Most AP Lang students arrive knowing they're supposed to annotate. Fewer know what they're actually looking for when they do it. This unit fixes that before it becomes a problem on the rhetorical analysis essay. Unit 3 teaches close reading and annotation as analytical skills, not just study habits — using the Says-Does framework to help students connect what a text says to what it does rhetorically. Over 10 days, they move from teacher-modeled annotation to independent passage analysis to peer review, building the reading habits that hold up under timed exam conditions. What's Included (11 resources, 60-slide PowerPoint): 60-Slide PowerPoint — Instruction on annotation strategies (underlining, circling, bracketing, margin notes), the Says-Does framework, claims and evidence, warrants and commentary, with live annotation walkthroughs and hinge question checks throughout. 10-Day Pacing Guide — Day-by-day breakdown with timing, flexible extension options, and teacher notes on classroom management.
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Opening Activity: Model Annotation — Gladwell's "Outliers" hockey example with teacher-modeled annotation showing exactly what to mark and how to think while reading. 21-Term Glossary — Annotation, claim, close reading, commentary, Says-Does, warrant, and more, with definitions and examples. Discussion Prompts and Practice Passages — Three scaffolded passages (rhetorical questions, repetition, evidence and commentary) with Says-Does breakdowns. Students analyze what passages say and do before working independently. Formative Assessment — A 350-word passage with annotation task and five guided Says-Does questions. Assesses claim identification, rhetorical moves, and textual effect. Full answer key and rubric included.
Anchor Text: Model Annotated Essay — "Why We Write" with full text, side-by-side annotation key, and explanation of how professional readers mark passages. Says-Does Protocol Sheet — Filled example (social media and mental health) plus blank reusable template with warrant section for deeper analysis. Teacher's Notes — Facilitation tips, common student pitfalls with fixes, answer keys with expected responses, and reteaching strategies for struggling readers. Six Media and Creative Extensions — Annotation strategy comparison, advertising annotation challenge, speech annotation, peer gallery walk, contemporary news article analysis, and personal manifesto project. Use one or several depending on your pacing. Unit Overview and Learning Objectives — Six College Board-aligned outcomes covering annotation, Says-Does analysis, claim-evidence relationships, rhetorical moves, peer review, and multiple-choice application. The Says-Does framework is the thing that clicks for students who've been annotating without knowing why.
Once they can articulate not just what a passage says but what rhetorical work it's doing, their analysis paragraphs stop being summaries. That's the shift this unit is designed to produce — and it's the shift that shows up on FRQ #2. College Board alignment covers AP Lang Unit 3 (Reading Like a Writer) and builds directly toward Unit 4 (Rhetorical Analysis) and the AP exam multiple-choice section. All materials are editable Word documents and PowerPoint — no school branding on student-facing pages, Garamond 12pt throughout. This is Unit 3 of a complete, nine-unit AP Language and Composition curriculum. It builds on Unit 2: Rhetorical Appeals, Ethos, Pathos, Logos and feeds directly into Unit 4: Rhetorical Analysis Essay Mastery.
The complete course is available as the AP Language and Composition Complete 9-Unit Curriculum Bundle at over 30% off individual unit prices. If this resource saved you prep time, please leave a rating under My Purchases Provide Feedback. Every review earns you TpT Credits toward future purchases — roughly $1 in credits for every $10 reviewed. Follow Starmaker English & Journalism Tools to be notified when new resources launch or go on sale. Keywords: AP Language and Composition, AP Lang Unit 3, close reading, annotation strategies, evidence analysis, Says-Does framework, rhetorical analysis, AP Lang curriculum, FRQ prep, AP exam prep, College Board aligned, high school ELA, textual evidence, close reading strategies, secondary English
Designed for grades 9th – 12th.
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