ADVANCED PLACEMENT LITERATURE COURSE SYLLABUS
2016-2017
Dunwoody High School / English Department
Teacher: Ms. Heather Carter / Phone Number: 678-874-8502Room Number: Room 2109 / Email:
Tutorial Days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday / Tutorial Hours: 7:30-8 a.m.
I have reviewed and familiarized myself with the most recent AP English Course Description, available from the College Board at apcentral.collegeboard.com. I have modeled this syllabus on the various requirements set forth by College Board and it follows the national standards set by the College Board to assure equity and access throughout the varied AP programs.
Course Description: AP English Literature and Composition is a rigorous course that includes intensive writing, study of a variety of literary genres and works, and careful and deliberate reading for multiple levels of meaning. We will examine forms of literature from poetry and short stories to drama and novels of greater length. Many of the works in the class will fall under theBritish Literature category in compliance with the district standards for senior English. The expectation of this course is that the students will dig deeper, look closer, and ask questions as they read and examine literature. While we learn how to be precise readers, we will also learn to be concise and illuminating writers.
The AP Course and Exam: All students taking AP Literature and Composition should be willing to take on the challenge of a rigorous course, and need to be prepared for intensive study. However, we will not limit any student who has the desire to take AP Literature from taking this course.
I expect each member of the class to take the cumulative AP Literature Exam in May. Highly competitive colleges and universities look for AP scores and will expect that a student who takes an AP course has also taken the AP test that concurs with that course. A passing score on the AP exam is a 3. All students, whether they take the test or not, will be prepared to take the exam after taking the course.
The AP exam consists of 2 parts: Multiple choice and Essays.
●-45% of the test is multiple choice. The passages consist of both prose and poetry and test on elements such as point of view, character, symbolism, style, diction, syntax, tone, theme, figurative language, and irony. The number of questions generally ranges between 52 and 60. 60 minutes are allotted for this section.
●-55% of the test is essay. There are three analytical essay prompts given. One will most likely consist of a comparison and contrast, one will be a response to a passage, and a third is an open-ended question. The open-ended question can be answered using evidence from any number of works of literary merit. It is this question that demands AP Literature students read a number of novels, plays, short stories, and poems. 120 minutes are allotted for this section.
Course Goals:
●To improve critical thinking and analytical skills to be measured through writing practice and studying literary analysis.
●To expand vocabulary to better describe and understand the literary works studied.
●To dig further into the meanings of language, diction, imagery, use of details, style, and structure.
●To develop the skills and knowledge necessary to score well (at least a 3) on the AP exam in the spring.
●To promote imagination and improve abilities to respond to all literature.
●To evaluate the historical, cultural, social, economic, political, religious, psychological, and philosophical influences on the author and his or her work.
●To analyze the literary and social impact of the work.
Grading Scale*:
Area / Assignments / PercentageGuided Practice / class work,peer editing, Harkness discussion, group activities, multiple choice practice / 45%
Formative Assessments / summer reading assignment,reading responses, creative writing assignments, homework, sponges, outlines, rough drafts, double-entry journals, vocabulary and grammar practice, formative timed writing assignments and quizzes / 25%
Summative Assessments / projects, presentations, tests, process essays, summative timed writing assignments, final portfolio, and the final exam / 30%
Although grades are an unfortunate necessity of education, this course is more about learning to love to read and analyze literature, and not just about what grades you get. It will not be easy to earn an “A” without significant effort on your part to complete your work and to improve your writing. If you do not use your writing reflections as a tool improve your writing, you will not see the results in your writing grades. If you do not complete the homework and reading assignments, you will not be able to participate in class as much and this, too, will affect your grade.
I calculate grades using the standard DeKalb County grade scale:
A = 90 – 100 / B = 80 – 89 / C = 71 – 79 / D = 70 / F = 0 – 69I grade papers and essays using the AP Literature 9-point scale. My conversion is as follows:
9- 100%4- 70%
8- 95%3- 64%
7- 88%2- 50%
6- 82%1- below 50%
5- 75%
Remediation: Please email me or attend a tutorial with me if you have any questions or concerns. Although I cannot stay late to meet with students, I am available on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings for tutorials.
Revision Policy:Learning from your own errors and seeking to fix them is the best way to assure you are learning to improve as a writer, thus I allow and encourage you to rewrite your essays. You may revise a maximum of TWO essays (excluding the final process essay of the semester). If you choose to revise an essay, you MUST attend a tutorial within ONE WEEK of receiving the graded essay. During the tutorial, we will discuss the essay and set a due date for the revision.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS/MAKE-UP POLICY: You must turn in all work at the beginning of the period on the day it is due. If accepted at all, work turned in late for reasons of negligence or disorganization will receive partial credit. If you have an excused absence, you must make up missing work within one week. This includes quizzes or tests you have missed. It is your responsibility to check the class Haiku site for all missed assignments and complete the work. If you missed a test or quiz, it is your responsibility to make up the assignment on the following Wednesday morning. I will enter a zero for each assignment until you complete it. DeKalb County policy states that students may not make up work from unexcused absences. You must complete class work in class on the day I assign it. When you have to miss a day, call or email a classmate for assignments and notes. I should be your last resource.
