Highlands High School s5

Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition Campbell County High School 2015-2016

Instructor: Liz Vande Water Email: [email protected] Phone: 635-4161 x1129 Plan Period: 2nd period, 8:20-9:10 Grade level: 12th Credit: 1 credit Weight: Advanced Placement Scale

Description: An AP English Literature and Composition course engages students in the careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature. Through close reading of selected texts, students deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers. As they read, students consider a work’s structure, style, and themes, as well as such smaller-scale elements as the use of figurative language, imagery, and symbolism and tone.

Course Standards: Students will:  Approach introductory college-level material in a thoughtful and disciplined way.  Increase vocabulary comprehension through work with Membean, an online vocabulary website.  Analyze texts within a variety of genres and from a variety of time periods.  Analyze texts not only for content but also style and structure.  Incorporate style and structure skills into their own writing.  Extend learning through independent reading.  Write for a variety of purposes: poetry responses, in-class timed essays, outside in-depth critical analysis papers.  Improve their understanding of grammar and the English language.  Prepare for the AP Literature and Composition exam in May through various practice activities.

Textbook: Jacobs, Henry E. and Edgar V. Roberts, eds. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2001. (Text will be provided by instructor)

Novels and plays as assigned by the instructor.

Materials:  Agenda- MUST be with student in order to leave the room  1 11/2 in three ring binder  USB flash drive to save typed work or a Dropbox account  Set of 5 binder dividers  3 highlighters of differing color  Post-its  Pack of 3x5 lined index cards  Black pens  Pencils  Loose-leaf paper

Grading: Advanced students will be challenged to consistently turn in work of the highest standard. Inferior work will be returned and the student will be asked to make specific changes before it will be accepted. Students will be assessed on the following aspects of class:  10% of total grade: Homework  20% of total grade: Daily Work and Quizzes (reading quizzes, reading journals, presentations, class discussion, Socratic seminar, and cooperation in daily activities)  15% of total grade: Independent reading (students will receive expectations and grade breakdown for each quarter)  15% of total grade: Poetry Responses (assigned weekly)  40% of total grade: Assessments (in-class essays, outside writing, tests and projects)* *Students scoring below a 70% on any test will be given the chance to improve their grade through remediation.

Participation & Attendance: In order for a student to succeed and achieve at his or her highest level, regular attendance and participation is absolutely crucial. The conversations of literature have been going on for centuries, and this class is the opportunity to participate in not only a classroom discussion but also the larger conversations that scholars have had about the various works of literature. Respectful engagement and participation in class discussion are an integral part of class.

 When You Are Absent  In the event that a student is absent, he or she must have that absent excused. Once excused, the student will have the ability to make up any missing work per the CCHS Absence Make-Up Work Policy: When a student returns from an excused absence, he or she will be given make-up work. Students will be allowed the same number of days as their absence to complete and return this work to their teachers. The student is responsible for requesting the make-up work and returning it to the teacher.  Please utilize my Absent Calendar and Teacher Website to keep up with absent work. Any time you are out, please check the Absent Bin to see if there are any papers for you!  Students with UNEXCUSED absences will not be permitted to make up work missed. It is permissible to attain the assignments so the students can stay caught up with the class, but the work will not be counted toward the grade in the class.  Previously assigned work that was due the 1st day of your absence is due when you return.  Make-up exams for missed quizzes or tests must be scheduled with the teacher and made up within 3 days. This may require you staying after school.  If You Miss an Assignment Time management is a crucial skill to learn in order to be successful not only in high school and college but also life; however, there are times that even the best students get overwhelmed and forget to turn in an assignment.

 To account for this, every quarter students will receive two “Mercy Moments.” These Mercy Moments will allow a student to turn in an assignment late for credit. Unused Mercy Moments will be collected at the end of each quarter for extra credit.

 If a student fails to turn in an assignment with the Mercy Moment, the student will be placed on the No Zero Detention List. Students will then have the option to turn in the assignment before the scheduled teacher detention.

o If turned in, the student will not be required to stay. o If not turned in, the student will be expected to stay and complete the assignment at the designated teacher detention day. No Zero Detention will be held every Thursday from 2:20-3:15 in Mrs. Vande Water’s room. Students will be told at least 48 hours in advance the date they are expected to attend detention. o Any late work turned in before or on the day of No Zero Detention will be worth 64% of the original points.

