AP English Syllabus

AP^®English Literature & Composition

Syllabus

Course Description

The Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition course at our high school is designed to meet college prep standards as defined by the English Department, meet possible dual enrollment standards, prepare students for the AP English Literature & Composition test, and meet standards described in the AP English Course Description.

The literature assigned in this course is diverse in scope and genre. Readings are generally grouped thematically; discussion and writing assignments stress close attention to not only the thematic elements but also to in depth analysis. Along with a wide range of novels and plays included in this course, short stories, essays, and poetry will be examined in detail.

Along with the literature assigned in the course, students will incorporate a broad range of writing assignments. Writing assignments include: essays, free writing, short answer questions, in class timed essays, AP style questions, and research papers.

Students will be exposed to the appropriate use of words, diction, varied and effective syntactic structures, coherent organization, and transitional devices. Continued development of individual writing skills will be stressed.

Our high school divides the school year into 8-week quarters, with two quarters per semester. The course stresses diligent work regarding individual writing enhancement and careful reading and discussion.

Grade Evaluation

Our High School Grading Scale:

A	93-100
B	85-92
C	75-84
D	70-74

Below 70 results in Failure, and no work submitted results in 0 (zero).

All assignments and tests will be given points based upon the type of work.

Assignments will be weighted according to designated point value as prescribed by specifics outlined for writings, quizzes, tests, and other work.

Semester One—Self Realization

Introduction to the course and discussion of summer reading should be done for the first few days.

Summer Reading

Students should read:

( *The Sophocles play and two novels*--a total of three works)

Read Oedipus Rex by Sophocles

AND

a total of two novels selected from the following: (Please do not read novels that you have read prior to this time).

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arther Golden

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Having Our Say by The Delaney Sisters

1984 by George Orwell

Night by Elie Weisel

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

The Natural by Bernard Malamud

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce

The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

For each of the works that you read, select a quote that you feel presents a relevant point or main idea. Discuss the quote in two well-developed paragraphs per work. You will turn in a total of six paragraphs.

Course material may be taught in any order as long as it stays in the constraints of the semester. Reading of essays, novels, and plays will be mixed with readings regarding essay writing. Writings will include structured, free response, timed in class, AP type questions, and a research paper. Students will engage in pre-writing, revising, and editing activities, producing no fewer than five finished essays of at least 500 to 750 words in length. One research paper written in MLA style will be required; the length should be between 11 and 15 pages.

Research Paper Writing Research Papers

Students will be required to write an 11-15 page research paper written in MLA style. The topic is left to the discretion of the student but is pending prior instructor approval. Students will be taught proper research methods and stressed the importance of source validity.

Research papers must reflect an academic/research situation. The writer must display correct use of sources to support his/her points; the writer must use a variety of sources without an over-reliance on one source. Strategic examples will show the students that the text must demonstrate that the writer must combine his/her own ideas with those of documented sources. Paraphrased and quoted ideas must include appropriate attributions and documentations and must blend with the text. Documentation must be clearly linked to the works cited page and must be accurate.

Style must include the writer speaking to the reader in a way that is individual, compelling, and engaging. Word choice must show that words convey the intended message in a precise, interesting, and natural way. Words should be powerful, engaging, specific, accurate, and easy to understand. Striking words, phrases, and lively verbs add readability while specific nouns and modifiers add depth. Precision in writing is essential; the writer should make sure that the right word or phrase is placed in the correct spot.

Sentence fluency will be encouraged to ensure that the writer has flow, rhythm, and feeling. Sentences should b constructed in a way that underscores meaning. Sentence beginnings, length, and structure are essential to the sound and meaning of the writing.

Standard written conventions must be adhered to. Writers should demonstrate a good grasp of standard writing conventions. These conventions would include but not be limited to spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, usage, tense, and variety. Verb tense, pronoun reference, and modifiers are also additional considerations in this category.

Text: Lester, James D., ed. Writing Research Papers. 9^th ed. New York: Longman, 1999. Current updates regarding source information will be provided.

Composition Book The Bedford Guide for College Writers

Students will seek to select, limit, and develop an effective thesis statement that is specific in details and examples. Students will write a well-organized essay, with a clear beginning, middle, and end, using effective transitions. Use of words, phrases, and variety of sentence structure appropriate for audiences and with a clear purpose must be considered. Students should produce writing which in general demonstrates control of the conventions of standard written English.

Composition Overview

Sample essays provided in the text and careful review of suggested methods in each chapter will be used to enhance essay writing skills. Test and quizzes will be used to evaluate the student's comprehension of chapter material.

Week 1—Reading: Ch.1, Writing Processes; Ch. 2, Reading Processes; Ch. 21, Strategies for Designing Your Document.

Week 2—Reading: Ch. 4, Recalling an Experience; Ch. 16, Strategies for Generating Ideas; Ch. 17, Strategies for Planning: Stating and Using a Thesis.

Writing assignment: Students will write about a "personal experience." This should be an experience that impacted your life; the experience may have changed how you thought, acted, or felt. The essay should show the importance of the experience rather than just tell an interesting story. Free writing will be used to generate ideas. Prior to final submission of the essay to the instructor, an essay checklist will be provided for students to use for peer evaluation and revision.

