The literary argument question on the AP Literature exam is the most open of the three essays which students (and teachers) can find to be both freeing and difficult. Answering the prompt requires students to both zoom in to specific scenes to answer the prompt then zoom out to larger thematic ideas based on the selected scenes. Preparing students for this question on the exam can be quite complex.
The exam is 5.5 weeks away, and we’re shifting from reading novels to reviewing novels (or at least a combination of reading new material and reviewing past texts). While many teachers use Major Works Data Sheets and Novel Notes (which are great tools for review), we’re providing three different resources to help students review.
1 – Scenes to Themes
As an exercise, I’ve challenged my students to pick one work they know really well and see how many Q3 prompts they can apply it to over the past 20 years. Typically it is about 75-80%, sometimes it goes as high as 95%. Occasionally a work has to be shoe-horned into a prompt, but most of the time it slides in easily. The point is, you don’t need to know 7-8 works well to succeed on Q3 of exam, you just need three.
My students have always performed the best on Q3 — the literary argument prompt– than the other two questions and I believe my Six Scenes to Themes is the reason why. We review these documents, which were compiled earlier in the year in order to prepare for Q3.
Six Scenes to Themes is as obvious as its name. It takes the six most important scenes from a novel and provides a detailed understanding of each moment, with a strong connection to the novel’s themes.
If students review this for three works, they will know 18 important scenes from novels and will be able to connect each of them “to the meaning of the work as a whole.”
2 – Literary 3×3
I was introduced to Literary 3x3s by Dan Ryder well over a decade ago.. He used this activity as a way for students to focus on larger thematic ideas in a text, but I have tweaked this lesson so many times for different purposes in my classroom most often being a lesson in precise diction or moving students from summary (plot points) to analysis (thematic ideas).
For example, a student may initially offer a three three sentence summary of Frankenstein that would look like this:
Victor pursues science
Creator abandons creation
Havoc reeks everywhere
This example is purely plot summary thus warranting a discussion on the difference between summary and analysis then showing this example:
Knowledge trumps responsibility
Creation needs care
Greed evokes consequences
An example for The Road might be:
Walking to Sea
Father protects son
Physical survival harder
(plot summary)
Destruction forces journey
Family bonds prevail
Survival involves suffering
(thematic ideas)
Students improved in forming and writing about themes but continued to struggle explaining how the theme was developed. I had thought about extending the 3×3 to include scene work. I often use this activity during the year to prep for essays or even as an assessment, but this has also proven to be a quick way to review for the exam.
Literary 3x3s can be implemented in a variety of ways: working alone or with a partner, one person/pair writing the 3×3 and another person/pair filling in the specific scenes, starting with the three most important scenes first then write the thematic idea that goes with that scene, writing the 3×3 and having another group provide the significance of the scene to the theme.
You can find the full lesson here: Literary 3×3
3 – Book Bento
Book Bentos are a creative way to assess reading – especially independent reading – in my class for the last few years after Gina Kortuem introduced the idea. My students just submitted Book Bentos last week for their choice novella, and they were so creative. The assignment has a written portion for students to show what they know about the novel and practice analysis. I have revised my usual assignment to one that uses objects to represent specific scenes in the novel and the analysis portion connects those scenes to larger thematic ideas which make for a perfect way to review for the exam. Book Bento Exam Prep
These are not only three of our favorite ways to review novels for the exam but also to help students before stronger readers and better thinkers. You can find more specific Q3 exam information in The Ultimate Guide to the AP Lit Q3 (Literary Argument) or join our upcoming webinar:
When: Thursday, April 2nd
Time: 7pm ET
Brian (a high school teacher and basketball coach on Long Island) and Susan (a high school teacher in Atlanta) met on Twitter (#rip) over a decade ago and became fast friends bonding over teaching literature, building classroom culture, and the importance of a good cup of coffee. Their book, 100% Engagement: 33 Lessons to Promote Participation, Beat Boredom, and Deepen Learning in the ELA Classroom, is available through Corwin. (use SAVE20 for 20% discount at Corwin).
