AP ENGLISH 12TH GRADE
2012-2013
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition
AP English Literature and Composition is designed to cover a full year of college Freshman English. This AP English course will simulate the challenge of an introductory course in college. To that end, there will be a heavy workload and numerous assessments throughout the year. There will be no make up work, nor will late assignments be accepted without prior approval. This course successfully taken affords an extra point on GPA. A successful score on the AP Exam waives the first year of college English. Equally important, the AP English exam evaluates your analytical and writing skills. ALL students enrolled in an AP course should plan on taking the AP exam as it is part of the AP experience and strengthens academic prowess. The extensive readings and discussions, the essays and the practice tests will give you the experience you need to do well on the exam. Expect to work hard and find personal reward in your hard work.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
*The following curricular requirements are taken DIRECTLY from the College Board AP Central website. Please familiarize yourself with the requirements.
1.) The course includes an intensive study of representative works such as those by authors cited in the AP English Course Description. The works included for this course at John F. Kennedy High School include works from both American and British Authors and include a variety of literary genres.
Evidence
Reading list:
*Mary Shelley, Frankenstein Bram Stocker, Dracula
*William Shakespeare, Hamlet Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man
*William Shakespeare, Macbeth Cromack McCarthy, The Road
*Aldous Huxley, Brave New World Kurt Vonnegut, Cat’s Cradle
*Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest Toni Morrison, Beloved
Joseph Heller, Catch 22 Tim O’Brien, The Things They Carried
William Faulkner, As I Lay Dying Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights
Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment Poetry and short stories as selected
*designates works read as a class, other works read individually for analysis and review
2.) The course requires students to write an interpretation of a piece of literature that is based on a careful observation of textual details, considering the work’s: structure, style, and themes; the social and historical values it reflects and embodies; such elements as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism and tone.
Evidence
Students will write one critical essay for each major work discussed in class and various shorter writing pieces, timed or otherwise. These assignments will be based on the reading, analysis, scansion, interpretation and evidence found in the literature. The specifics of the formal and informal writing assignments will require close textual analysis including figurative language analysis. The assignment specifics will also include analysis of the work’s social and historical context.
3.) The course includes frequent opportunities for students to write and rewrite formal, extended analyses and times, in-class responses based on the model of ‘writing to understand’: informal, exploratory writing activities that enable students to discover what they think in the process of writing about their reading:
Evidence
As stated above, there will be a variety of shorter writing assignments in class. These assignments will generate analytical discussion, thematic questions and general character and plot development devices.
4.) The course includes frequent opportunities for students to write and rewrite formal, extended analyses and timed, in-class responses based on the model of ‘writing to explain’’: expository, analytical essays in which students draw upon textual details to develop an extended explanation/interpretation of the meanings of a literary text:
Evidence
Formal essays that are both expository and analytical are assigned. Themes, characters, plots, symbols, syntax, and stylistic devices will be included in various writing prompts. For example, students are required to show how the various motifs and syntax Shakespeare uses in Macbeth or Coleridge uses in Rime of the Ancient Mariner impact the plot, character development and/or theme. The Students will parenthetically cite. They will cite/quote often and correctly following not only structure and style etiquette but MLA guidelines as well. As practice for timed prompt writing, students will respond to actual AP prompts from previous years.
5.) The course includes frequent opportunities for students to write and rewrite formal, extended analyses and timed, in-class responses. The course requires ‘writing to evaluate’: analytical, argumentative essays in which students draw upon textual details to make and explain judgments about a work’s artistry and quality, and its social and cultural values:
Evidence
Students are to write 6 formal, analytical essays showing evaluation of a works quality or artistry. For example, students will write an analytical essay on how Mary Shelley’s use of symbolism and various other literary devices specific to imagery convey the theme in Frankenstein. In addition, students will edit and direct scenes from Hamlet that address theme, tone and diction.
6.) The AP teacher provides instruction and feedback on students’ writing assignments, both before and after the students revise their work, that help the students develop, among other things: a variety of sentence structures…logical organization enhanced by specific techniques to increase coherence, such as repetition, transitions, and emphasis…specific illustrative detail…effective use of rhetoric:
Evidence:
Students’ papers will be scored and edited with specific attention to structure, audience, tone, subject, purpose, diction, transition, argumentative evidence if required, parenthetical citation and documentation if required, as well as how all of the above creates the desired outcome in a formal essay or an informal, timed writing piece.
CALENDAR FOR IN CLASS WORKS AND MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS
September/February
Literary Analysis Boot Camp (short story work)
College and personal essays (Formal Essay Assignment)
Hamlet (Formal essay assignment and Scene Presentation)
October/March
Macbeth (Formal essay assignment)
November/April
The Romantic Poets (Formal essay assignment, Poem analysis oral presentation)
Frankenstein (Formal essay assignment)
December/May
The Modern Poets (Poem analysis oral presentation)
Brave New World (Research assignment)
January/June
The Importance of Being Ernest (Scene presentation)
READING
You MUST have each specific text with you in class during the week in which they are scheduled. Coming to class without the text we are reading will be considered lack of preparation, and your participation grade will suffer.
JFK High School provides copies of all required texts, including the textbook, Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense 10th edition, Wadsworth Publishing. March 2008. ISBN-1413033083
However, personal texts are recommended for purposes of annotation (many texts are available online).
WRITING
You will write 5 formal essays this term. They will follow the guidelines of the usual writing process:
BRAINSTORMING
ROUGH DRAFT
REVISED DRAFT
PEER-EDITING/PROOFREADING
CONFERENCING WITH TEACHER
FINAL DRAFT
I will hold individual conferences with students during Writing Workshop time. Each of you should see me at least once every month. We will review content, form, and style as well as analytical skills.
We will begin with a mini-lesson on some aspect of strong writing on workshop days. You will be expected to take notes during these times. However, the mini-lessons will not take up the entire period, so you will always have time in class to work on your writing each week. Come prepared with printouts of the work you do at home, this will also be counted towards participation.
Your essays will require multiple drafts. The drafts must demonstrate visible improvement, reprinting does not equal revision.
Essay Rubrics
Your essays will be scored on a 50/50 point scale. We will work with the AP rubric as well determining where your papers would fall on that scale. You will have copies of that rubric in your binders.
PRACTICE TESTS
You will take several practice AP tests throughout the year.
Each practice test will consist of multiple choice questions as well as AP test comparable essay questions.
ATTENDANCE
Do not be tardy, do not be absent. Let me know well in advance if you have scheduling conflicts.. The AP English Literature test is scheduled for May, 2010.
GRADING POLICY
A=90-100%
B=80-89%
C=70-79%
D=60-69%
F=59% and below
• Tests must be taken on the dates scheduled. They cannot be made up except under extreme circumstances.
• Essay due dates are absolute. There will be no extensions or late work accepted except under extreme circumstances
• The AP Exam will be held May 8th 2008. If you have difficulties with regards to the test fee, you may apply for a fee waiver from the school. See your me and/or your counselor.
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