFollow each option to its consequences. Mark the consequences that depend on a projection. About 6 minutes.
Follow each option to its consequences. Which consequences depend on a projection, and who carries the cost if it misses?
Option B: paid rentals replace Tuesday and Thursday evenings
A projected $240 would cover the $200 gap if both evenings book
Who is affected
Check: What happens if bookings fall short of the projection?
Dec loses Thursday rehearsals and Mari’s late evenings stop being usable
Who is affected
Evening users, including people who cannot attend the meeting
Option C: one rental evening piloted for six weeks
A projected $80 gap remains while the board seeks funding and reviews the pilot
Who is affected
Check: What happens if bookings fall short of the projection?
Whose perspective is missing?
Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?
The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what the crew should ask for first and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 6 minutes.
What should the crew ask the board for first?
A Post that the board is taking away the free nights.
B Ask for the budget assumptions, who uses each evening and a way to comment without attending.
C Support whichever option brings in the most money.
Why I chose it
Improve a draft
A student’s first draft
1 The board should not take away our free nights. The Common Room is important to the community and a lot of people use it. I have been coming here for movie nights since it opened and it’s one of the only places we can all hang out without paying. Renting it out just shows 2 the board cares more about money than people. Sami and Dec would lose their spot and that is not fair. Please keep it free for everyone. Thank you for listening.
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
AP Lang
Your task
On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Write a synthesis-style argument: should the board adopt Option C?
- Read Sources A, B and C. Note what each one adds to the question.
- Write a qualified thesis on whether the board should adopt Option C.
- Draft your thesis paragraph and one body paragraph on the Your draft page.
- Cite at least two sources in the form (Source B).
- Write one sentence that concedes what the $120 projection cannot guarantee.
- Finish the essay, about 550 words, in 40 minutes.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Qualified thesis
What Source B adds
What Source C adds
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 40 minutes.
Thesis paragraph
Body paragraph
Check your work
On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 8 minutes.
Is your thesis defensible and qualified?
YesNoDo you integrate at least two sources with commentary?
YesNoDoes your line of reasoning address the budget constraint?
YesNoDo you concede what the projection cannot guarantee?
YesNo
How your work is scored
Mark one box in each row.
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | No figures or perspectives. | Mentions money or people vaguely. | Uses one figure and one affected perspective accurately. | Uses figures conditionally and names an uncertainty. |
| Reasoning | Assigns bad motives to the board. | States a preference without addressing the gap. | Recommends an option and addresses the gap. | Weighs trade-offs across options and explains the choice. |
| Audience & purpose | Speaks to the wrong decision | Addresses the board but asks for nothing specific. | Makes a request the board can act on. | Requests a process that includes people who can’t attend. |
| Revision | No change. | Tone edits only. | Replaces a motive claim with evidence. | Adds a figure, a perspective and a follow-up request. |
Check your work, continued
How I revised my thesis after a peer named my strongest objection
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 8 minutes.
1 Option B treats the $200 gap as the problem. What does that way of stating the problem leave out?
2 Mari is paid to close the shop and also uses the room at night. How does that shape what she asks for?
3 How is the Common Room’s board different from the City Council that helped restore library Sundays?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
The limit of the evidence is ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
Talk about this case at home
Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?
In this case, a community room’s board is weighing whether to rent out two free evenings to cover its costs. Your student used a budget note and notes from evening users to write a comment the board could act on.
Questions to talk about
- Who decides the hours at a public library or community center?
- What should a group know before it asks a board for a change?
- How can people give input if they cannot attend a meeting?
Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.
See the case online.
Lesson 5Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?
Content note
This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.
Overview
Students read a short story in which Gia’s bank deposit is smaller than she expected after 18 hours of café shifts. They read her pay statement and shift log, label gross pay, FICA, withholding and net pay, and find out why three hours are missing. They then write a private question to payroll about any line they cannot explain.
Before this case
Students should already be able to:
- write a thesis about a writer’s purpose and methods
- quote a short line and comment on a word choice
- explain how an audience’s knowledge shapes what it notices
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- write a thesis on how the joke’s humor serves its purpose
- analyze specific word choices in Rachel’s line
- evaluate what viewers learn and what they miss about pay
Objectives, continued
- revise the joke so it stays funny and becomes accurate
Materials
- This chapter, one copy per student
- The Friends clip, or its description on the case page
- The IRS explanation of employment taxes
- Commentary stems
The task in this edition
Task: Analyze the rhetoric of Rachel’s FICA moment in Friends: how does humor shape what viewers learn and miss about pay?
Students make: Rhetorical analysis, about 450 words
Pacing
Opener (page 83): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read What happened aloud.
Key terms (pages 84 and 85): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Look at the evidence (pages 89 and 90): 6 min. Short on time: 4 min. Students fill in the Evidence A boxes only.
Key idea (pages 91 and 92): 6 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read the key idea only. Skip the code of ethics.
Pacing, continued
Sort the evidence (page 93): 5 min. Short on time: skip.
Practice (page 94): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Your task (pages 95 and 96): 8 min. Short on time: 7 min. Fill in the thesis box together.
Your draft (page 97): 22 min. Short on time: 20 min. Students draft the introduction in class and finish at home.
Check your work (pages 98 and 99): 6 min. Short on time: 3 min. Collect drafts and give practice feedback yourself.
Questions to discuss (pages 100 and 101): 8 min. Short on time: 5 min. Use question 2 only.
Talk about this case at home (page 102): at home.
Periods: full chapter 73 minutes; one period 45 minutes.
Standards
Claims and Evidence (CLE) A big idea of the course: writers make claims, support them with evidence and often answer opposing arguments. In this case: Students write a payroll question backed by specific records, not a general complaint.
Lesson 5Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 5 plan, continued
Standards, continued
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. In this case: Students tailor a message to a payroll office that needs dates and lines.
Style (STL) A big idea of the course: writers choose words, sentences and tone to suit their rhetorical situation. In this case: Students choose precise, neutral language that invites a fix.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.
W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.
W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.
Codes of ethics
- PayrollOrg Code of Ethics: Item 2
- PayrollOrg Code of Ethics: Item 5
Codes of ethics, continued
- IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators: “I communicate accurate information”
Heat map
Opener (page 83): Low
Key terms (pages 84 and 85): Low
Look at the evidence (pages 89 and 90): Low
Key idea (pages 91 and 92): Low
Sort the evidence (page 93): Low
Practice (page 94): Medium
Check your work (pages 98 and 99): Low
Try it at your school
Know how to read your first pay statement.
- Before a first job, ask how and when you’ll be paid and where to see your pay statement
- Keep your own log of hours and shifts
- Look up your state’s minimum wage on its labor department site
- Bring pay questions to a supervisor or payroll, in writing
Who to ask: School counselor or career office, a work-permit issuing officer if your state uses them, your supervisor or payroll office
Try it at your school, continued
Safety: Never post pay statements, Social Security numbers or bank details online. Workers under 18 have limits on hours and jobs; ask a trusted adult to help check them.
Sources
- Internal Revenue Service, “Understanding Taxes: gross pay and net pay,” No date listed
- Internal Revenue Service, “Understanding employment taxes,” No date listed
- Internal Revenue Service, “Tax Withholding Estimator,” No date listed
- TBS, “Rachel Gets Her First Paycheck from Central Perk,” No date listed
Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?
Gia’s bank deposit is smaller than the pay she worked out, so she reads her pay statement line by line before asking payroll.
On your ownRead What happened and underline the two hour totals that do not match. About 4 minutes.
Your role: You’re the one who adds up Gia’s hours before she writes to payroll. New skill: Read a pay statement line by line.
What happened
It is Thursday evening, and it is payday for Gia. She works café shifts around her college classes. She checks her bank account and sees a deposit that is smaller than the pay she worked out. Gia keeps a shift log in her notes app. The log says 18 hours, but her pay statement says 15.
Jordy works event shifts, and their deposit looks different too. Jordy’s shifts fall on different dates and hours, so their pay cannot explain Gia’s. Jordy asks Gia to name the line that worries her instead of posting her whole statement.
Gia’s pay statement lists her hours, her hourly rate and four tax lines. She expected the lines for Social Security and Medicare. She does not understand the line for federal income tax. Before she writes to payroll, she wants to know what her own records show.
Your question: Why is Gia’s deposit smaller than her own count, and what should she ask payroll?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.
Gross pay Gross pay is the money you earn before any taxes or other deductions are taken out.
En español: salario bruto
In this case: Gia’s statement pays 15 hours at $17.00 an hour, so her gross pay is $255.00.
Net pay Net pay is the money left after taxes and other deductions, often called take-home pay.
En español: salario neto
In this case: The $220.99 that reached Gia’s bank account is her net pay, not the amount she earned.
FICA FICA is the federal payroll tax that funds Social Security and Medicare.
En español: FICA (Seguro Social y Medicare)
In this case: On Gia’s statement, FICA appears as two lines: Social Security tax, $15.81, and Medicare tax, $3.70.
Withholding Withholding is money an employer takes out of each paycheck to pay taxes or other costs for the worker.
En español: retención
In this case: Federal income tax withheld, $8.40, is a separate line from FICA. The IRS says its amount depends partly on the W-4.
Who is involved
Gia
Works café shifts and keeps her own shift log
“My notes say 18 hours. The statement says 15. I counted twice, so where did three hours go?”
Jordy
Works event shifts on different dates
“Mine is event work. Different dates, different hours. My deposit can’t tell Gia anything about hers.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, why do you think Gia’s deposit is smaller than she expected?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
Reading passage
Reading the document behind the deposit
On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.
Words to know
- Gross pay: Gross pay is the money you earn before any taxes or other deductions are taken out.
- Net pay: Net pay is the money left after taxes and other deductions, often called take-home pay.
- FICA: FICA is the federal payroll tax that funds Social Security and Medicare.
- Withholding: Withholding is money an employer takes out of each paycheck to pay taxes or other costs for the worker.
- Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
The story: Eighteen hours or fifteen
Gia works café shifts around her college classes, and like many students with jobs, she checks her pay the way most people check the weather: quickly, on her phone, expecting nothing unusual. On this Thursday, the deposit is smaller than the number in her head. She does not guess. She opens the shift log she keeps in her notes app. Five shifts, 18 hours. Then she opens her pay statement. Fifteen hours.
She posts in the group chat that her deposit is much lower than expected. Jordy, who works event shifts, notices their own deposit looks different too, and then immediately sees why that comparison is useless. Their shifts fall on different dates and hours. Two deposits cannot explain each other. Jordy’s next message sets a boundary that protects them both. Gia should not post her whole statement. She should name the line that worries her. Jordy also does not want Gia mentioning their pay to her payroll office. It proves nothing about Gia’s pay and puts Jordy’s pay in front of Gia’s payroll office.
Your role is to add up Gia’s hours before she writes to payroll. That sounds simple. It is also the step most people skip.
Stop and think. Why does Jordy not want Gia to mention Jordy’s pay in her message?
A statement is an argument you can check
Gia’s working theory is that payroll shorted her.
A statement is an argument you can check, continued
That is a claim, a statement that something is true that can be checked with evidence. Lesson 1 taught you to test a claim against the original source, and Lesson 4 taught you to read dollar figures carefully, as Mari did with the board’s budget note. A pay statement combines both skills. It is the employer’s account of how it got from your work to your deposit, and each line can be checked.
The statement covers the pay period ending Friday the 12th, paid the following Thursday. It lists 15 hours at $17.00, for $255.00 in gross pay, the money you earn before any taxes or other deductions are taken out. Gia’s log explains the difference in hours. Her shifts on the 8th, 10th, 11th and 12th total 15 hours. Her 3-hour Saturday shift on the 13th fell after the period closed. The likely answer is that those hours will appear on the next statement. A likely answer is not a confirmed one, so Gia still plans to ask.
The rest of the gap is taxes. Social Security tax of $15.81 and Medicare tax of $3.70 together form FICA, the federal payroll tax that funds Social Security and Medicare. Federal income tax withheld, $8.40, is a separate line, as is state and local income tax, $6.10. Withholding is money an employer takes out of each paycheck to pay taxes or other costs for the worker. The total left, $220.99, is Gia’s net pay, the money left after taxes and other deductions, often called take-home pay.
Stop and think. What is the difference between a likely answer and a confirmed one, and why does Gia still write to payroll?
The system behind the lines
The IRS explains that the federal taxes an employer withholds include income tax, Social Security and Medicare. It says income-tax withholding depends partly on the worker’s Form W-4 (Internal Revenue Service, updated May 1, 2026). Federal income tax taken from each paycheck counts toward what a worker owes for the whole year, so one paycheck cannot show that yearly total. The IRS Tax Withholding Estimator is the official tool for checking whether withholding is on track (Internal Revenue Service, updated June 27, 2026). The IRS has also written directly to teens starting a first job, explaining withholding and the W-4 (IRS Tax Tip 2019-62, May 20, 2019).
FICA can feel abstract until you ask what it funds. The Peter G. Peterson Foundation explains where the Social Security and Medicare money taken from a paycheck goes (Peter G. Peterson Foundation, May 26, 2026). NPR’s The Indicator devoted an episode to the Social Security portion and why it comes out of nearly every check (NPR, June 6, 2018).
Gross pay has its own rules. Many states set a minimum wage above the federal one, and 19 states raised theirs in January 2026 (Money, January 1, 2026). Payroll professionals hold themselves to a standard, too. The PayrollOrg code asks members “to strive for perfect compliance, accuracy, and timeliness of all payroll activities” (PayrollOrg Code of Ethics, no date listed).
The system behind the lines, continued
A worker who can read the statement is the best check on that promise.
Stop and think. Why can one paycheck not show how much federal income tax a worker will owe for the year?
Sources
Real sourceInternal Revenue ServiceMay 1, 2026
Understanding employment taxes
Real sourceInternal Revenue ServiceJune 27, 2026
Tax Withholding Estimator
Real sourceInternal Revenue ServiceMay 20, 2019
It’s summertime… and these tips can help make livin’ easy for teens with jobs (IRS Tax Tip 2019-62)
Real sourcePeter G. Peterson FoundationMay 26, 2026
Payroll Taxes: What Are They and What Do They Fund?
Real sourceNPR, The Indicator from Planet MoneyJune 6, 2018
Social Insecurity
Real sourceMoneyJanuary 1, 2026
Minimum-Wage Workers in These 19 States Just Got a Raise
Real sourcePayrollOrgNo date listed
PayrollOrg Code of Ethics
Notes
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead the pay statement and the shift log, and fill in both boxes for each one. About 6 minutes.
Evidence APay statement
Gia’s pay statement
Pay period ending Friday the 12th, paid the following Thursday. Hours: 15.00 at $17.00. Gross pay: $255.00. Social Security tax: $15.81. Medicare tax: $3.70. Federal income tax withheld: $8.40. State and local income tax withheld: $6.10. Net pay: $220.99.
Look closely: Which line shows gross pay? Which two lines together make up FICA?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence BNotes app
Gia’s shift log for the last two weeks
Mon the 8th: 4 hrs. Wed the 10th: 4 hrs. Thu the 11th: 3 hrs. Fri the 12th: 4 hrs. Sat the 13th: 3 hrs. My total: 18 hrs.
Look closely: Which shift falls outside the pay period? Add the hours inside it.
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: gross pay and net pay
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.
A bank deposit shows how much money arrived, but the pay statement shows how the employer figured it. Gross pay is the money you earn before any taxes or other deductions are taken out. For an hourly worker, gross pay is the hours worked times the hourly rate, plus any other earnings. Net pay is the money left after taxes and other deductions, often called take-home pay. Gia’s deposit is her net pay.
Deductions are the lines between those two totals. FICA is the federal payroll tax that funds Social Security and Medicare. On Gia’s statement, FICA appears as two lines: Social Security tax and Medicare tax. Withholding is money an employer takes out of each paycheck to pay taxes or other costs for the worker. Federal income-tax withholding is a separate line from FICA, and the IRS says its amount depends partly on the worker’s Form W-4.
A statement can also list other deductions, such as benefit contributions, so read each line’s name before you decide it is income tax. The federal income tax taken from each paycheck counts toward the tax a worker owes for the whole year. One paycheck cannot show what that yearly total will be. This explanation covers employees in the United States. Self-employed workers follow a different tax process.
Professional standards
Real sourcePayrollOrg
PayrollOrg Code of Ethics: Item 2
“To strive for perfect compliance, accuracy, and timeliness of all payroll activities.”
In plain words: Payroll professionals who belong to PayrollOrg aim to pay people correctly and on time.
Question: Gia worked Saturday the 13th, after the pay period ended. What should payroll confirm about when she gets paid?
Professional standards, continued
Your answer
Payroll should confirm ___. Item 2 matters here because ___.
In the news
Real sourceTwo Cents, PBS (YouTube)April 10, 2019
How Do Your Tax Dollars Get Spent?
Starts with a first paycheck that’s smaller than expected and explains FICA and income tax withholding.
Real sourceNPR, The Indicator from Planet MoneyJune 6, 2018
Social Insecurity
A short episode on the Social Security part of FICA and why it comes out of nearly every paycheck.
Notes
Sort the evidence
On your ownCompare each piece of evidence with each claim and write supports, challenges or neither in each box. About 5 minutes.
Before calling it an error, sort the evidence. Which facts explain the smaller deposit, and which question is still worth asking payroll?
| Evidence | Claim 1Payroll shorted Gia’s pay. | Claim 2The missing 3 hours belong on the next statement. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Shift log shows 18 hours; the statement shows 15 | Supports | Neither |
| 2 The period ended Friday the 12th; the 3-hour shift was Saturday the 13th | Challenges | Supports |
| 3 Gross pay of $255.00 matches 15 × $17.00 | Challenges | Neither |
| 4 FICA and withholding lines account for the gap between gross and net | Challenges | Neither |
Still open
- Will the Saturday shift actually appear next time? Ask payroll.
Whose perspective is missing?
Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?
The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what Gia should do first and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 4 minutes.
Gia’s deposit is smaller than the pay she worked out. What should she do first?
A Compare her deposit with Jordy’s.
B Check her hours and the pay period, then read each line of her statement.
C Treat the whole gap as taxes and let it go.
Why I chose it
Improve a draft
A student’s first draft
Hi, my paycheck is wrong. 1 I worked way more hours than what I got paid for and also a lot of money was taken out for taxes which doesn’t seem right. I’ve been working really hard and picking up extra shifts so this is really frustrating. My friend Jordy works similar hours and got more than me. Can you fix it? 2 My account number is 4471-xxxx if you need it. Please let me know as soon as possible because I have bills. Thanks, Gia
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
AP Lang
Your task
On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Analyze the rhetoric of Rachel’s FICA moment in Friends: how does humor shape what viewers learn and miss about pay?
- Watch the Friends clip, or read its description on the case page.
- Underline the words in Rachel’s line that make viewers laugh.
- List what the joke leaves out about pay, using Evidence A.
- Write a thesis on what the humor teaches and what it hides.
- Draft your introduction, one body paragraph and a revised joke in the Your draft boxes.
- Finish the analysis on lined paper, about 450 words in all.
- Check your analysis with the questions on the Check your work page.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
The words that make it funny
What the joke leaves out
Your task, continued
My thesis
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 22 minutes.
Introduction and thesis
Body paragraph
My revised joke, one line
Check your work
On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 6 minutes.
Does your thesis explain how the humor serves its purpose?
YesNoDo you analyze specific word choices with quotations?
YesNoDo you evaluate what viewers learn and what they miss?
YesNoIs your revised joke accurate about pay?
YesNo
How your work is scored
Mark one box in each row.
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | No specific numbers. | Mentions hours but no period. | Names hours, period and the line in question. | Cites own records and the statement side by side. |
| Reasoning | Assumes an error or theft. | Assumes all difference is tax. | Separates hours, deductions and period timing. | Explains which differences are expected and which need checking. |
| Audience & purpose | Shares private details or demands. | Polite but vague. | Clear question payroll can answer. | Clear, private, and offers the right document. |
| Revision | No change. | Removes one issue. | Adds period and line, removes private data. | Explains why each change helps payroll respond. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames below. About 8 minutes.
1 What would Gia’s statement need to show for the missing hours to be a payroll mistake?
2 Why might a new worker think that every missing dollar went to taxes?
3 Before a first job, what would you want to know about how and when you will be paid?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
The limit of the evidence is ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
Talk about this case at home
Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?
In this case, Gia’s bank deposit is smaller than the pay she expected. Your student read a practice pay statement line by line and explained where the money went.
Questions to talk about
- What is the difference between gross pay and net pay?
- Why might a bank deposit be less than the hours worked times the hourly rate?
- Who at a workplace can answer questions about a pay statement?
Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.
See the case online.
Lesson 6Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?
Content note
This case is about private records. No student should share their own grades, forms, records or family finances, so keep the discussion on Rafa’s situation.
This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.
Overview
Students read about Rafa, an 18-year-old in his first year of college whose family wants to help pay tuition and asks for his login. They read an access form, a college FERPA notice and summaries of federal guidance, then sort billing access from access to grades. They then write the question Rafa could send the records office and the smallest access that would help his family.
Before this case
Students should already be able to:
- identify a text’s audience and purpose
- quote a short phrase and comment on its effect
- write a thesis about a writer’s choices
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- identify the guide’s two audiences and its purpose
Objectives, continued
- analyze structure and diction with short quotations
- explain the effect of those choices on each audience
- write commentary that goes beyond summary
Materials
- This chapter, one copy per student
- The American University parent-access guide, linked in the case sources
- An audience map: parents and students
- Commentary stems
The task in this edition
Task: Rhetorically analyze the university parent-access guide: how does it manage two audiences at once?
Students make: Rhetorical analysis, about 450 words
Pacing
Opener (page 103): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read What happened aloud.
Key terms (pages 104 and 105): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Look at the evidence (pages 109 and 110): 6 min. Short on time: 4 min. Students fill in the Evidence A boxes only.
Pacing, continued
Key idea (pages 111 and 112): 6 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read the key idea only. Skip the code of ethics.
Sort the evidence (page 113): 5 min. Short on time: skip.
Practice (page 114): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Your task (pages 115 and 116): 8 min. Short on time: 7 min. Fill in the thesis box together.
Your draft (page 117): 22 min. Short on time: 20 min. Students draft the introduction in class and finish at home.
Check your work (pages 118 and 119): 6 min. Short on time: 3 min. Collect drafts and give practice feedback yourself.
Questions to discuss (pages 120 and 121): 8 min. Short on time: 5 min. Use question 3 only.
Talk about this case at home (page 122): at home.
Periods: full chapter 73 minutes; one period 45 minutes.
Standards
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. In this case: Students write for a first-year student deciding what to sign.
Lesson 6Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 6 plan, continued
Standards, continued
Claims and Evidence (CLE) A big idea of the course: writers make claims, support them with evidence and often answer opposing arguments. In this case: Students separate the claim “parents can see everything” from what the form authorizes.
Reasoning and Organization (REO) A big idea of the course: writers guide readers through their reasoning by how they organize a text and bring in evidence. In this case: Students sequence a guide from general rule to exceptions to next step.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.
W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.
W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.
Codes of ethics
- AACRAO Ethics and Practice: Standards of professional practice
- AACRAO Ethics and Practice: Principles of professional ethics
- Credo for Ethical Communication: “We advocate sharing information, opinions, and feelings…” (one of nine unnumbered principles)
Heat map
Opener (page 103): Medium
Key terms (pages 104 and 105): Low
Look at the evidence (pages 109 and 110): Low
Key idea (pages 111 and 112): Low
Sort the evidence (page 113): Medium
Practice (page 114): Low
Check your work (pages 118 and 119): Low
Try it at your school
Find your school’s records notice.
- Search your school or district website for its FERPA or “student records” notice
- Find out what counts as directory information and how families can opt out
- Write one question about who can see a record, and ask the front office or counselor
Try it at your school, continued
- If you’re heading to college, look up its parent-access and authorization forms early
Who to ask: School counselor, registrar or records office, front-office staff
Safety: Never post screenshots of grades, IDs or forms. Talk with a trusted adult about what to share and with whom.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office, “What is FERPA?,” No date listed
- U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office, “What is an education record?,” No date listed
- U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office, “Must postsecondary institutions provide a parent with access to an eligible student’s education records?,” No date listed
- U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office, “Student privacy questions,” No date listed
- American University, AU Central, “FERPA and parent-access guide,” No date listed
Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?
Rafa’s parents help pay his college bill, and a family-access form asks whether they should also get information about his grades.
On your ownRead What happened and underline what Rafa’s dad asks for in the family chat. About 4 minutes.
Your role: You’re the one who reads each box on the form before Rafa signs. New skill: Read a form section by section before you sign.
What happened
Rafa, 18, has just started college, and his parents help pay his tuition bill. He commutes from the next block and helps at his family’s shop after class. At the start of October, the college mailed Rafa a family-access form, but he has not opened the envelope yet.
On Sunday night, his parents ask about the form in the family group chat. His dad wants Rafa’s login so the family can handle everything. Rafa is glad to share the bill, but he wants to read the rest of the form first.
Caio, an older friend who rents a room on the block, reads the form with Rafa, not for him. The form has separate sections for billing and for grades. Rafa wants to check the billing box. He wants to talk with his family before he decides about grades.
Your question: What will this form let Rafa’s parents see, and what should he ask before he signs?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.
FERPA FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law about who can see student education records.
En español: FERPA (Ley de Derechos Educativos y Privacidad de la Familia)
In this case: Rafa is 18 and in college, so under the general rule the FERPA rights to his records are his, not his parents’.
Education record An education record is a record directly about a student that a school or college keeps.
En español: expediente educativo
In this case: Rafa’s grades and schedule are education records. Section 2 of his form asks whether his parents may receive information about his grades.
Consent Consent is permission a person gives for something specific, such as sharing a record with a named person.
En español: consentimiento
In this case: Rafa’s form asks for consent in two separate sections, one for billing and one for grades. He can say yes to one and no to the other.
Who is involved
Rafa
First-year commuter with a family-access form
“My parents help with the bill. The college mailed this form, and the family chat already wants to know if I signed it. I haven’t even opened it.”
Caio
Reads the form with Rafa, not for him
“I can sit with Rafa while he asks. Being the older friend doesn’t make this my decision.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, what do you think Rafa’s parents are allowed to see?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
Reading passage
Consent, one box at a time
On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.
Words to know
- FERPA: FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law about who can see student education records.
- Education record: An education record is a record directly about a student that a school or college keeps.
- Consent: Consent is permission a person gives for something specific, such as sharing a record with a named person.
- Decision-maker: A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.
The story: Family support and a sealed envelope
Rafa, 18, is in his first weeks of college. He commutes from the next block and works at his family’s shop after class. His parents help with tuition, and they want to keep helping. At the start of October, the college mailed him a parent and family access form. He has not opened it.
On Sunday night, his parents bring it up in the family group chat. His mom asks whether the tuition form arrived so they can help with the bill. His dad proposes the simplest route from a parent’s point of view: send the login, and the family will take care of everything. Rafa answers that he can share the bill part and wants to read the rest first. His reply is honest and a little uncomfortable. It says yes to one kind of help and asks for time on another.
Caio, 24, the oldest in the crew, rents a room on the block and offers to sit with Rafa while he reads the form. He is careful about the limits of that help. Being the older friend does not make this his decision. When the conversation turns to exceptions in the law, Caio pushes for precision. Which exception, and does it even fit Rafa? Just saying “privacy law” will not answer his dad.
Your role in this case is to read each box on the form before Rafa signs.
Stop and think. Rafa says yes to one kind of help and asks for time on another. Why might that be harder than saying yes to everything?
A form is a set of separate decisions
The new skill in this case builds on Lesson 5. There, you read a pay statement line by line and matched each line to a record. Here, you read a form section by section and decide each part on its own. Section 1 would let a named person view account statements and make payments. Section 2 would let that person receive information about grades, enrollment and academic standing. Section 3 says the authorization lasts until Rafa changes or withdraws it in writing. The first two sections each carry a separate yes-or-no box.
The college’s annual notice adds the legal frame. Students have the right to inspect their education records, to request corrections and to consent to disclosures, except where the law allows disclosure without consent. The notice does not say which exceptions this college uses, and neither document says where Rafa sends a written change.
Two earlier terms sharpen the analysis. A decision-maker (Lesson 4) is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice, and on this form that person is Rafa. A trade-off (also Lesson 4) exists in each section separately. Sharing billing costs little and gives his parents what they asked for. Sharing grades may strengthen family trust, or it may shift a conversation Rafa would rather have in person first. Consent is permission a person gives for something specific, such as sharing a record with a named person. For college records, it is written and specifies which record, to whom and for what purpose. A shared login is the opposite of specific.
Stop and think. The notice lists rights and exceptions but not which exceptions this college uses. What should Rafa ask to fill that gap?
The federal rule and its exceptions
FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law about who can see student education records. An education record is a record directly about a student that a school or college keeps. Under the general rule, FERPA rights transfer from parents to the student at 18 or when the student enters college at any age, and the law calls that student an “eligible student” (U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office, no date listed). Paying tuition does not, by itself, return those rights to a parent.
The exceptions are real and narrow. A college may disclose records to parents if the student is a dependent for federal tax purposes, and it may disclose in a health or safety emergency. The Department of Education stresses that these disclosures are permitted, not required (U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office, no date listed). That is why the practical step is a question to the records office, not an argument from the law alone. American University’s parent-access guide shows how one institution handles it, and it is one university’s process, not a national rule (American University, June 30, 2025).
The federal rule and its exceptions, continued
Records management is also a data security problem. A breach at PowerSchool exposed millions of student records (Education Week, January 9, 2025). The Markup has reported on how school software companies gain access to student data, and where FERPA’s protections run out (The Markup, January 15, 2022). Registrars’ own professional code asks them to “protect the legitimate privacy interests of all individuals” (AACRAO Ethics and Practice, 2010).
Stop and think. Why does Caio insist on naming the exact exception instead of saying “privacy law”?
Sources
Real sourceU.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy OfficeNo date listed
What is FERPA?
Real sourceU.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy OfficeNo date listed
Must postsecondary institutions provide a parent with access to an eligible student’s education records?
Real sourceAmerican University, AU CentralJune 30, 2025
FERPA and parent-access guide
Real sourceEducation WeekJanuary 9, 2025
What Schools Should Know About the PowerSchool Data Breach
Real sourceThe MarkupJanuary 15, 2022
The Big Business of Tracking and Profiling Students
Real sourceAmerican Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)2010
AACRAO Ethics and Practice
Notes
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead the form and the notice, and fill in both boxes for each one. About 6 minutes.
Evidence ACollege form
Parent and family access authorization, mailed to Rafa on October 5
Section 1, Billing and payments: allow the person named below to view account statements and make payments. Yes or No. Section 2, Academic records: allow the person named below to receive information about grades, enrollment and academic standing. Yes or No. Section 3: this authorization stays in effect until the student changes or withdraws it in writing.
Look closely: Which section covers billing, and which covers grades? Circle each yes-or-no box.
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence BCollege notice
Annual FERPA notice on the registrar’s page
Students have the right to inspect their education records, to request corrections and to consent to disclosures, except where the law allows disclosure without consent. Questions go to the Office of the Registrar.
Look closely: Which phrase tells you the law has exceptions? Underline it.
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: education records
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.
FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law about who can see student education records. It gives parents, and later students, rights over those records. An education record is a record directly about a student that a school or college keeps. Grades, transcripts and schedules can be education records, on paper or stored digitally. Under the general rule, the rights transfer to the student at age 18 or when the student starts college, at any age. The law calls that student an “eligible student.”
Helping pay tuition does not, by itself, give those rights back to a parent. Consent is permission a person gives for something specific, such as sharing a record with a named person. For college records, consent is written and says which record, to whom and for what purpose. Rafa’s form asks about billing and about grades in separate sections. He can say yes to one section and no to the other. He can also change his choice later in writing.
FERPA also has exceptions, which are situations in which a college may share records without the student’s consent. A college may share records with parents if the student is a dependent for federal tax purposes. It may also share them in a health or safety emergency. The U.S. Department of Education says this sharing is allowed, not required, so Rafa should ask his records office what his college does.
Professional standards
Real sourceAmerican Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)
AACRAO Ethics and Practice: Standards of professional practice
“Protect the legitimate privacy interests of all individuals and maintain appropriate confidentiality of institutional and student education records”
In plain words: College registrars who belong to AACRAO agree to protect students' privacy and keep education records confidential.
Question: Rafa's form separates billing from grades. What would the registrar need before sharing his grades with his parents?
Professional standards, continued
Your answer
The registrar would need ___, unless ___.
In the news
Real sourceU.S. Department of Education (YouTube)November 7, 2013
Student Privacy 101: FERPA for Parents and Students
The Education Department’s own short explainer of FERPA rights and when they move from parents to students.
Real sourceU.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy OfficeNo date listed
Must postsecondary institutions provide a parent with access to an eligible student’s education records?
Answers the case question directly, including the exception for students claimed as tax dependents.
Notes
Sort the evidence
On your ownFill in the diagram to show who decides each question, which rule applies and who can ask. About 5 minutes.
Who actually decides each question: Rafa, the rule or the college? Mark where paying the bill and seeing grades split into two separate decisions.
Who may see Rafa’s grades?
Rafa, the eligible student, through written consent
FERPA: rights transfer to the student at 18 or on entering college
Rafa’s family, who help pay tuition
Who may see and pay the tuition bill?
Rafa, the eligible student, through written consent
Rafa’s family, who help pay tuition
Whose perspective is missing?
Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?
The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose who holds Rafa’s rights and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 4 minutes.
Rafa is 18 and in college, and his parents help pay his tuition. Under the general FERPA rule, who holds the rights to his education records?
A Rafa does.
B His parents do, because they help pay the bill.
C His parents do, until Rafa signs a form that says otherwise.
Why I chose it
Improve a draft
A student’s first draft
Rafa, 1 your parents are paying so they can probably see everything, that’s how it works at most schools. My parents could always see my grades on the portal in high school. FERPA is a privacy law but it’s mostly for kids. 2 Once you’re 18 it doesn’t really matter anymore. If you want to keep your grades private you should just not give them your password. Honestly just ask your parents what they want to see. They’re helping you a lot so it’s probably fair for them to know how you’re doing.
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
AP Lang
Your task
On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Rhetorically analyze the university parent-access guide: how does it manage two audiences at once?
- Read the American University guide. Note who it seems to address first.
- Map the audiences: what parents want and what students control.
- Quote two phrases that separate billing from grades.
- Write a thesis on how the guide manages both audiences.
- Draft your introduction and one body paragraph in the Your draft boxes.
- Finish the analysis on lined paper, about 450 words in all.
- Check your analysis with the questions on the Check your work page.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
What parents want
What students control
Your task, continued
My thesis
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 22 minutes.
Introduction and thesis
Body paragraph
Check your work
On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 6 minutes.
Does your thesis identify the guide’s two audiences and its purpose?
YesNoDo you analyze structure and diction with quotations?
YesNoDo you explain the effect on each audience?
YesNoDoes your commentary go beyond summary?
YesNo
How your work is scored
Mark one box in each row.
