Thompson: AP English Literature Syllabus 2014-2015
AP English Literature Syllabus 2014-2015
Instructor: Hilary Thompson
Email:
Phone: 274-3366 ext. 105
Twitter: @HilaryLThompson
Class Website: http://tinyurl.com/ThompsonOCHS
Planning Period: 2nd, 8:50 to 9:40, Room 105
Note: this syllabus is subject to change at instructor’s discretion. Sufficient notice will be given to students and parents if this occurs.
Course Description
This course has been designed to meet all requirements of the new national Common Core Standards and to prepare you for the ACT in March, as well as the state On Demand writing test at the end of the school year.
In addition, this class will have the special focus of preparing you for the AP English Literature/Composition exam in the spring. This is not a state-required test, but you may earn college credit if you score a 3 or higher. I hope everyone in this room plans to take the test, and preparation for this test will be our main focus.
A little soapbox speech about HOMEWORK…
Some assignments have the potential to be completed during class time. I know you’re busy bees, and I try to give you some time to work on things, with the added benefit that I’m there for questions.
However, because of the focus of this class on college-level work, you will regularly have reading and writing assignments to complete outside of class. Expect to spend between three and six hours per week on work for this class.
When you are in class, you should be participating in discussions, asking questions, and actively learning. When you are not in class, you should be reading, writing, and thinking. These activities will prepare you for class (and for life!) and help you practice the skills we are learning.
A little warning about COPYING…
If you copy an individual assignment from a friend, you will both receive a zero for that assignment. If you commit intentional plagiarism, you will be sent to ISAP during this class period until you redo the assignment, with a reduction of one letter grade. On the second offense, you will be sent to ISAP for three days and will receive a zero for that assignment.
Class Rules
I don’t have a lot of rules, but one big guideline: RESPECT
1. Respect yourself: always do your best, so that you can sleep at night and feel good about yourself as a human being.
2. Respect other people: classmates, teacher, the world in general. Just so you know, I was never allowed to say “shut up” and I turned out pretty well.
3. Respect the school: follow the code of conduct. Mainly, this involves electronic devices and tardies.
Discipline Procedures
Breaking the class rules will result in the following:
1st offense – We’ll have a chat, just the two of us. (Tardies and dress code violations will
always be written up, per school policy.)
2nd offense – We’ll have a chat, with Mr. Asberry, or your parents, whichever seems most
appropriate. You might need to sign a behavior contract.
3rd offense – Mr. Asberry and I will decide what is needed to turn your ship around, including
ISAP if appropriate.
Other Classroom Procedures
● Bringing materials:
It is very important that you bring your book (whatever book we are reading at that time) to class every day. The second time you come to class without your book, you will be given an immediate referral to Mr. Asberry.
● Leaving class:
Don’t. This includes bathroom breaks, forgotten materials, guidance counseling, etc. You have to be in class to learn what we are learning. Don’t cheat yourself.
● Leaving class, if you really have to go:
Each student will start the quarter with 5 “hall pass points.” These points can be used as passes to leave the room for bathroom, etc. If you end the quarter with some of your points, they are converted to extra credit points. (Yay!) If you use them up and continue to ask to leave class, the above discipline procedure will be followed.
● Turning in work:
Turn in all work, including late and makeup work, to my hands or the basket on my desk. Anywhere else, and it will probably get lost.
Class Materials: BRING THESE EVERY DAY OR WE WILL BOTH BE MISERABLE
You will NEED:
● a 3-ring binder, probably 1 or 1½ inches
● loose-leaf paper or a notebook for in-class work
● pens or pencils – you will need pencils for ACT practice, which is sometimes on scantron forms. You’ll need blue or black ink for AP essays. Otherwise, just write in a color I can read.
● the novel or play we are reading in class at that time (see the Reading Selections for details)
You might WANT:
● highlighters
● post-it notes in every color and size imaginable (wait, that’s me)
A word about TEXTBOOKS…
We have them for Literature and Grammar. You can check one out if you want. You won’t need it every night. They are useful if you’re absent, or as a doorstop.
Grades and Assessments
You will be assessed every day – sometimes formally with assignments and tests and sometimes informally with observations and conferences.
Your grades will be in six categories in Infinite Campus, with no weighting. All grades are done by points. Smaller assignments are worth fewer points.
Vocabulary
· Packets with 20 words, given every two weeks (40 points)
· Quizzes over each unit, given every two weeks (40 points)
· Visual vocabulary over each unit, turned in every two weeks (20 points)
Grammar
· Weekly lessons and activities (10-30 points each)
· Monthly quizzes (40 points)
Literature
· Weekly quiz over a novel or play (50 points)
· Weekly activities over independent reading selection (25 points)
· On Demand essays over novels, plays, and independent reading selections (100 points)
Writing
· Major Works Data Sheet (100 points)
· Poetry and Prose Responses, six per quarter (20 points each)
· Two AP style essays per quarter (100 points each)
AP Multiple Choice Practice
· Four or more sections per quarter (20 points each)
ACT
· Practice English test, given once each quarter (100 points)
· Practice Reading test, given once each quarter (100 points)
You will also have occasional extra credit opportunities.
