Shutt 1 AP English Literature and Composition 2020-2021 Syllabus

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AP English Literature and Composition 2020-2021 Syllabus

Instructor: Mr. Shutt Phone: 540*332*3926 (school) Email: [email protected]

Googleclassroom Class Code: 2ui27wr

Parents should use ParentPortal in order to stay current with attendance and grades. Call school office if you do NOT have ParentPortal.

Scheduled Class Time: Tuesday and Thursday at 12:30

Office Hours: 1:30-3:30

COURSE DESCRIPTION: AP English Literature and Composition is a rigorous course designed to provide students with the intellectual challenges and workload consistent with a typical undergraduate university English literature course. The works of literature chosen and the syllabus are designed in accordance with the recommendations of the College Board. Students take this course not only because they are academically able, but also because they are motivated, self-directed learners. This course will prepare students for the AP® English Literature and Composition Exam given in May, as well as for college. All students are expected to take the AP® English Literature Exam. The reading and writing workload is extensive. You should expect daily reading homework. In order to get as much possible out of each class session, it is imperative that all reading and writing be completed before class.

This course follows the curricular requirements outlined in the AP® Course Description. A general summary of this description is as follows: The AP English Literature and Composition course focuses on reading, analyzing, and writing about imaginative literature (fiction, poetry, drama) from various periods. Students engage in close reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature to deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure. As they read, students consider a work’s structure, style, and themes, as well as its use of figurative language, imagery, and symbolism. Writing assignments include expository, analytical, and argumentative essays that require students to analyze and interpret literary works.

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENTAL GOALS: Students will read and respond to a variety of adult literature of recognized literary merit with an emphasis on explication and analysis. They will demonstrate the ability to synthesize and apply information from many sources to support their own assertions in formal and informal writing. They will expand their research skills and demonstrate the ability to evaluate Internet information for qualities of scholarship and legitimacy. A variety of instructional strategies are used to insure that varied learning styles are Shutt 2

addressed. Collaborative pairing, cooperative learning groups, and independent practice are used regularly so students can practice effective resource management and interpersonal skills. Students should expect numerous small group and whole class Socratic seminars.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: The big ideas serve as the foundation of the AP English Literature and Composition course and enable students to create meaningful connections among course concepts. They are threads that run throughout the course and revisiting them and applying them in a variety of contexts helps students to develop deeper conceptual understanding. Below are the big ideas of the course, along with the enduring understanding associated with each one: CHARACTER (CHR) Enduring Understanding CHR-1: Characters in literature allow readers to study and explore a range of values, beliefs, assumptions, biases, and cultural norms represented by those characters. SETTING (SET) Enduring Understanding SET-1: Setting and the details associated with it not only depict a time and place, but also convey values associated with that setting. STRUCTURE (STR) Enduring Understanding STR-1: The arrangement of the parts and sections of a text, the relationship of the parts to each other, and the sequence in which the text reveals information are all structural choices made by a writer that contribute to the reader’s interpretation of a text. NARRATION (NAR) Enduring Understanding NAR-1: A narrator’s or speaker’s perspective controls the details and emphases that affect how readers experience and interpret a text. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE (FIG) Enduring Understanding FIG-1: Comparisons, representations, and associations shift meaning from the literal to the figurative and invite readers to interpret a text. LITERARY ARGUMENTATION (LAN) Enduring Understanding LAN-1: Readers establish and communicate their interpretations of literature through arguments supported by textual evidence

COURSE COMPONENTS AND EXPECTATIONS: Reading -- You are expected to read ALL assigned literature. You should plan extra time in your schedule to accomplish course readings. Expect reading each day as part of your regular homework. If you DO NOT read the required reading and merely rely upon on-line summaries then this will most likely result in your inability to succeed on the AP exam and to fully participate in class discussions that will not only benefit you but your peers. Please read! Reading in an AP course is both wide and deep. This reading necessarily builds upon and complements the reading done in previous English courses so that by the time students Shutt 3

complete their AP course, they will have read works from several genres and periods — from the 16th to the 21st century. For that reason, previously read works from your American Literature and British Literature course may be revisited for deeper study. On the AP exam, you may wish to recall literature read from other courses you took in preparation for AP. As you read, it is important that you read deliberately and thoroughly, taking time to understand a work’s complexity, to absorb its richness of meaning, and to analyze how that meaning is embodied in literary form. In addition to considering a work’s literary artistry, students reflect on the social and historical values it reflects and embodies. Careful attention to both textual detail and historical context provides a foundation for interpretation, whatever critical perspectives are brought to bear on the literary works studied.

