1. Write and deliver a five-minute graduation speech to your classmates. The speech should be appropriate for a commencement address and generally positive. However, because you are delivering the speech to your classmates and a guest (I'll get to that) you can be more honest and open than you might be for one delivered to the whole school. Your speech must be turned in to turnitin 24 hours before you give it and the speech you should mostly stick to the script. Grade will be based on writing and delivery. In the writing I look for sense of audience, opening hook, theme, personal anecdotes (that are meaningful and personal but that say something about shared experience), appropriate repetitions, facility for language, conclusion. For presentation, I look for voice volume and modulation, eye contact, gesture and physical poise, pacing, length and overall effect. Unless I have reason to read your speech, I will assess the writing and delivery when you give the speech and give you one single grade. For full credit you must bring a guest (could be a friend excused from their other class). For extra credit bring an adult (this includes teachers on their prep period, parents, older graduated siblings). If you can get additional extra credit for a second adult. We will sign up for speech dates after the AP exam. We will spread them out but try to be finished before finals. You may give the speech in another class if that will help the schedule of your adult guest.
2. Write and deliver four letters of gratitude to adults who have helped you in your education. One of the letters must be to a classroom teacher (at any level) the other three can be to any adult you wish to thank for helping to get you this far. All you will show me is an addressed envelope containing the letter. I will not see the content of the letter. Letters are due no later than your final day.
Other stuff: Everybody must do an outside writing this semester. Most of you have done this by contributing to a school publication or entering a writing contest. You can still complete this assignment by submitting work to a school publication (see me) or entering a contest. We have passed the assigned deadline, so let's say your outside writing is due one week after your last AP exam.
Finally, if you do not take the AP Literature exam, you must take an exam with me. This will be the multiple choice section and one essay counted three times. You will get the score you receive. Students who take the actual exam will get 50 out of 50. Update: If you miss the exam because you are traveling outside Sacramento on a school sponsored trip, you may be exempt from the exam. If you take the exemption, I will drop that score for you and it won't count for or against you.