AP Literature and Composition Reading and Writing Workshop
Argumentation and Synthesis – Power, Morality, and the Individual
Workshop Purpose
Students will develop the ability to analyze, compare, and synthesize arguments across multiple texts while crafting their own interpretations of universal moral and philosophical questions. Each session blends collaborative discussion, performance, and analytical writing modeled on the AP Literature Free Response Question.
Session 1 – Introduction to Argumentation and Synthesis
Objective:
Understand how argument and synthesis work together in analytical writing.
Activities:
Part 1: Individual Rights and Autonomy
Readings and Sources:
1. Thomas Jefferson – “The Declaration of Independence” (1776)
Complete text available at:
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
Excerpt:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”
2. Ralph Waldo Emerson – “Self-Reliance” (1841)
Complete text available at:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16643
Excerpt:
“Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events. Great men have always done so…”
Group Activity – “Echoes of Freedom”:
Each group identifies two shared beliefs and one differing perspective between Jefferson and Emerson.
Discuss: How does self-determination define moral independence?
Groups then compose a short paragraph stating a unified thesis that synthesizes both authors’ ideas.
Part 2: Power and Corruption
3. Plato – The Republic, Book VIII
Complete text available at:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1497
Excerpt:
“The excess of liberty, whether in states or individuals, seems only to pass into excess of slavery. And the most aggravated form of tyranny arises out of the most extreme form of liberty.”
4. George Orwell – Animal Farm (1945)
Complete text available at:
https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100011h.html
Excerpt:
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
Group Activity – “Council of Leaders”:
Students divide into roles—Philosophers, Revolutionaries, and Citizens.
Each group debates the statement: “Power inevitably corrupts.”
After the debate, groups collaborate to draft a “Charter of Power” that lays out three principles to prevent corruption, citing both Plato and Orwell as guiding voices.
Part 3: Morality and Justice
5. Fyodor Dostoevsky – Crime and Punishment (1866)
Complete text available at:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2554
Excerpt:
“Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth.”
6. Nathaniel Hawthorne – “Young Goodman Brown” (1835)
Complete text available at:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/512
Excerpt:
“‘Evil is the nature of mankind,’ cried the dark figure. ‘Evil must be your only happiness.’”
Group Simulation – “The Moral Court”:
Half the class argues for Hawthorne’s moral pessimism (“human nature is fallen”).
The other half defends Dostoevsky’s moral redemption (“suffering brings spiritual awakening”).
Students present evidence in mock trial format.
The jury (neutral group) delivers a verdict: Which author offers a more truthful view of morality?
Session 3 – Synthesis Seminar
Activity: “Cross-Text Dialogues”
AP-Style FRQ Options:
Session 5 – Reflection and Peer Review
Activity: “Reverse Outline Workshop”
Each student writes a short paragraph:
Students will be evaluated on:
Workshop Purpose
Students will develop the ability to analyze, compare, and synthesize arguments across multiple texts while crafting their own interpretations of universal moral and philosophical questions. Each session blends collaborative discussion, performance, and analytical writing modeled on the AP Literature Free Response Question.
Session 1 – Introduction to Argumentation and Synthesis
Objective:
Understand how argument and synthesis work together in analytical writing.
Activities:
- Mini-Lesson: Understanding Argument and Synthesis
- Argumentation is reasoning supported by evidence.
- Synthesis combines multiple perspectives into a unified claim.
- Review how these appear in AP Literature Free Response prompts.
- Group Brainstorm: Building an Argument Web
- In groups of four, choose a theme (Freedom, Morality, Justice, Authority, or Truth).
- List three supporting ideas and three opposing or complicating ideas.
- Draw arrows to connect and label the relationships (“cause,” “contrast,” “influence”).
- Present to the class and discuss what makes an argument nuanced rather than absolute.
Part 1: Individual Rights and Autonomy
Readings and Sources:
1. Thomas Jefferson – “The Declaration of Independence” (1776)
Complete text available at:
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
Excerpt:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”
2. Ralph Waldo Emerson – “Self-Reliance” (1841)
Complete text available at:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16643
Excerpt:
“Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events. Great men have always done so…”
Group Activity – “Echoes of Freedom”:
Each group identifies two shared beliefs and one differing perspective between Jefferson and Emerson.
Discuss: How does self-determination define moral independence?
Groups then compose a short paragraph stating a unified thesis that synthesizes both authors’ ideas.