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | No source cited. | Refers to “privacy law” generally. | Cites the transfer rule and the separate | Cites both and notes that exceptions exist. |
| Reasoning | States the rule backwards. | Gets the transfer right but merges billing and grades. | Separates paying from permission correctly. | Explains why least access is a reasonable choice. |
| Audience & purpose | Tells Rafa what to do. | Gives advice without a next step. | Leaves the decision with Rafa and names the records office. | Respects Rafa’s family relationship while protecting his choice. |
| Revision | No change. | Fixes one fact. | Fixes the rule and adds a next step. | Explains why each correction matters for Rafa’s decision. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames below. About 8 minutes.
1 What is the smallest amount of access that would give Rafa the help he wants from his family?
2 Why might Rafa want to talk with his family before he checks the box for grades?
3 Someone says, “Parents can never see college records.” How would you revise that claim after reading this case?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
The limit of the evidence is ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
Talk about this case at home
Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?
In this case, Rafa’s parents help pay his college bill, and a form asks if they should also see his grades. Your student read the form and a federal privacy rule, then explained how paying the bill differs from seeing grades.
Questions to talk about
- Under the general rule, when do students start to control who sees their school records?
- Why might a college form keep paying a bill separate from seeing grades?
- Who at a college could answer a question about records?
Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.
See the case online.
Lesson 7Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?
Overview
Students read a short story in which a group chat claims that one parent’s complaint got a novel “banned” from Anika’s school library. They compare the claim with the district’s reconsideration notice, the committee input form and the ALA’s example procedure. They map where the novel is in the review. They then write input to the review committee that is tied to the selection criteria.
Before this case
Students should already be able to:
- identify the audience and purpose of a public comment
- quote a phrase and explain its effect
- write a thesis about why one text persuades more than another
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- write a thesis on why one comment is more effective
- analyze specific choices in both comments
- explain how each choice lands with a divided committee
- distinguish the committee from the supporters outrage may rally
Materials
- This chapter, one copy per student
Materials, continued
- Evidence A and B
- Two short comments you write: one tied to the criteria, one built on outrage. Adapt the draft on the Practice page.
- A comparison chart and commentary stems
The task in this edition
Task: Rhetorically analyze two public comments to a review committee, one effective and one not.
Students make: Analysis, about 500 words
Pacing
Opener (page 123): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read What happened aloud.
Key terms (pages 124 and 125): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Look at the evidence (pages 129 and 130): 6 min. Short on time: 5 min. Students fill in the Evidence A boxes only.
Key idea (pages 131 and 132): 6 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read the NCA row aloud. Skip In the news.
Sort the evidence (page 133): 5 min. Short on time: skip.
Practice (page 134): 5 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read the first draft on the Practice page aloud as the outrage comment.
Pacing, continued
Your task (page 135): 8 min. Short on time: 8 min.
Your draft (page 136): 22 min. Short on time: 20 min. Students draft the introduction in class and finish at home.
Check your work (pages 137 and 138): 6 min. Short on time: 3 min. Collect drafts and give practice feedback yourself.
Questions to discuss (pages 139 and 140): 8 min. Short on time: 5 min. Use question 3 only.
Talk about this case at home (page 141): at home.
Periods: full chapter 74 minutes; one period 50 minutes.
Standards
Claims and Evidence (CLE) A big idea of the course: writers make claims, support them with evidence and often answer opposing arguments. In this case: Students evaluate “one complaint = banned” as a claim.
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. In this case: Students write to a review committee with mixed views.
Lesson 7Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 7 plan, continued
Standards, continued
Reasoning and Organization (REO) A big idea of the course: writers guide readers through their reasoning by how they organize a text and bring in evidence. In this case: Students structure input around the published criteria.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.
W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.
W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.
Codes of ethics
- ALA Code of Ethics: Principle 2 (of 9)
- Code of Ethics of the Education Profession: Principle I: Commitment to the Student, item 2
- Credo for Ethical Communication: “We strive to understand and respect other communicators' intent…” (one of nine unnumbered principles)
Heat map
Opener (page 123): Medium
Key terms (pages 124 and 125): Low
Look at the evidence (pages 129 and 130): Low
Key idea (pages 131 and 132): Medium
Sort the evidence (page 133): Medium
Practice (page 134): Low
Check your work (pages 137 and 138): Low
Try it at your school
Find your library’s reconsideration policy.
- Ask your school librarian how book challenges are handled
- Find the written policy on the district website
- Learn whether students can give input during a review
- If a review is happening, read the whole book before commenting
Who to ask: School librarian or media specialist, public library staff, school board clerk
Safety: Don’t post names of people who filed a challenge or who spoke at a meeting. Disagree with ideas, not individuals.
Sources
- Penguin, “Matilda by Roald Dahl: authorized extract,” No date listed
- American Library Association, “Selection and Reconsideration Policy Toolkit: formal reconsideration,” No date listed
- American Library Association, “Selection and Reconsideration Policy Toolkit: selection criteria,” No date listed
Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?
A group chat says one parent’s complaint got a novel banned, so Mari and Gia check what the school library’s notice says.
On your ownRead What happened and underline the word in the group chat that may go too far. About 4 minutes.
Your role: You’re the one who reads the library notice before anyone replies “banned.” New skill: Find what stage a process has reached.
What happened
On Thursday night, a message about a novel in the library at Anika’s high school appears in a group chat. The message says one parent complained, so the novel is now banned and gone from the library. Gia replies that this is censorship.
On Friday, the school library posts a notice about the novel. Mari reads it and compares it with the group chat. Gia deletes her first reply, because she had not read the notice or the novel.
Mari works the counter at the neighborhood bookshop. She switches between print and audio, and she is halfway through the novel on audio. Gia is planning a discussion at the bookshop. First, both of them want to know what stage the library’s process has reached.
Your question: Is the novel really banned, and what can people who care about it do next?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.
Challenge A challenge is a formal request to remove or restrict a book or other library material.
En español: impugnación
In this case: A parent’s request about a novel at Anika’s school started a review. The novel stays available while the committee reads it.
Reconsideration policy A reconsideration policy is a library's written process for reviewing a challenge to a book.
En español: política de reconsideración
In this case: The library’s notice follows district policy: a committee review, the selection criteria, written input by the 15th and an appeal.
Selection criteria Selection criteria are the written standards a library uses to decide which materials to include.
En español: criterios de selección
In this case: The committee judges the whole novel against the district’s selection criteria. The input form asks which criteria your comment addresses.
Who is involved
Mari
Works the bookshop counter
“The chat says the book is gone from the library. The notice says it stays available during the review. Those can’t both be true.”
Gia
Planning a book discussion at the bookshop
“I called it censorship before I’d read the notice. Now I’m planning a discussion at the bookshop, so I’d better get this right.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, what do you think happened to the novel?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
Reading passage
Where is the book in the process?
On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.
Words to know
- Challenge: A challenge is a formal request to remove or restrict a book or other library material.
- Reconsideration policy: A reconsideration policy is a library's written process for reviewing a challenge to a book.
- Selection criteria: Selection criteria are the written standards a library uses to decide which materials to include.
- Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
- Correction: A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information.
The story: Two messages, two days
On Thursday night, a claim about a novel in the library at Anika’s high school moves through a group chat. One parent complained, it says, so the novel has been banned and removed. Gia answers with the certainty of someone who cares about the freedom to read: “censorship, full stop.” The reply fits her values. It does not fit the evidence, because there is no evidence in the chat yet.
The evidence arrives Friday, when the school library posts a notice. Mari, who works the bookshop counter, reads it against the chat. She is dyslexic and moves between print and audiobooks, and she is halfway through this novel on audio. She points out the contradiction plainly. The chat says the book is gone. The notice says it remains available during the review. Both cannot be true.
Gia deletes her first reply. She had not read the notice or the book. She is now organizing a discussion at the bookshop and wants it to be useful, which means getting people to the input form before the 15th with something to say. She also sets a boundary that many online arguments skip. Nobody goes after the parent who asked for the review, because that parent used the process too.
Your role is to read the library notice before anyone replies “banned.”
Stop and think. The chat collapsed a complaint, a temporary change and a final decision into one word. Why is that collapse so common?
Stages, not verdicts
The new skill in this case is finding what stage a process has reached. It depends on two earlier ones. From Lesson 1, you go to the original source, here the library’s notice. From Lesson 3, you know that a correction replaces wrong information with accurate information where people saw the mistake.
The notice describes a sequence. A request for reconsideration has been received. The title remains available during the review. A committee will read the full work and evaluate it against the district’s selection criteria. Written input is due by the 15th. The committee’s decision may be appealed. A challenge is a formal request to remove or restrict a book or other library material. It opens that sequence, but it does not end it. A reconsideration policy is a library’s written process for reviewing a challenge to a book, and selection criteria are the written standards a library uses to decide which materials to include.
With the sequence in view, the chat’s claim can be judged precisely. It collapses three different events into one: a complaint, a possible temporary change and a final decision. Only the first has happened. The notice also has gaps. It does not name the novel, list the committee members or quote the criteria, so a careful reply should not fill those in.
Mari’s approach to the input form shows how to join the process rather than just comment on it. The form asks whether you have read the entire work and which criteria your input addresses, with a 300-word limit. She is finishing the book first. Her experience with books like this explains why she cares, but it is not the policy, so she plans to connect the two.
Stop and think. What should a careful correction leave out, given what the notice does not say?
Professional guidance, state law and the courts
The American Library Association recommends that libraries adopt a formal reconsideration policy, and its model process has a committee read the whole work (American Library Association, updated January 2018). Its separate guidance on selection criteria explains how libraries evaluate resources (American Library Association, updated January 2018). That guidance is professional advice. Districts adopt their own policies, and states write their own laws. Colorado legislators advanced a bill to require clear reconsideration policies (Chalkbeat Colorado, February 10, 2025). In Tennessee, reporters found that a revised state law changed the review steps and that some books quietly left shelves (Chalkbeat Tennessee, September 17, 2024).
The constitutional question remains unsettled. A law-firm analysis explains that the Fifth Circuit treated public library book removals as government speech, creating a split with the Eighth Circuit (Cahill Gordon and Reindel, September 22, 2025). The answer to whether a removal is legal can depend on where you live.
Professional guidance, state law and the courts, continued
Professional codes sit on both sides of Gia’s evolving view. The ALA code says, “We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources” (ALA Code of Ethics, 2021). The NCA credo asks communicators to “understand and respect other communicators’ intent before evaluating and responding to their messages” (NCA Credo for Ethical Communication, 2024). Holding both is the discipline this case asks for.
Stop and think. How can someone oppose removing a book and still respect the parent who filed the challenge?
Sources
Real sourceAmerican Library AssociationJanuary 2018
Selection and Reconsideration Policy Toolkit: formal reconsideration
Real sourceAmerican Library AssociationJanuary 2018
Selection and Reconsideration Policy Toolkit: selection criteria
Real sourceChalkbeat ColoradoFebruary 10, 2025
Colorado bill to curb school library book challenges clears first legislative hurdle
Real sourceChalkbeat TennesseeSeptember 17, 2024
Under stricter Tennessee law, some school library books quietly disappear
Real sourceCahill Gordon & Reindel LLP (law-firm client alert)September 22, 2025
Fifth Circuit Holds That Government Speech Doctrine Applies to Public Library Book Removals, Creating Circuit Split With Eighth Circuit
Real sourceAmerican Library Association (ALA)2021
ALA Code of Ethics
Real sourceNational Communication Association (NCA)2024
Credo for Ethical Communication
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead the notice and the input form, and fill in both boxes for each one. About 6 minutes.
Evidence ALibrary notice
Reconsideration notice, posted Friday by the school library
A request for reconsideration has been received for one title in the library collection. Under district policy, the title remains available during the review. A review committee will read the full work and evaluate it against the district’s selection criteria. Written input may be submitted by the 15th. The committee’s decision may be appealed.
Look closely: Which sentence tells you where the book is right now? Underline it.
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence BInput form
Review committee input form, due the 15th
Name and role (student, parent, staff or community member). Have you read the entire work? Yes or No. Which selection criteria does your input address? Comments, 300 words maximum.
Look closely: Who can send input? What does the form ask before your comments?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: book challenges
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.
A challenge is a formal request to remove or restrict a book or other library material. A challenge starts a review. On its own, it does not remove a book. A complaint, a temporary change and a final decision can happen at different times. Check which stage a process has reached before you repeat a claim.
A reconsideration policy is a library's written process for reviewing a challenge to a book. The American Library Association (ALA) recommends that libraries adopt one, and its example has a committee read the whole work. Selection criteria are the written standards a library uses to decide which materials to include. ALA’s guidance is a professional recommendation, not a law. Each district’s adopted policy and the applicable law govern its own process.
Whether removing a book breaks the law is a harder question. Federal courts disagree about how the First Amendment applies when a library removes a book. The answer can depend on where you live. Right now, the notice at Anika’s school describes a review, and the novel is still available.
Professional standards
Real sourceAmerican Library Association (ALA)
ALA Code of Ethics: Principle 2 (of 9)
“We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.”
In plain words: Library workers who follow the ALA code support people's freedom to read and oppose censorship of library materials.
Question: The district notice says the title stays available during review. Does that match the group chat's claim that it's “gone”?
Your answer
The notice says ___, so ___.
In the news
Real sourceChalkbeat ColoradoFebruary 10, 2025
Colorado bill to curb school library book challenges clears first legislative hurdle
A state debated requiring clear reconsideration policies, showing a challenge is a process, not an instant ban.
Real sourceChalkbeat TennesseeSeptember 17, 2024
Under stricter Tennessee law, some school library books quietly disappear
A state law changed the review steps, so you have to check which rules and stage actually applied.
Notes
Sort the evidence
On your ownFill in the diagram to show who decides at each stage, which rules apply and where input goes. About 5 minutes.
Replace “banned” with the real chain of decisions. Who decides at each stage, which rules bind them, and where can a student’s input land?
Keep, restrict or remove the novel after review
The school review committee, which reads the whole work and votes
District-level appeal and, finally, the school board
District reconsideration policy and selection criteria
State law and unsettled First Amendment case law (Pico had no majority opinion)
Whose perspective is missing?
Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?
The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what to check first and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 5 minutes.
A group chat says, “One parent complained, so that novel is banned.” What should you check first?
A Find the library’s policy and where the review stands.
B Ask everyone in the chat whether they like the book.
C Read the passage people are upset about, then decide.
Why I chose it
Improve a draft
A student’s first draft
This is so messed up. One parent complains and 1 now the whole school can’t read the book?? That’s literally censorship and it’s illegal because of the First Amendment. 2 Whoever complained is a terrible person and should mind their own business. Everyone should go to the board meeting and yell at them until they put it back. Books like this are the only ones some of us actually finish. I read part of it last year and it was actually really good. I’m so done with this school honestly.
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
AP Lang
Your task
On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Rhetorically analyze two public comments to a review committee, one effective and one not.
- Read both comments and label each with its audience and purpose.
- Fill in the comparison chart: appeals, evidence and tone.
- Write a thesis that names the divided committee as the audience.
- Draft your introduction and one body paragraph in the Your draft boxes.
- Finish the analysis on lined paper, about 500 words in all.
- Check your analysis with the questions on the Check your work page.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Comment 1: main appeal
Comment 2: main appeal
My thesis
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 22 minutes.
Introduction and thesis
Body paragraph
Check your work
On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 6 minutes.
Does your thesis make a claim about effectiveness?
YesNoDo you analyze specific choices in both comments?
YesNoDo you consider the divided audience?
YesNoDoes your commentary explain effects instead of listing them?
YesNo
How your work is scored
Mark one box in each row.
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | Repeats “banned.” | Mentions a complaint without stage. | States the current stage from the policy. | States stage, next steps and input route. |
| Reasoning | Declares a legal verdict. | Treats outrage as the argument. | Separates complaint, review and decision. | Connects input to criteria and notes legal uncertainty. |
| Audience & purpose | Attacks people. | Rallies without direction. | Gives a useful participation route. | Invites participation while respecting other readers and the parent. |
| Revision | No change. | Tone only. | Corrects the stage and removes attacks. | Explains how each change helps the chat act accurately. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames below. About 8 minutes.
1 Whose reading experience is missing from the crew’s discussion of the novel?
2 Gia says nobody should go after the parent who asked for the review. Why might that matter for her bookshop discussion?
3 How does calling the same action a “review,” a “restriction” or a “ban” change what people think happened?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
The limit of the evidence is ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
Talk about this case at home
Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?
In this case, a group chat claims one parent’s complaint got a novel banned from a school library. Your student compared that claim with the library’s notice and learned how a book review works.
Questions to talk about
- What is the difference between a book being reviewed and a book being removed?
- Where could someone find out how a library decides which books to keep?
- How can people disagree about a book without attacking each other?
Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.
See the case online.
Lesson 8Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?
Content note
This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.
Overview
Students read a short story in which a publisher sends Gia a free novel to review. Her video tags the publisher but never says the copy was free. They compare the publisher’s email, the video script and Caio’s edit notes with the FTC’s disclosure guidance for social media. They then rewrite the video’s opening and caption so that a viewer watching with the sound off learns about the free copy.
Before this case
Students should already be able to:
- describe a rhetorical situation: speaker, audience, purpose and context
- write a defensible thesis
- explain how a specific choice creates an effect
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- analyze how Gia’s first cut builds ethos with viewers
- argue how disclosure changes the rhetorical situation
- answer the view that disclosure makes viewers dismiss a sincere review
Objectives, continued
- qualify a claim about credibility by naming specific viewers
Materials
- This chapter, one copy per student
- Evidence A and B
- Gia’s revised script from the practice-page answer key, printed for students
- A rhetorical situation grid for both versions
The task in this edition
Task: Rhetorically analyze Gia’s original review and argue how disclosure changes its ethos.
Students make: Rhetorical analysis plus argument paragraph, about 550 words
Pacing
Opener (page 142): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Students read What happened on their own.
Key terms (pages 143 and 144): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Look at the evidence (page 148): 8 min. Short on time: 7 min. Students fill in only the What it shows boxes.
Key idea (pages 149 and 150): 8 min. Short on time: 5 min. Read both FTC rows. Skip In the news.
Pacing, continued
Sort the evidence (page 151): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Practice (page 152): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Your task (pages 153 and 154): 10 min. Short on time: 9 min. Fill in the grid for the first cut together.
Your draft (page 155): 25 min. Short on time: 23 min. Students write the thesis and the analysis paragraph in class and finish the argument at home.
Check your work (pages 156 and 157): 6 min. Short on time: 3 min. Students answer the four questions only.
Questions to discuss (pages 158 and 159): 8 min. Short on time: skip.
Talk about this case at home (page 160): at home.
Periods: full chapter 85 minutes; one period 50 minutes.
Standards
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. In this case: Students analyze how an undisclosed relationship changes the rhetorical situation for viewers.
Lesson 8Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 8 plan, continued
Standards, continued
Claims and Evidence (CLE) A big idea of the course: writers make claims, support them with evidence and often answer opposing arguments. In this case: Students separate the product claim from the creator’s relationship.
Style (STL) A big idea of the course: writers choose words, sentences and tone to suit their rhetorical situation. In this case: Students revise disclosure wording for clarity without losing the creator’s voice.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.
W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.
W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.
Codes of ethics
- FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255): § 255.5 Disclosure of material connections
Codes of ethics, continued
- FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255): § 255.0 Purpose and definitions, paragraph (f)
- PRSA Code of Ethics: Free Flow of Information
Heat map
Opener (page 142): Low
Key terms (pages 143 and 144): Low
Look at the evidence (page 148): Low
Key idea (pages 149 and 150): Low
Sort the evidence (page 151): Low
Practice (page 152): Low
Your task (pages 153 and 154): Low
Your draft (page 155): Low
Check your work (pages 156 and 157): Low
Try it at your school
Check the relationship before you trust the review.
- Next time you see a recommendation, look for a disclosure in the video itself
- If you post reviews, practice a clear spoken line like “They sent me this for free”
- Share a disclosure checklist with a school media club
Try it at your school, continued
- Don’t accuse real creators; practice on your own sample posts
Who to ask: School media or journalism advisor, a librarian, a digital citizenship teacher
Safety: Don’t share personal information to get free products. Talk with a trusted adult before accepting any brand deal.
Sources
- TikTok Newsroom, “BookTok and publishing,” September 2022
- Federal Trade Commission, “Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers,” No date listed
- Federal Trade Commission, “FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking,” No date listed
- Federal Trade Commission, “FTC explanatory video,” No date listed
Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?
Gia loves a novel that a publisher sent her for free, and her video review does not mention the free copy yet.
On your ownRead What happened. Underline what the publisher sent Gia and what it asked for. About 4 minutes.
Your role: You’re the viewer with the sound off who checks the first three seconds. New skill: Spot and disclose a material connection.
What happened
At 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Caio finishes editing Gia’s short video review of a new novel. Gia made the review for BookTok, where people recommend books on TikTok. She stayed up until 2 a.m. to finish the novel, and she loves it.
Two weeks ago, the book’s publisher emailed Gia. The publicity team offered her a free copy of its spring novel for review. The email said she did not have to post, but it asked for a tag if she did. In the first cut, Gia never says the book was free. The only sign of the publisher is a tag in the caption below the video.
Caio wants to watch the cut the way a stranger would, on a phone with the sound off. He wants to know whether the first three seconds say the book was free. Gia wants to keep her honest opinion in the video. She also wants viewers to know how she got the book.
Your question: Do Gia’s viewers need to know the book was free, and how should she tell them?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.
Material connection A material connection is a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect.
En español: conexión material
In this case: The publisher sent Gia a free copy of its spring novel for review. That free copy is a material connection.
Disclosure A disclosure is a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know.
En español: divulgación
In this case: Gia’s first cut has no disclosure. The tag in the caption names the publisher but never says the book was free.
Endorsement An endorsement is a message that shares someone's opinion or experience of a product to promote it.
En español: respaldo
In this case: Gia’s video review promotes the novel with her own opinion: she stayed up until 2 a.m. to finish it.
Who is involved
Gia
Made the video review
“I stayed up till 2 a.m. finishing it. That part’s real. The publisher sending it free is also real, and right now it’s nowhere in the video.”
Caio
Editing Gia’s video
“The publisher’s email literally says ‘free copy for review.’ That’s the sentence. It’s just not in the video yet.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, does Gia need to tell viewers the book was free?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
Reading passage
Honest opinion, hidden relationship
On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.
Words to know
- Material connection: A material connection is a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect.
- Disclosure: A disclosure is a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know.
- Endorsement: An endorsement is a message that shares someone's opinion or experience of a product to promote it.
- Framing: Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward.
The story: The edit that is almost done
Gia’s review is sincere. She stayed up until 2 a.m. finishing the novel, and her video for BookTok, TikTok’s book-recommending community, captures that. Caio, who edits video and has a habit of checking before posting anything that involves someone else, finishes the cut at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Gia is ready to publish.
Caio asks for one more pass, done the way most viewers would watch: once, on a phone, with the sound off. He is looking at the first three seconds. The question he wants answered is whether a stranger could tell that the book was free.
It was. Two weeks earlier, the publisher’s publicity team emailed Gia to offer a free copy of its spring novel for review. The email said there was no obligation to post but asked for a tag if she did. The first cut opens with Gia saying she literally could not put the book down. There is no on-screen text, and the only trace of the publisher is “@publisher #booktok” in the caption below the video.
Gia’s first defense is the tag. Caio’s edit notes reply in four words: tag equals brand name, not relationship. Your role in this case is to be the viewer with the sound off who checks the first three seconds.
Stop and think. Why does the case insist that the free copy does not make Gia’s opinion false?
Separating the opinion from the relationship
Three terms keep the analysis clean. An endorsement is a message that shares someone’s opinion or experience of a product to promote it. A material connection is a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect. A disclosure is a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know. Gia’s review is an honest endorsement with an undisclosed material connection. The connection does not make her opinion false. It changes what a viewer needs to know to weigh it.
This is a framing problem, in the Lesson 1 sense of framing: choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward. The first cut brings forward enthusiasm and leaves the relationship in a caption that many viewers never open. Caio’s fix reorders the frame without deleting anything true. The video opens with a three-second line, “Quick heads-up, the publisher sent me this free,” spoken and on screen, followed by Gia’s hook.
The case also asks what a disclosure does not do. Gia had considered calling the novel the best book of the year and then asks herself, out of the ones she happened to read? She replaces the superlative with what she can support: two nights, could not put it down. A disclosure answers how she got the book. It does not make every claim in a review accurate.
Finally, the case tests the fix on an audience. Caio will show the cut to someone who did not help make it and ask whether the book was free. If they hesitate, the disclosure is not clear yet. A comment on another creator’s review shows the cost of late discovery: “wait was this sponsored?? kind of feels like an ad now.” The comment is about someone else, and nobody knows whether that review was sponsored, which is the point.
Stop and think. Apply the FTC’s “clear and conspicuous” definition to the caption tag. Does the tag meet it?
Rules, enforcement and evidence
The Federal Trade Commission’s Endorsement Guides explain how federal law against deceptive practices applies to endorsements. The current text says material connections “can include monetary payment or the provision of free or discounted products … to an endorser, regardless of whether the advertiser requires an endorsement in return” (16 CFR Part 255, as revised 2023). The same guides define “clear and conspicuous” as “difficult to miss (i.e., easily noticeable) and easily understandable by ordinary consumers.” FTC staff guidance for video says the disclosure belongs in the video itself, ideally both spoken and on screen (Federal Trade Commission, updated December 3, 2024).
Enforcement has followed. In November 2023, the FTC warned two trade associations and a dozen influencers about posts promoting aspartame or sugar, stressing that disclosures belong in the video, not a caption (Federal Trade Commission, November 14, 2023).
Rules, enforcement and evidence, continued
Trade coverage noted that sponsors share responsibility for clear disclosures (Food Dive, November 27, 2023).
Research on adolescents supports the rule’s purpose. A study of 3,149 high school students in Taiwan found that full sponsorship disclosure helped teens recognize a post as an ad (Lin et al., PLOS One, May 27, 2026). Earlier work examined whether disclosures help younger and older teens notice when an influencer is paid (van Reijmersdal and van Dam, Journal of Youth and Adolescence, January 18, 2020).
Stop and think. Who should make sure disclosures are clear: creators, brands or platforms?
Sources
Real sourceFederal Trade Commission (FTC)2023
FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255)
Real sourceFederal Trade CommissionDecember 3, 2024
Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers
Real sourceFederal Trade CommissionNovember 14, 2023
FTC Warns Two Trade Associations and a Dozen Influencers About Social Media Posts Promoting Consumption of Aspartame or Sugar
Real sourceFood DiveNovember 27, 2023
FTC crackdown could change influencer marketing for food and beverages
Real sourcePLOS One (Lin et al.)May 27, 2026
Effects of social media sponsorship disclosure on adolescents’ advertising literacy and purchase intention
Real sourceJournal of Youth and Adolescence (van Reijmersdal & van Dam)January 18, 2020
How Age and Disclosures of Sponsored Influencer Videos Affect Adolescents’ Knowledge of Persuasion and Persuasion
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 8 minutes.
Evidence AEmail
The publisher’s email
“Hi Gia, we love your book reviews! We’d be glad to send you a free copy of our spring novel for review. There’s no obligation to post, but if you do, we’d appreciate a tag. Best, the publicity team”
Look closely: What did the publisher give, and what did it ask for?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence BVideo script and caption
Gia’s first cut
Spoken: “You guys, I have to tell you about this book because I literally could not put it down!” On-screen text: none. Caption below the video: “@publisher #booktok
Look closely: Where in this video would a viewer learn about the free copy?
What it shows
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Key idea: material connections
On your ownRead the key idea and the FTC guide. Then answer the question in the box. About 8 minutes.
An endorsement is a message that shares someone's opinion or experience of a product to promote it. Gia’s video review is an endorsement, and her opinion in it is honest. A material connection is a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect. The free copy from the publisher is a material connection. Knowing about it gives viewers context, but it does not prove that Gia’s opinion is false.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is a federal agency. Its Endorsement Guides explain how a federal law against deceptive practices applies to endorsements. A disclosure is a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know. For a video, the FTC says the disclosure belongs in the video itself, ideally both spoken and on screen. A tag in the caption only names the brand, and it sits below the video.
A disclosure answers one question: how did Gia get the book? Viewers can still ask what supports her claims about the book itself. A clear disclosure does not make every claim in a review accurate. Do not accuse a real creator of hiding a sponsorship based on a guess.
Professional standards
Real sourceLaw or regulationFederal Trade Commission (FTC)
FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255): § 255.5 Disclosure of material connections
“They can include monetary payment or the provision of free or discounted products … to an endorser, regardless of whether the advertiser requires an endorsement in return.”
In plain words: The FTC says a free product can be a connection that reviewers must clearly disclose, even if the brand asked for nothing in return.
Question: The publisher's email says there is “no obligation to post.” Does that change whether Gia has a connection to disclose?
Professional standards, continued
Your answer
The FTC text says ___, so ___.
In the news
Real sourceNBC NewsNovember 15, 2023
Influencers warned by FTC over ‘inadequate’ disclosures of artificial sweetener promotions
Real creators were warned for not clearly saying they were paid, the exact question this case asks.
Real sourceABC NewsNovember 6, 2019
Popular YouTuber chimes in on federal product disclosure guide for influencers
A creator reacts to the FTC’s disclosure rules, showing how the guidance lands for people who actually post.
Notes
Sort the evidence
On your ownFollow each choice to its results. Then write whose view is missing. About 6 minutes.
Follow both choices forward. Which consequences can Gia control, which depend on viewers, and what test tells her the disclosure worked?
Post the first cut with only a brand tag in the caption
Sound-off viewers never learn the book was free
Who is affected
Viewers deciding whether to buy or borrow the book
Disclose aloud and on screen in the first seconds
Viewers weigh the recommendation knowing the relationship
Who is affected
Viewers deciding whether to buy or borrow the bookSome viewers may discount the review as an ad
Who is affected
Whose perspective is missing?
Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?
The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose the change that makes the relationship clearest. Then fix the two marked phrases. About 6 minutes.
Gia loves the novel the publisher sent her for free. Which change to her video makes the relationship clearest to viewers?
A Tag the publisher in the caption.
B Say and show at the start of the video that the publisher sent her the book for free.
C Leave the video as it is, since the email said there was no obligation to post.
Why I chose it
Improve a draft
A student’s first draft
Okay you guys, I have to tell you about this book because I literally could not put it down!! 1 #ad #booktok @publisher. The characters are so real and the ending destroyed me. I stayed up until 2 a.m. finishing it and then just sat there staring at the wall. Everyone needs to read this, trust me, 2 it’s the best book of the year and you won’t regret it. Link is in my bio, go get it before everyone else does!
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
AP Lang
Your task
On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 10 minutes.
Rhetorically analyze Gia’s original review and argue how disclosure changes its ethos.
- Fill in the rhetorical situation grid for the first cut and the revised script.
- Mark two choices in the first cut that build trust with viewers.
- Write a thesis on how disclosure changes the review’s ethos.
- Draft your thesis and one analysis paragraph on the Your draft page.
- Write an argument paragraph that answers the view that disclosure turns a sincere review into an ad.
- Name the viewers for whom disclosure may lower trust, to qualify your claim.
- Finish the full response of about 550 words in the online workspace or on paper.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Rhetorical situation, first cut
What changes in the revised script
Your task, continued
Choice 1 that builds trust
Choice 2 that builds trust
Thesis
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 25 minutes.
Thesis and analysis paragraph
Argument paragraph with a counterargument
Check your work
On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 6 minutes.
Does your thesis say how disclosure changes the rhetorical situation?
YesNoDo you analyze specific choices in the first cut?
YesNoDo you answer the view that disclosure makes a sincere review look like an ad?
YesNoDoes your qualification name specific viewers?
YesNo
How your work is scored
Mark one box in each row.
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | No disclosure or claim support. | Tag only. | Names the relationship clearly. | Names the relationship and supports the product claim. |
| Reasoning | Treats opinion as a substitute for disclosure. | Discloses but can’t explain why. | Explains why placement and clarity matter. | Distinguishes opinion, relationship and product claim. |
| Audience & purpose | Ignores viewers. | Assumes viewers read captions. | Works for sound-off viewers. | Works across channels with consistent wording. |
| Revision | No change. | Adds a hashtag. | Adds spoken and on-screen disclosure. | Explains each placement choice for different viewers. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 8 minutes.
1 Would knowing the book was free change how much you trust Gia’s review? Why or why not?
2 Some viewers may treat a review with a disclosure as just an ad. How could Gia keep their trust?
3 Who should make sure disclosures are clear: creators, brands or platforms?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
The limit of the evidence is ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
Talk about this case at home
Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?
In this case, a publisher sends Gia a free novel, and her video review does not say the book was free. Your student read the email and the video script, then rewrote the opening so viewers learn about the free copy.
Questions to talk about
- How can you tell when a video review is also an ad?
- Where in a video would you look for a note that a product was free?
- Why might a review still be honest if the reviewer got the product for free?
Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.
See the case online.
Lesson 9Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?
Content note
This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.
Overview
Students read a story in which Dec, who turns 18 in October, looks past the headline race on his sample ballot. He finds a school board race, a city council race and a transit bond. They compare the ballot with a creator’s voter guide that mixes facts with picks, and they read Vote.gov’s guidance for people 18 and under. They then write a personal checklist of official sources for registration, deadlines and their own sample ballot.
Before this case
Students should already be able to:
- describe a rhetorical situation: author, audience, purpose and context
- write a defensible thesis
- explain how a specific choice creates an effect
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- analyze how a voter guide builds trust with first-time voters
- locate precisely where the guide shifts from informing to persuading
Objectives, continued
- answer the view that a guide with picks serves busy first-time voters better
- explain the effect of each choice in commentary
Materials
- This chapter, one copy per student
- Evidence A and B
- Optional: a nonpartisan or advocacy guide you select
- A rhetorical situation grid and commentary stems
The task in this edition
Task: Rhetorically analyze a voter guide aimed at young people.
Students make: Analysis, about 500 words
Pacing
Opener (page 161): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Students read What happened on their own.
Key terms (pages 162 and 163): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Look at the evidence (pages 167 and 168): 8 min. Short on time: 7 min. Students fill in only the What it shows boxes.
Pacing, continued
Key idea (pages 169 and 170): 8 min. Short on time: 5 min. Read the SPJ row. Skip In the news.
Sort the evidence (pages 171 and 172): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Practice (page 173): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Your task (pages 174 and 175): 10 min. Short on time: 9 min. Fill in the grid for the creator’s guide together.
Your draft (page 176): 25 min. Short on time: 23 min. Students write the thesis and body paragraph in class and finish the analysis at home.
Check your work (pages 177 and 178): 6 min. Short on time: 3 min. Students answer the four questions only.
Questions to discuss (pages 179 and 180): 8 min. Short on time: skip.
Talk about this case at home (page 181): at home.
Periods: full chapter 85 minutes; one period 50 minutes.
Lesson 9Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 9 plan, continued
Standards
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. In this case: Students analyze how a voter guide addresses first-time voters.
