Syllabus
ccalhoun@musd20.org
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The AP English Literature course is a one-year class that challenges students to develop their reading, writing, discussion, and critical thinking skills in preparation for both college English courses and the AP Literature exam. Throughout the year, we will be examining short and long fiction, poetry, drama, expository texts, and critical approaches to literature. While much of the literature is canonical, we will also incorporate more recent and multicultural works as well as film studies to extend and enhance the depth and breadth of literary understanding.
Reading & Writing
This class is intense in reading and writing. While we will read many works in class, students are also expected to read outside of class. Reading, in this case, does not mean simply skimming the words to get a general idea of what is happening. Students should be critical and active in their reading – annotating, taking notes, applying literary terminology, and developing thoughtful questions to bring to class discussion.
The writing component of this class is threefold:
- First, we will write short pieces that are either literary analysis or literary interpretation. These papers will be written frequently (every two to three weeks).
- A literary analysis is a focused argument that scrutinizes textual details to create an evaluation on a text’s merit, aesthetics, and meaning. These details include plot devices, characterization, figures of speech, diction, and many more elements. Papers include a focused analysis on Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, a poetry explication essay, and several independent book reviews.
- A literary interpretation combines the analysis of textual details with the larger cultural value of the work, influenced by the socio-historical context.
- Often, such papers deal with larger thematic issues of the work as revealed by the literary components. One such project is a book study and research on Jane Eyre; students will do preliminary research on Victorian society, its gender roles, and the concept of the Bildungsroman before drafting and revising their own interpretation of the novel’s importance.
- Second, we will write in preparation for the exam almost weekly. These will be timed essays in response to specific prompts utilized on exams in years past.
- Students will analyze the prompts, apply their knowledge, and draft their essays.
- In workshops (individual, small group, and whole class), we will evaluate these essays, and students will have the opportunity to revise their work into polished drafts. I will readily give feedback on qualities of these essays – ranging from thesis statements and argumentative strategies, to sentence-level clarity and syntax.
- Finally, we will write critical research essays that utilize MLA conventions and authoritative resources. Students will be able to select their own novels or full- length plays of literary merit. These projects will be college-level analysis and synthesis that evaluate a work’s social, cultural, and historical context and impact as well as its aesthetic qualities that make it a work of merit.
Required Materials
· The Bedford Introduction to Literature, 8th ed.
· Spiral notebook
· Two-pocket folder
· Computer access and flash memory
· An academic planner (recommended)
Course Policies & Expectations
· Be prepared for class! Come here ready to learn. Have all materials necessary – your book, notebook, pen/pencil, brain, etc.
o Attendance – Come to class! More than 10 absences a semester can jeopardize your credit for the course. Please make sure that your absences are excused as soon as possible. If you do miss a day of class, don’t ask me what we did. Instead, have a “note buddy” – someone you can count on to fill you in.
o Tardiness – Be here on time. If the bell rings and you’re not in class, you are considered tardy. Accumulated tardies can turn into unexcused absences, which can jeopardize your attendance record.
o Passes – You have three (3) out-of-class passes that can be used throughout the semester. Use them wisely. Don’t use class time to see a principal, counselor, or another teacher. Our time here is valuable.
o Turn off cell phones and other electronic devices. If I see it, it becomes mine for the remainder of the class period.
· Be responsible for yourself and your actions. Excuses don’t interest me. Take charge of the decisions that you make.
· Be respectful of the classroom and those in it. Be polite and courteous, listen when others are speaking, and treat others in a professional manner.
· Late Work – Turn in all work on time! Shorter assignments will not be accepted late. For longer papers, each day the paper is late, you will lose a letter grade. You have adequate time to complete all assignments. In the event of an excused absence on a due date, turn in the work when you return. If you have a planned absence (field trip, etc.) the work is still due on the due date. I do accept work early.