A generic method for the approach to such close reading involves the following elements: the experience of literature, the interpretation of literature, and the evaluation of literature. All three of these aspects of reading are important for an AP English Literature and Composition course. College Board Disclaimer -- In an ongoing effort to recognize the widening cultural horizons of literary works written in English, the AP English Literature Development Committee will consider and include diverse authors in the representative reading lists. Issues that might, from a specific cultural viewpoint, be considered controversial, including references to ethnicities, nationalities, religions, races, dialects, gender or class, are often represented artistically in works of literature. The Development Committee is committed to careful review of such potentially controversial material. Still, recognizing the universal value of literary art that probes difficult and harsh life experiences and so deepens understanding, the committee emphasizes that fair representation of issues and peoples may occasionally include controversial material. Since AP students have chosen a program that directly involves them in college-level work, the AP English Literature and Composition Exam depends on a level of maturity consistent with the age of 12th-grade students who have engaged in thoughtful analysis of literary texts. The best response to a controversial detail or idea in a literary work might well be a question about the larger meaning, purpose or overall effect of the detail or idea in context. AP students should have the maturity, the skill and the will to seek the larger meaning through thoughtful research. Such thoughtfulness is both fair and owed to the art and to the author.

Writing — Students can anticipate writing on a daily basis, both in and out of class, in relation to the readings. Writing is a tool for learning. It is not merely the end product of thought, but a tried and true method of thinking itself. Students will also write timed and untimed style analysis pieces for selections of prose and poetry. Many assignments will be handwritten. Shutt 4

Students will write in the various modes about the many aspects of literature, but will always concentrate on how a writer uses rhetorical strategies to achieve meaning. Students will write literary interpretations based on careful observation of textual details, with consideration of 1) structure, style, and themes; 2) the social, cultural, and historical values reflected in the work; and 3) literary elements and strategies, such as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone. Such analysis will lead us to understand the writer’s work and then to evaluate it. The AP exam requires 3 essays; therefore, it is imperative that when you write your writing reflects a level of maturity not only in thought but also in mechanics reflective of that of a college student.

Vocabulary — AP® English is replete with analytical language that students need to know. However, merely memorizing these terms and their definitions is insufficient; students must also be able to comfortably and accurately employ them in discourse, which develops with practice. Consequently, students will be expected to actively use appropriate literary terminology in class discussion and written composition.

AP® Preparation — By the end of this course students will be acquainted with the format and content of the AP® Lit Exam (aka the APE). A variety of sources are used to familiarize them with the types of questions that appear on the exam, and they will have sufficient practice throughout the year. In the weeks leading up to the actual exam, students will receive concentrated preparation and review. There is SO much AP help online. Part of being a college student is independently helping yourself.

Homework — Keep up with the reading every night. Students should also know when assignments are due so that work can be submitted on time. If you just don’t have time to ever read then consider not taking AP.

Absences and Tardies — AP® Lit is an intensive course requiring attendance. Missed work can be made up, but an insightful class discussion cannot. If at all possible, students should try not to schedule appointments or campus visits during the time class meets. Please note that absence from class does not excuse students from turning in pre-scheduled assignments by the day they are due.

**Late Work** — This is a weighted college class! Please make every effort to turn work in on time. Unexcused late work = 10% per day (weekends included)

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Academic Integrity — Cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses. Cheating or plagiarizing on any school assignment or assessment will result in an automatic zero and appropriate disciplinary action as deemed by the Honor Council. Being referred to the Honor Council for cheating may hinder your chances of National Honors Society membership.

Student Expectations — Students are expected to: o abide by the HS honor code. o complete homework and out-of-class reading assignments daily o come to class fully prepared and ready to participate. o be respectful of others and their opinions. o allow the instructor to teach and others to learn

Virtual Expectations: Be ready at the scheduled time. Dress appropriately. Minimize distractions. Make sure the video is on (I need to see you). Mute yourself unless it is your time to speak. Pay attention. Do not schedule yourself to work during scheduled class time. Act like you are paying attention.