Claims and Evidence (CLE) A big idea of the course: writers make claims, support them with evidence and often answer opposing arguments. In this case: Students separate checkable facts from recommendations.
Style (STL) A big idea of the course: writers choose words, sentences and tone to suit their rhetorical situation. In this case: Students write neutral, precise civic information.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.
W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.
W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.
Codes of ethics
- SPJ Code of Ethics: Seek Truth and Report It
- RTDNA Code of Ethics: Opening statement (before the guiding principles)
- Credo for Ethical Communication: “We advocate sharing information, opinions, and feelings…” (one of nine unnumbered principles)
Heat map
Opener (page 161): Low
Key terms (pages 162 and 163): Low
Look at the evidence (pages 167 and 168): Low
Key idea (pages 169 and 170): Low
Sort the evidence (pages 171 and 172): Medium
Practice (page 173): Low
Your task (pages 174 and 175): Medium
Your draft (page 176): Medium
Check your work (pages 177 and 178): Low
Try it at your school
Find your official election information.
- With a trusted adult, visit vote.gov and choose your state or territory
- Check eligibility, preregistration and registration rules for your age
Try it at your school, continued
- Find a sample ballot for your address and circle one local office
- Learn what that office does before researching candidates
Who to ask: Your county or local election office, a civics teacher, a school librarian
Safety: Never share your address, birthdate or voter information in group chats. Use official government sites (.gov) for registration.
Sources
- Vote.gov, “Your state or territory’s voting information,” No date listed
- Vote.gov, “Preparing to vote: age 18 and under,” No date listed
- USAGov, “Sample ballots and voter guides,” No date listed
- National Constitution Center, “The 26th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution,” No date listed
Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?
Dec turns 18 before the election on November 3, 2026, and his feed covers only one race on his ballot.
On your ownRead What happened. Underline the contests Mateo finds below the big race. About 4 minutes.
Your role: You’re the one who finds Dec’s official sample ballot before anyone tells him how to vote. New skill: Check an official source for your own area.
What happened
It is Sunday at the library desk. Dec turns 18 in October, before the general election on November 3, 2026. His feed is full of posts about one big race. Mateo and Gia are helping him find out what else is on his ballot.
They look at a sample ballot for the November election. The front shows the big race from Dec’s feed. The second page has more: a school board race, a city council seat and Measure T, a transit bond. Mateo notices that nobody is posting about Measure T.
A creator’s voter guide is also going around. It says registration closes “the 14th,” but it never names a state. It also tells people how to vote on the school board race and Measure T. Gia is writing a reminder for the group chat.
Mateo has his own problem. He may still be registered at his mom’s address in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Dec says he does not need anyone to pick for him. He needs to know what is on his ballot and whether he is registered in time.
Your question: What is on Dec’s ballot, and where should he check his own information?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.
Sample ballot A sample ballot is a preview of the contests and measures that will appear on your ballot.
En español: boleta de muestra
In this case: Dec’s sample ballot lists a school board race, a city council seat and Measure T below the big race from his feed.
Voter guide A voter guide is a document that explains or recommends choices in an election.
En español: guía para votantes
In this case: A creator’s voter guide mixes one deadline with two picks: “vote Candidate B” and “Measure T: yes, obviously.”
Registration Registration is signing up with your election office so that you are on the list of people who can vote.
En español: inscripción electoral
In this case: Dec turns 18 in October and needs to know whether he is registered in time. The guide’s deadline names no state.
Jurisdiction A jurisdiction is the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority.
En español: jurisdicción
In this case: Mateo may still be registered in New Bedford, Massachusetts. A different place can mean a different ballot and a different deadline.
Who is involved
Mateo
Helping Dec read the sample ballot
“Dec’s feed is all the big race. Then you flip the sample ballot: school board, city council, a transit bond. Nobody’s posting about Measure T.”
Gia
Writing the group-chat reminder
“The creator’s guide says ‘registration closes the 14th.’ Whose 14th? It doesn’t even say which state.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, what do you think is on Dec’s ballot?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
Reading passage
Down the ballot and back to the source
On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 6 minutes.
Words to know
- Sample ballot: A sample ballot is a preview of the contests and measures that will appear on your ballot.
- Voter guide: A voter guide is a document that explains or recommends choices in an election.
- Registration: Registration is signing up with your election office so that you are on the list of people who can vote.
- Jurisdiction: A jurisdiction is the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority.
- Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
- Material connection: A material connection is a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect.
The story: One race in the feed, five on the ballot
Dec, a high school senior who drums on weekends and helps build theater sets, turns 18 in October. The general election is November 3, 2026. His social feed treats it as a single contest, one big race covered from every angle. On Sunday, at the library desk, Mateo and Gia help him find out what the feed leaves out.
The sample ballot for November is organized by level of government. Federal: U.S. Representative. State: State Senator and a Superior Court judge up for retention. Local: two seats on the Board of Education in District 3 and a City Council seat in Ward 5. And one measure: Measure T, a transit improvements bond. Mateo notices that the lower half of the ballot has almost no online presence. Nobody is posting about Measure T.
What is circulating instead is a creator’s voter guide. It promises “all you need for November,” announces that registration closes “the 14th” and tells readers to vote for Candidate B for school board and “yes, obviously” on Measure T. Dec’s response sets the terms for the case. He does not need anyone picking for him. He needs to know what is on his ballot and whether he is registered in time.
Mateo has a problem of his own. He moved from New Bedford, Massachusetts, for college and may still be registered at his mom’s address there. Different state, different ballot, different deadline. Your role is to find Dec’s official sample ballot before anyone tells him how to vote.
Stop and think. Why does the lower half of a ballot get so little attention online?
Separating information from advocacy
A sample ballot is a preview of the contests and measures that will appear on your ballot. A voter guide is a document that explains or recommends choices in an election. The distinction matters because the two serve different purposes. The sample ballot tells you what you will decide. A guide tells you what someone thinks you should decide, and sometimes also what the choices mean.
The new skill here builds on two earlier ones. From Lesson 1, you go to the original source and treat each statement as a claim that can be checked. The guide’s deadline is a claim with no jurisdiction attached, so it cannot be verified and should not be repeated. From Lesson 8, you ask about a material connection, a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect. Here, the guide leaves out who wrote and who funds it. That missing information does not make its picks wrong. It does mean they should be read as advocacy from an unnamed source.
A jurisdiction is the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority. Your address determines which contests appear on your ballot, which is why Mateo cannot assume his ballot matches Dec’s. Jurisdiction also shapes research. A school board and a city council have different powers, so a voter who cares about buses should learn which body runs them before comparing candidates. Mateo starts Measure T with two questions: what it would pay for, and who runs the buses.
Registration is signing up with your election office so that you are on the list of people who can vote. Because rules and deadlines vary by state, Gia’s group-chat reminder deliberately contains no deadline. It sends everyone to Vote.gov for their own registration and sample ballot, and it asks people not to post their addresses.
Stop and think. The guide’s picks are not labeled as advocacy. How would labeling them change how Dec reads the guide?
The constitutional floor and the state rules
The Twenty-Sixth Amendment protects the right of citizens 18 and older to vote (National Constitution Center, no date listed). The National WWII Museum traces its origins to the wartime argument that people old enough to fight were old enough to vote (The National WWII Museum, October 27, 2020). Above that floor, states set the details. Most allow preregistration before 18, and some let 17-year-olds vote in primaries if they will be 18 by the general election (Ballotpedia News, September 26, 2025). NPR has reported on state efforts to raise youth registration, including preregistration (NPR, August 6, 2023).
Turnout data show both engagement and variation. CIRCLE estimates that about 47 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds voted in 2024, with large differences by state (CIRCLE, April 14, 2025).
The constitutional floor and the state rules, continued
Journalism codes draw the same line the case draws. The SPJ code tells journalists to “label advocacy and commentary” (SPJ Code of Ethics, September 6, 2014). The RTDNA code says journalism “empowers viewers, listeners and readers to make more informed decisions for themselves; it does not tell people what to believe or how to feel” (RTDNA Code of Ethics, June 11, 2015). A nonpartisan guide for Dec should meet that second standard.
Stop and think. Anika is 16. How can she take part in this election before she can vote?
Sources
Real sourceVote.govNo date listed
Your state or territory’s voting information
Real sourceNational Constitution CenterNo date listed
The 26th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
Real sourceThe National WWII MuseumOctober 27, 2020
“Old Enough to Fight, Old Enough to Vote”: The WWII Roots of the 26th Amendment
Real sourceBallotpedia NewsSeptember 26, 2025
Most states allow teenagers to pre-register to vote before turning 18, and some let them vote in primaries
Real sourceNPRAugust 6, 2023
Some states are trying to boost youth voter registration. Here's what they're doing
Real sourceCIRCLE (Tufts University)April 14, 2025
New Data: Nearly Half of Youth Voted in 2024
Real sourceSociety of Professional Journalists (SPJ)2014
SPJ Code of Ethics
Real sourceRadio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)2015
RTDNA Code of Ethics
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 8 minutes.
Evidence ASample ballot
Sample ballot for the November general election
Federal: U.S. Representative. State: State Senator; Superior Court judge (retention). Local: Board of Education, District 3 (vote for two); City Council, Ward 5. Measures: Measure T, transit improvements bond.
Look closely: Which contests sit below the big race, and which one touches Dec’s school?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence BVoter guide post
A creator’s voter guide
All you need for November!! Registration closes the 14th. School board: vote Candidate B, the only one who cares about students. Measure T: yes, obviously.
Look closely: Which line could you check, and which lines tell you how to vote?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: sample ballots
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 8 minutes.
A sample ballot is a preview of the contests and measures that will appear on your ballot. A measure is a question that voters decide directly, such as Measure T. A voter guide is a document that explains or recommends choices in an election. The two have different purposes. Start with the ballot for your address, and then check a guide’s facts apart from its picks.
Your address decides which contests appear on your ballot. A jurisdiction is the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority. A friend two districts over may see different local races. A school board and a city council have different jobs, so each one makes different decisions. Before you research candidates, find out which office has power over the issue you care about.
Registration is signing up with your election office so that you are on the list of people who can vote. Rules and deadlines vary by state, so do not copy a friend’s deadline. The Twenty-Sixth Amendment protects the right to vote for citizens 18 and older. Most states let people preregister before they turn 18. Several states let 17-year-olds vote in a primary if they will be 18 by the general election.
Professional standards
Real sourceSociety of Professional Journalists (SPJ)
SPJ Code of Ethics: Seek Truth and Report It
“Label advocacy and commentary.”
In plain words: Journalists who follow the SPJ code mark opinions and recommendations so readers can tell them apart from facts.
Question: The creator's guide mixes a registration deadline with “vote Candidate B.” Which lines are checkable facts, and which are picks?
Your answer
The checkable fact is ___; the picks are ___.
In the news
Real sourceNPRAugust 6, 2023
Some states are trying to boost youth voter registration. Here's what they're doing
Explains preregistration and other state steps that let teens sign up before they turn 18.
Real sourceBallotpedia NewsSeptember 26, 2025
Most states allow teenagers to pre-register to vote before turning 18, and some let them vote in primaries
Rules differ by state, so where you live decides when you can register and what you vote on.
Notes
Sort the evidence
On your ownMatch each of Dec’s questions to the rule or office that answers it. Then write whose view is missing. About 6 minutes.
Separate the two questions Dec has: what is on his ballot, and can he vote. Which rules and offices answer each, and which source should he check first?
Which contests and measures appear on Dec’s ballot
His address and district lines, drawn through redistricting
Whether Dec can register and vote in November
Twenty-Sixth Amendment: the vote at 18 cannot be denied on account of age
State rules on preregistration, deadlines and 17-year-old primary voting
Whose perspective is missing?
Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?
The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.
Notes
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what you would do with a friend’s sample ballot. Then fix the two marked phrases. About 6 minutes.
You live at a new address. A friend sends their sample ballot and says, “Just use this one.” What should you do?
A Use it, because you and your friend live in the same state.
B Check your registration and find the official sample ballot for your address.
C Use a creator’s voter guide instead, since it covers the whole election.
Why I chose it
Improve a draft
A student’s first draft
Guys the election is coming up and it’s a big one!! 1 Registration closes on the 14th so do it now. Here’s the voter guide I use, it tells you exactly who to vote for so you don’t have to research. Also 2 drop your addresses and I’ll check if you’re registered for you. Only the big race really matters anyway, the rest is small stuff. My cousin in another state said the same deadline works for her too, so just use mine. Let’s go vote!!
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
AP Lang
Your task
On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 10 minutes.
Rhetorically analyze a voter guide aimed at young people.
- Choose your text: the creator’s guide in Evidence B or the guide your teacher gives you.
- Fill in the rhetorical situation grid: author, audience, purpose and context.
- Mark the exact point where the guide stops informing and starts persuading.
- Write a thesis on how the guide builds trust with first-time voters.
- Draft your thesis and one body paragraph on the Your draft page.
- Answer the view that busy first-time voters are better served by a guide with picks.
- Finish the analysis of about 500 words in the online workspace or on paper.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Rhetorical situation
Your task, continued
How the guide builds trust
Where informing turns into persuading
Thesis
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 25 minutes.
Thesis and body paragraph
Counterargument and qualification
Check your work
On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 6 minutes.
Does your thesis explain how the guide builds trust with first-time voters?
YesNoDo you quote the exact place where informing turns into persuading?
YesNoDo you answer the view that picks help busy first-time voters?
YesNoDoes your commentary explain the effect of each choice?
YesNo
How your work is scored
Mark one box in each row.
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | Copies one person’s deadlines. | Mentions official sources vaguely. | Points to official sources for each person’s state. | Points to official sources and explains why rules differ. |
| Reasoning | Treats a guide as the ballot. | Mentions the ballot but not local contests. | Separates ballot, guide and registration. | Explains why local offices matter to the audience. |
| Audience & purpose | Collects private info. | Generic hype. | Useful, private, nonpartisan. | Includes people not yet eligible. |
| Revision | No change. | Adds a link. | Replaces copied deadlines with official routes. | Explains how each change helps friends in different situations. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 8 minutes.
1 Which contest on the sample ballot could affect Dec’s school or his bus?
2 Mateo may still be registered in New Bedford. Why might his ballot differ from Dec’s?
3 Anika is 16. How can she be part of this election before she can vote?
4 When could a voter guide that recommends choices help a first-time voter?
My take
My claim: ___.
My take, continued
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
The limit of the evidence is ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
Talk about this case at home
Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?
In this case, a teen about to turn 18 finds local races on his ballot that his feed never mentions. Your student compared a sample ballot with a voter guide, then wrote a guide that points to official sources without telling anyone how to vote.
Questions to talk about
- What offices appear on a local ballot, besides the big races?
- Where can someone find official information about registering to vote?
- How can you tell a fact in a voter guide from a recommendation?
Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.
See the case online.
Lesson 10Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?
Content note
This case involves disability access on a city route. No student should share their own disability or health information, so keep the discussion on Sami’s trip.
This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.
Overview
Students read a story in which construction blocks the curb ramp on Sami’s route to a city workshop, and the detour points to stairs. They examine the sign, the route map and the workshop flyer. They use the Department of Justice’s Title II guide to see which part of the ADA applies. They then audit the whole trip and write a message to the city’s ADA coordinator.
Before this case
Students should already be able to:
- describe a rhetorical situation: author, audience, purpose and context
- write a defensible thesis
- explain how a specific choice creates an effect
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- compare how two messages to the city match claim strength to evidence
Objectives, continued
- argue which message is more likely to get the route fixed
- link each choice to an institutional audience
- qualify the claim by naming what neither message can guarantee
Materials
- This chapter, one copy per student
- Evidence A and B
- Two messages to the city: the first draft and the revision from the practice page, or two you write
- A claims-and-evidence chart and commentary stems
The task in this edition
Task: Compare two messages to the city (one angry and absolute, one precise) and argue which is more likely to get the route fixed.
Students make: Comparative analysis, about 500 words
Pacing
Opener (page 182): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Students read What happened on their own.
Key terms (pages 183 and 184): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Pacing, continued
Look at the evidence (pages 188 and 189): 8 min. Short on time: 5 min. Students fill in only the What it shows boxes.
Key idea (pages 190 and 191): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Sort the evidence (page 192): 5 min. Short on time: skip.
Practice (page 193): 8 min. Short on time: 5 min. Skip the vote. Read the draft and its revision aloud; they are the two messages.
Your task (pages 194 and 195): 10 min. Short on time: 9 min. Fill in the chart for the first message together.
Your draft (page 196): 25 min. Short on time: 24 min. Students write the thesis and body paragraph in class and finish the analysis at home.
Check your work (pages 197 and 198): 6 min. Short on time: 4 min. Students answer the four questions only.
Questions to discuss (pages 199 and 200): 8 min. Short on time: skip.
Talk about this case at home (page 201): at home.
Periods: full chapter 84 minutes; one period 50 minutes.
Lesson 10Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 10 plan, continued
Standards
Claims and Evidence (CLE) A big idea of the course: writers make claims, support them with evidence and often answer opposing arguments. In this case: Students match the strength of a claim to the evidence available.
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. In this case: Students write an access report for a city office that must act.
Reasoning and Organization (REO) A big idea of the course: writers guide readers through their reasoning by how they organize a text and bring in evidence. In this case: Students organize a report: location, observation, effect, request.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.
W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.
W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.
Standards, continued
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.
Codes of ethics
- ASPA Code of Ethics: 3. Promote democratic participation.
- NPPA Code of Ethics for Visual Journalists: Code of Ethics, standard 3
- ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 3.1 Meritorious Claims and Contentions
Heat map
Opener (page 182): Medium
Key terms (pages 183 and 184): Low
Look at the evidence (pages 188 and 189): Low
Key idea (pages 190 and 191): Low
Sort the evidence (page 192): Medium
Practice (page 193): Medium
Your task (pages 194 and 195): Low
Your draft (page 196): Low
Check your work (pages 197 and 198): Low
Try it at your school
Find your city’s ADA contact.
Try it at your school, continued
- With a trusted adult, search your city’s website for “ADA coordinator” or “accessibility”
- Save how to report a blocked sidewalk or curb ramp (often 311 or a public works page)
- If you notice a barrier, note the location, date and time
- Ask the person affected what they want before reporting on their behalf
Who to ask: City ADA coordinator, 311 or public works, school transportation office for school routes
Safety: Don’t film or post people with disabilities without clear permission. Stay out of construction zones.
Sources
- HISTORY, “When the ‘Capitol Crawl’ Dramatized the Need for Americans with Disabilities Act,” July 24, 2020
- Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, “The Capitol Crawl,” No date listed
- U.S. Department of Justice, “The ADA and City Governments,” No date listed
Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?
A construction detour sends Sami toward stairs on her way to a city workshop, and her bus comes in 12 minutes.
On your ownRead What happened. Underline where the detour sign points. About 4 minutes.
Your role: You’re the one who writes down the corner, the time and the sign before Mateo posts. New skill: Report a problem to the office responsible.
What happened
It is Tuesday, 4:05 p.m., at the corner of Elm Street and 4th Avenue. Sami is on her way to a free community workshop run by the city’s parks department. It starts at 5. Sami uses a manual wheelchair, and her bus comes in 12 minutes. Mateo is with her.
The curb ramp on the northeast corner is blocked by construction fencing. A sign reads “SIDEWALK CLOSED AHEAD. PEDESTRIAN DETOUR.” Its arrow points to a path that begins with a flight of stairs. That detour does not work for Sami.
Mateo already has the sign on video, and his first idea is to post it. Sami asks whether the video gets her on the bus. It does not, so Mateo puts the camera down. He checks the other corners for a ramp while Sami looks up the next bus stop.
Later, they want to report the corner to the city. Mateo wonders whether the city is breaking the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). First, they need to know what one video can show and which office is responsible.
Your question: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route, and what should Sami and Mateo tell the city?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.
Program access Program access is an ADA rule that a city's services, taken as a whole, must be usable by people with disabilities.
En español: acceso a los programas
In this case: The city runs the workshop. Program access asks whether Sami can reach and join the workshop, not only whether one ramp is open.
Barrier A barrier is something that blocks or limits a person from taking part.
En español: barrera
In this case: Fencing blocks the curb ramp at Elm Street and 4th Avenue, and the detour points to stairs. The flyer gives no way to request access.
ADA coordinator An ADA coordinator is the staff member a government names to handle disability access questions and complaints.
En español: coordinador de la ADA
In this case: Mateo plans to send the city’s ADA coordinator the corner, the time, the sign and one question, if Sami agrees.
Who is involved
Sami
Trying to catch her bus to the workshop
“The sign says detour. The detour starts with stairs. So, no. Twelve minutes.”
Mateo
Filmed the detour sign
“I had the sign on video before I even thought about it. Sami asked if that gets her on the bus. Fair. Camera down.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, whose job do you think it is to fix Sami’s route?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
Reading passage
A barrier, a bus and the right office
On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 6 minutes.
Words to know
- Program access: Program access is an ADA rule that a city's services, taken as a whole, must be usable by people with disabilities.
- Barrier: A barrier is something that blocks or limits a person from taking part.
- ADA coordinator: An ADA coordinator is the staff member a government names to handle disability access questions and complaints.
- Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
- Jurisdiction: A jurisdiction is the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority.
The story: The next twelve minutes
Sami studies design and photographs things most people walk past. She also uses a manual wheelchair and wants access planned before an event, not offered as an apology afterward. At 4:05 p.m. on a Tuesday, at the corner of Elm Street and 4th Avenue, she is on her way to a free parks department workshop that starts at 5. Her bus comes in 12 minutes.
The northeast curb ramp is fenced off for construction. The posted detour, “SIDEWALK CLOSED AHEAD. PEDESTRIAN DETOUR,” points to a path that begins with stairs. Sami says it without drama. The sign says detour, the detour starts with stairs, so no.
Mateo is with Sami, and his reflex is a filmmaker’s. He has the sign on video before he has thought about what the video is for. When he offers to post it, Sami asks whether that gets her on the bus. It does not. Mateo puts the camera down and checks the other corners for a ramp while Sami looks up the next stop. The order of priorities is the first lesson of the case. The person facing the barrier decides what the moment needs and what gets said about her. The report can wait an hour.
Your role is to write down the corner, the time and the sign before anyone posts, so that the later report rests on a clean record.
Stop and think. Why does the case put Sami’s bus ahead of Mateo’s video?
Evidence, barriers and program access
Mateo’s next question is whether the city is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. That is a claim, a statement that something is true that can be checked with evidence, and Lesson 1 taught you to match a claim to what the evidence can support. Mateo draws the limit himself. His video shows one fenced ramp and one sign at 4:05. It cannot show whether another way around exists, so he cannot call the whole route illegal.
The route map widens the frame. Sami’s trip has five stages: home to the corner, the northeast ramp, the bus stop, the ride to the parks department building and the workshop entrance and room. The last stage has not been checked. The flyer adds a different kind of gap. It invites everyone, lists a front desk number and says nothing about accessible entrances or how to request access.
A barrier is something that blocks or limits a person from taking part. The fenced ramp is a physical barrier. The flyer’s silence may be an informational one. Program access is an ADA rule that a city’s services, taken as a whole, must be usable by people with disabilities. The standard applies to the program, not to each building separately. It generally does not require every older building to be accessible, and a city can relocate a service to an accessible place. Existing buildings and new construction have different requirements. Access still covers the whole visit: finding the information, getting there, going in, taking part and leaving.
The last question is who can fix it. Lesson 9’s term jurisdiction, the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority, points to the city, which both runs the workshop and manages the street. An ADA coordinator is the staff member a government names to handle disability access questions and complaints. Mateo’s planned report is short: the corner, the time, the sign and one question. Is there an accessible detour, and how long will the ramp be blocked? It goes out only if Sami agrees.
Stop and think. Program access applies to the program as a whole. How does that change what a report should ask?
The law’s origins and its limits
The Justice Department’s guide for cities explains that Title II of the ADA covers state and local programs, including keeping curb ramps usable during street work (U.S. Department of Justice, updated February 24, 2020). The law’s history explains its focus on steps and routes. On March 12, 1990, activists climbed the Capitol steps to show what stairs do to access, and the ADA was signed that July (HISTORY, July 24, 2020). Minnesota’s disability council notes that the protest involved ADAPT, which began as Americans Disabled for Accessible Public Transit (Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, March 1, 2015).
The law’s origins and its limits, continued
Enforcement is uneven. In New York, a North Bronx subway station is set to get elevators nearly a decade after an ADA lawsuit (THE CITY, October 3, 2025). Federal auditors found gaps in checking whether paratransit services for disabled riders actually work (GAO, November 15, 2012).
Professional codes speak to both people at the corner. The ASPA code asks public servants to “respect and assist all persons in their dealings with public organizations” (ASPA Code of Ethics, 2013). The NPPA code asks visual journalists to “be complete and provide context when photographing or recording subjects” (NPPA Code of Ethics, no date listed).
Stop and think. What is the difference between recording a barrier and making Sami the content?
Sources
Real sourceU.S. Department of JusticeFebruary 24, 2020
The ADA and City Governments
Real sourceHISTORYJuly 24, 2020
When the ‘Capitol Crawl’ Dramatized the Need for Americans with Disabilities Act
Real sourceMinnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental DisabilitiesMarch 1, 2015
The Capitol Crawl
Real sourceTHE CITYOctober 3, 2025
North Bronx Subway Station to Get Elevators, Nearly a Decade After ADA Lawsuit
Real sourceU.S. Government Accountability OfficeNovember 15, 2012
ADA Paratransit Services: Demand Has Increased, but Little Is Known About Compliance (GAO-13-17)
Real sourceAmerican Society for Public Administration (ASPA)2013
ASPA Code of Ethics
Real sourceNational Press Photographers Association (NPPA)No date listed
NPPA Code of Ethics for Visual Journalists
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 8 minutes.
Evidence AConstruction sign
The detour sign
The sign reads “SIDEWALK CLOSED AHEAD. PEDESTRIAN DETOUR.” Its arrow points to a path that begins with a flight of stairs. The sign went up on Monday. Mateo recorded it on Tuesday at 4:05 p.m.
Look closely: Where does the arrow point? Who could not use that path?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence BRoute map
Sami and Mateo’s route map
1. Home to the corner of Elm Street and 4th Avenue: sidewalk clear. 2. Northeast curb ramp: blocked by construction fencing. 3. Bus stop: next bus in 12 minutes. 4. Bus to the parks department building. 5. Workshop entrance and room: not yet checked.
Look closely: Which stage is blocked, and which stage has nobody checked?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: program access
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.
Program access is an ADA rule that a city's services, taken as a whole, must be usable by people with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Justice explains that Title II of the ADA covers state and local government programs and services. Program access generally does not require every older building to be accessible. For example, a city can relocate a service to an accessible place. Existing buildings and new construction have different requirements.
Access covers the whole visit: finding the information, getting there, going in, taking part and leaving. A barrier is something that blocks or limits a person from taking part. Sami meets one barrier at the curb ramp. The workshop flyer could be another, because it gives no way to request access. The Justice Department’s guide for cities also covers curb ramps during street work.
One video of one corner cannot show whether a city is following the law. It can show what happened, where and when. An ADA coordinator is the staff member a government names to handle disability access questions and complaints. That office can say whether an accessible detour exists. Before you report a barrier someone else faces, ask them what they want said.
Professional standards
Real sourceAmerican Society for Public Administration (ASPA)
ASPA Code of Ethics: 3. Promote democratic participation
“respect and assist all persons in their dealings with public organizations”
In plain words: ASPA members in public service agree to help every person use public programs and services.
Question: The parks flyer says “All welcome!” with no access information. What should it add so Sami can request access?
Your answer
The flyer should add ___, so that ___.
In the news
Real sourceHISTORYJuly 24, 2020
When the ‘Capitol Crawl’ Dramatized the Need for Americans with Disabilities Act
A throwback to March 12, 1990, when activists climbed the Capitol steps to show what stairs do to access. The ADA was signed that July.
Real sourceTHE CITYOctober 3, 2025
North Bronx Subway Station to Get Elevators, Nearly a Decade After ADA Lawsuit
A lawsuit pushed a transit agency to add elevators, showing how the ADA makes access a public duty.
Notes
Sort the evidence
On your ownMark whether each piece of evidence supports or narrows each claim. Then write whose view is missing. About 5 minutes.
Sort what the evidence supports. Which claim can you make today, which one needs more facts, and who can supply them?
| Evidence | Claim 1The city is breaking the ADA. | Claim 2On Tuesday, the posted detour did not work for a wheelchair user. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Photo: the northeast curb ramp blocked by fencing on Tuesday at 4:05 p.m. | Narrows | Supports |
| 2 Detour sign points to a path that starts with stairs | Neither | Supports |
| 3 DOJ: Title II requires program access, not every facility to be accessible | Narrows | Neither |
Still open
- Is there another accessible route to the bus and the workshop? Ask the ADA coordinator.
Whose perspective is missing?
Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?
The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what Mateo should do and explain why. Then fix the two marked phrases. About 8 minutes.
Mateo wants people to know about the blocked corner. What should he do?
A Post the video with a caption saying the city is breaking the ADA.
B Send the ADA coordinator the corner, the time, the detour sign and one question, if Sami agrees.
C Skip the report if Sami finds another bus stop that works today.
Why I chose it
Improve a draft
A student’s first draft
1 The city is breaking the ADA. There is construction blocking the ramp and a wheelchair user I know couldn’t get to the bus. We were standing there for like ten minutes trying to figure out another way and the sign just pointed to stairs. My friend almost missed her workshop because of it. This is discrimination and completely illegal. Nobody even cares about this. You need to 2 fix every ramp in the neighborhood right away or we will post the photos everywhere.
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
AP Lang
Your task
On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 10 minutes.
Compare two messages to the city (one angry and absolute, one precise) and argue which is more likely to get the route fixed.
- Read the two messages to the city side by side.
- Fill in the chart: each message’s main claim and the evidence behind it.
- Mark where each message claims more than the evidence shows.
- Write a thesis on which message is more likely to get the route fixed.
- Draft your thesis and one body paragraph on the Your draft page.
- Answer the view that the angry message carries urgency the precise one loses.
- Finish the analysis of about 500 words in the online workspace or on paper.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Message 1: main claim and evidence
Message 2: main claim and evidence
Your task, continued
The audience and what it needs
Thesis
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 25 minutes.
Thesis and body paragraph
Counterargument and qualification
Check your work
On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 6 minutes.
Does your thesis argue which message is more likely to get the route fixed?
YesNoDo you analyze the claims and evidence in each message?
YesNoDo you link choices to the city office as the audience?
YesNoDoes your conclusion name what neither message can guarantee?
YesNo
How your work is scored
Mark one box in each row.
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | No location or time. | General description. | Specific location, time and observation. | Specific observation plus what remains unknown. |
| Reasoning | Declares a violation. | Mixes observation and conclusion. | Separates observation from legal question. | Connects observation to program access and asks the right office. |
| Audience & purpose | Threatening or vague. | Polite but no clear request. | Specific, answerable request to the right office. | Request plus how to report future issues. |
| Revision | No change. | Tone only. | Adds specifics and removes the legal conclusion. | Explains how each change helps the city act and respects Sami. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 8 minutes.
1 Which barrier on Sami’s trip would a photo miss?
2 What is the difference between recording a barrier and making Sami the content?
3 Construction is temporary, but the detour affects people now. What should a city do to keep routes usable during repairs?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
The limit of the evidence is ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
Talk about this case at home
Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?
In this case, construction blocks a curb ramp on a young woman’s route to a city workshop, and the detour points to stairs. Your student studied what one video can show, then wrote a question for the city office responsible for access.
Questions to talk about
- Who in our town takes care of sidewalks and curb ramps?
- What details make a report to the city easy to act on?
- Why should you ask someone before you post a video of them?
Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.
See the case online.
Lesson 11Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?
Content note
This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.
Overview
Students read a story in which Jordy and Gia work the same Saturday event. Jordy is paid $16.50 an hour, and Gia is paid $18.00. They compare the pay statements and the crew schedule, which lists Gia as shift lead, with federal pages on pay discrimination and on discussing wages. They then draft Jordy’s message to the supervisor asking how the rates were set.
Before this case
Students should already be able to:
- write a defensible thesis about a writer’s choices
- explain how a specific word choice affects an audience
- tell a claim from the evidence that supports it
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- analyze how an employer’s explanation tries to persuade a worker
- judge whether the explanation’s criteria are specific enough to answer Jordy’s question
Objectives, continued
- name the evidence that would make a vague criterion credible
- revise one paragraph so it names that evidence
Materials
- This chapter, one copy per student
- The educator-written employer reply, one copy per student
- A claims-and-evidence chart and commentary stems
The task in this edition
Task: Analyze how an employer’s pay explanation (educator-provided) persuades, then evaluate whether it answers Jordy’s question.
Students make: Analysis, about 500 words
Pacing
Opener (page 202): 4 min. Short on time: 4 min.
Key terms (pages 203 and 204): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Look at the evidence (page 208): 6 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read Evidence A and B aloud. Skip the boxes.
Look at the evidence (page 209): 3 min. Short on time: skip.
Pacing, continued
Key idea (pages 210 and 211): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Sort the evidence (page 212): 5 min. Short on time: skip.
Practice (page 213): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Your task (pages 214 and 215): 8 min. Short on time: 8 min.
Your draft (page 216): 30 min. Short on time: 30 min.
Check your work (pages 217 and 218): 5 min. Short on time: skip. Collect analyses and give feedback on the three scoring rows yourself.
Questions to discuss (pages 219 and 220): 8 min. Short on time: skip.
Talk about this case at home (page 221): at home.
Periods: full chapter 83 minutes; one period 45 minutes.
Standards
Claims and Evidence (CLE) A big idea of the course: writers make claims, support them with evidence and often answer opposing arguments. In this case: Students separate an observed difference from an established cause.
Lesson 11Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 11 plan, continued
Standards, continued
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. In this case: Students write to a supervisor who controls Jordy’s shifts.
Style (STL) A big idea of the course: writers choose words, sentences and tone to suit their rhetorical situation. In this case: Students use neutral, precise language that invites explanation.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.
W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.
W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.
Codes of ethics
- SHRM Code of Ethics: Fairness and Justice
- SHRM Code of Ethics: Use of Information
Codes of ethics, continued
- IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators: “I protect confidential information”
Heat map
Opener (page 202): Medium
Key terms (pages 203 and 204): Low
Look at the evidence (page 208): Low
Look at the evidence (page 209): Low
Key idea (pages 210 and 211): Low
Sort the evidence (page 212): Low
Practice (page 213): Medium
Your task (pages 214 and 215): Low
Check your work (pages 217 and 218): Low
Try it at your school
Know how pay decisions are made where you work.
- Ask for your pay rate and how it’s set in writing when you start a job
- Keep your own record of hours and duties
- Talk with a trusted adult or counselor if something seems off
- Look up your state labor department’s pay-equity page
Try it at your school, continued
Who to ask: Supervisor or HR, school counselor, state labor department, the EEOC’s public information line
Safety: Don’t share coworkers’ pay information without their permission. Deadlines apply to formal complaints, so ask a qualified adviser early if you think there’s a legal issue.