Part 2: Power and Corruption
3. Plato – The Republic, Book VIII
Complete text available at:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1497
Excerpt:
“The excess of liberty, whether in states or individuals, seems only to pass into excess of slavery. And the most aggravated form of tyranny arises out of the most extreme form of liberty.”
4. George Orwell – Animal Farm (1945)
Complete text available at:
https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100011h.html
Excerpt:
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
Group Activity – “Council of Leaders”:
Students divide into roles—Philosophers, Revolutionaries, and Citizens.
Each group debates the statement: “Power inevitably corrupts.”
After the debate, groups collaborate to draft a “Charter of Power” that lays out three principles to prevent corruption, citing both Plato and Orwell as guiding voices.
Part 3: Morality and Justice
5. Fyodor Dostoevsky – Crime and Punishment (1866)
Complete text available at:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2554
Excerpt:
“Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth.”
6. Nathaniel Hawthorne – “Young Goodman Brown” (1835)
Complete text available at:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/512
Excerpt:
“‘Evil is the nature of mankind,’ cried the dark figure. ‘Evil must be your only happiness.’”
Group Simulation – “The Moral Court”:
Half the class argues for Hawthorne’s moral pessimism (“human nature is fallen”).
The other half defends Dostoevsky’s moral redemption (“suffering brings spiritual awakening”).
Students present evidence in mock trial format.
The jury (neutral group) delivers a verdict: Which author offers a more truthful view of morality?
Session 3 – Synthesis Seminar
Activity: “Cross-Text Dialogues”
- Form new groups of six, each with representatives from different readings.
- Assign each group one synthesis question:
- How do freedom and morality coexist—or conflict?
- What role does power play in shaping virtue?
- Is the individual ever truly autonomous?
- Each group writes a joint “Synthesis Statement” combining at least two texts.
- Groups read their statements aloud, citing exact lines that inspired their synthesis.
- Class discussion follows: How does historical context affect each author’s moral stance?
AP-Style FRQ Options:
- FRQ 1 – Autonomy and Society
Using Jefferson and Emerson, construct an argument about the tension between individual self-reliance and social responsibility. - FRQ 2 – Corruption and Authority
Using Plato and Orwell, develop an argument on whether just governance is possible when power itself is corruptible. - FRQ 3 – Morality and Suffering
Using Dostoevsky and Hawthorne, argue whether moral awareness inevitably leads to despair or redemption.
- Each group selects one prompt and collaborates to build an outline:
- Claim: Central argument or interpretation
- Evidence 1: Quotation from first text
- Evidence 2: Quotation from second text
- Synthesis: How both ideas interact or complicate each other
- Universal Insight: Broader truth about human nature or society
Session 5 – Reflection and Peer Review
Activity: “Reverse Outline Workshop”
- Exchange essays with another group.
- Reviewers identify:
- Thesis clarity
- Evidence use
- Synthesis effectiveness
- Writing style and transitions
- Color-coded feedback system:
- Blue: Strong arguments
- Green: Clear synthesis between texts
- Red: Needs stronger evidence or transitions
Each student writes a short paragraph:
- What did I learn about connecting ideas across authors?
- How did reading different centuries of writing deepen my perspective on human morality?
- Creative Extension – “Letters Across Time”
Students write a fictional letter between two authors (e.g., Emerson replying to Plato, or Dostoevsky responding to Orwell). The letter must demonstrate understanding of both authors’ arguments. - Philosophical Café Discussion
In groups, students take on the personas of the authors and hold a café-style discussion about the statement:
“The pursuit of truth demands solitude.” - Visual Synthesis Board
Create a collage or digital mind map linking images, quotations, and keywords from all six works around a chosen theme: Freedom, Justice, or Truth.
Students will be evaluated on:
- Depth of group collaboration and discussion.
- Ability to use direct textual evidence accurately.
- Skill in forming synthesis across multiple perspectives.
- Original insight in written and spoken argument.
- Reflective analysis of their own reasoning.
- Thomas Jefferson – “The Declaration of Independence” (1776)
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript - Ralph Waldo Emerson – “Self-Reliance” (1841)
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16643 - Plato – The Republic, Book VIII
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1497 - George Orwell – Animal Farm (1945)
https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100011h.html - Fyodor Dostoevsky – Crime and Punishment (1866)
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2554 - Nathaniel Hawthorne – “Young Goodman Brown” (1835)
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/512