Why IDEAS?

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Ideas in Argument and Ideas in Literature 

by John Williamson, Mary Jo Zell, & Elizabeth Davis

As the authors of Ideas in Argument and Ideas in Literature, we get asked quite a lot not only what sets our textbooks apart from other excellent books on the market, but also why schools should adopt both books in the Ideas series.  We love to talk about how these books, taught in conjunction with one another, impact the classroom by providing everything teachers have asked for to impact student success in the classroom and on the APⓇ exam.  We know that IDEAS are at the heart of our reading and writing experiences, and that our students learn to engage with each other and the world around them when they realize that IDEAS MATTER.

Ideas in Argument and Ideas in Literature are among the first textbooks of their kind – written after the College Board released the current Course and Exam Descriptions (CEDs) for the APⓇ English Language and APⓇ English Literature courses. The Ideas textbooks are not retrofitted to the updated framework, but were created specifically to teach the knowledge and skills of each course through the parallel units.  In short, when teachers follow the nine units in each textbook in the Ideas series, they are teaching the recommended framework, sequencing the material so that the skills scaffold and spiral for maximum student outcomes.  

BOTH textbooks in the Ideas Series share these features (and many more):

• Direct alignment to the framework and skills in the College Board Course and Exam Descriptions (CED)
• All units divided into four consistent sections
• Consistent pedagogical model for reading and writing instruction that fosters student growth
• User-friendly design and format that emphasize an instructional model for student growth 
• Big Idea workshops written in a student-friendly voice
• Key points and Insider Tips to guide instruction
• Perfect pairing of texts to skills followed by skill-focused questions
• Targeted intentional skills practice in reading and writing throughout all units
• Reference Tables and Graphic Organizers that guide student growth and practice
• Idea banks connect historical and contemporary contexts to readings to build sophistication
• Two Idea-centered text collections with diverse texts per unit allow for teacher choice
• Composition Workshops for process writing in each unit with models, graphic organizers, and templates
• Free-response Workshops in each unit that follow four consistent steps to build student skills
• Multiple Choice Practice in each unit aligned to APⓇ Classroom along with additional test bank
• Robust teacher’s edition contains everything a teacher needs – like having a “mentor in a book”