Sources
- NPR, “The U.S. national women’s soccer team wins $24 million in equal pay settlement,” February 22, 2022
- NPR, “Federal Judge Dismisses U.S. Women’s Soccer Team’s Equal Pay Claim,” May 2, 2020
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), “Pay Discrimination,” No date listed
- National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), “Your Right to Discuss Wages,” No date listed
Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?
Jordy and Gia worked the same Saturday event, but Gia’s pay rate is $1.50 an hour higher, and Jordy wants to know why.
On your ownRead What happened. Underline the two pay rates and the job title on the schedule. About 4 minutes.
Your role: You’re the one who lines up both shifts side by side before Jordy writes to Dana. New skill: Compare two cases on the same terms.
What happened
Jordy and Gia work event shifts for the same company. They both worked a Saturday event from 3 to 11 p.m. Both helped with setup and closing, and Jordy also ran the caption and audio check.
They were paid the following Friday. On Sunday afternoon, Jordy and Gia compare pay statements. Jordy’s lists eight hours at $16.50 an hour. Gia’s lists $18.00 an hour for the same event.
The crew schedule lists Gia as “shift lead,” but it does not say what that job includes. That day, Gia opened up and handled one guest issue. She does not know if that explains the $1.50 difference. Gia is fine with Jordy knowing her rate. But she does not want her statement posted.
Jordy wants to ask Dana, the supervisor, how rates are set. Jordy will not post anything before Dana answers.
Your question: Why is Gia paid more than Jordy for the same event, and how should Jordy ask about it?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess about the pay difference. About 4 minutes.
Compensation Compensation is all the pay and benefits a worker receives, including hourly rates, bonuses and overtime.
En español: compensación
In this case: Jordy’s statement shows eight hours at $16.50 an hour, and Gia’s shows $18.00. The statements show the rates but not how they were set.
Equal Pay Act The Equal Pay Act is a federal law from 1963 that requires equal pay for men and women who do equal work.
En español: Ley de Igualdad Salarial
In this case: The Equal Pay Act covers pay differences based on sex, not every difference. Different job duties, such as a real shift-lead role, can be a lawful reason.
Title VII Title VII is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It bans job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
En español: Título VII
In this case: Title VII covers pay decisions based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. No document shows how Jordy’s rate was set.
Who is involved
Jordy
Worked setup through close
“Three to eleven, setup to close, and I ran the caption and audio check. $16.50 an hour. Gia’s says $18.00.”
Gia
Listed as shift lead
“I only found out I make more because Jordy showed me theirs. The schedule calls me shift lead. Nobody told me what that pays for.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, why do you think Gia is paid more than Jordy?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
Reading passage
A pay gap is a question, not a finding
On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.
Words to know
- Compensation: Compensation is all the pay and benefits a worker receives, including hourly rates, bonuses and overtime.
- Equal Pay Act: The Equal Pay Act is a federal law from 1963 that requires equal pay for men and women who do equal work.
- Title VII: Title VII is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It bans job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
- Gross pay: Gross pay is the money you earn before any taxes or other deductions are taken out.
The story: Two statements on a Sunday
Jordy is Black, nonbinary and hard of hearing, studies part time and works event shifts. Gia studies communication and works café shifts, and she also picks up event work for the same company as Jordy. On Saturday, they both worked a 3 to 11 p.m. event. The crew schedule shows the division of labor. Everyone did setup from 3 to 5 and closing from 10 to 11. Jordy ran the caption and audio check. Gia is listed as “shift lead,” with no description of what that means.
On Sunday, Jordy shares a pay statement with Gia: eight hours at $16.50. Gia’s says $18.00. Her first reaction is a guess, that the difference must be the shift lead title. Her second is honesty. She opened up and handled one guest issue, and she does not know whether that is why she is paid $1.50 more. Gia only found out because Jordy showed her.
The friends agree on the facts and on a boundary. Gia is fine with Jordy knowing her rate but does not want her statement posted. Jordy will not post anything before asking Dana, the supervisor, how rates are set. Asked whether this is discrimination, Gia says she does not know yet. Maybe shift lead pays more. Ask Dana what it covers first.
Your role is to line up both shifts side by side before Jordy writes to Dana.
Stop and think. Gia’s first guess and her honest answer differ. Why is the honest answer more useful to Jordy?
Comparing on the same terms
The skill in this case is comparing two situations on the same terms before calling a difference unfair. It builds on Lesson 5, where you read a pay statement line by line. Jordy’s statement shows 8.0 hours at $16.50 and gross pay of $132.00, the money earned before any taxes or other deductions are taken out.
A fair comparison lists every dimension the evidence covers. Hours, setup and closing are identical. Jordy had a technical duty, the caption and audio check. Gia had a title and two tasks attached to it. The documents leave three things unknown: what “shift lead” formally includes, whether it carries a set rate and how rates are set in general. Compensation is all the pay and benefits a worker receives, including hourly rates, bonuses and overtime. A job title, extra duties or more experience can lawfully explain a difference. So can a mistake. The comparison does not reveal which.
That is why the case turns on a question rather than a verdict. Lesson 10’s skill, reporting to the office responsible, points to Dana, who sets rates. Jordy’s message can state the observation, list what Jordy knows for sure and ask what shift lead includes and how rates are set. It does not need to name Gia’s rate. Jordy keeps the next decision too. If the answer does not make sense, Jordy decides what to do.
Stop and think. The judge and the players disagreed about what to compare. How would each approach apply to Jordy and Gia?
The legal frame and the soccer comparison
Two federal laws limit the reasons employers can use to set pay. The Equal Pay Act is a federal law from 1963 that requires equal pay for men and women who do equal work. Title VII is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It bans job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. The EEOC enforces both. Its youth pages list the kinds of compensation the laws cover and the ban on retaliation (EEOC, no date listed). The NLRB adds that most private-sector workers may discuss pay with coworkers, with or without a union (NLRB, no date listed). That right does not make Gia’s statement Jordy’s to share.
The U.S. women’s national soccer team’s case shows how much depends on the comparison. In 2020, a federal judge dismissed their equal pay claim, pointing to differences in contract structure (NPR, May 2, 2020). The players appealed, arguing that he had not compared rates of pay. In February 2022, they settled for $24 million with a promise of equal pay rates (NPR, February 22, 2022), and the new terms were later written into signed contracts (PBS NewsHour, September 6, 2022). The settlement was an agreement between the parties, not a court finding.
Policy is moving toward more visible pay. New salary transparency laws put pay ranges in job ads, which makes differences easier to notice and ask about (NPR, January 3, 2023). HR professionals have their own standard.
The legal frame and the soccer comparison, continued
The SHRM code asks members to “foster fair, consistent and equitable treatment for all” (SHRM Code of Ethics, April 24, 2023).
Stop and think. Why does the case treat Jordy’s choice to wait for Dana as belonging to Jordy alone?
Sources
Real sourceU.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)No date listed
Pay Discrimination
Real sourceNational Labor Relations Board (NLRB)No date listed
Your Right to Discuss Wages
Real sourceNPRMay 2, 2020
Federal Judge Dismisses U.S. Women’s Soccer Team’s Equal Pay Claim
Real sourceNPRFebruary 22, 2022
The U.S. national women’s soccer team wins $24 million in equal pay settlement
Real sourcePBS NewsHour (Associated Press)September 6, 2022
U.S. men's and women's soccer teams formally sign equal pay agreements
Real sourceNPRJanuary 3, 2023
The impact that new salary transparency laws could have
Real sourceSociety for Human Resource Management (SHRM)2023
SHRM Code of Ethics
Notes
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document. For each one, fill in both boxes. About 6 minutes.
Evidence APay statement
Jordy’s pay statement
Event crew, Saturday. Hours: 8.0 at $16.50. Gross pay for the event: $132.00.
Look closely: Multiply the hours by the rate. Does it match the gross pay?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence BWork schedule
The crew schedule
Saturday event, 3:00–11:00 p.m. Crew: Gia (shift lead), Jordy and two other crew members. Setup, 3:00–5:00: all crew. Caption and audio check: Jordy. Closing, 10:00–11:00: all crew.
Look closely: Circle “shift lead.” Does the schedule say what that job includes?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
Evidence CText messages
Jordy and Gia compare notes
Sunday, 1:15 p.m.
Gia: I’m fine with you knowing my rate. I just don’t want my statement posted anywhere.
Jordy: Got it. Did you do anything different as shift lead?
Gia: I opened up and handled one guest issue. Honestly, I don’t know if that’s why. Let’s ask Dana.
Look closely: What does Gia agree to share, and what does she ask Jordy not to do?
What it shows
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Key idea: equal pay
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.
Before you can say why Jordy is paid less, you need to know what each job included. Compensation is all the pay and benefits a worker receives, including hourly rates, bonuses and overtime. A job title, extra duties or more experience can explain a pay difference. So can a mistake. The pay statements show the rates, but they do not show how the rates were set.
Federal laws limit the reasons an employer can use to set pay. The Equal Pay Act is a federal law from 1963 that requires equal pay for men and women who do equal work. Title VII is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It bans job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Both laws apply to covered employers, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces them. A legitimate reason, such as different job duties, can lawfully explain a pay difference.
Talking about pay is protected too. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) says most private-sector workers have a right to discuss pay with coworkers. That right holds with or without a union. It does not make Gia’s pay statement Jordy’s to share. Jordy can ask Dana how rates are set without naming Gia’s rate.
Professional standards
Real sourceSociety for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
SHRM Code of Ethics: Fairness and Justice
“Develop, administer, and advocate policies and procedures that foster fair, consistent and equitable treatment for all.”
In plain words: HR professionals who belong to SHRM agree to use workplace policies that treat workers fairly and consistently.
Question: The schedule lists Gia as shift lead. What written policy would show whether that title explains the higher rate?
Your answer
The policy would need to state ___, so that ___.
In the news
Real sourceNPRFebruary 22, 2022
The U.S. national women's soccer team wins $24 million in equal pay settlement
A real ‘same work, different pay’ dispute that ended in a settlement and a promise of equal rates.
Real sourceNPRMay 2, 2020
Federal Judge Dismisses U.S. Women’s Soccer Team’s Equal Pay Claim
Why the claim was first dismissed: the judge compared how the contracts were structured. What you compare shapes the answer.
Notes
Sort the evidence
On your ownLine up the accounts in the diagram. Then name one view that is missing. About 5 minutes.
Line up the accounts. Where do they agree, where do they differ, and which difference could be a legitimate factor? What would you need to find out before calling it unfair?
Account 1
Jordy’s record: 8 hours, setup, caption and audio check, closing, $16.50
Account 2
Gia’s account: same hours, setup and closing, opened up and handled one guest issue, $18.00
Account 3
The schedule: Gia listed as shift lead, with no description of the role
Where they agree
Where they differ
Check: Ask the supervisor how rates are set and what the shift-lead role requires
Whose perspective is missing?
Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?
The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what Jordy should do first and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 4 minutes.
Jordy’s statement shows $16.50 an hour. Gia’s shows $18.00 for the same Saturday event, and the schedule lists her as “shift lead.” What should Jordy do first?
A Tell the rest of the crew that Gia is paid more for the same work.
B Compare what each of them did, find out what “shift lead” means and ask Dana how rates are set.
C Let it go, because an employer can set any pay rate it chooses.
Why I chose it
Improve a draft
A student’s first draft
Hi, I found out Gia makes more than me and we did the exact same work so 1 this is discrimination. I know it’s because of who I am. I want the same rate as her starting now or I’m going to post about it everywhere so people know how this company treats workers. 2 I have her pay stub as proof. I’ve worked here longer than some people and I always show up on time. Let me know by tomorrow. Jordy
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
AP Lang
Your task
On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Analyze how an employer’s pay explanation (educator-provided) persuades, then evaluate whether it answers Jordy’s question.
- Read the employer reply your teacher gives you. Underline each reason it gives for the rates.
- Fill in the chart: each claim in the reply, and the evidence it offers.
- Circle any criterion, such as “experience,” that the reply never defines.
- Write a thesis about whether the reply answers Jordy’s question.
- Draft your analysis of about 500 words. Start on the Your draft page.
- Revise one paragraph so it names the evidence that would make “experience” credible.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
A claim in the reply
The evidence it offers
Evidence that would make it credible
Your task, continued
Thesis
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 30 minutes.
Body paragraph, about 100 words
Revised paragraph: the evidence that would make “experience” credible
Check your work
On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 5 minutes.
Does your thesis judge whether the reply answers Jordy’s question?
YesNoDo you analyze specific words from the reply, with quotations?
YesNoDo you name the evidence that is missing?
YesNoDoes your commentary explain the effect of each choice on Jordy?
YesNo
How your work is scored
Mark one box in each row.
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | Relies on assumption. | Mentions the gap only. | Cites duties, hours and rate. | Cites records and acknowledges what isn’t known. |
| Reasoning | Declares discrimination. | Assumes the reason. | Asks for criteria before concluding. | Identifies possible legitimate factors to test. |
| Audience & purpose | Threatens or exposes coworkers. | Polite but vague. | Specific question to the right person. | Specific question that protects coworkers’ privacy. |
| Revision | No change. | Tone only. | Replaces conclusion with a question. | Explains how changes protect Jordy and get an answer. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then complete each sentence frame below the questions. About 8 minutes.
1 What information could explain the $1.50 difference, and what might challenge that explanation?
2 Whose choice is it to make Jordy’s pay public, and why?
3 What answer from Dana would satisfy Jordy, and what answer would not?
4 In the soccer case, the judge looked at contract structures, and the players wanted him to compare rates of pay. Why does that choice matter?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
The limit of the evidence is ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
Talk about this case at home
Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?
In this case, two friends who worked the same event find out one is paid $1.50 more an hour. Your student compared their records and wrote a respectful message asking a supervisor how pay rates are set.
Questions to talk about
- What questions could someone ask about pay when starting a new job?
- Why might a person want to keep their pay private?
- What makes a question to a boss sound respectful?
Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.
See the case online.
Lesson 12Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?
Content note
The news sources include 2026 student walkouts against federal immigration enforcement, which grew after federal agents fatally shot two people in Minneapolis. Preview them, and keep discussion on the legal questions in Anika’s case.
This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.
Overview
Students read about Anika, a high school junior whose poster asks students to wear blue Thursday to keep the library open at lunch. They compare her poster, a posting policy and a group chat about a walkout with a summary of Tinker v. Des Moines (1969). They then compare the fact patterns and write two questions for a school contact about the posting policy.
Before this case
Students should already be able to:
- identify a writer’s purpose and audience
- quote a text accurately and explain a word choice
- write a defensible thesis about a writer’s strategy
Objectives
Students will be able to:
Objectives, continued
- analyze how the Tinker majority opinion balances student rights and school authority
- explain how diction and sentence structure address several audiences
- address the dissent’s concern about school discipline
- revise a thesis so it names what the opinion grants students and what it reserves for schools
Materials
- This chapter, one copy per student
- The “schoolhouse gate” passage and the paragraph around it, from the majority opinion
- A close-reading guide and commentary frames
The task in this edition
Task: Rhetorically analyze a passage from Justice Fortas’s majority opinion in Tinker.
Students make: Rhetorical analysis, about 500 words, 40 minutes
Pacing
Opener (page 222): 3 min. Short on time: 3 min.
Key terms (pages 223 and 224): 3 min. Short on time: skip.
Pacing, continued
Look at the evidence (page 228): 6 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read Evidence A and B aloud. Skip the boxes.
Look at the evidence (page 229): 3 min. Short on time: skip.
Key idea (pages 230 and 231): 8 min. Short on time: 4 min. Read the first paragraph of the key idea only.
Sort the evidence (page 232): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Practice (page 233): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Your task (pages 234 and 235): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.
Your draft (page 236): 30 min. Short on time: 30 min.
Check your work (pages 237 and 238): 6 min. Short on time: skip. Collect analyses and give feedback on the three scoring rows yourself.
Questions to discuss (pages 239 and 240): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Talk about this case at home (page 241): at home.
Periods: full chapter 83 minutes; one period 50 minutes.
Lesson 12Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 12 plan, continued
Standards
Claims and Evidence (CLE) A big idea of the course: writers make claims, support them with evidence and often answer opposing arguments. In this case: Students evaluate how the Tinker majority supports its claim with the record of no disruption.
Reasoning and Organization (REO) A big idea of the course: writers guide readers through their reasoning by how they organize a text and bring in evidence. In this case: Students trace the line of reasoning from facts to rule to conclusion.
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. In this case: Students revise the poster for its audience: classmates, staff and administrators.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.
W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.
W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.
Standards, continued
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.
Codes of ethics
- ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 2.1 Advisor
- PRSA Code of Ethics: Disclosure of Information
- AIGA Standards of Professional Practice: The designer’s responsibility to the public
Heat map
Opener (page 222): Medium
Key terms (pages 223 and 224): Low
Look at the evidence (page 228): Low
Look at the evidence (page 229): Low
Key idea (pages 230 and 231): Medium
Sort the evidence (page 232): Low
Practice (page 233): Medium
Your task (pages 234 and 235): Low
Check your work (pages 237 and 238): Low
Try it at your school
Read your school’s expression policy before you print.
Try it at your school, continued
- Find your student handbook’s section on posting, dress or expression
- Write down which spaces allow student posters and whether approval is needed
- Make student-made materials clearly student-made, with no school logo
- Bring questions to student council or an advisor before planning an action
Who to ask: Student council advisor, a civics or government teacher, an assistant principal
Safety: Don’t pressure classmates to join a protest or skip class. Talk with a trusted adult before any action that could lead to discipline.
Sources
- U.S. Courts, “Facts and Case Summary: Tinker v. Des Moines,” No date listed
- U.S. Courts, “Fictional Scenario: Tinker v. Des Moines,” No date listed
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, “Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, 393 U.S. 503 (1969),” 1969
Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?
Anika’s poster asks her school to keep the library open at lunch, and now someone in her group chat suggests a walkout.
On your ownRead What happened. Underline each plan: the poster, wearing blue and the walkout. About 3 minutes.
Your role: You’re the one who compares Tinker with each action before anyone says “can’t touch us.” New skill: Apply a precedent by comparing fact patterns.
What happened
Anika is a junior at a public high school. She wants the school library to stay open at lunch. On Tuesday afternoon, she prints a poster that says “KEEP OUR LIBRARY OPEN AT LUNCH. Wear blue Thursday.”
Mateo did the photo and layout. He put a photo of the school’s sign and logo across the top. The poster does not name Anika or any student group. The student handbook says posters need approval from the main office and the name of the student or group responsible.
On Wednesday night, someone in the group chat suggests a walkout if the school takes the poster down. The message says a 1969 Supreme Court case, Tinker v. Des Moines, means the school “can’t touch us.” Anika never suggested a walkout.
Your question: How far does Tinker cover the poster, the wear-blue plan and the walkout, and what facts are missing?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 3 minutes.
Precedent A precedent is an earlier court decision that judges use as a guide in similar later cases.
En español: precedente
In this case: Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) guides Anika’s case only as far as the facts match: quiet expression at a public school.
Fact pattern A fact pattern is the specific set of facts in a situation that a rule is applied to.
En español: conjunto de hechos
In this case: Anika lists each plan’s action, place, timing and rule: the poster on a school board, wearing blue on Thursday and leaving class.
Substantial disruption Substantial disruption is the standard from Tinker v. Des Moines: a public school may limit speech that would seriously disrupt school activities.
En español: alteración sustancial
In this case: Wearing blue on Thursday is quiet, like the armbands. Leaving class is conduct under the attendance rule, which Tinker does not settle.
Who is involved
Anika
Made the poster
“My poster says keep the library open at lunch, and wear blue Thursday. Now the chat says we walk out. I never said walk out.”
Mateo
Did the photo and layout
“I put the school sign across the top because it looked good. Now it reads like the school is announcing it. It isn’t.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, can the school do anything about the poster or the walkout?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
Reading passage
Reasoning from precedent
On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.
Words to know
- Precedent: A precedent is an earlier court decision that judges use as a guide in similar later cases.
- Fact pattern: A fact pattern is the specific set of facts in a situation that a rule is applied to.
- Substantial disruption: Substantial disruption is the standard from Tinker v. Des Moines: a public school may limit speech that would seriously disrupt school activities.
- Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
- Framing: Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward.
The story: Three actions, one slogan
Anika is a junior at a public high school who helps with theater sets and likes solving a problem herself before anyone jumps in. The problem she wants solved now is small and concrete. She wants the school library open at lunch. On Tuesday at 3:15 p.m., she prints a poster: “KEEP OUR LIBRARY OPEN AT LUNCH. Wear blue Thursday.” Mateo designed it and, for visual impact, put a photo of the school’s sign and logo across the top. The poster names no student or group.
On Wednesday at 9:02 p.m., the group chat escalates. Someone writes, “If they take the poster down we walk out Thursday. Tinker says they can’t touch us.” Another person asks whether the plan is to wear blue and walk out. Anika answers that she never asked anyone to leave class.
Then both friends look at their own part. Anika checks page 14 of the handbook. Students may post on the boards outside the cafeteria and the library if the main office approves and the material shows the responsible student’s or group’s name. Her poster has no name, and she says that part is on her. Mateo realizes his photo changed the poster’s apparent author. With the school’s sign on top, it reads like an official announcement. Before reprinting, he plans to get office approval, add Anika’s name or her group’s and leave off the logo.
Your role is to compare Tinker with each action before anyone says “can’t touch us.”
Stop and think. Why does a precedent’s reach depend on how closely the facts match?
From precedent to fact pattern
A precedent is an earlier court decision that judges use as a guide in similar later cases. The chat’s precedent is Tinker v. Des Moines (1969). Public-school students wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War. They were suspended, and the Supreme Court ruled for them. Substantial disruption is the standard from Tinker v. Des Moines: a public school may limit speech that would seriously disrupt school activities. The Court held that a mere fear of disruption was not enough.
Precedent works by analogy, so its reach depends on how closely a new situation matches. A fact pattern is the specific set of facts in a situation that a rule is applied to. The skill here extends Lesson 11, where you compared two jobs on the same terms. Build a fact pattern for each action and set it beside Tinker’s. The wear-blue plan is silent, symbolic and done while attending class, which closely tracks the armbands. The walkout involves leaving class, so a separate attendance rule governs the conduct regardless of the message. The poster raises a question Tinker does not reach. With the school’s logo and no student name, it may look like school speech, and schools have more control over speech that appears to come from the school.
Lesson 1’s vocabulary sharpens the analysis. “Tinker says they can’t touch us” is a claim that stretches a narrow holding into a blanket immunity. The logo is framing, choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward, and it brings the institution forward as the speaker. Mateo’s redesign corrects the frame.
Stop and think. Build a fact pattern for the walkout. Which fact moves it furthest from Tinker?
Courts, classrooms and current events
The Tinker majority wrote that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate” (Legal Information Institute, 1969). The federal judiciary’s own teaching materials pair that holding with a walkout scenario, separating the message from the act of leaving class and noting the usual attendance consequences (U.S. Courts, no date listed).
The Court revisited student expression in Mahanoy Area School District v. B. L., the case of a cheerleader’s off-campus Snapchat post. The 8 to 1 decision protected the student but said schools may still regulate some off-campus speech, such as threats (Supreme Court of the United States, June 23, 2021). Analysts noted how one changed fact pattern changed the answer (EdSurge, June 23, 2021).
Recent walkouts show the attendance question in practice. In early 2026, students in Indiana and other states walked out to protest federal immigration enforcement. Some Indianapolis-area schools treated it as an unexcused absence, and one high school issued one-day suspensions (Chalkbeat Indiana, February 11, 2026). An Indiana public media guide separated speech rights, attendance rules and discipline in the same way this case does (WFYI, February 1, 2026).
Courts, classrooms and current events, continued
Designers carry a related duty. The AIGA standards ask designers to “represent messages in a clear manner” and to avoid “false, misleading and deceptive promotion” (AIGA Standards of Professional Practice, no date listed). Mateo’s logo was not a lie, but it misled about the speaker.
Stop and think. Mateo’s logo did not state anything false. Why can it still mislead?
Sources
Real sourceLegal Information Institute, Cornell Law School1969
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, 393 U.S. 503 (1969)
Real sourceU.S. CourtsNo date listed
Fictional Scenario: Tinker v. Des Moines
Real sourceSupreme Court of the United StatesJune 23, 2021
Mahanoy Area School District v. B. L. (opinion)
Real sourceEdSurgeJune 23, 2021
In a Win for Student Speech, Supreme Court Rules in Favor of the ‘Snapchat Cheerleader’
Real sourceChalkbeat IndianaFebruary 11, 2026
How schools in Marion County responded to anti-ICE student protests
Real sourceWFYI Indianapolis Public MediaFebruary 1, 2026
A guide to your rights at Indiana protests, in the streets, and at school
Real sourceAIGA, the professional association for designNo date listed
AIGA Standards of Professional Practice
Notes
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document. For each one, fill in both boxes. About 6 minutes.
Evidence APoster
Anika’s poster, first version
Printed Tuesday, 3:15 p.m. The poster reads “KEEP OUR LIBRARY OPEN AT LUNCH. Wear blue Thursday.” A photo of the school’s sign and logo runs across the top. No student name or group appears anywhere on the poster.
Look closely: Cover the logo photo with your hand. Who seems to be speaking now?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence BHandbook policy
Student handbook, page 14
Students may post materials on the student bulletin boards outside the cafeteria and the library. Materials must be approved by the main office and must show the name of the student or group responsible.
Look closely: Underline the two requirements for every poster.
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
Evidence CGroup chat
The walkout message
Wednesday, 9:02 p.m.
First message: “If they take the poster down we walk out Thursday. Tinker says they can’t touch us.
Reply: “Wait, wear blue AND walk out??
Look closely: Which part is a message, and which part is leaving class?
What it shows
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: precedent
On your ownRead the key idea and the Professional standards card. Then answer the question in the box. About 8 minutes.
A precedent is an earlier court decision that judges use as a guide in similar later cases. In Tinker v. Des Moines (1969), public-school students wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War. The school suspended them, and the Supreme Court ruled for the students. The Court wrote that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” It also said a mere fear of disruption was not enough to limit their expression.
A precedent guides a new case only as far as the facts match. Substantial disruption is the standard from Tinker v. Des Moines: a public school may limit speech that would seriously disrupt school activities. Wearing blue on Thursday is quiet, like the armbands. A walkout is different, because students leave class. The school’s attendance rule covers that conduct, and Tinker does not settle it.
The poster raises another question. It shows the school’s sign and logo but no student name, so it may look like the school is speaking. Schools have more control over speech that looks like it comes from the school. A fact pattern is the specific set of facts in a situation that a rule is applied to. Write a fact pattern for each action before you decide whether Tinker fits it.
Professional standards
Adapted from a real sourceAmerican Bar Association (ABA), Center for Professional Responsibility
ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 2.1 Advisor
Summary: Summary, not a quotation: in representing a client, a lawyer must use independent professional judgment and give candid advice. A lawyer may refer to moral, economic, social and political factors as well as the law.
In plain words: Lawyers must give their clients honest, independent advice, even when the client would rather hear something else.
Question: The chat says “Tinker says they can't touch us.” What would candid advice say about the walkout and attendance policy?
Professional standards, continued
Your answer
Candid advice would say ___, even though ___.
In the news
Real sourcePBS NewsHourApril 28, 2021
Student free speech makes it to the Supreme Court in former high school cheerleader's case
Explains the Snapchat case the Court used to ask when a school can punish off-campus student speech.
Real sourcePBS NewsHour (Associated Press)June 23, 2021
Supreme Court rules in favor of cheerleader who published critical social media post in First Amendment case
The 8-1 ruling protected the student but said schools may still act on some off-campus speech, like threats.
Notes
Sort the evidence
On your ownLink each piece of evidence to the claim it supports or challenges. Then name one missing view. About 4 minutes.
Test the slogan against the facts. Which evidence supports each claim, which challenges it, and which fact would you still need?
| Evidence | Claim 1Tinker means nobody can face consequences for walking out. | Claim 2The wear-blue plan closely matches Tinker’s facts. | Claim 3The poster should carry a student byline instead of the school logo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Tinker’s facts: silent armbands, no substantial disruption, a public school | Narrows | Supports | Neither |
| 2 A walkout means leaving class, which falls under the attendance rule | Challenges | Neither | Neither |
| 3 The logo photo makes the poster look like school-sponsored speech | Neither | Neither | Supports |
Still open
- What does the attendance policy say, and what process follows?
Whose perspective is missing?
Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?
The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose the best reply to the group chat and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 4 minutes.
Someone in Anika’s group chat says, “Tinker means nobody can get in trouble for walking out of class.” How should you respond?
A Agree, because Tinker protected students who protested at school.
B Disagree, because schools can make any rule they want about student speech.
C Say that the message and leaving class are separate questions, then check the attendance rule.
Why I chose it
Improve a draft
A student’s first draft
No, the school can’t take it down because of Tinker v. Des Moines. In that case 1 the Supreme Court said students have free speech at school. The poster is just saying the library should stay open at lunch which is not hurting anybody. We even used a nice photo of the school sign so it looks professional. The principal would be breaking the law if he took it down. This is America and students have rights. Everyone should wear blue Thursday and 2 walk out if they try.
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
AP Lang
Your task
On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 10 minutes.
Rhetorically analyze a passage from Justice Fortas’s majority opinion in Tinker.
- Read the passage twice. Underline the sentence about the schoolhouse gate.
- Mark each word that grants students a right and each word that limits the school.
- Name two audiences the opinion speaks to, and one choice aimed at each.
- Write a thesis that names what the opinion grants students and what it reserves for schools.
- Draft your analysis of about 500 words in 40 minutes. Start on the Your draft page.
- Revise one body paragraph so it supports your qualified thesis.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Words that protect students
Words that limit the school’s power
Two audiences and a choice aimed at each
Your task, continued
Qualified thesis
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 30 minutes.
Body paragraph: the schoolhouse gate, about 90 words
Body paragraph: the limit on fear, about 70 words
Check your work
On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 6 minutes.
Does your thesis name what the opinion grants students and what it reserves for schools?
YesNoDo you analyze diction and structure with exact quotations?
YesNoDo you consider more than one audience?
YesNoDoes your commentary explain the effect of each choice?
YesNo
How your work is scored
Mark one box in each row.
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | No case facts. | Names Tinker without its rule. | States Tinker’s facts and substantial | Adds a second precedent or the walkout exercise accurately. |
| Reasoning | Treats a slogan as the answer. | Applies Tinker to everything. | Compares facts and separates speech from conduct. | Varies facts to show where the precedent stops fitting. |
| Audience & purpose | Tells others to break rules. | Argues for one side only. | Recommends a clear next question for the school. | Balances effective expression with respect for process. |
| Revision | No change. | Softens tone only. | Adds the rule’s limit and removes a legal conclusion. | Explains how each edit makes the argument more precise. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then complete each sentence frame below the questions. About 6 minutes.
1 Which changed fact would make Tinker a weaker comparison for the wear-blue plan?
2 Why might it matter whether a poster looks like it comes from the school?
3 If the poster had Anika’s name and no school logo, what would change?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
The limit of the evidence is ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
Talk about this case at home
Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?
In this case, a student’s poster asks her school to keep the library open at lunch, and someone in a group chat suggests a walkout. Your student compared a 1969 Supreme Court case with each plan and wrote a short analysis.
Questions to talk about
- What rules do schools often have about posters or flyers?
- Why might a school treat wearing a color differently from leaving class?
- How can a reader tell who made a poster?
Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.
See the case online.
Lesson 13Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?
Overview
Students read a story in which Dec’s box of replacement parts arrives half full of packaging. The crew’s “recyclable” cups turn out to be on the city’s not-accepted list. They place items from the supply list on EPA’s waste hierarchy and check them against the city’s accepted-materials list. They then fill in an event materials sheet and propose one change with a way to measure it.
Before this case
Students should already be able to:
- identify the audience and purpose of a short text
- explain how a specific word choice affects readers
- revise a sentence to make it more specific
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- analyze why a vague sustainability appeal may not change behavior
- explain how specific choices could change one behavior
- write revised poster text that names one action, one place and one reason
- weigh the view that a broad slogan builds shared identity
Materials
- This chapter, one copy per student
- The educator-provided “be sustainable” poster
- Analysis stems and a specificity checklist
The task in this edition
Task: Analyze a “be sustainable” poster’s rhetoric and write a more effective, specific version.
Students make: Analysis (about 350 words) plus revised poster text
Pacing
Opener (page 242): 3 min. Short on time: 3 min.
Key terms (pages 243 and 244): 3 min. Short on time: skip.
Look at the evidence (page 248): 6 min. Short on time: 4 min. Read Evidence A aloud and fill in its boxes together.
Look at the evidence (page 249): 3 min. Short on time: skip. Tell students the city list does not accept the cups.
Key idea (pages 250 and 251): 6 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read the third paragraph of the key idea only.
Sort the evidence (pages 252 and 253): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Pacing, continued
Practice (page 254): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Your task (page 255): 8 min. Short on time: 8 min.
Your draft (page 256): 25 min. Short on time: 25 min.
Check your work (pages 257 and 258): 6 min. Short on time: 2 min. Students answer one Check your work question: the one about the revised text.
Questions to discuss (pages 259 and 260): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Talk about this case at home (page 261): at home.
Periods: full chapter 74 minutes; one period 45 minutes.
Standards
Claims and Evidence (CLE) A big idea of the course: writers make claims, support them with evidence and often answer opposing arguments. In this case: Students avoid overclaiming environmental benefits without measurement.
Reasoning and Organization (REO) A big idea of the course: writers guide readers through their reasoning by how they organize a text and bring in evidence. In this case: Students build a proposal from data to recommendation.
Lesson 13Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 13 plan, continued
Standards, continued
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. In this case: Students write to event organizers balancing cost and convenience.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.
W.11-12.1 Write arguments that analyze substantial topics or texts, using valid reasoning and enough relevant evidence.
W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.
Codes of ethics
- FTC Green Guides (16 CFR Part 260): § 260.12 Recyclable claims
- AIGA Standards of Professional Practice: The designer’s responsibility to society and the environment
Codes of ethics, continued
- IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators: “I do not guarantee results”
Heat map
Opener (page 242): Low
Key terms (pages 243 and 244): Low
Look at the evidence (page 248): Low
Look at the evidence (page 249): Low
Key idea (pages 250 and 251): Medium
Sort the evidence (pages 252 and 253): Low
Practice (page 254): Medium
Your task (page 255): Low
Check your work (pages 257 and 258): Low
Try it at your school
Change one thing before the next event.
- Pick one repeated item at a school event: cups, flyers, plates
- Count how many were used last time
- Check your city’s recycling list and propose one reduction or reuse option
- Count again after the event and share results with the organizers
Try it at your school, continued
Who to ask: Student council, custodial or facilities staff, a science teacher, your city’s sanitation or recycling office
Safety: Don’t sort through trash with your hands; unsafe items can be hidden. Make sure changes don’t leave out people who need disposable items.