I’ll be monitoring your grades; however, I ask that you keep up with them, too. Part of learning how to be an adult is determining when you’re doing well, or when you need to change tactics or step up your game. I can always find time to help you if you’re struggling with something!
Attendance and Make-up Work
● Come to class – you need us to do well this year, and we need you to be part of our learning community.
● If you miss class, check the bulletin board to see what you missed. Make up your work, and turn it in as soon as possible. Simple.
● If you’re absent for several days, have someone get your work, email me for any assignments, or check my class website.
● School policy also states that students get one makeup day for each missed day, or two for tests. I don’t like math – it’s your responsibility to figure out what you missed and do it.
Late Work: Occasional vs. Habitual
If you forget or lose an assignment once in a while, just turn it in the next day.
· Late work will be accepted no more than three days after the due date.
· You will receive a grade deduction of one letter grade per day.
If late work becomes a habit, or if you neglect to turn in assignments at all, any or all of the following will occur:
● You will earn a zero for missing assignments.
● I will call or email your parents, grandparents, coaches, club sponsors – whoever it takes.
● I will meet with you individually or with the above people to see if there is a problem that can be solved with my help – maybe you don’t understand the assignment. If you don’t understand something, PLEASE see me for help – I will always find time to help you!
● If all else fails, you won’t! I’ll refer you to the principle for appropriate discipline, such as ISAP.
Schedule for the Year
First Semester
All-Class Reading:
Summer: Independent Reading
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
How to Read Literature Like a Professor, by Thomas C. Foster
Othello, by William Shakespeare
Independent Reading Options (each student must choose one):
1984, by George Orwell
The Awakening, by Kate Chopin
Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
We Were the Mulvaneys, by Joyce Carol Oates
Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
Cold Mountain, by Charles Frazier
Beloved, by Toni Morrison
The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane
Light in August, by William Faulkner
Second Semester
Required Text:
Mythology, by Edith Hamilton
The Scarlett Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Antigone, by Sophocles
Independent Reading Options:
Anthem, by Ayn Rand
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, by Jamie Ford
Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry
A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines
The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver
Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe
A NOTE ABOUT OUR READING SELECTIONS:
We will be reading six novels and/or plays this year.Each six weeks, we will alternate between reading a book as a class (the All-Class Reading) and then another book selected from the list of Independent Reading Options.The school will supply the books, though you might want to buy a copy of your own so you can take notes.For the Independent Reading Options, some selections have limited copies, so if you want a specific book, you must sign the list early or purchase the book.
Scan this to see OCHS teacher site.
Hilary Thompson
Instructor, English III
Email:
Phone: 274-3366, ext. 105
Planning Period: 2nd, 8:50 to 9:40
Room: 105
Dear Parent or Guardian:
Welcome to your student’s junior year! This is an important year for our young men and women, as they prepare for ACT testing, On Demand testing, college and career selection, and many more exciting things. In addition, your student has selected an AP class, and so he or she will be eligible to take the AP exam in the spring.
Studies have confirmed that college students who have not taken any AP courses have only a 33% chance of completing a Bachelor’s Degree. However, college students who have completed one AP course have a 59% chance of completing a Bachelor’s Degree, and college students who have completed two or more AP courses have a 76% chance of completing a Bachelor’s Degree. (This information is from the WKU website for The Center for Gifted Studies.)
I am certified to teach AP Literature and Composition, and I welcome the chance to share my knowledge with and guide your student. I’m looking forward to meeting you, and getting to know you and your child. Please contact me directly with any questions or concerns you have about your child or my class. I will do my best to talk or meet with you as often as needed. Let’s work together this year to ensure the success of your student, and to make this academic year at OCHS a rewarding and fun year!
Although videos are not a main component of the English III curriculum, occasionally we may watch one that enhances or completes a unit of study. By signing the form below, you agree that your student may watch any video, rated PG-13 or below, used in this classroom.
In addition, use of technology has been identified as a key skill for college and career readiness. To build this skill, I have created class websites that will be used to display student work, both individual and collaborative. There will be no personal information on the website! Students will have access to add or change the content on this website, but I will always manage inappropriate content. However, part of writing for an authentic audience is letting the world in – the general public will be able to view your student’s work and interact through comments. By signing the form below, you agree that your student may participate in this website for class use.
We have read and discussed this syllabus in class. Please ask your child or contact me if you have any questions or concerns about this information.
Sincerely,
Hilary Thompson
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” -- William Butler Yeats
Class website:
http://aplitcompochs.wikispaces.com
Please sign and return.
I have read and agree to the objectives, requirements, and rules for this course.
I also give my student permission to view appropriate videos, rated PG-13 or below, in class.
______(student)
______(parent or guardian)
______(print names)
I agree that my student can participate in the class website for class purposes only. I understand that personal information is not part of the website.
______(parent or guardian)
I prefer to be contacted by:
Phone: ______
Email: ______