Week 3—Reading: Ch. 17, Strategies for Planning: Stating and Using a Thesis (review). Ch. 18, Strategies for Drafting; Ch 19, Strategies for Developing; Ch. 20, Strategies for Revising and Editing.

Week 4—Reading: Ch. 5, Observing a Scene.

Writing assignment: Students will write an "observing a scene" essay. The writing should focus on sensory details to achieve an overall impression that reflects the spirit of the scene to the reader. Students must remember that this essay should explain but go beyond. Writer evaluation will be done with the aid of a checklist, peer review, revision, and final submission for instructor evaluation will be used.

Week 5—Reading: Ch. 6, Interviewing a Subject.

Writing assignment: The essay should reveal the subject's character and personality. The writer should focus on the purpose of making the person interviewed come alive for the reader. A revision checklist will be used by the writer, and the instructor will evaluate to allow students to revise prior to final submission for a grade.

Week 6—Reading: Ch. 22, Strategies for Understanding Visual Representations. Students will gather a wide variety of visual and textual materials. Discussion will focus on the effect of visual representations in today's society and the impact that visuals have. Examples from the text and instructor will contribute to class discussion.

Week 7—Reading: Ch. 15, Writing for Assessment. Ch. 3, Critical Thinking Process.

Week 8—Reading: Ch. 7, Comparing and Contrasting; Ch. 8, Explaining Causes and Effects.

Writing assignment: Students may select to either do a compare and contrast essay or a cause and effect essay. Either selection by students must have clear purpose, substantial details, and conform to a checklist specific to the essay type. Peer evaluation, writer evaluation, and final instructor evaluation will take place.

Week 9—Reading: Ch. 9, Taking a Stand; Ch. 10, Proposing a Solution.

Writing assignment: Students may select to either do a taking a stand essay or a proposing a solution essay. Either essay should have sufficient evidence to support the writer's position. Proposal essay should develop a detailed and convincing solution; taking a stand essay should have a valid basis.

Week 10—Reading: Ch. 11, Evaluating; Ch. 12, Reading Critically.

Writing assignment: Read an evaluating essay and do an outline of the writer's points. Using an evaluating essay checklist, review the essay with a critical eye.

Text: Kennedy, X.J., Dorothy M. Kennedy, and Sylvia A. Holladay, eds. The Bedford Guide for College Writers. 6^th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2002.

Literature

Genres of literature include novels, plays, short stories, and poetry. The focus is to enhance the student's ability to go beyond the surface when reading. Students will be expected to carefully analyze plot, characters, theme, symbols, and writing style. Also, author background would be presented and reviewed regarding the influence it may have had on the literary work. Also, the impact of the time period in which the writer was writing along with comment for today' society would be discussed.

Vocabulary used in the works will be examined, and words will be defined by students according to need. Students will be expected to analyze the usage of a wide range of literary terms in each specific work. The following is a sampling of the literary terms that students should recognize, define, apply, and analyze the usage and relevance in specific works of literature.

Additional Literary Terms Students Must Know and Apply:

abstract, allusion, ambiguity, anachronism, analogy, annotation, antagonist, antithesis, archetype, bombast, carpe diem, catharsis, conceit, connotation, denotation, diction, empathy, epic, euphemism, expose, explication, fable, fantasy, lampoon, motif, muse, aphorism, farce, genre, harangue, hubris, in medias res, invective, metonymy, non sequitur, paradox, parody, realism, rhetoric, sarcasm, sentiment, subplot, subtext, synecdoche, tragedy, verisimilitude, wit, syntax, persona, exposition

Students will be expected to know the historical basis for the works of literature. Schools of thought such as existentialism will be discussed. Also, the relationship of what was happening in the work should be evaluated regarding the time period of the setting, the author's time, and the social comment of the work for students in today's society.

Students will be given tests, quizzes, and essay assignments as a means of evaluation.

Novels

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
The Stranger by Albert Camus

Plays

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

Short Stories

Selections from The Best Short Stories of the Modern Age will include the following but not be limited to these stories.

"The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe
"The Jewels" by Guy de Maupassant
"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" by Ernest Hemingway
"Youth" by Joseph Conrad
"The Rocking-Horse Winner" by D. H. Lawrence
"Bliss" by Katherine Mansfield
"The Dead" by James Joyce
"Little Herr Freidemann" by Thomas Mann
"A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner
"The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka
"The Wall" by Jean-Paul Sartre
"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson

Poetry

"Death of a Hired Man" by Robert Frost. This poem is used in an analytical/compare and contrast essay as a companion to Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

Semester Two—Extension and Enchantment

Semester two will build on the foundation received in semester one, and students will be encouraged to continue to develop into mature writers and readers. Once again, the order in which the work is taught is not as relevant as the fact that the work should be covered within the time allotted for semester two. The same grading and aforementioned criteria will continue to be applied.

Literature—continued…

· All of the prior mentioned criteria will continue into this section of literature. Greater analysis of literary works will be stressed. Each novel and play will have an AP type question and some works will use the AP type question for in class timed essay writing. Free writing and self discovery will also be used by students to generate ideas.