Sources
- NPR, “Starbucks To Eliminate Plastic Straws In Its Stores By 2020,” July 9, 2018
- NPR, “Why People With Disabilities Want Bans On Plastic Straws To Be More Flexible,” July 11, 2018
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Sustainable Materials Management: Non-Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Hierarchy,” No date listed
Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?
The last Common Room screening used about 120 cups the city won’t recycle, and a box of parts arrived half full of packaging.
On your ownRead What happened. Underline the number of cups and what the city list says about them. About 3 minutes.
Your role: You’re the one who counts the cups before and after the change. New skill: Count a starting point before you claim a change works.
What happened
It is Tuesday in the theater shop. Dec opens a box of replacement parts. Three separate orders of small LED connectors and switches, placed over one week, arrived together. About half of the box is plastic air pillows and foam.
The supply list from last Friday’s screening at the Common Room shows a second problem. The crew used about 120 single-use cups. The cups are plastic-lined paper and labeled “recyclable.” But the city’s recycling list does not take plastic-lined paper cups.
Dec wants to fix how they order parts before anyone redoes the recycling sign. Anika tracks the parts and the budget. She agrees with Dec, but she wants numbers before anyone says a change saves money. Some people need a disposable cup or a straw, so any plan has to work for them too.
Your question: What could the crew change before the next screening, and how would they know it worked?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 3 minutes.
Source reduction Source reduction is preventing waste before it is created, for example by buying less packaging.
En español: reducción en la fuente
In this case: Dec wants to combine the parts orders so less packaging arrives in the first place.
Reuse Reuse is using an item again instead of throwing it away after one use.
En español: reutilización
In this case: Borrowing washable cups from the bookshop is reuse. Washing uses water and someone’s time.
Local acceptance Local acceptance is the list of materials that your own city's recycling or compost program actually takes.
En español: materiales aceptados en tu ciudad
In this case: The cups say “recyclable,” but the crew’s city does not accept plastic-lined paper cups.
Who is involved
Dec
Opened the parts order
“Three orders of tiny connectors in one week. One big box, and half of it’s packaging.”
Anika
Tracks the parts and the budget
“I’m in. But if anyone says it saves money, I want the numbers. Right now we have one box and a guess.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, what is the best way for the crew to cut waste?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
Reading passage
A claim as small as the evidence
On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.
Words to know
- Source reduction: Source reduction is preventing waste before it is created, for example by buying less packaging.
- Reuse: Reuse is using an item again instead of throwing it away after one use.
- Local acceptance: Local acceptance is the list of materials that your own city's recycling or compost program actually takes.
- Proposal: A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet.
- Trade-off: A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up.
The story: Following waste upstream
Dec is a high school senior who drums, builds sets and is considering an electrical apprenticeship. He tends to follow a problem into the small places where it starts. On Tuesday, that place is the theater shop. Three orders of LED connectors and switches, placed separately over one week, have arrived together in one box. About half the box is plastic air pillows and foam.
Anika, a junior who tracks the crew’s parts and budget, brings the second data point. The supply list from last Friday’s screening at the Common Room shows about 120 single-use cups, plastic-lined paper and labeled “recyclable.” The same list includes 80 paper plates, 150 printed flyers and 40 paper straws given out on request. The crew’s first instinct might be a better recycling sign. Dec wants to start earlier, at the order form. Order parts together rather than each time one breaks, and ask the supplier about packaging.
Anika agrees and sets a standard. Nobody gets to say a change saves money without numbers, and right now the evidence is one box and a guess. She also sets a boundary. Some people need a disposable cup or a straw, so a plan that works only for most people does not work.
Your role is to count the cups before and after the change.
Stop and think. Why is a claim about one counted screening more trustworthy than a claim about “saving money”?
Hierarchy, labels and baselines
Source reduction is preventing waste before it is created, for example by buying less packaging. Reuse is using an item again instead of throwing it away after one use. Both sit upstream of the bin. Dec’s combined orders are source reduction, and borrowing the bookshop’s washable cups is reuse.
The cup label raises a verification problem that Lesson 9 prepared you for. There, you learned to check the official source for your own area rather than a general claim. Here, the official source is the city’s recycling list. It accepts metal cans, glass bottles and jars, rigid plastic bottles and containers and flattened cardboard. It excludes plastic-lined paper cups, plastic bags and film, foam and items labeled compostable. Local acceptance is the list of materials that your own city’s recycling or compost program actually takes. By that standard, the crew’s “recyclable” cups are trash, and a switch to compostable cups would be too.
The new skill is counting a starting point before claiming a change works. The baseline is about 120 cups from one screening. The intervention is washable cups at the next one. The measurement includes cups used and left over, plus the costs reuse adds, water and someone’s washing time. Lesson 4 supplies the frame for presenting the result. The plan is a proposal, a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet, and every option is a trade-off, a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up. Anika’s rule keeps the eventual claim honest. Whatever the crew reports should be as small as one counted screening.
Stop and think. How does the Green Guides standard apply to the crew’s cups?
Evidence from agencies, reporters and schools
The EPA’s materials management hierarchy ranks source reduction and reuse first, followed by recycling and composting, energy recovery, and treatment and disposal. It also notes that no single approach suits every material or situation (EPA, updated December 19, 2025). For food, the EPA’s Wasted Food Scale likewise ranks prevention above composting or recycling (EPA, updated September 16, 2026). An NPR investigation reported that less than 10 percent of plastic has ever been recycled (NPR, September 11, 2020).
Labels are regulated for a reason. The FTC’s Green Guides say a product or package “should not be marketed as recyclable unless it can be collected, separated, or otherwise recovered from the waste stream through an established recycling program” (16 CFR Part 260, 2012).
Access belongs in the same analysis. When Starbucks announced its straw phase-out in 2018, it said a sippable lid could mean a billion fewer straws a year (NPR, July 9, 2018). Two days later, NPR reported that some people with disabilities need flexible plastic straws and that advocates saw little awareness of the exemption in Seattle’s ban (NPR, July 11, 2018). Schools offer models that measure first.
Evidence from agencies, reporters and schools, continued
New Jersey schools have used waste audits, share tables and reusable trays to cut waste before it reaches the bin (New Jersey School Boards Association, October 15, 2025). Each of those programs starts the way Anika does, by counting what is thrown away now.
Stop and think. How does “add more bins” define the problem differently from “order less packaging”?
Sources
Real sourceU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)December 19, 2025
Sustainable Materials Management: Non-Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Hierarchy
Real sourceU.S. Environmental Protection AgencySeptember 16, 2026
Wasted Food Scale
Real sourceNPRSeptember 11, 2020
How Big Oil Misled The Public Into Believing Plastic Would Be Recycled
Real sourceFederal Trade Commission (FTC)2012
FTC Green Guides (16 CFR Part 260)
Real sourceNPRJuly 9, 2018
Starbucks To Eliminate Plastic Straws In Its Stores By 2020
Real sourceNPRJuly 11, 2018
Why People With Disabilities Want Bans On Plastic Straws To Be More Flexible
Real sourceNew Jersey School Boards AssociationOctober 15, 2025
How New Jersey Schools Are Tackling Food Waste—One Tray at a Time
Notes
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document. For each one, fill in both boxes. About 6 minutes.
Evidence ASupply list
Screening supply list, last Friday
Single-use cups (plastic-lined paper, labeled “recyclable”): about 120. Paper plates: 80. Printed flyers: 150. Paper straws, on request: 40. Folding chairs: borrowed from the bookshop.
Look closely: Which item did the crew use the most? Could it be reused?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence BDelivery
The parts order
Delivered Tuesday to the theater shop. Three separate orders of small LED connectors and switches, placed over one week, arrived together. They came in one full box, about half of it plastic air pillows and foam around tiny parts.
Look closely: How many orders came in this one box? Why does that matter?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
Evidence CSanitation guide
City recycling list
Accepted in recycling: metal cans, glass bottles and jars, rigid plastic bottles and containers, flattened cardboard. Not accepted: plastic-lined paper cups, plastic bags and film, foam, items labeled compostable.
Look closely: Find the plastic-lined paper cups. Which list are they on?
What it shows
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: source reduction
On your ownRead the key idea and the Professional standards card. Then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.
Source reduction is preventing waste before it is created, for example by buying less packaging. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranks ways to handle waste. Source reduction and reuse come first. Recycling and composting come next, then energy recovery, then treatment and disposal. The EPA also notes that no single approach fits every item or situation.
Reuse is using an item again instead of throwing it away after one use. Borrowing washable cups from the bookshop is one example. Reuse has costs too. Washing takes water and someone’s time, so a fair comparison counts those costs along with the cups.
A “recyclable” label does not tell you where an item will go. Local acceptance is the list of materials that your own city's recycling or compost program actually takes. The crew’s cups say “recyclable,” but their city’s list does not take plastic-lined paper cups. The list does not take items labeled compostable either. So the crew has to check the list before choosing any new cup.
Professional standards
Real sourceLaw or regulationFederal Trade Commission (FTC)
FTC Green Guides (16 CFR Part 260): § 260.12 Recyclable claims
“A product or package should not be marketed as recyclable unless it can be collected, separated, or otherwise recovered from the waste stream through an established recycling program”
In plain words: FTC guidance says a company should call a product recyclable only when recycling programs can collect and process it.
Question: The crew's city rejects plastic-lined paper cups. What else must you know before saying the “recyclable” label breaks the guide?
Your answer
I would need to know ___, because the guide ___.
In the news
Real sourceNPRJuly 9, 2018
Starbucks To Eliminate Plastic Straws In Its Stores By 2020
A throwback to a company cutting waste at the counter, before anything reached a bin.
Real sourceNPRSeptember 11, 2020
How Big Oil Misled The Public Into Believing Plastic Would Be Recycled
Investigation finding less than 10% of plastic has ever been recycled, which is why reduction comes first.
Notes
Sort the evidence
On your ownFollow each choice to its consequences in the diagram. Then name one view that is missing. About 4 minutes.
Follow each choice to its consequences, including new costs. Which consequence would you measure first, and what would count as success?
Keep buying “recyclable” single-use cups
About 120 cups go to the trash because the city does not accept them
Who is affected
The city collection service and the neighborhoods near where waste ends up
Borrow washable cups and run a wash station
Fewer cups in the trash, if people use the washable ones
Who is affected
Check: Count cups and bags after the next event and compare with last time
New costs: water, washing time and volunteers
Who is affected
Check: Count cups and bags after the next event and compare with last time
Combine parts orders into one shipment
Less packaging arrives before anything reaches a bin
Who is affected
Notes
Whose perspective is missing?
Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?
The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.
Notes
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose the plan the crew should try and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 4 minutes.
The last screening used about 120 single-use cups, and the city’s recycling list does not take that type. Which plan should the crew try for the next screening?
A Compare a washable-cup option, washing time, cost, access and the city list, then test one change.
B Buy a different cup labeled “recyclable” and put up a clearer recycling sign.
C Stop offering disposable cups and straws, and ask everyone to bring their own.
Why I chose it
Improve a draft
A student’s first draft
We should make the screening zero waste. Everyone should bring their own cup and we’ll 1 ban all plastic. We can also put up posters that say “save the planet” so people remember to recycle. Recycling is the best thing you can do for the environment. This will be easy and 2 it will save money too. Last screening there were cups everywhere and the bins were overflowing by the end of the night. People will love it once they get used to it. Let’s start next week!
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
AP Lang
Your task
On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Analyze a “be sustainable” poster’s rhetoric and write a more effective, specific version.
- Read the poster your teacher gives you. Underline its main appeal.
- Check the poster against the specificity checklist: action, place, reason.
- Write a thesis about whether the poster could change one behavior.
- Draft your analysis of about 350 words. Start on the Your draft page.
- Write revised poster text that names one action, one place and one reason.
- Explain which change you expect to matter most.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
The poster’s main appeal
What the checklist finds missing
Thesis
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 25 minutes.
Your analysis, first part, about 130 words
Revised poster text
The change I expect to matter most
Check your work
On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 6 minutes.
Does your thesis judge whether the poster could change a behavior?
YesNoDo you analyze specific choices in the poster?
YesNoDoes your revised text name one action, one place and one reason?
YesNoDoes your commentary explain the effect on readers?
YesNo
How your work is scored
Mark one box in each row.
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | No data. | General claims about recycling. | Uses quantities and local rules. | Uses quantities, local rules and a before/after plan. |
| Reasoning | Treats one fix as solving everything. | Ignores trade-offs. | Applies the hierarchy and names a trade-off. | Weighs trade-offs including access and cost with a measurement boundary. |
| Audience & purpose | Commands people. | Relies on slogans. | Specific change organizers can do. | Specific, inclusive change with roles assigned. |
| Revision | No change. | Wording only. | Narrows to a measurable change. | Explains how narrowing makes success testable. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then complete each sentence frame below the questions. About 6 minutes.
1 Could a change that reduces waste create an access problem for someone, and how would you find out?
2 How does “add more bins” define the problem differently from “order less packaging”?
3 What would the crew need to count before saying a change saves money?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
The limit of the evidence is ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
Talk about this case at home
Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?
In this case, a group of friends learns that the cups from their movie night can’t be recycled in their city. Your student planned one change to cut waste before the next event and a way to count whether it worked.
Questions to talk about
- How could someone find out what their city or town recycles?
- What is one item people often throw away after a party or event?
- Why might a rule to cut waste need an exception for some people?
Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.
See the case online.
Lesson 14Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?
Content note
This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.
Overview
Students read a story in which Caio’s film recap uses a sampled track and a six-second TikTok clip. Mateo wants to post it tonight with a credit in the caption. They separate attribution, permission and fair use, then apply the U.S. Copyright Office’s four fair-use factors to the crew’s planned use. They then complete a rights log and propose a licensed or original alternative.
Before this case
Students should already be able to:
- identify a claim and the appeal behind it
- explain how a writer’s choices affect an audience
- write a short argument for a specific audience
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- explain why a simple, confident myth persuades its audience
- analyze specific choices in a myth post
- write a correction of about 100 words that is accurate and appealing to the same audience
Objectives, continued
- explain how the correction competes with the myth
Materials
- This chapter, one copy per student
- A short myth post you write that says “10 seconds is fair use”
- The U.S. Copyright Office fair-use page
- The myth anatomy chart on the task page
The task in this edition
Task: Analyze the persuasive strategy of a common online myth (“10 seconds is fair use”) and write a correction for creators.
Students make: Analysis (about 350 words) plus 100-word correction
Pacing
Opener (page 262): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read What happened aloud.
Key terms (pages 263 and 264): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Look at the evidence (page 268): 6 min. Short on time: 5 min. Students fill in the boxes for Evidence A only.
Look at the evidence (page 269): 3 min. Short on time: 2 min. Read Evidence C aloud; skip its boxes.
Pacing, continued
Key idea (pages 270 and 271): 8 min. Short on time: 5 min. Read the second paragraph of the key idea only.
Sort the evidence (page 272): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Practice (pages 273 and 274): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Your task (pages 275 and 276): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.
Your draft (page 277): 20 min. Short on time: 18 min. Students draft the analysis paragraph and correction in class and revise at home.
Check your work (pages 278 and 279): 6 min. Short on time: skip. Collect drafts and give feedback on the three scoring rows yourself.
Questions to discuss (pages 280 and 281): 8 min. Short on time: 2 min. Use question 3 as a quick written exit ticket.
Talk about this case at home (page 282): at home.
Periods: full chapter 81 minutes; one period 45 minutes.
Lesson 14Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 14 plan, continued
Standards
Claims and Evidence (CLE) A big idea of the course: writers make claims, support them with evidence and often answer opposing arguments. In this case: Students test claims like “ten seconds is always fine” against the source.
Reasoning and Organization (REO) A big idea of the course: writers guide readers through their reasoning by how they organize a text and bring in evidence. In this case: Students organize a fair-use analysis factor by factor.
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. In this case: Students explain a rights decision to a creative team eager to post.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.
W.11-12.1 Write arguments that analyze substantial topics or texts, using valid reasoning and enough relevant evidence.
W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.
Standards, continued
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.
Codes of ethics
- AIGA Standards of Professional Practice: The designer’s responsibility to other designers
- RTDNA Code of Ethics: Independence and transparency
- PRSA Code of Ethics: Competition
Heat map
Opener (page 262): Low
Key terms (pages 263 and 264): Low
Look at the evidence (page 268): Low
Look at the evidence (page 269): Low
Key idea (pages 270 and 271): Low
Sort the evidence (page 272): Low
Practice (pages 273 and 274): Low
Check your work (pages 278 and 279): Low
Try it at your school
Start a rights log for your next project.
- List every outside clip, image, sound and quote before you edit
Try it at your school, continued
- Record the source and the license or permission for each
- Use your school’s licensed media or openly licensed libraries when you can
- Ask your media teacher or librarian about uses you’re unsure of
Who to ask: School librarian or media specialist, a media or film teacher, a college library’s copyright help page
Safety: Don’t share other people’s creative work as your own. If you get a takedown notice, talk with a trusted adult before responding.
Sources
- NPR, “TikTok removes music from UMG artists, including Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift,” February 1, 2024
- U.S. Copyright Office, “Fair Use Index,” No date listed
Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?
Mateo wants to post the crew’s film tonight and credit the song’s artist, but Caio wants to check the license first.
On your ownRead What happened and underline the two pieces of the film that the crew did not make. About 4 minutes.
Your role: You’re the one who fills in the rights log before the film goes up. New skill: Check permission, not just credit.
What happened
It is Friday night, and Caio, 24, is editing the crew’s festival film. The film is a short recap made from crew footage and interviews. At 9:40 p.m., he saves a rough cut. For 20 seconds, a released song plays under the setup montage. Caio pitched the song up slightly, and the song sets the mood for the whole scene.
The cut borrows one more piece. From 1:40 to 1:46, it shows a six-second clip downloaded from a TikTok post. That post used Stitch, TikTok’s remix tool. The crew did not make the song or the clip.
At 10:02 p.m., Mateo texts the crew chat: “We’ll credit them in the caption. Post tonight?” He wants the film online tonight. Caio asks what the credit gets them, and Mateo does not have an answer. Caio wants to check the license before they post.
Your question: Does a credit give the crew permission to use the song, and what should they do before they post?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.
Attribution Attribution is naming the person who made a work, such as a song, a photo or a video.
En español: atribución
In this case: Mateo’s plan, “We’ll credit them in the caption,” would name the artist. It answers who made the song, not whether the crew may use it.
License A license is permission from a rights holder to use a work under specific terms.
En español: licencia
In this case: The rights log says “permission unknown” for both borrowed pieces. A license from each owner would fill in that column.
Fair use Fair use is a part of U.S. copyright law that allows some uses without permission, judged case by case with four factors.
En español: uso justo
In this case: The crew would weigh the four factors for 20 seconds of a released song used as background mood. No number of seconds settles it.
Who is involved
Caio
Editing the crew’s festival film
“Twenty seconds of that song carries the whole montage. That’s exactly why I can’t just borrow it and hope.”
Mateo
Wanted the film online tonight
“I really texted ‘we’ll credit them, post tonight?’ Then Caio asked what the credit gets us. I didn’t have an answer.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, do you think a credit in the caption lets the crew use the song?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
Reading passage
Four factors and a rights log
On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.
Words to know
- Attribution: Attribution is naming the person who made a work, such as a song, a photo or a video.
- License: A license is permission from a rights holder to use a work under specific terms.
- Fair use: Fair use is a part of U.S. copyright law that allows some uses without permission, judged case by case with four factors.
- Disclosure: A disclosure is a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know.
The story: Post tonight, or check first?
At 9:40 on a Friday night, Caio, 24, saves a rough cut of the crew’s festival film. The recap mixes crew footage and interviews, and one choice makes it work. From 0:18 to 0:38, a released song, pitched up slightly, plays under the setup montage. A second borrowed element sits later in the timeline. From 1:40 to 1:46, the cut includes six seconds downloaded from a TikTok post that used Stitch, the app’s remix tool. Neither piece belongs to the crew.
Mateo, who likes turning “we should” into a plan, wants the film online that night. At 10:02 p.m., he proposes a solution that feels responsible: credit the artists in the caption and post. Caio’s answer is a single question. What does the credit get them? Mateo admits he does not know.
By the next day, Mateo has worked out why his instinct was wrong. He remembers when Universal Music Group’s deal with TikTok ran out and videos went silent. Nobody had forgotten to credit Taylor Swift. He also rethinks the clip. He had figured Stitch covered it, but Stitch is for TikTok, and this is a festival film.
Your role is to fill in the rights log before the film goes up.
Stop and think. Mateo’s first plan felt responsible. What did it get right, and what did it miss?
Separating attribution, license and fair use
Attribution is naming the person who made a work, such as a song, a photo or a video. A license is permission from a rights holder to use a work under specific terms. The two answer different questions, “Who made this?” and “Did the owner say yes to this use?” A caption credit supplies the first and not the second. Lesson 8’s disclosure, a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know, is a useful comparison. Like attribution, disclosure makes a post more honest. Neither one grants rights.
The rights log applies the Lesson 1 skill of tracing material to its source. For each element, it records who made it, where it came from, the permission or license and the date. Both current rows read “permission unknown.” The log also shows what the crew does not yet know, including what the TikTok creator agreed to when posting.
Without a license, the remaining path is fair use, a part of U.S. copyright law that allows some uses without permission, judged case by case with four factors. The factors are the purpose of the use, the nature of the original work, the amount used and the effect on the original’s market. The analysis resembles Lesson 12’s reasoning from precedent: you set the facts of your use against a standard and weigh each factor, rather than looking for a single rule. For the song, the purpose is setting a mood in a recap, the original is a released creative recording, the amount is 20 seconds and the effect on the market is uncertain. Caio’s pitch change does not transform the purpose. No duration is automatically safe, and a short excerpt can weigh heavily if it is the most recognizable part.
Caio’s backup plans take the question off the table: a library track with clear terms, or a drum loop that Dec records and the crew owns. The film goes up Sunday instead of Friday.
Stop and think. Apply the four fair-use factors to the six-second TikTok clip. Which factor is hardest to judge?
Licensing, courts and professional norms
The UMG and TikTok dispute showed how platform licenses work. When the deal expired in February 2024, videos using UMG artists’ songs went silent (NPR, February 1, 2024). Researchers later studied what the roughly three-month blackout meant for creators, artists and the platform (Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, March 5, 2025).
The Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in the Warhol case shows how the purpose factor works. The Court ruled against the Andy Warhol Foundation, finding that Warhol’s version of a photograph was not fair use when it served the same purpose as the original (NPR, May 18, 2023). The Copyright Office publishes a one-page summary of the facts and holding (U.S. Copyright Office, 2023). Its Fair Use Index stresses that fair use is decided case by case and that a use for education is not automatically fair (U.S. Copyright Office, updated July 2026).
Licensing, courts and professional norms, continued
News organizations treat the issue as an ethical one too. The RTDNA code states, “Using someone else’s work without attribution or permission is plagiarism” (RTDNA Code of Ethics, June 11, 2015).
Stop and think. Why might a platform’s license for a clip not follow the clip to a festival screening?
Sources
Real sourceNPRFebruary 1, 2024
TikTok removes music from UMG artists, including Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift
Real sourceHarvard Business School Working KnowledgeMarch 5, 2025
What Happened When TikTok Songs Went Silent for Three Months
Real sourceNPRMay 18, 2023
Supreme Court sides against Andy Warhol Foundation in copyright infringement case
Real sourceU.S. Copyright Office2023
Andy Warhol Found. for the Visual Arts, Inc. v. Goldsmith (Fair Use Index summary)
Real sourceU.S. Copyright OfficeJuly 2026
Fair Use Index
Real sourceRadio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)2015
RTDNA Code of Ethics
Notes
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document, then fill in both boxes under it. About 6 minutes.
Evidence AEdit timeline
Caio’s rough cut, Friday, 9:40 p.m.
0:00–0:18 crew footage, no music. 0:18–0:38 sampled track, pitched up slightly, under the setup montage. 0:38–1:52 crew footage and interviews. 1:40–1:46 a 6-second clip downloaded from a stitched TikTok post.
Look closely: Which two parts of the cut did the crew not make?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence BGroup-chat message
Mateo’s message, Friday, 10:02 p.m.
We’ll credit them in the caption. Post tonight?
Look closely: Which question does the caption answer? Which question does it skip?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
Evidence CRights log
Rights log, started Saturday morning
Columns: element, who made it, where it came from, permission or license and date. Row 1: setup-montage music, the recording artist, a streaming download, permission unknown. Row 2: 6-second clip, a TikTok creator, downloaded from TikTok, permission unknown.
Look closely: Which column says “unknown” in both rows?
What it shows
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: fair use
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 8 minutes.
Credit and permission answer different questions. Attribution is naming the person who made a work, such as a song, a photo or a video. It answers the question “Who made this?” A license is permission from a rights holder to use a work under specific terms. It answers another question: “Did the owner say yes to this use?” Mateo’s caption would give attribution. It would not give the crew a license.
Without a license, the crew could ask whether the use is fair use. Fair use is a part of U.S. copyright law that allows some uses without permission, judged case by case with four factors. The U.S. Copyright Office names the four factors. They are the purpose of the use, the nature of the original work, the amount used and the effect on the original’s market. No number of seconds is automatically safe. Even a short part can count against fair use if it is the most recognizable part of the song.
Platform tools come with their own limits. Stitch lets people remix another person’s video inside TikTok. That permission does not automatically cover a downloaded clip in a film shown somewhere else. Using music the crew records, or a track with a clear license, can avoid the fair-use question. Caio’s two backup plans follow this idea: a library track with clear terms, or a drum loop that Dec records.
Professional standards
Real sourceAIGA, the professional association for design
AIGA Standards of Professional Practice: The designer’s responsibility to other designers
“A professional designer shall not accept instructions from a client that involve infringement of another person’s property rights without permission”
In plain words: Designers who belong to AIGA agree not to use other people's creative work without permission, even when a client asks.
Question: The rights log says “permission unknown” for the track and the TikTok clip. What does Caio need for each row?
Professional standards, continued
Your answer
Caio needs ___, because ___.
In the news
Real sourceCrashCourse (YouTube)May 7, 2015
Copyright, Exceptions, and Fair Use: Crash Course Intellectual Property #3
Explains why giving credit is not the same as permission, and how fair use is weighed.
Real sourceNPRMay 18, 2023
Supreme Court sides against Andy Warhol Foundation in copyright infringement case
Even a famous artist’s new version wasn’t fair use when it served the same purpose as the original.
Notes
Sort the evidence
On your ownMatch each piece of evidence to the claim it supports, challenges or narrows. About 6 minutes.
Test the crew’s two assumptions against the sources. Which evidence knocks each one down, and what single check could still make the plan work?
| Evidence | Claim 1Crediting the artist makes the use okay. | Claim 2Twenty seconds is short enough to be fair use. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Credit names the creator but grants no permission | Challenges | Neither |
| 2 Copyright Office: no formula makes a set amount safe; the heart of a work matters | Neither | Challenges |
| 3 The sample is background mood, not commentary on the song | Neither | Challenges |
| 4 Stitch permission applies inside TikTok, not to a downloaded clip in another film | Narrows | Neither |
Still open
- Does any license cover this use? Check before posting.
Whose perspective is missing?
Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?
The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose the plan you would pick and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 6 minutes.
Caio’s cut uses about 20 seconds of a released song as background mood for the crew’s festival film. Mateo texts, “We’ll credit them in the caption. Post tonight?” Which plan should the crew choose?
A Credit the artist in the caption and post tonight.
B Pause the upload. Check the track’s license, and swap in licensed or original music if the license does not cover this use.
C Cut the song to ten seconds, since short clips are fair use.
Why I chose it
Improve a draft
A student’s first draft
We’re good to post! 1 We only used like 20 seconds of the song and we’re putting the artist’s name in the caption so they get credit. Plus it’s not like we’re making money off it, it’s just for our page. 2 Everyone uses songs like this on TikTok anyway so it’s fine. We even changed the pitch a little so it’s basically our own version now, and the whole cut is under two minutes. If they don’t like it they can just ask us to take it down.
Improve a draft, continued
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
Notes
AP Lang
Your task
On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 10 minutes.
Analyze the persuasive strategy of a common online myth (“10 seconds is fair use”) and write a correction for creators.
- Read the myth post your teacher gives you. Underline its claim.
- Fill in the myth anatomy chart: the claim, why it persuades and whom it persuades.
- Check the claim against the Copyright Office fair-use page.
- Draft one analysis paragraph and a correction of about 100 words on the Your draft page.
- Revise the correction so it stays simple and adds the one qualification that matters most.
- Finish an analysis of about 350 words on lined paper or in the online workspace.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
The myth’s claim
Why it persuades
Whom it persuades
Your task, continued
What the source says
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your first draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 20 minutes.
First draft: one analysis paragraph
Your correction, about 100 words
Check your work
On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 6 minutes.
Does your thesis say how the myth persuades?
YesNoDo you analyze specific choices in the post?
YesNoIs your correction accurate and about 100 words long?
YesNoDoes your commentary explain the effect of each choice?
YesNo
How your work is scored
Mark one box in each row.
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | Relies on myths. | Cites credit as permission. | Uses the four factors or license terms. | Uses factors, license terms and platform differences. |
| Reasoning | Assumes any use is fine. | Applies one factor. | Separates credit, permission and fair use. | Weighs factors honestly and chooses a lower-risk path. |
| Audience & purpose | Ignores the artist. | Considers only the crew. | Considers the artist and the audience. | Balances creative goals with respect for the original creator. |
| Revision | No change. | Adds a credit. | Replaces myths with a rights plan. | Explains each step and a realistic alternative. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made to the correction
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete each sentence frame. About 8 minutes.
1 Caio pitched the song up slightly. Does changing a song make it a new work? Why or why not?
2 Mateo says the TikTok clip goes in the rights log as “unknown.” What would the crew need to find out to fill in that row?
3 Suppose a student used the same song in a video for class. What changes if that video becomes a public post?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
The limit of the evidence is ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
Talk about this case at home
Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?
In this case, a group of friends wants to post a short film that uses 20 seconds of a released song. Your student compared giving credit with getting permission, then planned what the crew should do before posting.
Questions to talk about
- What is the difference between giving credit and getting permission?
- Why might a short part of a song still need permission?
- Where could a student find music they have permission to use?
Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.
See the case online.
Lesson 15Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?
Content note
This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.
Overview
Students read a story in which a studio offers Rafa an unpaid summer internship running its inbox. The studio says college credit makes it legal. They read the listing, the studio’s reply and Gia’s questions, and they apply the seven factors in the Department of Labor’s Fact Sheet #71. They then write Rafa’s email asking the studio about the learning plan and supervision.
Before this case
Students should already be able to:
- identify a text’s intended audience
- explain how word choice creates an effect
- revise a text for accuracy
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- explain how prestige language persuades an ambitious audience
- analyze specific phrases in the listing
- write a revised listing that is specific and honest
- explain what honest detail would cost the employer
Materials
- This chapter, one copy per student
- Evidence A, printed large enough to annotate
- The revision checklist: duties, hours, supervision, pay
- The AP Lang scoring rows you use
The task in this edition
Task: Rhetorically analyze the internship listing and write a revised, honest version.
Students make: Analysis (about 400 words) plus revised listing
Pacing
Opener (page 283): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read What happened aloud.
Key terms (pages 284 and 285): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Look at the evidence (page 289): 8 min. Short on time: 8 min.
Look at the evidence (page 290): 3 min. Short on time: skip.
Key idea (pages 291 and 292): 8 min. Short on time: 4 min. Read the first paragraph of the key idea only.
Sort the evidence (page 293): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Practice (page 294): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Pacing, continued
Your task (page 295): 12 min. Short on time: 10 min. Annotate the first phrase together.
Your draft (page 296): 22 min. Short on time: 20 min. Students draft the analysis paragraph and revised listing in class and revise at home.
Check your work (pages 297 and 298): 6 min. Short on time: 3 min. Students answer the check questions only.
Questions to discuss (pages 299 and 300): 8 min. Short on time: 2 min. Use question 1 as a quick exit ticket.
Talk about this case at home (page 301): at home.
Periods: full chapter 87 minutes; one period 50 minutes.
Standards
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. In this case: Students analyze how the listing addresses ambitious students.
Style (STL) A big idea of the course: writers choose words, sentences and tone to suit their rhetorical situation. In this case: Students analyze phrases like “great exposure” and “fast-paced.”
Lesson 15Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 15 plan, continued
Standards, continued
Claims and Evidence (CLE) A big idea of the course: writers make claims, support them with evidence and often answer opposing arguments. In this case: Students write questions that ask for evidence behind the listing’s promises.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.
W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.
W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.
Codes of ethics
- NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice: 4. Comply with laws
- ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 4.1 Truthfulness in Statements to Others
- ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 4.3 Dealing with Unrepresented Person
Heat map
Opener (page 283): Low
Key terms (pages 284 and 285): Low
Look at the evidence (page 289): Low
Look at the evidence (page 290): Low
Key idea (pages 291 and 292): Low
Sort the evidence (page 293): Low
Practice (page 294): Low
Check your work (pages 297 and 298): Low
Try it at your school
Ask what the work is before you accept it.
- Before accepting any internship, ask for duties, hours, supervision and pay in writing
- Take the offer to your school counselor or college career center
- Check your state labor department’s page on minimum wage and youth work
- Compare the offer with your other commitments before deciding
Who to ask: School counselor, college career center, work-permit officer where your state uses them, state labor department
Safety: If you’re under 18, federal and state rules limit hours and certain jobs. Involve a trusted adult before accepting any work arrangement.
Sources
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, via Justia, “Glatt v. Fox Searchlight Pictures,” 2016
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, “Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under the Fair Labor Standards Act,” No date listed
Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?
A studio offers Rafa an unpaid summer internship running its customer inbox and says college credit makes it legal.
On your ownRead What happened and underline what Rafa would do all summer. About 4 minutes.
Your role: You’re the one who checks each factor of the test before Rafa says yes. New skill: Apply a legal test factor by factor.
What happened
Rafa, 18, is a first-year college student who commutes to class and helps at his family’s shop. In April, a studio posted a listing on the campus job board for a “Summer Editing Intern.” The internship is unpaid. The listing says the intern will run the customer inbox all summer. Rafa reads it twice, looking for the editing.
On Tuesday at 11:20 a.m., the studio answers Rafa’s message. The email says college credit makes it “totally legal” not to pay him. It also asks him to start right after finals.
At lunch, Rafa talks it over with Gia, who fits café shifts around her classes. Gia asks whether the studio paid someone to run the inbox last year. Rafa says the studio’s assistant ran it. Taking the internship would also cost Rafa paid shifts at the shop. He has not said yes yet.
Your question: Is the internship mainly training for Rafa or unpaid work for the studio, and what should he ask before he decides?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.
Primary beneficiary test The primary beneficiary test is how the U.S. Department of Labor decides whether an intern at a for-profit company is an employee.
En español: prueba del beneficiario principal
In this case: The studio gets its customer inbox answered all summer. Rafa asks what he would learn and who would train him.