No Excuses Policy: Due dates are not flexible. Printer problems, absences, and other excuses do not absolve you from your responsibility to turn in work on time. If you experience printer problems or are absent for any reason other than a medical emergency that is documented from a physician or death in the family, you must submit a Word attachment through emailor arrange to have someone bring the assignment to me on the your behalf. I will grant exceptions for valid, documented medical and family emergencies only.
Supplies:
●A one-inch binder, or section of a larger binder●Loose-leaf notebook paper
●Five divider tabs (I will explain how to label them)
●Highlighters (three different colors, please) / ●Post-it flags or other materials for annotating texts
●Pens (black or blue for essays)
●College ruled, loose leaf paper
●Correcting pen (something other than black or blue)
Reading Assignments:
The following novels, short stories, plays, and poems are part of our course of study for the semester. It is imperative that you complete all reading assignments prior to their due dates in order to effectively discuss and analyze them in class. It will be obvious to me when you have not done the reading. I will assign pop quizzes on readings to assure that all are completing reading assignments. Along with your reading responses, either you should annotate your text, using post-it notes or writing utensils depending on if you own the text or are using a borrowed copy.
Required Texts: With the exception of the textbook and other handouts I will provide, you will need to purchase your own hard copies (not eBooks) for annotating. Doing so will enable you to review for the AP exam in May. If you are unable to purchase copies of your own, please let me know, and I will make arrangements for copies to be provided for you.
Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
Beloved – Toni Morrison
Macbeth – William Shakespeare
A Raisin in the Sun – Lorraine Hansberry
Death of a Salesman – Arthur Miller
The Bedford Introduction to Literature 9th ed. (provided)
Poetry, short stories, and criticism from various sources (provided)
Course Outline of Assignments (Scope and Sequence): With every novel we study, I expect you to complete writing assignments that will analyze the novels in one of three ways: for style (syntax, diction, mechanics, figurative language), for meaning, and for the social and historical aspects the work embodies. We will look at literature through a variety of literary lenses, or theories. We will also extensively review rhetorical and literary devices that we will encounter in literature. Some of these writing assignments will be informal as a part of your reading responses, and some will be formal, extensive papers. Along with literary analysis, there are also opportunities built in for creative writing and functional writing to prepare you for college.
Writing Assignments:
The course includes frequent opportunities for students to write and rewrite formal, extended analyses and timed in-class responses. You will write an essay (either in-class, or out-of-class) approximately every two weeks. Please don’t panic; the only way to improve your writing skills by writing frequently. The course requires:
- writing to understand: informal, exploratory writing activities that enable students to discover what they think in the process of writing about their reading (such assignments could include annotation, free writing, and response/reaction papers)
- 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
- 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
As an AP teacher, I will provide instruction and feedback on students' writing assignments, both before and after the students revise their work, that help the students develop:
- a wide-ranging vocabulary used appropriately and effectively
- a variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of subordination and coordination
- logical organization, enhanced by specific techniques to increase coherence, such as repetition, transitions, and emphasis
- balance of generalization and specific, illustrative detail
- an effective use of rhetoric, including controlling tone, establishing and maintaining voice, and achieving appropriate emphasis through diction and sentence structure
Resources and Lessons:
As we move through the year, I will give you various handouts to aid you in your analysis of literature as well as your writing. Many of these are resources from the College Board have been proven to improve scores and abilities. You will compile all these handouts in your binder. The following are examples of some of the resources you will encounter:
●Critical reading strategies: SOAPSTone, TPCASTT, DIDLS
●Writing strategies
●Thoughts on writing good papers: Compiled list of common errors found in actual student essays
●Dead Words: The words you will lose points for if they are encountered in your papers
●A sample annotation guide for annotating texts
●Ways to analyze poems
●A list of rhetorical and literary terms
Extra credit: I do not give individual extra credit. However, if I extend an extra credit opportunity to the entire class, you should seize the opportunity.
Student’s Name: ______Class Period: ______
Ms. Carter’sAdvanced Placement Literature Syllabus and Classroom Expectations
Students: I read and understand the syllabus, and class rules. I will honor these rules and expectations while in Ms. Carter’s classroom.
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Parents/Guardians: My child has discussed the syllabus, and class rules with me. I understand these expectations and will support them.
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In the space provided, please tell me anything that I should know about your child (ex. allergies, medical conditions, after-school activities, strengths, weaknesses, etc.). Please let me know if you are unable to purchase copies of the required texts.
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