Novels

The Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Plays

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Poetry

A large majority of the poetry in this section will be taken from a text. However, students will be required to write an 8-12 page research paper written in MLA style. The paper should focus on a certain aspect of the poet's life and how it influenced the writing, or the paper may focus on a certain poetic technique or thematic element. Careful consideration must be given by the students regarding a specific purpose for the paper. Students will submit paper topics to the instructor for approval.

Poetry paper evaluations will be based on the following: presentation should be in MLA format; unity will stress focus, thesis statement, topic sentences, relevant information, fresh and insightful information, clear introduction, and effective concluding strategy; cohesion would consist of clear and logical organization, clear topic sentences in all body paragraphs; clear transitions or connections within paragraphs, between paragraphs, between paragraphs and thesis, and between writing and cited material; support should be convincing, relevant to the thesis, be current, valid, and credible sources used; documentation of sources in correct MLA style; editing should be evident regarding diction, sentence skills, punctuation, grammar, spelling, and word choice.

Text: Arp, Thomas R. ed. 9^th ed. Perrine's Sound and Sense. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1997.

Chapter tests, quizzes, free response, and short answer questions will be used to evaluate the ability of the student's comprehension. Style, technique, theme, and application of relevant literary terms will be discussed. Vocabulary specific to each poem will also be a focus. The following is a sample of the poems covered. Although not every poem in the text must be used, a large majority will be read and tested over for student comprehension.

Discuss the chapter information. Review sample analysis of The Declaration of Independence-Thomas Jefferson.

Define and apply: claim, support, warrant, credibility, audience, parallelism, diction, tone.

Discuss critical reading regarding comprehension and evaluating arguments. Discuss the arguments in The Pursuit of Whining: Affirmative Action circa 1776-John Patrick Diggins and No-Win Situations-Alfie Kohn.

Discuss how claims, or propositions, represent answers to what you are trying to prove. Discuss the arguments Kids in the Mall: Growing Up Controlled-William Severini Kowinski, A White Woman of Color-Julia Alvarez, College Life versus My Moral Code-Elisha Dov Hack, and The Right to Bear Arms-Warren E. Burger.

Define and apply: claim of fact, claim of value, claim of policy, sufficient data, reliable authority, and inference.

Discuss the purpose of definition and methods for defining terms such as dictionary definitions, stipulation, negation, examples, and extended definition. Discuss Addiction Is Not a Disease-Stanton Peele, God May Be the Creator-Robert Jastrow, and God Is Not the Creator-Isaac Asmov.

Discuss the types of support including evidence and appeals to needs and values. Discuss Single-Sex Education Benefits Men Too-Claudius E. Watts III, Animal Research Saves Human Lives-Heloisa Sabin, and Why We Don't Need Animal Experimentations-Peggy Carlson.

Define and apply: factual evidence, examples, statistics, causal connection, needs, values, and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

Discuss the use of warrants and that they reflect personal experience, observations, participation in a culture, and review the three types of warrants. Discuss The Case for Torture-Michael Levin, A Proposal to Abolish Grading-Paul Goodman, Computers and the Pursuit of Happiness-David Gellernter, Cloning Misperceptions-Lee M. Silver, and The Risks of Human Cloning Outweigh the Benefits—National Bioethics Advisory Commission.

Define and apply: Toulmin's concept of warrants, authoritative warrants, substantive warrants, and motivational warrants.

Discuss the critical role that words play in argument and that the treatment of words and phrases is essential to argumentative writing. Discuss The Speech the Graduates Didn't Hear-Jacob Neusner and Tightening the Nuts and Bolts of Death by Electric Chair-A.C. Soud Jr., with Tom Kuntz.

Define and apply: connotation, slanting, picturesque language, concrete and abstract language, clichés, and slogans.

Discuss the possible causes for weaknesses represented by breakdowns in logic or reasoning. Discuss National IDs Won't Work-Lorraine Woellert and Yes, They Certainly Will-Paul Magnusson.

Define and apply: induction, deduction, syllogism, Toulmin's model, and common fallacies. Common fallacies include; hasty generalization, faulty use of authority, post hoc or doubtful cause, false analogy, ad hominem, false dilemma, slippery slope, begging the question, straw man, two wrongs make a right, non sequitur, ad populum, appeal to tradition, and faulty emotional appeals.

§ This section will be reviewed throughout the course as reinforcement for the examples in the chapters. MLA style will be used for all writing assignments.

Text: Rottenberg, Annette T. ed. Elements of Argument. 7^th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003.

The last week will be spent in final preparation for the English Literature & Composition test.

Arp, Thomas R. ed. 9^th ed. Perrine's Sound and Sense. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1997.

Kennedy, X.J., Dorothy M. Kennedy, and Sylvia A. Holladay, eds. The Bedford Guide for College Writers. 6^th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2002.

Lester, James D., ed. Writing Research Papers. 9^th ed. New York: Longman, 1999.

Rottenberg, Annette T. ed. Elements of Argument. 7^th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003.