Fair Labor Standards Act The Fair Labor Standards Act is a federal law that sets minimum wage and overtime rules for most workers.
En español: Ley de Normas Justas de Trabajo
In this case: If Rafa counts as an employee under this law, the studio must pay him at least the minimum wage.
Academic credit Academic credit is credit toward a degree that a school gives for approved work, such as an internship.
En español: créditos académicos
In this case: The studio says credit makes the unpaid role “totally legal.” Credit is one factor out of seven.
Who is involved
Rafa
Offered an unpaid summer internship
“The listing says ‘Summer Editing Intern.’ Then it says I’d run the customer inbox all summer. I read it twice looking for the editing.”
Gia
Talking the offer over with Rafa
“I almost said ‘take it, it’ll look good.’ Easy for me to say. I’m not the one giving up a summer.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, is Rafa’s offer more like training or more like a job?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
Reading passage
Seven factors and a summer
On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 6 minutes.
Words to know
- Primary beneficiary test: The primary beneficiary test is how the U.S. Department of Labor decides whether an intern at a for-profit company is an employee.
- Fair Labor Standards Act: The Fair Labor Standards Act is a federal law that sets minimum wage and overtime rules for most workers.
- Academic credit: Academic credit is credit toward a degree that a school gives for approved work, such as an internship.
- Compensation: Compensation is all the pay and benefits a worker receives, including hourly rates, bonuses and overtime.
The story: Totally legal?
Rafa is 18, a first-year college student who commutes and helps at his family’s shop. In April, a studio lists a “Summer Editing Intern (unpaid)” position on the campus job board. The copy is upbeat: a fast-paced studio, great exposure to the industry, college credit available. The duties are narrower. The intern will run the customer inbox all summer and help with client files. Rafa reads the listing twice, looking for the editing, and does not find it.
When he writes to ask, the studio’s reply on Tuesday at 11:20 a.m. offers a legal conclusion. Since interns get college credit, it says, it is “totally legal” not to pay him. It also asks him to start right after finals.
Rafa does what the crew has learned to do. He checks. On the train, he finds that college credit is one factor among seven. At lunch with Gia, the facts get sharper. Gia asks whether the studio paid someone to do the inbox last year, and Rafa confirms that its assistant did. Gia counts the cost: shifts at the shop, the commute and a summer without pay. She also catches herself. She almost told him to take it because it would look good, and she realizes that is easy to say when she is not the one giving up the summer. When Rafa asks whether she can tell him it is illegal, she says no. She does not know that. She can tell him which questions the studio has not answered yet.
Your role is to check each factor of the test before Rafa says yes.
Stop and think. Gia says she cannot tell Rafa the internship is illegal. Why is that the more accurate answer?
Reasoning with a multi-factor test
The primary beneficiary test is how the U.S. Department of Labor decides whether an intern at a for-profit company is an employee. It asks whether the intern or the employer mainly benefits from an unpaid internship. An intern who is an employee must be paid under the Fair Labor Standards Act, a federal law that sets minimum wage and overtime rules for most workers. The seven factors include training, links to coursework or academic credit, the academic calendar and the length of the learning period. Academic credit is credit toward a degree that a school gives for approved work, such as an internship. Another factor is whether the intern’s work complements paid employees’ work or displaces it.
The new skill is applying a legal test factor by factor. It extends Lesson 12, where you compared fact patterns to a precedent, and Lesson 11, where you compared two situations on the same terms. Gia’s question about last year is a Lesson 11 comparison. The inbox used to be a paid job. That fact bears directly on displacement.
Laid out factor by factor, the evidence is uneven. Displacement: a paid assistant did this work last year. Academic credit: listed as available, but Rafa’s school has not confirmed it. Training and supervision: no information. Calendar and duration: the studio wants him to start after finals and stay all summer, but gives no hours. A careful reader concludes that the studio’s claim is unsupported, not that the internship is illegal. The test is flexible, no single factor decides it and the facts that would decide it are missing. The test also has limits. It applies to for-profit employers, and state rules may differ.
Lesson 11’s term compensation, all the pay and benefits a worker receives, completes the picture. The offer pays nothing and costs Rafa paid shifts. His email will ask for the missing facts in writing, politely: who trains him, what a normal week looks like, the weekly hours and whether this is the assistant’s old job.
Stop and think. Which factor has the strongest evidence, and which has none? What does that imbalance mean?
The courts, the data and the profession
The primary beneficiary test grew out of litigation. Two unpaid interns on the 2010 film Black Swan sued Fox Searchlight. The appeals court opinion lists their tasks, which included answering phones, taking lunch orders, making coffee, photocopying and filing (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 2016). In 2015, the court held that the question is who is the primary beneficiary, and that is the test the Labor Department uses now (LAist, July 2, 2015; U.S.
The courts, the data and the profession, continued
Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #71, updated January 2018).
The stakes are about access as well as law. PBS NewsHour reported that nearly half of U.S. interns were unpaid in 2022 (PBS NewsHour, August 26, 2023). NACE survey data show inequity in who gets paid internships (National Association of Colleges and Employers, August 8, 2023). NACE’s own ethics principles ask members to comply with “local, state, and federal” laws (NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice, 2025).
Stop and think. If Rafa’s school grants credit, does that settle whether the studio should pay him? Why or why not?
Sources
Real sourceU.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, via Justia2016
Glatt v. Fox Searchlight Pictures
Real sourceLAist (AirTalk)July 2, 2015
Appeals court reverses ‘Black Swan’ interns’ victory over Fox
Real sourceU.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour DivisionJanuary 2018
Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under the Fair Labor Standards Act
Real sourcePBS NewsHour (YouTube)August 26, 2023
Why unpaid internships still exist despite hardships for young workers
Real sourceNational Association of Colleges and EmployersAugust 8, 2023
The Class of 2023: Inequity Continues to Underpin Internship Participation and Pay Status
Real sourceNational Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)2025
NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice
Notes
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document, then fill in both boxes under it. About 8 minutes.
Evidence AJob listing
Studio listing on the campus job board, April
“Summer Editing Intern (unpaid). Join our fast-paced studio! You’ll run the customer inbox all summer, help with client files and get great exposure to the industry. College credit available.”
Look closely: Which words describe learning? Which words describe work?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence BEmail
Studio reply to Rafa, Tuesday, 11:20 a.m.
“Thanks for your interest, Rafa! Since interns get college credit, it’s totally legal for us not to pay. We’d love for you to start right after finals.”
Look closely: Is credit one factor or the whole test? What does the email skip?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
Evidence CChat
Gia and Rafa, Tuesday lunch
Gia: Didn’t they pay someone to do the inbox last year?
Rafa: Yeah, their assistant.
Gia: And it’s your summer, not theirs. What about your shifts at the shop?
Look closely: Who ran the customer inbox last year? Was that person paid?
What it shows
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: the primary beneficiary test
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 8 minutes.
A job title does not show how the work is arranged. The primary beneficiary test is how the U.S. Department of Labor decides whether an intern at a for-profit company is an employee. It asks whether the intern or the employer mainly benefits from an unpaid internship. An intern who counts as an employee must be paid under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Fair Labor Standards Act is a federal law that sets minimum wage and overtime rules for most workers.
The Department of Labor’s Fact Sheet #71 lists seven factors. They include training, links to coursework or academic credit, the school calendar and how long the learning lasts. Academic credit is credit toward a degree that a school gives for approved work, such as an internship. Another factor is whether the intern’s work adds to paid employees’ work or replaces it. The test is flexible, and no single factor decides it.
So the studio’s email does not settle the question. Calling a job an internship does not decide it. Neither does college credit, or an intern agreeing to work for no pay. The test also has limits. It applies to for-profit employers, and state rules may differ. To apply the test, you need facts about the duties, training, supervision and hours.
Professional standards
Real sourceNational Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)
NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice: 4. Comply with laws
“Comply with laws … associated with local, state, and federal entities”
In plain words: Career offices and employer recruiters who belong to NACE agree to follow federal, state and local laws.
Question: The campus job board lists the internship. What should the career office ask the studio about the seven DOL factors?
Your answer
Before posting, the career office should ask ___, because ___.
In the news
Real sourcePBS NewsHour (YouTube)August 26, 2023
Why unpaid internships still exist despite hardships for young workers
Reports that nearly half of U.S. interns were unpaid in 2022 and who can afford to take those jobs.
Real sourceNPRMay 18, 2013
Internships: Low-Paid, Unpaid Or Just Plain Illegal?
Explains when an unpaid internship can break wage law, using the ‘Black Swan’ intern lawsuit.
Notes
Sort the evidence
On your ownMatch each piece of evidence to the claim it supports or challenges, and mark what is still unknown. About 6 minutes.
Test the studio’s claim against the factor list. Which evidence points toward training, which toward a job, and what is still unknown?
| Evidence | Claim 1College credit makes the unpaid internship legal. | Claim 2The role looks more like a job than training. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 DOL: credit is one of seven factors, and no single factor decides | Challenges | Neither |
| 2 The listing: Rafa runs the customer inbox all summer | Neither | Supports |
| 3 A paid assistant ran the inbox last year | Neither | Supports |
| 4 The role is openly unpaid and offers credit (factors 1 and 3) | Neither | Challenges |
Still open
- Is there a learning plan, and who supervises?
Whose perspective is missing?
Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?
The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what Rafa should do next and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 6 minutes.
The studio’s unpaid internship has Rafa running its customer inbox all summer, the job a paid assistant did last year. The studio says college credit makes it legal. What should Rafa do next?
A Accept the studio’s answer, since college credit settles the question.
B Ask for the learning plan, supervision, schedule and how the role relates to paid employees’ work.
C Tell the studio that unpaid internships are against the law.
Why I chose it
Improve a draft
A student’s first draft
Hi, thanks so much for the offer! I’m really excited about this opportunity and I know it will look great on my résumé. I just wanted to ask 1 if this is legal since it’s unpaid? My friend said unpaid internships aren’t allowed. Also how many hours is it? 2 I can start whenever you need me. I really want to get into editing and this seems like a good way in. Let me know! Thank you again for thinking of me, Rafa
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
AP Lang
Your task
On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 12 minutes.
Rhetorically analyze the internship listing and write a revised, honest version.
- Read the listing in Evidence A. Underline each phrase that promises prestige or excitement.
- Note whom each phrase is written to attract in the planner.
- Mark what the listing leaves vague: duties, hours, supervision and pay.
- Draft one analysis paragraph and a revised listing on the Your draft page.
- Finish an analysis of about 400 words on lined paper or in the online workspace.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Phrase 1 and its effect
Phrase 2 and its effect
The reader it is written for
What it leaves vague
Your draft
On your ownWrite your first draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 22 minutes.
First draft: one analysis paragraph
Your revised listing
Check your work
On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 6 minutes.
Does your thesis name the listing’s persuasive strategy?
YesNoDo you analyze specific phrases?
YesNoIs your revised listing specific and honest?
YesNoDoes your commentary explain each phrase’s effect on the reader?
YesNo
How your work is scored
Mark one box in each row.
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | Relies on rumor. | Mentions pay only. | Asks about several factors. | Asks about factors and notes what the credit claim doesn’t settle. |
| Reasoning | Declares legal or illegal. | Asks for a verdict. | Gathers facts before deciding. | Connects each question to a reason it matters. |
| Audience & purpose | Gives away leverage or accuses. | Polite but vague. | Specific, respectful questions. | Specific questions plus Rafa’s own constraints. |
| Revision | No change. | Tone only. | Replaces rumor with factor-based questions. | Explains how each question helps Rafa decide. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete each sentence frame. About 8 minutes.
1 What would count as evidence that the promised training is happening?
2 Unpaid summers are easier for people who do not need a paycheck. Who might an unpaid internship leave out?
3 If Rafa’s school grants credit, does that settle whether the studio should pay him? Why or why not?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
The limit of the evidence is ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
Talk about this case at home
Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?
In this case, a college student is offered an unpaid summer internship, and the studio says college credit makes that legal. Your student compared the offer with a federal test and wrote questions to ask before saying yes.
Questions to talk about
- What questions would you ask before accepting an unpaid internship?
- How can someone tell whether a role is mostly learning or mostly work?
- Who can help a student check a job or internship offer?
Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.
See the case online.
Lesson 16Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?
Content note
This case involves disability access and a request for an exception to a building rule. No student should share their own disability, health information or housing situation, so keep the discussion on Sami’s building.
This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.
Overview
Students read a short story in which an unsigned notice says a building’s rear door will be locked at 8 p.m. That step-free door is the only one Sami can use. Students compare the notice with last year’s house rules and the entrance plan, and they map how the rule affects different residents. They read HUD’s Fair Housing Act overview as a source of questions, then rewrite the notice or write Sami’s question to the building manager.
Before this case
Students should already be able to:
- identify visual and verbal choices in a short text
- explain a choice’s effect on readers
- write a thesis about a writer’s strategy
Objectives
Students will be able to:
Objectives, continued
- explain how visual and verbal choices construct authority
- analyze the effect of those choices on residents
- compare the notice with a rewrite to sharpen the claim
- revise a comparison paragraph around a specific resident
Materials
- This chapter, one copy per student
- Evidence A, printed large
- A rewritten notice that names an issuer, a date and a contact
- The AP Lang scoring rows you use
The task in this edition
Task: Analyze how the notice uses visual and verbal choices to claim authority it never explains.
Students make: Rhetorical analysis, about 450 words
Pacing
Opener (page 302): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read What happened aloud.
Key terms (pages 303 and 304): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Pacing, continued
Look at the evidence (page 308): 6 min. Short on time: 5 min. Students fill in the boxes for Evidence A only.
Look at the evidence (page 309): 3 min. Short on time: 2 min. Read the entrance plan aloud; skip its boxes.
Key idea (pages 310 and 311): 8 min. Short on time: 5 min. Read the first paragraph of the key idea only.
Sort the evidence (page 312): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Practice (pages 313 and 314): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Your task (pages 315 and 316): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.
Your draft (page 317): 20 min. Short on time: 18 min. Students draft the thesis and one body paragraph in class and revise at home.
Check your work (pages 318 and 319): 6 min. Short on time: skip. Collect drafts and give feedback on the three scoring rows yourself.
Questions to discuss (pages 320 and 321): 8 min. Short on time: 2 min. Use question 1 as a quick written exit ticket.
Talk about this case at home (page 322): at home.
Periods: full chapter 81 minutes; one period 45 minutes.
Lesson 16Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 16 plan, continued
Standards
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. In this case: Students analyze how a notice with no author, date or contact positions its readers.
Style (STL) A big idea of the course: writers choose words, sentences and tone to suit their rhetorical situation. In this case: Students analyze bold type and imperative verbs as authority signals.
Claims and Evidence (CLE) A big idea of the course: writers make claims, support them with evidence and often answer opposing arguments. In this case: Students separate what the notice claims from what the lease or law establishes.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.
W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.
W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.
Standards, continued
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.
Codes of ethics
- ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 3.1 Meritorious Claims and Contentions
- Credo for Ethical Communication: “We strive to understand and respect other communicators' intent…” (one of nine unnumbered principles)
Heat map
Opener (page 302): Medium
Key terms (pages 303 and 304): Low
Look at the evidence (page 308): Low
Look at the evidence (page 309): Low
Key idea (pages 310 and 311): Low
Sort the evidence (page 312): Medium
Practice (pages 313 and 314): Low
Check your work (pages 318 and 319): Low
Try it at your school
Ask who wrote the rule before you argue about it.
Try it at your school, continued
- When a new rule is posted where you live or at school, write down the date and take a photo
- Look for who issued it and what document it changes
- Ask a trusted adult to help you ask the building manager or office
- Find your city’s or county’s tenant or housing help page with an adult
Who to ask: A parent or guardian, the building manager, a local tenant or housing help line, a school social worker
Safety: Don’t post neighbors’ names, unit numbers or private situations online. Let adults handle lease disputes.
Sources
- Gothamist, “Brooklyn Landlord Does An About Face On Facial Recognition Plan,” November 21, 2019
- Legal Services NYC, “Brooklyn tenants file legal opposition to landlord’s application to install facial recognition entry system in building,” May 1, 2019
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), “Fair Housing Act overview,” No date listed
Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?
An unsigned notice says the building’s only step-free door locks at 8 p.m., and Sami’s workshop runs later.
On your ownRead What happened and underline the two changes the notice announces. About 4 minutes.
Your role: You’re the one who photographs the notice and writes down when and where it was found. New skill: Find who has the authority to make a rule.
What happened
It is Monday morning in Sami’s apartment building. A new notice is posted beside the common-room door. It says the rear door will be locked at 8:00 p.m. every night. It also says the common room is “for resident social use only,” with “NO BUSINESS USE” in capital letters. The notice has no name, no date and no contact.
That rear door matters to Sami, who lives in apartment 3B and uses a manual wheelchair. It is the building’s only step-free entrance. The front entrance has four steps and no ramp. Sami also runs a workshop in the common room, and it goes past 8 p.m.
Caio reads last year’s house rules beside the notice. Those rules let residents reserve the common room for classes and resident-run workshops. The new notice does not say whether it replaces them. Before anyone starts arguing, Sami photographs the notice and writes down when and where she found it.
Your question: Who has the authority behind this notice, and what should Sami ask the building manager?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.
Authority Authority is the power a person or group has to make or change a particular rule or decision.
En español: autoridad
In this case: The notice uses bold type and capital letters but names no issuer. Sami has to find out who has the power to make this rule.
Reasonable accommodation A reasonable accommodation is a change to a rule or practice that gives a person with a disability equal use of a place.
En español: acomodo razonable
In this case: Sami could ask the building for a key fob for the rear door, so she can get in after 8 p.m.
Documentation Documentation is a record, such as a photo, a note or an email, that shows what was said or done and when.
En español: documentación
In this case: Sami photographs the notice and writes down when and where she found it, before anyone argues about what it said.
Who is involved
Sami
Lives in 3B and runs a workshop in the common room
“Rear door locked at 8. That’s the only door I can get through. My workshop runs later. So, questions. Plural.”
Caio
Reading last year’s house rules beside the notice
“All caps, bold, no name, no date. Somebody made it look official. I still don’t know who.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, should Sami follow the new notice?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
Reading passage
Who wrote the rule?
On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 6 minutes.
Words to know
- Authority: Authority is the power a person or group has to make or change a particular rule or decision.
- Reasonable accommodation: A reasonable accommodation is a change to a rule or practice that gives a person with a disability equal use of a place.
- Documentation: Documentation is a record, such as a photo, a note or an email, that shows what was said or done and when.
- Decision-maker: A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.
- Barrier: A barrier is something that blocks or limits a person from taking part.
The story: An anonymous notice
Sami, 23, lives in apartment 3B, studies design and uses a manual wheelchair. On Monday morning, she finds a new notice beside her building’s common-room door. It announces two changes “effective immediately.” The rear door will be locked at 8:00 p.m. nightly, and the common room is for resident social use only, with “NO BUSINESS USE” in capitals. The notice carries no name, no date and no contact.
Each change touches her directly. The building’s entrance plan lists a front entrance with four steps and no ramp, a side door for service use only and a rear door that is step-free and opens to the elevator hallway. After 8 p.m., the notice would lock the only door she can use. It would also cloud the future of the workshop she runs in the common room, which goes past 8.
Sami does not start with outrage. She photographs the notice and writes down when and where she found it, before anybody starts arguing about what it said. Caio, the oldest in the crew, brings last year’s house rules, handed out at lease signing. He reads the notice the way an editor reads copy. All caps, bold, no name, no date. Somebody made it look official, and he still does not know who.
Your role is to help Sami keep a clean record of the notice before anyone starts arguing.
Stop and think. Why does formatting signal authority without proving it?
Authority, sources and missing definitions
Authority is the power a person or group has to make or change a particular rule or decision. The case separates the look of authority from its substance. Formatting signals power but does not prove it. An unsigned notice is not automatically invalid, but its force depends on who issued it and what it claims to change.
The new skill is finding who has the authority to make a rule. It draws on three earlier skills. From Lesson 1, you compare the notice with an original document, last year’s house rules, which let residents reserve the room for “gatherings, classes and resident-run workshops” through the building office. From Lesson 7, you ask what stage the rule is at. From Lesson 10, you take the question to the office that can answer it, here the building manager. Lesson 4’s decision-maker, the person or group with the power to make a particular choice, names what Sami is looking for.
Caio’s comparison finds a definitional gap. The old rules explicitly allow resident-run workshops. The new notice bans “business use” without defining it, so nobody can yet say whether Sami’s workshop is affected. The notice also does not say whether it replaces the old rules or adds to them.
Lesson 10’s barrier, something that blocks or limits a person from taking part, describes the locked rear door. A reasonable accommodation is a change to a rule or practice that gives a person with a disability equal use of a place, such as a key fob for the rear door. Documentation is a record, such as a photo, a note or an email, that shows what was said or done and when. Sami’s photo and note will matter if the facts are disputed later. She keeps her two questions apart: who has the authority, and how she gets in after 8. Neither friend calls the notice illegal, because they do not yet know who wrote it or how the building handles access requests.
Stop and think. How does the undefined phrase “business use” change what Sami can conclude?
The law, the process and a Brooklyn example
A landlord’s policy and the law are different sources of rules. HUD says the Fair Housing Act bars housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or disability, and covers most housing with some exceptions (HUD, no date listed). Guidance can change even when the law does not. In 2025, HUD withdrew several fair housing guidance documents, but the Act itself stayed the same (National Association of Realtors, October 7, 2025). Enforcement continues. In 2026, the Justice Department announced a $750,000 settlement with a property management company in a disability discrimination case (U.S. Department of Justice, April 30, 2026).
Process can give tenants leverage. At Atlantic Plaza Towers in Brownsville, Brooklyn, the landlord applied to install a facial-recognition entry system. Tenants say they learned about it from the state housing agency, not the landlord.
The law, the process and a Brooklyn example, continued
Because the change needed that agency’s permission, they filed opposition (Legal Services NYC, May 1, 2019), and in November 2019 the landlord withdrew the application (Gothamist, November 21, 2019). That case turned on New York’s rent-stabilization rules, which may not apply to Sami’s building.
The NCA credo describes the posture Sami takes: “We strive to understand and respect other communicators’ intent before evaluating and responding to their messages” (NCA Credo for Ethical Communication, 2024).
Stop and think. Why might the Atlantic Plaza Towers example not apply directly to Sami’s building?
Sources
Real sourceU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)No date listed
Fair Housing Act overview
Real sourceNational Association of Realtors (Washington Report)October 7, 2025
HUD Withdraws Fair Housing Guidance Documents
Real sourceU.S. Department of JusticeApril 30, 2026
Justice Department Settles Disability Discrimination Case Against Property Management Company for $750,000
Real sourceLegal Services NYCMay 1, 2019
Brooklyn tenants file legal opposition to landlord’s application to install facial recognition entry system in building
Real sourceGothamistNovember 21, 2019
Brooklyn Landlord Does An About Face On Facial Recognition Plan
Real sourceNational Communication Association (NCA)2024
Credo for Ethical Communication
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document, then fill in both boxes under it. About 6 minutes.
Evidence APosted notice
Unsigned notice by the common-room door, found Monday morning
NOTICE TO ALL RESIDENTS. Effective immediately, the rear door will be locked at 8:00 p.m. nightly. The common room is for resident social use only. NO BUSINESS USE.
Look closely: Which features give the notice an official look? What is missing?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence BHouse rules (excerpt)
Last year’s house rules, given out at lease signing
“Residents may reserve the common room for gatherings, classes and resident-run workshops. Reservations are made through the building office.”
Look closely: What did last year’s rules allow in the common room?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
Evidence CEntrance plan
Building entrance plan from the lobby directory
Front entrance: four steps, no ramp. Rear door: step-free, opens to the elevator hallway. Side door: service use only.
Look closely: Which entrance is step-free? What happens to it after 8 p.m.?
What it shows
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: authority
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 8 minutes.
A building rule should name who made it, give a date and list a contact. This notice has none of them. Authority is the power a person or group has to make or change a particular rule or decision. Bold type and capital letters do not show who has that power. An unsigned notice is not automatically invalid, either. Sami has to find out who issued it and which document it claims to change.
A landlord’s policy and the law are different sources of rules. The Fair Housing Act is a federal law. HUD, the federal housing department, says it bars housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or disability. It covers most housing, with some exceptions. Under the Act, a person with a disability can ask a building for a reasonable accommodation. A reasonable accommodation is a change to a rule or practice that gives a person with a disability equal use of a place. For Sami, that could be a key fob for the rear door.
Sami cannot yet say the notice breaks the law. She does not know who wrote it, whether it replaces the house rules or how the building handles access requests. Whether a building grants an accommodation also depends on the facts. Documentation helps her keep those facts straight. Documentation is a record, such as a photo, a note or an email, that shows what was said or done and when. Her photo of the notice, with the date and place she found it, is documentation.
Professional standards
Adapted from a real sourceAmerican Bar Association (ABA), Center for Professional Responsibility
ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 3.1 Meritorious Claims and Contentions
Summary: Summary, not a quotation: a lawyer may not bring or defend a proceeding, or argue an issue in it, without a basis in law and fact that is not frivolous. The ABA comment says lawyers must first learn the facts and the applicable law.
In plain words: Before lawyers bring a claim, they must have facts and law that support it.
Question: Before claiming a Fair Housing Act violation, what should Sami learn about the notice’s author and the building’s access process?
Professional standards, continued
Your answer
Sami first needs ___, because ___.
In the news
Real sourceGothamistNovember 21, 2019
Brooklyn Landlord Does An About Face On Facial Recognition Plan
A throwback about a door rule: the landlord needed state permission to change how tenants got in, and tenants used that process to object.
Real sourceHUD (YouTube)January 31, 2014
The Federal Fair Housing Act and Reasonable Accommodations
HUD explains how a person with a disability can ask for an exception to a building rule.
Notes
Sort the evidence
On your ownFill in each box of the map: who decides, which rules apply, who is affected and where to ask. About 6 minutes.
Map who made this rule, which rules it has to fit, who it affects and where residents can take a question. Which box is still empty?
Lock the rear door at 8 p.m. and ban business use of the common room
Unknown issuer: the owner, the manager or someone else?
Last year’s house rules allowed resident-run workshops
Fair Housing Act: disability is a protected characteristic
Sami and other residents who need the only step-free entrance
Whose perspective is missing?
Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?
The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what Sami should do first and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 6 minutes.
The notice says the rear door, the building’s only step-free entrance, locks at 8 p.m. It also bans “business use” of the common room. It has no name, no date and no contact. What should Sami do first?
A Ignore it until someone signs it, since an unsigned notice may not be official.
B Photograph it, compare it with last year’s house rules and ask the manager who issued it and how residents get in after 8.
C Post online that the building is breaking disability law.
Why I chose it
Improve a draft
A student’s first draft
Hi, I saw the notice about the common room and rear door. 1 This is illegal and discriminatory against disabled people like me. You can’t just make rules like this without asking. Nobody signed it and nobody told us it was coming, so I don’t even know if it’s real. I’m going to keep using the room for my workshop because the old rules said I could. A lot of neighbors are upset too. 2 Please take the notice down. Sami, 3B
Improve a draft, continued
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
Notes
AP Lang
Your task
On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 10 minutes.
Analyze how the notice uses visual and verbal choices to claim authority it never explains.
- Read the notice in Evidence A. Circle each visual choice: capital letters, bold type, layout.
- Underline each verbal choice, such as “Effective immediately” and “will be locked.”
- Note each choice’s effect on residents in the planner.
- Draft your thesis and one body paragraph on the Your draft page.
- Compare the notice with a rewrite that names an issuer, a date and a contact.
- Finish an analysis of about 450 words on lined paper or in the online workspace.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Visual choices
Verbal choices
Effect on residents
Your task, continued
My thesis
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your first draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 20 minutes.
First draft: your opening paragraph
First draft: one body paragraph
Check your work
On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 6 minutes.
Does your thesis explain how the notice constructs authority?
YesNoDo you analyze both visual and verbal choices?
YesNoDo you explain the effects on residents?
YesNoDoes your comparison with a rewrite sharpen the claim?
YesNo
How your work is scored
Mark one box in each row.
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | No specifics from the notice. | Mentions the notice generally. | Quotes the notice and older rule. | Quotes both and names what is still unknown. |
| Reasoning | Declares a legal violation. | Complains without a clear need. | Connects the rule to a concrete effect. | Separates the communication problem from the legal question. |
| Audience & purpose | Hostile or vague. | Polite but no request. | Specific request the manager can act on. | Specific request plus questions that clarify authority. |
| Revision | No change. | Tone edits only. | Replaces the conclusion with a question and request. | Explains how each change makes a yes more likely. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete each sentence frame. About 8 minutes.
1 Which missing fact would most change how you see the notice?
2 The notice bans “business use” without saying what that means. What would you need to know to decide whether Sami’s workshop counts?
3 A building may want a door locked at night. How could it keep that door secure and still let Sami in?
My take
My claim: ___.
My take, continued
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
The limit of the evidence is ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
Talk about this case at home
Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?
In this case, an unsigned notice in an apartment building says the only step-free door will lock at 8 p.m. Your student compared the notice with last year’s building rules and practiced asking who made the new rule.
Questions to talk about
- What should a clear building or school notice include?
- Whom can people ask when a posted rule is unclear?
- Why might someone keep a photo of a notice with the date?
Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.
See the case online.
Lesson 17Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?
Overview
Students read a short story in which the crew has ten free workshop seats and thirty people who want one. They compare three options, first come, a lottery and a needs-based rubric, and apply two ethical lenses from the Markkula Center framework. They then write a note that explains one method to the people affected, names its strongest objection and revises it.
Before this case
Students should already be able to:
- identify an audience and its likely objections
- write a defensible thesis
- use a concession to build credibility
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- analyze an audience of twenty disappointed applicants
- write a thesis that defends the crew’s lottery for that audience
- concede the lottery’s real cost and offer specific commitments
- revise the opening so it acknowledges the reader before the thesis
Materials
- This chapter, one copy per student
- Evidence A, B and C
Materials, continued
- The lottery note from the practice page, used as the crew’s chosen method
- Audience analysis grid and concession stems
The task in this edition
Task: Write an argument addressed to the twenty students who didn’t get a seat, defending the method the crew chose.
Students make: Argument letter, about 450 words
Pacing
Opener (page 323): 4 min. Short on time: 2 min. Read the summary line and the last paragraph of What happened aloud.
Key terms (pages 324 and 325): 3 min. Short on time: skip.
Look at the evidence (page 329): 6 min. Short on time: 4 min. Students skim Evidence A for the times and fill in no boxes.
Look at the evidence (page 330): 4 min. Short on time: 2 min. Read Evidence C aloud. Students mark the lottery’s cost.
Key idea (pages 331 and 332): 8 min. Short on time: skip.
Sort the evidence (page 333): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Pacing, continued
Practice (page 334): 5 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read the lottery note aloud. It is the method students defend.
Your task (pages 335 and 336): 10 min. Short on time: 8 min. Fill in the audience grid together on the board.
Your draft (page 337): 30 min. Short on time: 24 min. Students draft the opening and the concession in class and finish the letter at home.
Check your work (pages 338 and 339): 6 min. Short on time: 2 min. Students write only the ethos sentence.
Questions to discuss (pages 340 and 341): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Talk about this case at home (page 342): at home.
Periods: full chapter 88 minutes; one period 45 minutes.
Standards
Reasoning and Organization (REO) A big idea of the course: writers guide readers through their reasoning by how they organize a text and bring in evidence. In this case: Students build a line of reasoning that concedes a real cost.
Lesson 17Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 17 plan, continued
Standards, continued
Claims and Evidence (CLE) A big idea of the course: writers make claims, support them with evidence and often answer opposing arguments. In this case: Students support a value claim with the case’s facts about who is affected.
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. In this case: Students address thirty applicants, including the twenty who won’t get seats.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.
W.11-12.1 Write arguments that analyze substantial topics or texts, using valid reasoning and enough relevant evidence.
W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.
Codes of ethics
- The Belmont Report: B. Basic Ethical Principles: 3. Justice
- The Belmont Report: C. Applications: 1. Informed Consent
- ASPA Code of Ethics: 4. Strengthen social equity.
Heat map
Opener (page 323): Low
Key terms (pages 324 and 325): Low
Look at the evidence (page 329): Low
Look at the evidence (page 330): Low
Key idea (pages 331 and 332): Low
Sort the evidence (page 333): Medium
Practice (page 334): Low
Your task (pages 335 and 336): Low
Your draft (page 337): Low
Check your work (pages 338 and 339): Low
Try it at your school
Ask how your school decides who gets limited spots.
- Pick one limited resource at school: a class, a trip, a club seat
- Find out the selection method and whether it’s published
Try it at your school, continued
- Ask who the method helps and who it might leave out
- Suggest publishing criteria in advance if they aren’t
Who to ask: Club advisor, activities director, school counselor, student council
Safety: Never ask classmates to share financial or personal information for a needs-based process. Adults should handle that privately.
Sources
- Ticketmaster, “The Eras Tour onsale explained,” November 19, 2022
- Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University, “A Framework for Ethical Decision Making,” No date listed
Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?
Thirty people want ten free workshop seats, and the crew must choose a fair way to decide who gets them.
On your ownRead What happened and underline the sentence that tells how many people want a seat. About 4 minutes.
Your role: You’re the one who writes down the rule before the crew picks the ten names. New skill: Set fair criteria before choosing.
What happened
The crew has ten free seats for a workshop, and thirty people want one. The crew opened a sign-up sheet on Monday at 9 a.m. Twenty-two names were on it before 10 a.m. By Wednesday, the sheet has thirty names.
The sheet says only “How seats will be chosen: to be announced.” The crew has argued about the rule since dinner on Sunday. Gia is running the sign-up. She wants to give the seats to the first ten names, because that is simple and fast. Mateo suggests a lottery instead.
Anika, 16, is at rehearsal most days, and she checks her phone after rehearsal ends. Under first-come, she would see the message after the seats were gone. A third option on the crew’s whiteboard would give seats to people who cannot afford the paid version of the workshop. That option would ask people for personal information.
Every method seats exactly ten people. The crew has to decide which ten, and then explain the rule to all thirty.
Your question: How should the crew choose who gets the ten seats, and how should they explain the choice to all thirty people?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 3 minutes.
Criteria Criteria are the standards or reasons a group uses to make a decision.
En español: criterios
In this case: The sheet says “How seats will be chosen: to be announced.” Twenty-two names arrived before 10 a.m. Monday, before the crew stated any criteria.
Trade-off A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up.
En español: compensación entre opciones
In this case: First-come is fast for Gia to run but favors whoever sees the message first. A lottery gives everyone the same chance but needs a sign-up window and a drawing.
Equity Equity is a way of sharing that adjusts for different needs so everyone gets a fair chance.
En español: equidad
In this case: Option C would give seats to people who cannot afford the paid version of the workshop. It would also ask applicants for personal information.
Who is involved
Gia
Running the sign-up
“First ten to reply get a seat. It’s simple, I can post it tonight, and I have a shift at seven.”