· Academic Integrity – Maricopa High School defines academic misconduct as “Copying the work of another person and submitting it as your own, obtaining unauthorized or undocumented material from the Internet or other sources, or securing teacher materials or work in a dishonest or unauthorized way.” Plagiarism, whether intentional or unintentional is a serious offense. Students must turn in original work. Engaging in academic misconduct can result in a zero on the assignment, a referral to the administration, a 3-day-out-of-school suspension, or a failing grade for the course. Do not underestimate your teachers; we generally discover when you decide to commit an act of academic dishonesty.
Projects & Assignments
· Notebook – A simple spiral notebook (no binders!) to record all notes, bell work, in-class timed essays, and other homework assignments. You will also record unfamiliar vocabulary that we encounter in our reading. This notebook will be a record of your work in class, and will be graded according to content, completion, and organization.
· In-class Writing – These assignments will range from informal literary reflections, to literary analyses, to literary imitations (i.e. writing your own poem, dramatic monologue, etc.)
· Timed Essays – These in-class essays will be written in your notebook as preparation for the AP Exam in the spring. The prompts will be based on exams from previous years. Students are expected to utilize rhetorical invention strategies for prewriting, drafting, and revising, and will work with a draft many times before considering it “done.”
· Portfolio – A simple two-pocket folder to collect all writing assignments that are not kept in the notebook.
· Independent Reading Project (IRP) – Each quarter, you will select a book of literary merit in preparation for the AP exam. (See the attached Recommended Reading List for ideas.) You must select at least one pre-1900 novel as well as one written after 1900. You will compose a thorough book review and create a presentation for the class.
· Research Essay(s) – A typed, double-spaced, thesis-based argument that utilizes multiple research perspectives. MLA conventions are required.
· Midterm Exam – An analysis-based critical reading and writing exam.
· Final Exam – Same as midterm.
Quick Reference
The following chapters from The Bedford Introduction to Literature will be useful references for you.
· Chapter 2: Writing About Fiction, page 47
· Chapter 10: Combining the Elements of Fiction: A Writing Process, page 374
· Chapter 22: Writing About Poetry, page 820
· Chapter 31: Combining the Elements of Poetry: A Writing Process, page 1056
· Chapter 44: Writing About Drama, page 1411
· Chapter 53: The Literary Research Paper, page 2147
· Chapter 54: Taking Essay Examinations, page 2167
· Glossary of Literary Terms, page 2173
Course Planner
This is a rough approximation and is subject to change with notice.
Semester 1
Wk 1: Introduction to AP Literature
Formula Fiction vs. Literary Merit
Reading Rhetorically
The AP Exam
Wks 2-9: Fiction
Literary Elements & Devices
“Popular Mechanics”; “A Rose for Emily”; “Bartleby the Scrivener”; “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”
Writing About Fiction
“Three Girls”; “IND AFF, or Out of Love in Sarajevo”; “Battle Royal”
Author Study: Flannery O’Connor
“A Good Man is Hard to Find”; “Good Country People”; “Revelation”; Everything that Rises Must Converge”
Wk 9: Midterm
AP-style Essay & Midterm Project
Wks 10-15: Poetry
Poetic Elements and Devices
Analysis & Explication
Comparison & Contrast
Author Study: Sylvia Plath
Independent Author Study & Research: Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson
Wks 16-18: Shakespeare & Comedy
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The Renaissance Theatre
Principles of Comedy
Analysis, Interpretation, and Evaluation
Wk 18: Final Exam
AP-style Essay & Final Project
Semester 2
Wks 19-24: Tragedy and Modern Drama
Othello, the Moor of Venice
Principles of Renaissance Tragedy
A Doll’s House
Principles of Modern Drama
Analysis & Interpretation Essays
Wks 25-30: Novel Studies
Jane Eyre
Historical and Cultural Elements
Bildungsroman, Romance, The Gothic
As I Lay Dying
The Modern Novel
Narrative Perspective
Wk 27: Midterm
Midterm Exam & Midterm Project
Wks 31-35: Literary Research & the Novel
Independent Novel
Critical Theory Perspectives, Research Question
Writing a critical research essay
Presentation
Wk 36: Final Exam
Final Exam & Final Project