TEXTS:

Jago, Carol, Renee H. Shea, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses.Literature & Composition: Reading, Writing, Thinking. 1st edition. Bedford/St. Martin's.

Vendler, Helen, ed. Poems, Poets, and Poetry. 3rd edition. Bedford/St. Martin's.

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TEXTS: Rent, Buy, Borrow, or see school media center Choice Novel (Fiction) --must be contemporary (year 2000+) and have won awards or been finalist Salinger. Catcher in the Rye Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse Five Wilson, August. Fences Choose 1 (The Outcaste): Native Son, Awakening, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, or Frankenstein

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ASSESSMENT: Students are encouraged to conference with the instructor at a mutually agreed upon time so they can discuss their writing strengths and needs. Essays will be graded holistically on a scale of 1- 6 using standards consistent with Advanced Placement® grading. Homework and class work will be collected regularly and evaluated for correctness and completeness.

Students are expected to read independently and report periodically on what they have read.

Forty percent (40%) of the quarterly grade will be based on minor assessments such as (but not limited to) quizzes, short writing assignments, dialectical journals(DJs), write-to-learn assignments, informal oral presentations, content and grammar tests, and other classwork and homework. Sixty percent (60%) of the quarterly grade will be based on major writing assignments, polished essays, research projects, and culminating projects.

Assessment types include, but are not limited to: ● Literary inquiries, responses, and ● Vocabulary and Grammar quizzes essays ● Monitored participation in literary ● Poetry projects forums and class discussions ● Research paper ● Practice AP® tests and essays ● Oral presentations

AP ESSAY CONVERSION: 6=100%, 5=93%, 4=83%, 3=73%, 2=63%, 1=55%, 0 = 0%

INSTRUCTIONAL PLANS: This outline is tentative and subject to change due to availability of resources and/or schedule constraints. Subject to poetry and short story additions.

Literary Titles Major Writings & Assignments

1st quarter: Coming of Age / Loss of Innocence Catcher – character analysis essay/project (supporting a claim) Salinger: Catcher in Rye Catcher – AP Q3 prompt analysis essay Updike A&P (supporting a claim) Wright Man Who Was Almost… Dumas The Intruder Released AP multiple choice practice Oates Where are you going… “At a Window” Sandburg (10) Poetry analysis essay (supporting a claim) “My Lost Youth” Longfellow (17) “I felt a funeral…” Dickinson (end) Socratic Seminars and discussions “Spring is like…” Cummings (end) Simon and Garfunkel songs “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College” Gray (end) “Marriage” Corso (end) William Blake poetry

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2nd quarter War and Reality AP released Q3 prompt for Slaughterhouse (supporting a claim) Romanticism vs. Naturalism Slaughterhouse Five SO IT GOES essay/project Vonnegut: Slaughterhouse Five Independent Novel Poetry analysis essay (supporting a claim)

Wilfred Owen poetry Release AP multiple choice practice Liam O’Flaherty excerpts Bierce “Occurrence at Owl…” Short Fiction and setting analysis essay Crane “War is Kind” (supporting a claim) London “To Build a Fire” Whitman poetry Socratic Seminars and discussions Tim O’Brien excerpts Selected poems (Romanticism) Creative Write (what do we carry?) Chopin’s “Desiree’s Baby”

3rd quarter Relationships AP released Q3 prompt for Fences (supporting a claim)

Independent Novel finish Independent novel research essay/project Wilson: Fences Poetry analysis essay (supporting a claim) Selected Short Stories (Relationships) Fireside Chat with short stories

Selected poetry (relationships) Socratic Seminars and discussions

Released AP multiple choice practice

4th quarter The Outcaste March Madness Poetry – writing and discussion (tone, theme, elements, importance) Choice Novel (choose 1) Native Son AP released Q3 for choice novel (supporting a claim— Awakening focusing on comparison of characters from different Cuckoo’s Nest works) Frankenstein Poetry analysis essay (supporting a claim) “Yellow Wallpaper” “Battle Royal” Socratic Seminars and discussions

Selected Poetry Released AP Multiple Choice practice Harlem Renaissance Test Prep for exam