Anika
Checks her phone after rehearsal
“By the time I see the message, ten people will have answered. I don’t even need a seat. I just want to know how you’re picking.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, how do you think the crew should choose who gets the ten seats?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
Reading passage
Choosing a rule before you see the names
On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.
Words to know
- Criteria: Criteria are the standards or reasons a group uses to make a decision.
- Trade-off: A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up.
- Equity: Equity is a way of sharing that adjusts for different needs so everyone gets a fair chance.
- Consent: Consent is permission a person gives for something specific, such as sharing a record with a named person.
The story: Thirty names, no rule
Ten free workshop seats should be good news. For the crew, it is a problem. The sign-up sheet opened Monday at 9 a.m., and 22 names arrived before 10. By Wednesday, 30 people have signed up, and the sheet still says the selection method is “to be announced.” The crew has argued since Sunday dinner.
Gia is running the sign-up, and her preference is practical. First ten to reply get a seat. It is simple, she can post it tonight and she has a shift at seven. Mateo proposes a lottery, and Gia counts its costs: a sign-up window and someone to run the drawing. The whiteboard lists a third choice, a needs-based rubric for people who cannot afford the paid workshop. It would require personal information and someone to judge it.
Anika, 16, is at rehearsal most days and checks her phone only afterward. Under first-come, she would find out after the seats were gone. Her request is precise. She does not need a seat. She wants the crew to say how it is picking, and not to pretend nobody loses out, because she would. When someone asks whether she wants the plan to revolve around her, she says no. Admit the cost, and then maybe they can fix that part.
Gia’s honesty moves the conversation too. She admits she mostly wanted the task off her list. What would change her mind is evidence that the people the crew most wants in the room are the ones who would see the message last. She would rather ask them than guess.
Your role is to write down the rule before the crew picks the ten names.
Stop and think. Anika and Gia each admit something about their own position. How does that honesty change the decision?
Criteria first, then choice
Criteria are the standards or reasons a group uses to make a decision. The new skill is setting fair criteria before choosing and stating who each rule leaves out. It builds on Lesson 4, where you learned that a trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up. Here every option seats ten and excludes twenty, so the real decision is which cost the crew is willing to defend.
Each option distributes that cost differently. First-come rewards attention and availability, which disadvantages people with rehearsals, shifts or less phone time. A lottery gives equal odds but ignores need. A needs-based rubric pursues equity, a way of sharing that adjusts for different needs so everyone gets a fair chance. It also imposes an entry cost. Applicants must disclose personal information, and Lesson 6’s concept of consent, permission a person gives for something specific, applies. The crew would need to ask for only what it needs, get clear consent and decide who sees the answers.
Timing is itself an ethical variable. The sheet shows most sign-ups arrived before any rule existed. Choosing a rule after seeing the names invites suspicion that the rule was picked to favor someone. A rule announced in advance can earn acceptance even from those who lose. That is why the crew’s decision note should state the method, its main objection and one change that reduces the cost for people who miss out.
Anika offers a structure for comparing options, and it maps onto two classic ethical approaches. One asks which option helps the most people, a consequences question. The other asks whether the way of choosing is fair to everyone, a fairness question.
Stop and think. Which of Belmont’s five principles does each whiteboard option rely on?
Lenses and real allocation debates
The Markkula Center’s framework offers several lenses: consequences, rights, fairness, the common good, character and care. These lenses can reveal different concerns rather than producing an automatic score (Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, revised November 5, 2021). The Belmont Report, a foundational federal statement on research ethics, lists five widely accepted ways to share benefits and burdens: an equal share, individual need, individual effort, societal contribution and merit (Belmont Report, April 18, 1979).
Scarcity decisions happen at every scale. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a bioethicist explained how leaders chose who received vaccines first (NPR, December 20, 2020).
Lenses and real allocation debates, continued
Medical experts argued against first-come, first-served for scarce resources and proposed explicit criteria instead (Emanuel et al., New England Journal of Medicine, May 21, 2020). In New York City, families disagree over lotteries versus grades for high school admissions (Chalkbeat New York, August 9, 2023). In each debate, people agree that there is not enough to go around. They disagree about which rule should decide who gets a share, and that is the crew’s question too.
Stop and think. Why does choosing a rule after seeing the names damage trust even if the rule is reasonable?
Sources
Real sourceMarkkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara UniversityNovember 5, 2021
A Framework for Ethical Decision Making
Real sourceNational Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research; published by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare1979
The Belmont Report
Real sourceNPRDecember 20, 2020
The Ethics Of Who Gets The COVID-19 Vaccine And When
Real sourceNew England Journal of Medicine (Emanuel et al.)May 21, 2020
Fair Allocation of Scarce Medical Resources in the Time of Covid-19
Real sourceChalkbeat New YorkAugust 9, 2023
Debate over NYC high school admissions heats up at parent meeting
Notes
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document and write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 6 minutes.
Evidence ASign-up sheet
The workshop sign-up sheet
“Free workshop: 10 seats. Add your name to show interest. How seats will be chosen: to be announced.” The sheet opened Monday at 9 a.m. By Wednesday it had thirty names. The first 22 names were added before 10 a.m. on Monday.
Look closely: When did most names arrive, and what rule was posted then?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence BGroup-chat thread
The crew’s thread, Sunday at 8:30 p.m.
Gia: first come is easiest to run, we just take the top ten.
Anika: I’m at rehearsal most days, I’d see it after it’s full.
Mateo: lottery?
Gia: then we need a sign-up window and someone to run the drawing.
Look closely: Which cost does each person name? Which cost does nobody name?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
Evidence CWhiteboard
Three options on the whiteboard
A. First come, first served: fast to run; favors whoever sees it first. B. Lottery after a three-day sign-up: equal chance for everyone; needs a sign-up window and a drawing. C. Needs-based rubric: prioritizes people who can’t afford the paid version; needs personal information and someone to judge it.
Look closely: Underline the cost the crew wrote for each option.
What it shows
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: fair criteria
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 8 minutes.
Any way of giving out ten seats to thirty people leaves twenty people without one. A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up. First-come is fast, but it favors people who see the message first. A lottery gives everyone the same chance, but it does not consider need. A needs-based rubric aims at equity by helping people who cannot afford the paid version, but applicants must share personal information. Each option has a cost, so the crew has to choose which cost to accept.
Criteria are the standards or reasons a group uses to make a decision. When the crew states its criteria early, everyone knows the rule before anyone is chosen. Even people who do not get a seat may accept the result if the rule was clear in advance. If the crew picks a rule after seeing the names, people may wonder whether it was chosen to favor someone.
The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University suggests looking at a decision through several ethical lenses. They include consequences, rights, fairness, the common good, character and care. The lenses can point toward different options, and they do not add up to one automatic score. A strong decision explains which concern matters most in this case, who carries the cost and what could reduce it.
Professional standards
Adapted from a real sourceNational Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research; published by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
The Belmont Report: B. Basic Ethical Principles: 3. Justice
Summary: Summary, not a quotation: the report treats justice as fairness in distribution and lists five widely accepted ways to share benefits and burdens: an equal share, individual need, individual effort, societal contribution and merit.
In plain words: The Belmont Report, written for research with people, lists several fair ways to share limited benefits, such as equal shares or need.
Question: Which whiteboard option comes closest to “an equal share,” and which comes closest to “individual need”?
Professional standards, continued
Your answer
Option ___ is closest to an equal share and option ___ to individual need, but ___.
In the news
Real sourceNPRDecember 20, 2020
The Ethics Of Who Gets The COVID-19 Vaccine And When
A bioethicist explains how leaders chose who went first when there wasn’t enough for everyone.
Real sourceScientific AmericanSeptember 3, 2020
How to Decide Who Should Get a COVID-19 Vaccine First
Lays out competing criteria such as risk, fairness and benefit, the same lenses the crew uses.
Notes
Sort the evidence
On your ownFollow each option to its effects and write who carries the cost in each box. About 6 minutes.
Follow each method to its consequences. Who carries the cost under each one, and what makes the chosen process legitimate to the twenty who lose?
First come, first served
The ten fastest responders get seats; people at rehearsal or work see the sign-up late
Who is affected
Anika and others who check messages late
Lottery after a three-day sign-up
Each of the thirty has the same chance, and need is not considered
Who is affected
Needs-based rubric
Those with the greatest need are prioritized; applicants must share personal information
Who is affected
Applicants asked to disclose their finances
Whose perspective is missing?
Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?
The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose the note you would send, explain why and fix the two marked phrases. About 5 minutes.
Gia is drafting a note to the thirty people on the sign-up sheet. Which sentence could the crew defend?
A “We picked the fairest method, so nobody loses out.”
B “We’re holding a lottery so everyone has the same chance. A lottery doesn’t favor people with the most need, so we’re looking into a second session.”
C “Seats go to the first ten names on the sheet, because those people wanted it most.”
Why I chose it
Improve a draft
A student’s first draft
We should do first come first served because 1 it’s the most fair. Everyone has the same chance to sign up and if you really want it you’ll sign up fast. It’s simple and 2 nobody can complain because they had the same opportunity as everyone else. Also it’s way less work for us than reading thirty applications or doing some random drawing. The people who don’t get in can just come to the next workshop whenever we have one. This is obviously the best way.
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
AP Lang
Your task
On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 10 minutes.
Write an argument addressed to the twenty students who didn’t get a seat, defending the method the crew chose.
- Fill in the audience grid for the twenty students who did not get seats.
- Write a thesis that defends the lottery for this audience.
- Plan a concession that names the lottery’s real cost.
- List two commitments the crew can keep for this audience.
- Draft the opening and the concession paragraph on the Your draft page.
- Finish the letter, about 450 words, on lined paper or in the online workspace.
- Revise the opening so it acknowledges the reader’s disappointment before the thesis.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
The audience: what they know, feel and need
Thesis
Your task, continued
Concession
It is true that ___.
Two commitments
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 30 minutes.
Opening paragraph
Concession paragraph
Check your work
On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 6 minutes.
Is your thesis defensible?
YesNoDo you concede the lottery’s real cost?
YesNoDo your commitments speak to this audience?
YesNoIs the line of reasoning clear from paragraph to paragraph?
YesNo
How your work is scored
Mark one box in each row.
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | No reference to who is affected. | Mentions people vaguely. | Names specific people and effects from the case. | Uses case facts to show who gains and who pays. |
| Reasoning | Claims an option is obviously best. | Gives one reason only. | Uses a lens and names the strongest objection. | Uses two lenses and proposes a revision tied to the objection. |
| Audience & purpose | Ignores the twenty who miss out. | Mentions them briefly. | Explains the process to all applicants. | Builds legitimacy by publishing criteria and a remedy. |
| Revision | No change. | Wording only. | Adds a named cost and revision. | Explains how the revision addresses the objection. |
Check your work, continued
How the revised opening changes the letter’s ethos
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames. About 6 minutes.
1 Whose view would most challenge the option you prefer?
2 Anika says she does not need a seat. What is she asking the crew for?
3 Option C would help people who cannot afford the paid workshop. What would applicants give up to be chosen that way?
4 What would make the twenty people without seats accept the result as fair?
My take
My claim: ___.
My take, continued
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
The limit of the evidence is ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
Talk about this case at home
Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?
In this case, a group of friends has ten free workshop seats and thirty people who want one. Your student compared three ways to choose and wrote a note that explains the choice and who carries its cost.
Questions to talk about
- When something is limited, like tickets or seats, what makes a way of choosing feel fair?
- Why might it help to announce a rule before anyone signs up?
- What is one kind way to tell people they were not picked?
Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.
See the case online.
Lesson 18Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?
Overview
Students read a short story in which the theater curtain at Dec and Anika’s school will not close. Meanwhile, a social post points to the district’s $48 million budget. Students label a proposed-budget excerpt by year, stage and units, explain why the post compares a total with a per-pupil figure and map who decides. They then write a budget question and a 60-second comment for the school board.
Before this case
Students should already be able to:
- write a thesis with a qualifier
- cite a source and comment on it
- explain what a visual shows and what it leaves out
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- synthesize three or more sources, including a visual, into a qualified argument
- explain what each source can and cannot prove
- use the curtain photo accurately and rhetorically
- revise commentary to show how the visual works on a board audience
Materials
- This chapter, one copy per student
Materials, continued
- Sources: the budget excerpt (Evidence A), the NCES summary, the photo of the torn curtain and Mari’s lines in Who is involved
- A source-citation practice sheet
The task in this edition
Task: Write a synthesis argument: what should students bring to a school board budget hearing?
Students make: Synthesis essay, about 550 words, 40 minutes
Pacing
Opener (page 343): 4 min. Short on time: 2 min. Read the summary line and the last paragraph of What happened aloud.
Key terms (pages 344 and 345): 3 min. Short on time: skip.
Look at the evidence (page 349): 6 min. Short on time: 4 min. Students skim Evidence A and B for labels and units.
Look at the evidence (page 350): 4 min. Short on time: 2 min. Read Evidence C aloud and skip its boxes.
Key idea (pages 351 and 352): 8 min. Short on time: 2 min. Read the NCES sentences in the key idea aloud.
Sort the evidence (page 353): 5 min. Short on time: skip.
Pacing, continued
Practice (page 354): 5 min. Short on time: skip.
Your task (pages 355 and 356): 8 min. Short on time: 6 min. Write the thesis together and let students adjust it.
Your draft (page 357): 40 min. Short on time: 32 min. Students write for 32 minutes and revise one paragraph at home.
Check your work (pages 358 and 359): 6 min. Short on time: 2 min. Students write only the commentary sentence.
Questions to discuss (pages 360 and 361): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Talk about this case at home (page 362): at home.
Periods: full chapter 95 minutes; one period 50 minutes.
Standards
Claims and Evidence (CLE) A big idea of the course: writers make claims, support them with evidence and often answer opposing arguments. In this case: Students use budget figures accurately and label their units.
Reasoning and Organization (REO) A big idea of the course: writers guide readers through their reasoning by how they organize a text and bring in evidence. In this case: Students build a line of reasoning from observed need to budget line to request.
Lesson 18Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 18 plan, continued
Standards, continued
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. In this case: Students tailor a comment to a board that must balance many requests.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.
W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.
W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.
Codes of ethics
- ASPA Code of Ethics: 5. Fully Inform and Advise.
- SPJ Code of Ethics: Seek Truth and Report It
Codes of ethics, continued
- Credo for Ethical Communication: “We advocate truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, and reason…” (one of nine unnumbered principles)
Heat map
Opener (page 343): Low
Key terms (pages 344 and 345): Low
Look at the evidence (page 349): Low
Look at the evidence (page 350): Low
Key idea (pages 351 and 352): Low
Sort the evidence (page 353): Low
Practice (page 354): Low
Your task (pages 355 and 356): Low
Your draft (page 357): Low
Check your work (pages 358 and 359): Low
Try it at your school
Find one line in your school’s budget.
- With a teacher or advisor, find your district’s budget on its website
- Label the document’s year and stage
- Find one line connected to something you use (facilities, arts, technology)
- Ask your student council how students can submit a budget question or comment
Try it at your school, continued
Who to ask: Student council advisor, school business office, school board clerk, principal
Safety: Get permission before photographing spaces or people at school. Stick to observed facts when posting about budgets.
Sources
- ABC, “About Abbott Elementary,” No date listed
- National Center for Education Statistics, “Revenue sources for public schools by state, 2022–23 (Digest table 235.20),” No date listed
Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?
The district’s proposed budget is $48 million, the school theater curtain won’t close, and Dec wants to ask the school board about it.
On your ownRead What happened and underline the three dollar amounts. About 4 minutes.
Your role: You’re the one who works out the per-student number before anyone repeats the post. New skill: Compare numbers on the same scale.
What happened
The curtain in the school theater is torn, and it no longer closes all the way. Dec, 17, pulls that curtain at every show. He and Anika, 16, are on the theater crew. The facilities office gave the theater advisor a quote to replace the curtain: $6,800.
Mari, 19, is helping them prepare a question for the school board. They find the district’s proposed budget for next school year. The total is $48 million for a projected 3,200 students. One line sets aside $310,000 for building repairs at all schools. A note says the figures may change before the board adopts the budget.
On Tuesday at 6:10 p.m., a post starts going around. It compares the district’s $48 million with another district, Westbrook, at $21,000 per student. “And they can’t fix ONE curtain??” it asks. Dec has a photo of the torn curtain. He wants to be the one who asks the board about it.
Your question: What can the $48 million total tell Dec about the curtain, and what should he ask the school board?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 3 minutes.
Revenue Revenue is money that comes into a government or an organization, such as taxes and grants.
En español: ingresos
In this case: NCES reports that public schools get revenue from federal, state and local sources. That national data cannot show what Dec’s district spends on a curtain.
Expenditure An expenditure is money that a government or an organization spends.
En español: gasto
In this case: The $48 million is a proposed plan for next school year. It lists planned expenditures, but none of that money has been spent yet.
Per-pupil amount A per-pupil amount is a total divided by the number of students, so that districts of different sizes can be compared.
En español: monto por estudiante
In this case: $48,000,000 ÷ 3,200 students = $15,000 per student. Westbrook’s $21,000 is already per student, but its year and stage are unknown.
Who is involved
Mari
Helping the theater crew with a budget question
“Forty-eight million dollars, and the curtain still won’t close. Ay, bendito. Before we get mad at the big number, which line is supposed to fix it?”
Dec
Pulls the curtain at every show
“I pull that curtain every show. It doesn’t close all the way anymore. That part I can show you.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, why do you think the theater curtain is still not fixed?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
Reading passage
Reading a budget before reacting to it
On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.
Words to know
- Revenue: Revenue is money that comes into a government or an organization, such as taxes and grants.
- Expenditure: An expenditure is money that a government or an organization spends.
- Per-pupil amount: A per-pupil amount is a total divided by the number of students, so that districts of different sizes can be compared.
- Proposal: A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet.
- Decision-maker: A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.
The story: Where is the money going?
Dec, 17, a senior on the theater crew, pulls the stage curtain at every show. It is torn and no longer closes all the way. The facilities office has already priced a flame-retardant replacement, removal and installation included, at $6,800. Dec has a photo of the tear. He wants to take the problem to the school board, and he wants to be the one who asks.
Mari, 19, is helping him and Anika, 16, prepare. The district’s proposed budget for next school year is posted online. The headline figure is $48,000,000, with projected enrollment of 3,200 students. A facilities line provides $310,000 for building repairs across all schools. A note warns that the figures are proposed and may change before adoption.
On Tuesday at 6:10 p.m., a post begins circulating. It sets the district’s $48 million beside Westbrook’s $21,000 per student and asks why the district cannot fix one curtain. The post has the emotional logic of a good question. It also has the arithmetic of a bad one. Mari’s instinct is to ask where the numbers are from.
Your role is to work out the per-student number before anyone repeats the post.
Stop and think. The post “has the emotional logic of a good question.” What makes it feel convincing?
Putting numbers on the same scale
Budget numbers carry three labels that must match before a comparison means anything: year, stage and unit. The post mismatches all three. It pairs a proposed district total for next year with a per-student figure of unknown year and stage.
A per-pupil amount is a total divided by the number of students, so that districts of different sizes can be compared. The new skill in this case is comparing numbers on the same scale. It extends Lesson 11’s habit of comparing like with like. Dividing $48,000,000 by 3,200 gives $15,000 per student. The recalculation changes the post’s implied story, but it does not settle it. Westbrook’s year and stage are still unknown, and a per-pupil figure cannot show whether either district’s funding matches its students’ needs.
The vocabulary of public finance keeps other distinctions straight. Revenue is money that comes into a government or an organization, such as taxes and grants. An expenditure is money that a government or an organization spends. This document is a proposal, the Lesson 4 term for a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet. A proposed budget, the adopted budget and actual spending are three different records.
The crew’s method draws on earlier cases. Mari reads the budget line by line, the skill from Lesson 5, looking for the line that could plausibly cover a stage curtain. She is not sure a curtain counts as a building repair, and she wants to find out. Dec follows Lesson 13’s rule of keeping a claim as small as the evidence. His photo proves the tear and nothing about where money went, so he brings the photo, the quote and a question rather than an accusation. Lesson 4’s decision-maker, the person or group with the power to make a particular choice, points to the school board, which adopts the budget within state and federal rules. His question should name one budget line, one need and the board’s next chance to hear requests.
Stop and think. Why can’t a per-pupil figure show whether a district has enough money?
Funding, spending and outcomes
National data give context but not local answers. NCES reports that public-school revenue comes from federal, state and local sources, with a mix that varies by state (NCES, May 2024). Its state-by-state table for 2022–23 includes per-pupil amounts (NCES Digest table 235.20, March 2026). Reliance on local property taxes produces large differences between districts (NPR, April 18, 2016).
Budgets also change over time. When temporary federal pandemic relief ran out, districts faced what reporters called a funding cliff (Chalkbeat, September 13, 2023). In 2026, many districts made cuts and layoffs tied to inflation and enrollment declines (Chalkbeat, May 28, 2026). Spending levels matter for students.
Funding, spending and outcomes, continued
A major study of school finance reforms found that more per-pupil spending raised graduation rates and adult earnings, especially for low-income students (Jackson, Johnson and Persico, Quarterly Journal of Economics, October 1, 2015).
The SPJ code offers a rule for anyone writing about budgets: “Provide context. Take special care not to misrepresent or oversimplify in promoting, previewing or summarizing a story” (SPJ Code of Ethics, September 6, 2014). The viral post fails that test, and Dec’s question passes it.
Stop and think. What would Dec need to know to show that the curtain belongs in the building repairs line?
Sources
Real sourceNational Center for Education StatisticsMay 2024
Public School Revenue Sources (Condition of Education)
Real sourceNational Center for Education StatisticsMarch 2026
Revenue sources for public schools by state, 2022–23 (Digest table 235.20)
Real sourceNPRApril 18, 2016
Why America's Schools Have A Money Problem
Real sourceChalkbeatSeptember 13, 2023
Schools face a funding cliff. How bad will the fall be?
Real sourceChalkbeatMay 28, 2026
A financial reckoning is hitting America’s public schools
Real sourceThe Quarterly Journal of Economics (Jackson, Johnson & Persico)October 1, 2015
The Effects of School Spending on Educational and Economic Outcomes: Evidence from School Finance Reforms
Real sourceSociety of Professional Journalists (SPJ)2014
SPJ Code of Ethics
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document and write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 6 minutes.
Evidence ABudget excerpt
The proposed budget for next school year
PROPOSED BUDGET, NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. Total proposed budget: $48,000,000. Projected enrollment: 3,200 students. Facilities, building repairs (all schools): $310,000. Note: figures are proposed and may change before the board adopts the budget.
Look closely: Circle the year, the stage and the unit for each number.
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence BSocial media post
A post shared Tuesday at 6:10 p.m.
Our district: $48 MILLION. Westbrook: $21,000 per student. And they can’t fix ONE curtain?? Where is the money going?
Look closely: Which number is a total, and which is per student?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
Evidence CRepair quote
The facilities quote for a new curtain
Stage curtain replacement, main auditorium: remove the torn curtain, supply and install a flame-retardant replacement. Total: $6,800.
Look closely: What does the quote confirm, and who received it?
What it shows
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: per-pupil amounts
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 8 minutes.
Before you compare two budget numbers, check three labels: the year, the stage and the unit. An expenditure is money that a government or an organization spends. A proposed budget is a plan for expenditures. An adopted budget is the plan the board approves. Actual spending is what the district really spent. The $48 million is a proposed total for the whole district. The Westbrook figure is an amount per student.
A per-pupil amount is a total divided by the number of students, so that districts of different sizes can be compared. Dec’s district proposes $48,000,000 for a projected 3,200 students. That works out to $15,000 per student. The comparison is still not complete, because Westbrook’s budget year and stage are unknown. A per-pupil figure also cannot show whether either district has enough for its students’ needs.
Revenue is money that comes into a government or an organization, such as taxes and grants. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that public schools get revenue from federal, state and local sources. The mix differs from state to state. National data like this gives context, but it cannot say what one district spends on a curtain. In most states, an elected local school board adopts the budget within state and federal rules. That is why Dec’s question should name one budget line, one need and the board’s next chance to hear requests.
Professional standards
Real sourceAmerican Society for Public Administration (ASPA)
ASPA Code of Ethics: 5. Fully Inform and Advise
“Provide accurate, honest, comprehensive, and timely information and advice to elected and appointed officials and governing board members”
In plain words: ASPA members agree to give decision-makers, such as school board members, accurate and complete information.
Question: The $6,800 curtain quote went to the theater advisor. What should the board see to rank that repair?
Professional standards, continued
Your answer
The board needs ___. Then it can ___.
In the news
Real sourceNPRApril 18, 2016
Why America's Schools Have A Money Problem
Explains how local property taxes make school budgets very different from one district to the next.
Real sourceChalkbeatMay 28, 2026
A financial reckoning is hitting America’s public schools
Big districts are making cuts, showing how a huge budget can still leave little for extras like a stage curtain.
Notes
Sort the evidence
On your ownTrace the curtain request from the photo to the vote and fill in each box. About 5 minutes.
Trace the curtain request from the photo to the vote. Who ranks it, who adopts the budget, which rules limit them, and where can students speak?
Fund the $6,800 curtain replacement next year
The elected local school board, which adopts the budget
The facilities office, which ranks repair requests (how is still unknown)
State and federal rules and funding streams set limits on district budgets
Proposed building-repairs line: $310,000 for all schools
Whose perspective is missing?
Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?
The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what the crew should do first, explain why and fix the two marked phrases. About 5 minutes.
A post compares the district’s $48 million total with Westbrook’s $21,000 per student. Someone reposts it and adds “we get way less.” What should the crew do first?
A Share it. Both figures are in dollars, and the curtain really is torn.
B Check that both figures use the same year, budget stage and units before comparing them.
C Divide $48 million by 3,200 students, and post that the district is underfunded.
Why I chose it
Improve a draft
A student’s first draft
Our district has a 1 $48 million budget but our theater curtain is ripped and gross. That’s so much money and they can’t even fix one curtain? It has been like this since before any of us joined the crew and it keeps getting worse every show. Where is all the money going? Other districts get way more. I saw a post that said so. We deserve better and 2 the board needs to explain themselves. We are honestly tired of waiting for this.
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
AP Lang
Your task
On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Write a synthesis argument: what should students bring to a school board budget hearing?
- Read the sources: Evidence A, the NCES summary, the curtain photo and Mari’s lines.
- Write a qualified thesis about what students should bring to a budget hearing.
- Note what each source can prove and what it cannot.
- Draft your thesis paragraph and your paragraph on the photo on the Your draft page.
- Finish the essay, about 550 words in 40 minutes, on lined paper or in the online workspace.
- Revise one paragraph so its commentary explains how the photo works on a board audience.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Thesis with a qualifier
Your task, continued
What each source can and cannot prove
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 40 minutes.
Thesis paragraph
Paragraph on the photo
Check your work
On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 6 minutes.
Is your thesis defensible and qualified?
YesNoDo you bring in at least three sources with commentary?
YesNoDo you use the photo accurately?
YesNoDo you explain what each source can and cannot prove?
YesNo
How your work is scored
Mark one box in each row.
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | Uses an unlabeled total. | Uses a figure without year or stage. | Labels year, stage and line and cites the need. | Adds a repair quote and notes what the figures can’t show. |
| Reasoning | Assumes waste or theft. | Compares mismatched numbers. | Links the need to a specific budget line. | Explains process questions: ranking, timing, decision |
| Audience & purpose | Accuses the board. | Complains without a request. | Asks a question the board can answer. | Asks a question and offers a concrete way for students to contribute. |
How your work is scored, continued
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revision | No change. | Removes insults only. | Adds labels and a specific line. | Explains how each change makes an answer more likely. |
How my revised commentary works on the board
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames. About 6 minutes.
1 What could make spending rise without the service getting better?
2 Dec wants to ask the board himself. Why might it matter who brings the question?
3 What else would you want to know before saying one district gets less than another?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
The limit of the evidence is ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
Talk about this case at home
Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?
In this case, a group of friends reads a school district budget to find out why a torn theater curtain has not been fixed. Your student checked what the numbers mean and wrote a clear question for the school board.
Questions to talk about
- Where do you think a school’s money comes from?
- Why can it be misleading to compare a total with an amount per person?
- Who would you ask if something at school needed fixing?
Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.
See the case online.
Lesson 19Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?
Overview
Students read a short story in which Gia wants to speak against a proposal to close the park’s lighted courts at 8 p.m. They read the parks committee agenda, the comment instructions and a nearby resident’s comment. They find the item, the deciding body, the deadline and the time limit. They then cut Gia’s three-page draft into a timed comment that makes one specific request.
Before this case
Students should already be able to:
- identify a rhetorical choice and its effect
- write a defensible thesis about a text
- embed a quotation with commentary
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- explain how a time limit and a formal setting shape effective rhetoric
- analyze specific choices in an unfocused comment and a focused one
- apply the analysis in a 90-second comment of their own
- cut their comment by about a fifth and explain how the cut helps
Materials
- This chapter, one copy per student
Materials, continued
- Two sample comments: Gia’s first draft from the practice page and its revision from the answer key
- A comparison chart and commentary stems
The task in this edition
Task: Analyze how two sample comments to the committee use rhetorical choices, then write your own.
Students make: Analysis (about 350 words) plus a 90-second comment
Pacing
Opener (page 363): 3 min. Short on time: 2 min. Read the summary line aloud and go straight to the evidence.
Key terms (pages 364 and 365): 3 min. Short on time: skip.
Look at the evidence (page 369): 5 min. Short on time: 3 min. Students read Evidence A and B and fill in only the What it shows boxes.
Look at the evidence (page 370): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Students read Evidence C and D and fill in only the What it leaves out boxes.
Key idea (pages 371 and 372): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Sort the evidence (page 373): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Pacing, continued
Practice (page 374): 6 min. Short on time: 4 min. Students read the marked draft only. It is the first sample comment.
Your task (pages 375 and 376): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.
Your draft (pages 377 and 378): 22 min. Short on time: 22 min.
Check your work (pages 379 and 380): 6 min. Short on time: 4 min. Students answer the Check your work questions only.
Questions to discuss (pages 381 and 382): 6 min. Short on time: 2 min. Use question 2 as an exit ticket.
Talk about this case at home (page 383): at home.
Periods: full chapter 75 minutes; one period 50 minutes.
Standards
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. In this case: Students tailor a comment to committee members with limited time.
Lesson 19Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 19 plan, continued
Standards, continued
Reasoning and Organization (REO) A big idea of the course: writers guide readers through their reasoning by how they organize a text and bring in evidence. In this case: Students order the comment: item, observation, reason, request.
Style (STL) A big idea of the course: writers choose words, sentences and tone to suit their rhetorical situation. In this case: Students revise for concision and plain, respectful language.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.
W.11-12.1 Write arguments that analyze substantial topics or texts, using valid reasoning and enough relevant evidence.
W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.
Codes of ethics
- ASPA Code of Ethics: 3. Promote democratic participation.
- Credo for Ethical Communication: “We endorse freedom of expression, diversity of perspective, and acknowledgement of dissent…” (one of nine unnumbered principles)
- SPJ Code of Ethics: Minimize Harm
Heat map
Opener (page 363): Low
Key terms (pages 364 and 365): Low
Look at the evidence (page 369): Low
Look at the evidence (page 370): Low
Key idea (pages 371 and 372): Low
Sort the evidence (page 373): Medium
Practice (page 374): Medium
Your task (pages 375 and 376): Low
Your draft (pages 377 and 378): Low
Check your work (pages 379 and 380): Low
Try it at your school
Find your next local agenda.
- With a trusted adult, find the website for your city council, school board or parks board
Try it at your school, continued
- Open the next meeting agenda and find one item that affects you
- Read the public-comment instructions: sign-up, time limit, written option
- Draft a practice comment and decide with your adult whether to submit it
Who to ask: Clerk of the council or school board, a civics teacher, a student representative to the board if your district has one
Safety: Public comments and names may be published. Leave out addresses, phone numbers and anyone else’s private story. Attend meetings with a trusted adult.
Sources
- Peacock, “Parks and Recreation,” No date listed
- Seattle City Council, “Public Comment,” No date listed
Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?
Gia has two minutes to speak to the parks committee about the court lights, but her draft is three pages long.
On your ownRead What happened and underline the sentence that says what item 4 proposes. About 3 minutes.
Your role: You’re the one holding the timer and listening for the request. New skill: Fit a request to the body’s remit and time limit.
What happened
It is Tuesday, 5:40 p.m. The parks committee meets at 6. Item 4 on its agenda is a proposal to turn off the park’s court lights at 8 p.m. The reason given is complaints about evening noise from nearby residents.
Gia, 21, wants to speak against item 4. It is her first time speaking at a public meeting. Each speaker gets two minutes. On Monday night, Gia wrote a three-page draft. When she reads page one out loud, it takes two minutes and forty seconds.
Mateo, 22, is timing her from a bench. He follows every word, but he cannot tell what she wants the committee to do. The draft also mentions a friend’s private situation, and page two is about the bus. Everything Gia says will become part of the public record, along with her name.
Your question: What should Gia keep in her two-minute comment, and what should she cut?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 3 minutes.
Agenda item An agenda item is one topic listed on a meeting’s official schedule of business.
En español: punto del orden del día
In this case: Item 4, “Evening court hours,” proposes turning off the court lights at 8:00 p.m. Its action is a committee recommendation to the full council.
Remit A remit is the set of matters that a committee or other body is responsible for and can act on.
En español: competencia
In this case: The parks committee can recommend court hours. It cannot change bus routes, so page two of Gia’s draft belongs with a different body.
Public record A public record is information a government keeps that anyone can ask to see, such as meeting comments.
En español: registro público
In this case: Comments and speakers’ names become part of the public record. That is why Gia leaves her friend’s private situation out of her comment.
Who is involved
Gia
Speaking at a public meeting for the first time
“I timed page one out loud. Two minutes forty. There are three pages.”
Mateo
Timing Gia’s practice run from a bench
“I followed all of it. I still couldn’t tell you what she wants them to do.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, what do you think Gia should say in her two minutes?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
Reading passage
Two minutes, one ask
On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.
Words to know
- Agenda item: An agenda item is one topic listed on a meeting’s official schedule of business.
- Remit: A remit is the set of matters that a committee or other body is responsible for and can act on.
- Public record: A public record is information a government keeps that anyone can ask to see, such as meeting comments.
- Proposal: A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet.
- Decision-maker: A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.
The story: The first time at the microphone
Gia, 21, has spent her life in Fort Greene, and the park is part of her week. On Tuesday, the parks committee meets at 6 p.m. Item 4 on its agenda proposes turning off the court lights and closing the lighted courts at 8 p.m., citing complaints about evening noise from nearby residents. The agenda lists the action as a committee recommendation to the full council. Gia wants to speak against it. She has never spoken at a public meeting before.
The rules give her two minutes. Speakers sign up by 5 p.m., written comments may be submitted in advance and comments and names become part of the public record. At 5:40, Gia reads her draft aloud on a bench while Mateo, 22, times her. The draft runs three pages, and page one alone takes two minutes and forty seconds. It also contains a friend’s private situation and a page about the bus.