 If the student fails to turn in an assignment and fails to stay for their scheduled teacher detention, they will be given an administrative referral and will have to serve a school detention. Students will have the opportunity to turn in their late work until the day after their scheduled school detention for 50% of the original points.

 If the student fails to turn in the assignment after this point, the assignment is no longer eligible to be made up.

Any conflicts with assigned No Zero detention need to be discussed with Mrs. Vande Water BEFORE the day of the detention.

General Outline (subject to change):  Components of Class: o Poetry Responses: A key component to this class is exposure to many genres of literature from various time periods. Each week, students will be given a list of approximately 5 poems. Students will choose one poem from the list and will write a one-page response that may be an analysis, reader response, or combination of both. The goal of this assignment is not only to expose you to various styles of poetry but also to give you an opportunity to practice analyzing and reflecting on such poems. o Membean: An extensive vocabulary is crucial to the AP student as is a vital part of successfully understanding and using the English language. In an effort to achieve the goal of increased language proficiency, students will use www.membean.com, which is a website that meets the student where he or she is and works to increase vocabulary knowledge. Gaining an understanding of these words will not only increase oral vocabulary, but will also allow students to improve their writing. o Reading Journals: Each student will be asked to keep a reading journal that will be used for each work of literature. More than recounting the plot of the work, these journals will be used to ask questions about specific parts of the text, or the text as a whole. Students are encouraged to look at key excerpts or phrases from the text and then note their thoughts, reactions, and/or observations about those excerpts at the time of reading. At the beginning of the year, these journals will be guided by the instructor; as the year progresses, however, these journals may become a basis for class discussion, a means to answering a writing prompt, or the brainstorming material for a timed writing piece. o In-class Writing: Throughout the year, students will be given released essay prompts from past AP exams. Students’ essays will be graded holistically using the rubric provided for that prompt. If the specific rubric is not available, a general AP rubric will be used. While all in-class essays will be graded on a scale of 1-9 (as they will be on the AP exam), the class points awarded for these scores will be on a sliding scale. Through the exposure and practice of such prompts, it is hoped you will not only have the chance to practice the skills discussed in class but also will gain confidence with the AP exam expectations and format. o Outside Writing: Students will also be asked to complete a series of both critical and creative writing outside of the classroom. Unlike in-class writing (which is meant to mimic the writing expected on the AP exam), outside writings will be assigned over a period of time and will go through several drafts and revisions. Keeping this expectation in mind, these writings will be graded not only for content, structure, and style but also for correct grammar and usage. o Socratic Seminar: Students will be instructed in the methods of a Socratic Seminar. At least once per quarter, students will participate in a Socratic Seminar, which will allow them the opportunity to voice an opinion and/or pose a question about a specific text. It is an expectation that all students participate in this activity and it is hoped that students will gain a deeper, more meaningful understanding of the text through a discussion with peers.  Major Works: o All My Sons by Arthur Miller o The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver o Othello by William Shakespeare o Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut o Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen  Essential Questions for the Course: o What are the elements of literature? How does an author use the elements of literature to further his or her purpose for writing? What is the influence of history and culture on literature? How does literature affect me? o What are the different critical approaches to literature? How do different critical approaches influence the way I read and interpret literature? What are the benefits of analyzing literature from different critical perspectives? o What are the essential components of poetry? What are the different structures used in poetry? What are some key strategies for analyzing poetry? o How can literature be used to comment on the social condition and human behavior of its time? How do authorial choices (diction, syntax, structure, and style) help reveal truths about human tendencies and social interaction? How can the genre of a writing piece affect its impact on the audience? o What are the components of a well-written portfolio piece? What are effective editing and revising strategies I can use for my own writing?

Additional Comments: Students and parents can sign up for text or e-mail reminders from me via Remind. Simply text @mrsvandew to 81010 or e-mail [email protected] (leave subject and body blank). Students will sign up for an Edmodo account (if they do not already have one) in class, but parents can also log on with a parent code. E-mail me and I will send your child’s code.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact me, preferably by e-mail. Appointments can be made upon request.

PLEASE COMPLETE AND RETURN BY MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2013

I have read and understand the syllabus for Mrs. Vande Water’s AP Literature and Composition class.

STUDENT

Signature______Date______

PARENT/GUARDIAN

Signature______Date______

Please initial the following statements that apply to you:  Infinite Campus reflects my updated contact information: ______ My student has reliable internet access at home:______

In the event of questions or concerns, what is your preferred method of communication?  E-mail____  Home phone____  Cell phone_____  Work phone ______