Mateo’s feedback is precise without being a rewrite. He followed every word and still cannot say what she wants the committee to do. His question is the most useful editing tool in the case. If the committee remembers one sentence, what is it? That sentence goes first.
Your role is to hold the timer and listen for the request.
Stop and think. Why does Mateo’s one-sentence question work better than line edits?
Matching a request to a body
An agenda item is one topic listed on a meeting’s official schedule of business. A remit is the set of matters that a committee or other body is responsible for and can act on. The two concepts define what Gia can usefully ask. Item 4 concerns lighting and closing time. The committee’s remit includes recommending court hours. It does not include buses. Her draft’s central plea, “Please don’t close the park,” misstates the item, since no one has proposed closing the park.
The new skill is fitting a request to the body’s remit and time limit, and it assembles earlier skills. Lesson 4 introduced the proposal, a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet, and the decision-maker, the person or group with the power to make a particular choice. Here the chain has two links. The committee recommends, and the full council decides. Lesson 10 taught you to route a problem to the office responsible, which is why the bus page belongs with a transit office rather than this committee.
A strong two-minute comment does four jobs. It names the agenda item, reports an observation, explains why it matters and makes one request. Gia’s revised comment does exactly that. It names item 4. It reports that she counted twenty or thirty people on the courts between 8 and 9. It notes that many of them work late. And it asks for lights until 9 on weekdays this summer. The request also engages the resident who wrote that late noise carries into their apartment and that their kids have school in the morning. Asking for 9 rather than no change gives the committee a middle path that answers both concerns in part.
The final cut is ethical. A public record is information a government keeps that anyone can ask to see, such as meeting comments. Everything Gia says will be attached to her name and kept. Her friend’s situation belongs to her friend, so it comes out.
Stop and think. How does asking for 9 p.m. instead of no change affect the committee’s choices?
Research and real practice
Rules differ by body. Seattle City Council accepts spoken comment in person or by phone and written comment by email, with up to two minutes per speaker (Seattle City Council, no date listed). That is one city’s process, not a rule for every council. Research raises a harder question about who shows up. A study of meeting minutes found that local commenters often do not reflect the whole community (Einstein, Palmer and Glick, Perspectives on Politics, October 14, 2018). Other peer-reviewed work examines whether and how public comment connects to policy outcomes (Sahn, American Journal of Political Science, August 31, 2024).
Young people are using the process well. Philadelphia students testified at board meetings about school closures, drawing on district data (Chalkbeat Philadelphia, April 3, 2026).
Research and real practice, continued
Journalists hold a related privacy standard. The SPJ code says “private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than public figures” (SPJ Code of Ethics, September 6, 2014). Gia applies that principle to her friend.
Stop and think. The research shows commenters often do not reflect the whole community. What does that suggest about who should speak?
Sources
Real sourceSeattle City CouncilNo date listed
Public Comment
Real sourcePerspectives on Politics (Einstein, Palmer & Glick)October 14, 2018
Who Participates in Local Government? Evidence from Meeting Minutes
Real sourceAmerican Journal of Political Science (Sahn)August 31, 2024
Public comment and public policy
Real sourceChalkbeat PhiladelphiaApril 3, 2026
‘Not what democracy is all about’: Philly students slam school leaders’ approach to school closures
Real sourceSociety of Professional Journalists (SPJ)2014
SPJ Code of Ethics
Notes
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document and write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 5 minutes.
Evidence AMeeting agenda
Item 4 on the parks committee agenda
Item 4. Evening court hours. Proposal to turn off the court lights and close the lighted courts at 8:00 p.m. Background: complaints about evening noise from nearby residents. Action: committee recommendation to the full council.
Look closely: Circle the item number, the proposed time and the action.
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence BComment rules
How to comment at the meeting
Sign up to speak by 5:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Each speaker has 2 minutes. Written comments may be submitted before the meeting. Comments and speakers’ names become part of the public record.
Look closely: Underline the deadline, the time limit and what becomes public.
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
Evidence CDraft
Gia’s three-page draft (excerpt)
“The park is really important to everyone and closing it is a terrible idea. I go there all the time with my friends… You guys never listen to young people. Please don’t close the park.”
Look closely: Find the request. Does it match what item 4 proposes?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence DWritten comment
A comment from a nearby resident
The courts are good for the neighborhood, but the noise late in the evening carries into our apartment. We have kids with school in the morning.
Look closely: What does this resident like, and what is the problem?
What it shows
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Key idea: remit
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.
A remit is the set of matters that a committee or other body is responsible for and can act on. The parks committee can make a recommendation about court hours. It cannot change bus routes. That is why Gia’s comment should ask for something the parks committee can do.
An agenda item is one topic listed on a meeting’s official schedule of business. Each committee, council or board sets its own rules for who can speak, when and for how long. Seattle City Council is one real example. Its public comment page describes speaking in person or by phone and signing up before the meeting. Each speaker gets up to two minutes, and written comments can be sent by email.
A short comment can do four jobs. It names the agenda item, shares something the speaker observed, says why it matters and ends with a clear request. Before adding personal details, check whether comments become public. A public record is information a government keeps that anyone can ask to see, such as meeting comments. At Gia’s meeting, comments and speakers’ names become part of the public record.
Professional standards
Real sourceAmerican Society for Public Administration (ASPA)
ASPA Code of Ethics: 3. Promote democratic participation
“Inform the public and encourage active engagement in governance. Be open, transparent and responsive, and respect and assist all persons in their dealings with public organizations.”
In plain words: ASPA's code asks people in public service to make it easy for every affected person to take part in decisions.
Question: The instructions allow written comments in advance. How does that help court users who cannot come at 6 p.m.?
Your answer
Written comments ___, but ___.
In the news
Real sourceChalkbeat PhiladelphiaApril 3, 2026
‘Not what democracy is all about’: Philly students slam school leaders’ approach to school closures
Students testified at board meetings and used district data, real public comment with a clear destination.
Real sourceChalkbeat NewarkNovember 26, 2025
How a Newark student coalition is using its own research to press for change in schools
Teens brought evidence and specific requests to their school board, the formula this case teaches.
Notes
Sort the evidence
On your ownFollow a comment from the speaker to the final decision and fill in each box. About 4 minutes.
Follow a comment from the speaker to the final decision. Which body hears it, which body decides, and whose concerns reach the room?
Turn off the court lights at 8 p.m.?
Full council: takes the final action
Whose perspective is missing?
Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?
The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose the best opening sentence, explain why and fix the two marked phrases. About 6 minutes.
Gia has two minutes on item 4. Which opening sentence gives the committee the most to work with?
A “The park is really important to everyone, and closing it is a terrible idea.”
B “Good evening. I’m Gia, and I’m commenting on item 4, the proposal to turn off the court lights at 8 p.m.”
C “You guys never listen to young people, so I hope tonight is different.”
Why I chose it
Improve a draft
A student’s first draft
Hi, my name is Gia and I have lived in this neighborhood my whole life. The park is really important to everyone and closing it is a terrible idea. I go there all the time with my friends and it’s one of the only free things to do around here. My friend works late and this is the only time she can play and 1 she’s been going through a lot at home. You guys never listen to young people. 2 Please don’t close the park.
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
AP Lang
Your task
On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 10 minutes.
Analyze how two sample comments to the committee use rhetorical choices, then write your own.
- Read the two sample comments. Fill in the comparison chart for each one.
- Note how the two-minute limit and the formal setting shape each comment.
- Write a thesis about how these constraints shape effective choices.
- Draft your thesis and first body paragraph, about 350 words in all, on the Your draft page.
- Write your own 90-second comment on item 4 that applies your analysis.
- Ask a peer to time it. Cut about a fifth, then explain the cut in one sentence.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Comment 1: choices and effect
Your task, continued
Comment 2: choices and effect
Thesis
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 22 minutes.
Your analysis: thesis and first body paragraph
Your 90-second comment on item 4
Your draft, continued
Your 90-second comment on item 4, continued
Notes
Check your work
On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 6 minutes.
Does your thesis explain how the time limit and setting shape choices?
YesNoDo you analyze specific choices in both comments?
YesNoDoes your own comment apply your analysis?
YesNoDid you cut about a fifth and explain the cut?
YesNo
How your work is scored
Mark one box in each row.
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | No facts. | General claim about importance. | One specific observation tied to the item. | Observation plus acknowledgment of another perspective. |
| Reasoning | Attacks the body. | States a feeling only. | Explains why the change matters. | Weighs the concern and offers a middle path. |
| Audience & purpose | Wrong body or no request. | Request is vague. | Names the item and a specific request. | Request fits the body’s remit and includes a follow-up. |
| Revision | No change. | Shortens only. | Removes private details and adds a request. | Explains each cut in terms of time, privacy and purpose. |
Check your work, continued
The cut that strengthened my line of reasoning
I cut ___, which ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames. About 6 minutes.
1 The parks committee cannot fix the bus problem. Who should get that question instead?
2 How could Gia’s comment respond to the resident’s concern about noise?
3 What does Gia get from speaking, even if the committee recommends turning off the lights?
4 Court users who work late may miss a 6 p.m. meeting. How could their views reach the committee?
My take
My claim: ___.
My take, continued
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
The limit of the evidence is ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
Talk about this case at home
Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?
In this case, Gia gets two minutes at a parks committee meeting to speak about a plan to turn off the court lights. Your student helped cut her three-page draft into a short comment with one clear request.
Questions to talk about
- Who makes decisions about parks and other public spaces in a town or city?
- What makes a short request easy for a listener to remember?
- Why might someone leave a friend’s story out of a public comment?
Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.
See the case online.
Lesson 20Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?
Content note
The real sources include AI-generated images from disasters such as Hurricane Helene. Preview them, and do not share images of real people in distress, even to debunk them.
Overview
Students read a short story in which a realistic image captioned “Courtyard flooded today, stay away” spreads through a campus group chat. They compare the image, Sami’s zoom-in, a secondhand reply, a detector score and the campus alerts page with NIST’s overview of detection. They then write the verification note Jordy posts instead of the image.
Before this case
Students should already be able to:
- describe a rhetorical situation
- identify an imperative and its effect
- embed a quotation with commentary
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- explain how urgency and an imperative in a viral caption discourage checking
- analyze specific word choices in the caption
- write a verification note that keeps urgency without overclaiming
Objectives, continued
- revise the note after a peer marks overconfident words
Materials
- This chapter, one copy per student
- Two reposts of the courtyard image with added comments, written by you
- A rhetorical situation grid and commentary stems on urgency and imperatives
The task in this edition
Task: Analyze how the viral caption persuades, then write a verification note that uses the same brevity honestly.
Students make: Analysis (about 400 words) plus note
Pacing
Opener (page 384): 3 min. Short on time: 2 min. Read the summary line aloud and go straight to the evidence.
Key terms (pages 385 and 386): 3 min. Short on time: skip.
Look at the evidence (page 390): 5 min. Short on time: 4 min. Students fill in only the What it shows boxes.
Look at the evidence (page 391): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Students fill in only the What it leaves out boxes.
Pacing, continued
Key idea (pages 392 and 393): 6 min. Short on time: skip.
Sort the evidence (page 394): 4 min. Short on time: skip.
Practice (page 395): 6 min. Short on time: 3 min. Vote on the three options and skip the marked draft.
Your task (pages 396 and 397): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.
Your draft (page 398): 22 min. Short on time: 22 min.
Check your work (pages 399 and 400): 6 min. Short on time: 4 min. Students answer the Check your work questions only.
Questions to discuss (pages 401 and 402): 6 min. Short on time: 2 min. Use question 2 as an exit ticket.
Talk about this case at home (page 403): at home.
Periods: full chapter 75 minutes; one period 50 minutes.
Standards
Claims and Evidence (CLE) A big idea of the course: writers make claims, support them with evidence and often answer opposing arguments. In this case: Students match the confidence of a claim to the evidence behind it.
Lesson 20Case planAP Lang educator edition
Lesson 20 plan, continued
Standards, continued
Rhetorical Situation (RHS) A big idea of the course: writers make choices based on their situation, including their purpose, audience and occasion. In this case: Students write for followers who want a quick answer.
Style (STL) A big idea of the course: writers choose words, sentences and tone to suit their rhetorical situation. In this case: Students choose precise hedging (“we can’t confirm”) without sounding evasive.
RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.
W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.
W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.
SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.
SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.
Codes of ethics
- RTDNA Code of Ethics: Truth and accuracy above all
Codes of ethics, continued
- SPJ Code of Ethics: Seek Truth and Report It
- PRSA Code of Ethics: Disclosure of Information
Heat map
Opener (page 384): Low
Key terms (pages 385 and 386): Low
Look at the evidence (page 390): Low
Look at the evidence (page 391): Low
Key idea (pages 392 and 393): Low
Sort the evidence (page 394): Low
Practice (page 395): Low
Your task (pages 396 and 397): Low
Your draft (page 398): Low
Check your work (pages 399 and 400): Low
Try it at your school
Pause before you share an image as news.
- Find where the image first appeared before reposting
- Check an official or independent source for the event
- If you can’t confirm it, say so or don’t share it
- Suggest a “check before posting” rule for a club account you help run
Try it at your school, continued
Who to ask: School librarian or media specialist, journalism advisor, campus communications office
Safety: Don’t download or share images of real people that could embarrass or harm them, even to debunk them. Report harmful fakes to a trusted adult and the platform.
Sources
- UC Berkeley School of Information, “Hany Farid breaks down the viral Helene image,” October 4, 2024
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), “Reducing Risks Posed by Synthetic Content: An Overview of Technical Approaches to Digital Content Transparency,” No date listed
Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?
A realistic image says the campus courtyard flooded today, and Jordy must decide what the six o’clock recap can say about it.
On your ownRead What happened and underline the caption’s claim. About 3 minutes.
Your role: You’re the one who writes the verification note Jordy posts at six. New skill: Confirm an image with independent sources.
What happened
It is Wednesday, 3:10 p.m. For twenty minutes, an image has been going around the group chat. It looks like a photo of the campus courtyard, with water over the paving and benches. The caption says, “Courtyard flooded today, stay away.” It showed up at 2:48 p.m. with no link, no date and no name.
Jordy is putting together the crew’s recap, which goes out at six. Sami has zoomed in on a hand in the picture, and the fingers seem to merge at the knuckles. Someone ran the image through a free online detector. It reported “12% likely AI-generated.”
A reply in the chat says the writer’s roommate’s friend saw water near the library. Jordy checks the campus facilities alerts page. It shows no active alerts, but its last update was Monday morning.
Your question: Did the courtyard flood today, and what should the recap say about the image?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 3 minutes.
Provenance Provenance is information about where an image or a document came from and how it has been handled.
En español: procedencia
In this case: The courtyard image arrived at 2:48 p.m. with no link, no date and no named poster. Its provenance is unknown.
Corroboration Corroboration is support for a claim from an independent source.
En español: corroboración
In this case: A campus alert or someone’s dated photo of the courtyard could corroborate the flood. A roommate’s friend’s report of water near the library cannot.
Verification note A verification note is a short record of what you checked, what you found and what is still unknown.
En español: nota de verificación
In this case: Instead of posting the image, the recap says what the crew checked, what it found and what is still unknown.
Who is involved
Sami
Checking where the image came from
“Everyone’s zooming in on the hand. I did too, and it’s weird. But I still don’t know who posted this.”
Jordy
Putting the six o’clock recap together
“The recap goes out at six. Right now I have an image with no source, a strange hand and an alerts page that hasn’t updated since Monday.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, do you think the courtyard flooded today?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
Reading passage
When the honest answer is unverified
On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.
Words to know
- Provenance: Provenance is information about where an image or a document came from and how it has been handled.
- Corroboration: Corroboration is support for a claim from an independent source.
- Verification note: A verification note is a short record of what you checked, what you found and what is still unknown.
- Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
- Holding statement: A holding statement is a short update that says what is known, what is still being checked and when people will hear more.
- Correction: A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information.
The story: A deadline and a picture
The crew’s casebook began with a seven-second clip in a group chat. It ends with a single image. At 2:48 p.m. on a Wednesday, a photo-like picture of the campus courtyard appears in the chat, showing water over the paving and benches. Its caption reads, “Courtyard flooded today, stay away.” It arrives with no link, no date on the image and no original poster named. A person in the foreground holds up a phone.
Jordy, who edits the crew’s films and checks every cut before calling it finished, is assembling the six o’clock recap. Within twenty minutes, four pieces of evidence have arrived, and each points somewhere different. Sami posts a zoomed screenshot at 3:02 showing a foreground hand whose fingers seem to merge at the knuckles. A free online detector reports “12% likely AI-generated.” A reply relays that the writer’s roommate’s friend saw water near the library. And at 3:10, Jordy checks the campus facilities alerts page: “No active alerts. Last update: Monday, 9:15 a.m.”
Sami, a design student who notices details for a living, is the first to step back from them. The hand is weird, she agrees, but the more important question is who posted the image first, and when. Jordy states the dilemma plainly. They wanted a clean yes or no, and they do not have one.
Your role is to write the verification note Jordy posts at six.
Stop and think. Why can a detector score answer the wrong question even if it is accurate?
Weighing evidence without overclaiming
Provenance is information about where an image or a document came from and how it has been handled. Checking provenance first is the Lesson 1 skill, finding the original source, applied to images. This image has none, so every other clue has to be weighed without an anchor.
Each clue has a specific weakness. The caption is a claim, a statement that something is true that can be checked with evidence. The hand is an anomaly, which justifies closer scrutiny and proves nothing, since generated images can look natural and real photos can look strange. The detector score is uninterpretable without knowing the tool’s error rates. Sami’s question, twelve percent of what, gets at that. It also answers a different question from the one that matters. Even a perfect detector could not say whether the courtyard flooded today. The secondhand report fails on two counts: it is not firsthand, and it concerns the library, not the courtyard.
Corroboration is support for a claim from an independent source. Lesson 9’s skill, checking the official source for your area, points to the alerts page, but its last update on Monday limits what its silence can mean. A dated photo from someone at the courtyard would be stronger.
The new skill is confirming an image with independent sources, and publishing only what was checked. Jordy rejects the middle path of posting the image with a question mark, because the image travels regardless of the punctuation. The recap instead carries a verification note, a short record of what you checked, what you found and what is still unknown. It is a descendant of Lesson 1’s holding statement, which says what is known, what is still being checked and when people will hear more. It also sets up Lesson 3’s obligation. If new evidence arrives, a correction or update appears where the note did. “Unverified” is sometimes the most accurate conclusion available.
Stop and think. Why does a question mark fail to stop an image from misleading people?
Detection, provenance and professional standards
NIST’s overview of synthetic content describes provenance data, labeling, watermarking and detection, and it explains the technical limits of each (NIST, November 20, 2024). Real incidents show why no single signal suffices. The Hurricane Helene image of a crying girl with a puppy had no traceable photographer or outlet, and forensics researcher Hany Farid identified internal inconsistencies (UC Berkeley School of Information, October 4, 2024). The News Literacy Project’s RumorGuard check on that image models a verification note, setting out what is known, what is not and why (RumorGuard, no date listed). In 2023, fake images of a Pentagon explosion were shared by verified accounts, showing that a trusted-looking sharer is not provenance (CNN, May 22, 2023).
Detection, provenance and professional standards, continued
Human perception is not a reliable safeguard. In a PNAS study, people could not reliably distinguish AI-synthesized faces from real ones (Nightingale and Farid, February 14, 2022).
Journalism codes frame Jordy’s choice as a duty. The RTDNA code says journalism “verifies, provides relevant context, tells the rest of the story and acknowledges the absence of important additional information” (RTDNA Code of Ethics, June 11, 2015). The SPJ code asks journalists to “identify sources clearly” (SPJ Code of Ethics, September 6, 2014).
Stop and think. Who could be harmed if the crew called a real photo fake?
Sources
Real sourceNational Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)November 20, 2024
Reducing Risks Posed by Synthetic Content: An Overview of Technical Approaches to Digital Content Transparency
Real sourceUC Berkeley School of InformationOctober 4, 2024
Hany Farid breaks down the viral Helene image
Real sourceRumorGuard (News Literacy Project)No date listed
Widely shared image of crying girl and puppy after Helene is AI generated
Real sourceCNNMay 22, 2023
‘Verified’ Twitter accounts share fake image of ‘explosion’ near Pentagon, causing confusion
Real sourcePNAS (Nightingale & Farid)February 14, 2022
AI-synthesized faces are indistinguishable from real faces and more trustworthy
Real sourceRadio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)2015
RTDNA Code of Ethics
Real sourceSociety of Professional Journalists (SPJ)2014
SPJ Code of Ethics
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document and write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 5 minutes.
Evidence AGroup-chat post
The courtyard image and its caption
Image, described: a photo-like view of the campus courtyard with water over the paving and benches. A person in the foreground holds up a phone. Caption: “Courtyard flooded today, stay away.” Shared Wednesday at 2:48 p.m. with no link, no date on the image and no original poster named.
Look closely: Underline what the caption claims. Circle what the post is missing.
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence BScreenshot
Sami’s zoom-in on the hand
Zoomed screenshot of the foreground hand: the fingers seem to merge at the knuckles. Sami posted it in the crew chat on Wednesday at 3:02 p.m.
Look closely: What does the odd hand tell you? What can it not tell you?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
Evidence CDetector result
A score from a free online detector
“12% likely AI-generated.”
Look closely: What did the tool measure? Does it say anything about the flood?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence DWeb page
The campus facilities alerts page, checked at 3:10 p.m.
“No active alerts. Last update: Monday, 9:15 a.m. Scheduled elevator maintenance in Science Hall, completed.”
Look closely: When was this page last updated? Compare that with the caption’s claim.
What it shows
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Key idea: provenance
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.
Provenance is information about where an image or a document came from and how it has been handled. Check it first when an image claims to show a news event. An image can look polished and still be generated, edited, old or shared with the wrong caption. The courtyard image arrived with no link, no date and no named poster, so its provenance is unknown.
A detail or a tool can give a clue, but it cannot settle the question. An odd-looking hand is a reason to look closer. A natural-looking hand does not prove that an image is real, either. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) describes several ways to track, label, watermark and detect synthetic content, such as AI-generated images. NIST explains that each approach has technical limits.
For a claim about a real event, look for the earliest post, its date and place, and corroboration. Corroboration is support for a claim from an independent source. Here, that could be a campus alert or someone’s dated photo of the courtyard. If you cannot confirm the claim, write a verification note. A verification note is a short record of what you checked, what you found and what is still unknown.
Professional standards
Real sourceRadio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)
RTDNA Code of Ethics: Truth and accuracy above all
“Journalism verifies, provides relevant context, tells the rest of the story and acknowledges the absence of important additional information.”
In plain words: The RTDNA code asks news staff to say what they checked and to admit what they still do not know.
Question: The facilities page shows no active alerts but was last updated Monday. What should Jordy's note say is still unknown?
Your answer
Still unknown: ___, because ___.
In the news
Real sourceNPRMay 22, 2023
Fake viral images of an explosion at the Pentagon were probably created by AI
A realistic fake image spread fast and briefly moved markets before officials confirmed nothing happened.
Real sourceCNNMay 22, 2023
‘Verified’ Twitter accounts share fake image of ‘explosion’ near Pentagon, causing confusion
A blue check was not proof: accounts that looked trustworthy still shared an image with no real source.
Notes
Sort the evidence
On your ownSort each piece of evidence under the claim it bears on and fill in each box. About 4 minutes.
Two claims are in play: the flood and the image. Sort each piece of evidence under the claim it actually bears on. What would settle either one?
| Evidence | Claim 1The courtyard flooded today. | Claim 2The image was generated by AI. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 The image shows water in a courtyard, with no date or source | Supports | Neither |
| 2 Facilities alerts page at 3:10 p.m.: no active alerts | Challenges | Neither |
| 3 Secondhand report of water near the library | Supports | Neither |
| 4 An odd hand and a 12% detector score | Neither | Leaves open |
Still open
- The image’s earliest source and date
Whose perspective is missing?
Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?
The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what Jordy should do, explain why and fix the two marked phrases. About 6 minutes.
The recap goes out at six. What should Jordy do about the courtyard image?
A Post the image with a question: “Is the courtyard flooded?”
B Say the image is fake, because the hand looks wrong.
C Leave the image out, report what the crew checked and say the flood is not confirmed.
Why I chose it
Improve a draft
A student’s first draft
Heads up everyone!! 1 The courtyard flooded today so don’t go over there. Some people are saying the picture is AI because the hand looks weird but I ran it through a detector and it said 12% AI so it’s basically real. My roommate also said her friend saw water near the library earlier, so that pretty much confirms it. Stay safe and 2 tell your friends, we don’t want anyone getting hurt or ruining their shoes lol. We’ll post more if we hear anything else about it.
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
AP Lang
Your task
On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 10 minutes.
Analyze how the viral caption persuades, then write a verification note that uses the same brevity honestly.
- Fill in the rhetorical situation grid for the caption: speaker, audience, purpose and context.
- Mark the imperative and the time word in the caption.
- Write a thesis on how the caption persuades readers to act before checking.
- Draft your thesis and first body paragraph on the Your draft page.
- Write a verification note that keeps urgency without overclaiming.
- Ask a peer to mark any overconfident word. Revise, and explain the change in one sentence.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Rhetorical situation
Word choices and their effect
Your task, continued
Thesis
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 22 minutes.
Your analysis: thesis and first body paragraph
Your verification note
Check your work
On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 6 minutes.
Does your thesis explain how the caption persuades?
YesNoDo you analyze specific word choices?
YesNoDoes your note keep urgency without overclaiming?
YesNoDid you revise every word your peer marked as too certain?
YesNo
How your work is scored
Mark one box in each row.
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | Treats the image as proof. | Cites a detector or a detail as a verdict. | Checks the earliest source and an independent record. | Checks several sources and names what each can’t show. |
| Reasoning | Declares real or fake with no basis. | Hedges without explaining why. | Matches confidence to evidence. | Separates authenticity of the file from truth of the event. |
| Audience & purpose | Urges spreading. | Warns without guidance. | Gives followers a safe next step. | Gives a next step, a follow-up time and a way to contribute evidence. |
How your work is scored, continued
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revision | No change. | Softens words only. | Replaces the verdict with a verification note. | Explains how each change protects followers and credibility. |
The word I changed, and why
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames. About 6 minutes.
1 What would you need beyond the image to support the caption’s claim?
2 Do you agree with Jordy’s choice to leave the image out of the recap, and why?
3 Who could be harmed if the crew called a real photo fake?
4 The alerts page shows nothing new since Monday. Does that prove the courtyard did not flood?
My take
My claim: ___.
My take, continued
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
The limit of the evidence is ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
Talk about this case at home
Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?
In this case, a realistic image in a group chat claims that a campus courtyard flooded today. Your student checked where the image came from and wrote a short note that says what is known and what is not.
Questions to talk about
- What would you check before you share a picture of breaking news?
- Where does your town or school post official alerts?
- Why can saying you are not sure yet be better than guessing?
Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.
See the case online.
Key terms
Academic credit Academic credit is credit toward a degree that a school gives for approved work, such as an internship.
En español: créditos académicos
Accountability Accountability is owning a mistake and doing what you said you would do to fix it.
En español: rendición de cuentas
ADA coordinator An ADA coordinator is the staff member a government names to handle disability access questions and complaints.
En español: coordinador de la ADA
Agenda item An agenda item is one topic listed on a meeting’s official schedule of business.
En español: punto del orden del día
Attribution Attribution is naming the person who made a work, such as a song, a photo or a video.
En español: atribución
Authority Authority is the power a person or group has to make or change a particular rule or decision.
En español: autoridad
Barrier A barrier is something that blocks or limits a person from taking part.
En español: barrera
Challenge A challenge is a formal request to remove or restrict a book or other library material.
En español: impugnación
Claim A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
En español: afirmación
Compensation Compensation is all the pay and benefits a worker receives, including hourly rates, bonuses and overtime.
En español: compensación
Consent Consent is permission a person gives for something specific, such as sharing a record with a named person.
En español: consentimiento
Context Context is the information around an event or a quote that you need to understand what it means.
En español: contexto
Correction A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information.
En español: corrección
Corroboration Corroboration is support for a claim from an independent source.
En español: corroboración
Criteria Criteria are the standards or reasons a group uses to make a decision.
En español: criterios
Decision-maker A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.
En español: quien toma la decisión
Disclosure A disclosure is a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know.
En español: divulgación
Key terms, continued
Documentation Documentation is a record, such as a photo, a note or an email, that shows what was said or done and when.
En español: documentación
Education record An education record is a record directly about a student that a school or college keeps.
En español: expediente educativo
Eligibility Eligibility is meeting the requirements for a particular service or program.
En español: elegibilidad
Endorsement An endorsement is a message that shares someone's opinion or experience of a product to promote it.
En español: respaldo
Equal Pay Act The Equal Pay Act is a federal law from 1963 that requires equal pay for men and women who do equal work.
En español: Ley de Igualdad Salarial
Equity Equity is a way of sharing that adjusts for different needs so everyone gets a fair chance.
En español: equidad
Evaluation An evaluation is a school's formal process for learning about a student's needs, using more than one measure.
En español: evaluación
Expenditure An expenditure is money that a government or an organization spends.
En español: gasto
Fact pattern A fact pattern is the specific set of facts in a situation that a rule is applied to.
En español: conjunto de hechos
Fair Labor Standards Act The Fair Labor Standards Act is a federal law that sets minimum wage and overtime rules for most workers.
En español: Ley de Normas Justas de Trabajo
Fair use Fair use is a part of U.S. copyright law that allows some uses without permission, judged case by case with four factors.
En español: uso justo
FERPA FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law about who can see student education records.
En español: FERPA (Ley de Derechos Educativos y Privacidad de la Familia)
FICA FICA is the federal payroll tax that funds Social Security and Medicare.
En español: FICA (Seguro Social y Medicare)
Framing Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward.
En español: encuadre
Gross pay Gross pay is the money you earn before any taxes or other deductions are taken out.
En español: salario bruto
Holding statement A holding statement is a short update that says what is known, what is still being checked and when people will hear more.
En español: comunicado provisional
Jurisdiction A jurisdiction is the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority.
En español: jurisdicción
Key terms, continued
Learning goal A learning goal is the knowledge or skill that a task is meant to show.
En español: meta de aprendizaje
License A license is permission from a rights holder to use a work under specific terms.
En español: licencia
Local acceptance Local acceptance is the list of materials that your own city's recycling or compost program actually takes.
En español: materiales aceptados en tu ciudad
Material connection A material connection is a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect.
En español: conexión material
Net pay Net pay is the money left after taxes and other deductions, often called take-home pay.
En español: salario neto
Per-pupil amount A per-pupil amount is a total divided by the number of students, so that districts of different sizes can be compared.
En español: monto por estudiante
Precedent A precedent is an earlier court decision that judges use as a guide in similar later cases.
En español: precedente
Primary beneficiary test The primary beneficiary test is how the U.S. Department of Labor decides whether an intern at a for-profit company is an employee.
En español: prueba del beneficiario principal
Program access Program access is an ADA rule that a city's services, taken as a whole, must be usable by people with disabilities.
En español: acceso a los programas
Proposal A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet.
En español: propuesta
Provenance Provenance is information about where an image or a document came from and how it has been handled.
En español: procedencia
Public record A public record is information a government keeps that anyone can ask to see, such as meeting comments.
En español: registro público
Reasonable accommodation A reasonable accommodation is a change to a rule or practice that gives a person with a disability equal use of a place.
En español: acomodo razonable
Reconsideration policy A reconsideration policy is a library's written process for reviewing a challenge to a book.
En español: política de reconsideración
Registration Registration is signing up with your election office so that you are on the list of people who can vote.
En español: inscripción electoral
Remit A remit is the set of matters that a committee or other body is responsible for and can act on.
En español: competencia
Key terms, continued
Reuse Reuse is using an item again instead of throwing it away after one use.
En español: reutilización
Revenue Revenue is money that comes into a government or an organization, such as taxes and grants.
En español: ingresos
Sample ballot A sample ballot is a preview of the contests and measures that will appear on your ballot.
En español: boleta de muestra
Selection criteria Selection criteria are the written standards a library uses to decide which materials to include.
En español: criterios de selección
Source reduction Source reduction is preventing waste before it is created, for example by buying less packaging.
En español: reducción en la fuente
Substantial disruption Substantial disruption is the standard from Tinker v. Des Moines: a public school may limit speech that would seriously disrupt school activities.
En español: alteración sustancial
Title VII Title VII is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It bans job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
En español: Título VII
Trade-off A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up.
En español: compensación entre opciones
Verification note A verification note is a short record of what you checked, what you found and what is still unknown.
En español: nota de verificación
Voter guide A voter guide is a document that explains or recommends choices in an election.
En español: guía para votantes
Withholding Withholding is money an employer takes out of each paycheck to pay taxes or other costs for the worker.
En español: retención
My progress
After each case, write the date and your level for each skill: Beginning, Developing, Proficient or Advanced.
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My progress, continued
| Case | Date | Evidence | Reasoning | Audience and purpose | Revision |
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Track the work across the yearAP Lang educator edition
Track the work across the year
Each case has the same four rubric rows, so growth is easy to see. Mark the level each student or group reached, case by case.
| Case | Evidence | Reasoning | Audience | Revision | Took a civic step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Is the screening canceled? | |||||
| 2 Does the worksheet show what Dec knows? | |||||
| 3 What should a group do after a public mistake? | |||||
| 4 Who gets a say when a shared room changes? | |||||
| 5 Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned? | |||||
| 6 What can your family see in your college records? | |||||
| 7 Did one complaint get the novel banned? | |||||
| 8 Is it a recommendation or an ad? | |||||
| 9 What is on your ballot, and where do you check? | |||||
| 10 Whose job is it to fix the blocked route? | |||||
| 11 Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates? | |||||
| 12 When can a school limit what students say? | |||||
| 13 Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin? | |||||
| 14 Does giving credit let the crew use the song? | |||||
| 15 Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job? |
Track the work across the year, continuedAP Lang educator edition
Track the work across the year, continued
| Case | Evidence | Reasoning | Audience | Revision | Took a civic step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Who wrote the new building rule? | |||||
| 17 How should the crew give out ten free seats? | |||||
| 18 Why is the theater curtain still falling apart? | |||||
| 19 What should Gia say in her two-minute comment? | |||||
| 20 Can the crew post this image as true? |
About course names and standardsAP Lang educator edition
About course names and standards
AP, Pre-AP and IB activities are practice designed by No, Pero Why?. They are not official College Board or IB materials. Honors expectations are set by your school.
Framework sources
AP English Language and Composition Course and Exam Description: big ideas and course skills
- College Board, AP English Language and Composition course page: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-english-language-and-composition
- College Board, AP English Language and Composition exam page: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-english-language-and-composition/exam
- College Board, AP English Language and Composition conceptual framework: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-english-language-and-composition-conceptual-framework.pdf
- College Board, AP English Language free-response scoring rubrics: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-english-language-and-composition-frqs-1-2-3-scoring-rubrics.pdf
Checked September 25, 2026.