The purpose of the AP Literature course is to allow students to build on the
reading ... Students will read representative works of short fiction, novel, poetry,
drama, and ... Apply critical reading approaches to selected Works .... Robert
DiYanni.
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AP LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION SYLLABUS Course Description The purpose of the AP Literature course is to allow students to build on the reading and writing experiences from previous years by studying representative works of significant literary merit from various genres and time periods. Students engage in close reading and weekly analytical writing that focuses on the experience, interpretation, and evaluation of literature in an effort to understand and express the complex relationships among content, meaning and form. The increased experience gained through close reading and analytical writing assists students in becoming effective critical and creative thinkers who are capable of finding and expressing their own meaning and measuring their insights against other authorities on texts. Upon completing the full year course, students will be prepared to take the Advanced Placement Exam in Literature and Composition, which is given by the College Board in the spring. Understandings: Students will understand that - Literature allows us to apply a wide range of reading strategies to construct, sustain and expand meaning, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate text. - Literature allows us to exercise imagination, acquire new information and increase the understanding of ourselves and the shared human experience. - Writing requires us to engage specific habits and recursive processes. - Writing requires us to recognize the structure of language and to use language with purpose and precision. - Writing requires an understanding that different purposes and audiences require the use of different genres. - Discussion of literature and writing requires the effective use of oral language to communicate a wide range of ideas, feelings, and facts for a variety of audiences and for different purposes. Course Goals (As described in the College Board AP Literature and Composition Course Description, May 2007, May 2008, May 2009, May 2010). l. To read, respond, analyze, and evaluate representative literary works from various genres and time periods. 2. To understand the way writers use structure and language to create meaning. 3. To consider a work's structure, style, and themes as well as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone. 4. To recognize the social and historical values that embodies a literary work. 5. To write expository, analytical, and argumentative essays that focus on the analysis of literature. 6. To write creatively to further the understanding of writers’ accomplishments and deepen appreciation of the works. 7. To develop the resources of language (connotation, metaphor, irony, syntax, and tone)
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through reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Reading Expectations Students will read representative works of short fiction, novel, poetry, drama, and nonfiction from various time periods. Students will need to plan time in their schedules for reading assignments of significant length. Keeping up with the pace will be imperative to success in this course. Students will recognize reading as a recursive process and read every assignment with care which means students must: - Apply various reading strategies such as questioning, paraphrasing, and summarizing as well as making inferences and synthesizing - Analyze structure, style, and themes as well as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone and recognize the relationship among these elements - Recognize the social and historical values that embody a work - Apply critical reading approaches to selected Works - Develop written responses as a resource for understanding text Writing Expectations Students will write in an effort to reinforce their reading, increase their ability to explain clearly what they understand about literary works, and articulate why they interpret works as they do. Students will write frequently in a variety of forms including informal and exploratory writing (dialectical journals and reader responses), creative writing (descriptive, imaginative, and mimetic), research- based writing, and expository, analytical and argumentative essays. Students will carefully consider peer and teacher feedback on written assignments and, when appropriate, use this feedback to revise and resubmit their Work. Students will write in an effort to: - Develop and organize ideas clearly and persuasively through the use of repetition, transition and emphasis - Develop stylistic maturity through a Wide-ranging vocabulary (with consideration of connotation and denotation) and a variety of sentence structures (emphasizing appropriate use of subordinate and coordinate constructions) - Demonstrate a balance of generalization with specific illustrative detail and avoid extensive plot summary - Develop effective use of rhetoric through control of tone, consistency of voice, and emphasis through parallelism and antithesis - Write effectively in timed situations Listening and Speaking Expectations Students will have frequent opportunities through class discussions or presentations to develop their ability to communicate creatively, expressively, informatively, and analytically. Class discussions may be teacher-led or student-led and may include full class discussions, small group discussions, fishbowls, and Socratic seminars. Students will be actively involved in such discussions, which mean they must: - Initiate and participate in discussions and contribute their ideas to the collective
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understanding - Take notes during discussions and be prepared to see topics of discussion on various forms of assessment - Ask questions about difficult concepts or passages, and actively listen and respond appropriately to classmates - Understand their personal roles in discussion and their effects on the group's progress through self-evaluation and peer feedback - Demonstrate effective verbal and nonverbal skills such as emphasis, pace, tone, eye contact and body language Feedback/Assessment Feedback and assessment are formative in their purpose in that they help students to recognize strengths and weaknesses in their knowledge, understanding, and skills, and motivate students to reflect on their own learning. Students will be assessed regarding the quality and progress of their work through the use of: - Peer and teacher feedback -- both written and verbal -- throughout the learning process - Teacher comments on written assignments with an opportunity for revision when appropriate - Formal evaluation of written assignments through AP style and teacherdeveloped rubrics - Formal evaluation of timed written assignments - Content quizzes and tests that include objective and open-response questions - AP style multiple-choice questions Classroom Expectations and Grading Students in this course are expected to: - Come to class on time and with the necessary materials: 1. three-ring binder with dividers and paper 2. writing utensils — blue or black ink pens, hi-lighters 3. current text, handouts, or drafts in progress - Complete work on time. - Come prepared to facilitate and participate in class discussion and activities. - Demonstrate respect for each individual’s right to learn and act responsibly and with regard for others and self.
Grading: 1. All group work, quizzes, in-class essays and homework will count once. 2. All out of class essays, projects and tests will count twice. 3. All students, regardless of attendance, will take the final exam each semester. For students whose attendance meets the requirements set forth in the school Handbook for exam exemption, the final will only be counted if it helps your semester average. For students who, according to the school Handbook, are
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required by their attendance record to take a final exam, it will count the requisite 1/7 or ¼ of your final semester grade. 4. For extra credit, you may participate in cultural events (concerts, plays, readings, museum visits, serious movies, etc.) and write a one-page informal reaction essay in which you find a connection to something we are or have studied in class. Please check with me in advance of attending the cultural event to be sure I will accept it as such. Extra credit will be applied to your lowest grade in the nine-week grading period. Only one extra credit assignment may be submitted for each nine-week grading period. -
Students can expect longer papers to be assessed and returned to them within two weeks of the due date.
The Short Fiction Unit In this unit students will read a wide range of short fiction in an effort to apply close reading and analysis strategies. The primary goals will be for students to recognize how individual story elements contribute to an author's overall purpose and meaning and how the interconnectedness of those elements contributes to a story's complexity. In addition, students will learn basic characteristics of critical approaches to literature and examine stories through these various lenses. Guiding Questions: - To what degree does the setting allow us to recognize the social and historical values that embody a short story? - How do characteristics of plot contribute to meaning? - How do character description, development, and action affect understanding of a story? - What do symbols contribute to the meaning of a short story? - How do literary conventions and devices contribute to an author's overall purpose and meaning? - How does the interconnectedness of story elements and literary conventions and devices contribute to the complexity of a short story? Options for Writing Assignments Informal/Exploratory: - Students will maintain response journals in which they record observations, questions and insights. - Students will identify and define problem vocabulary. - Students will experiment with writing interpretations of stories from a particular critical approach. Creative: - Students will ghostwrite an implied scene or a new ending which they support with details from the text. - Students will devise a conversation between or among characters within a story or between or among characters from different stories.
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Expository/Analytical: - Students will write and revise (informed by teacher/peer feedback) several short analysis papers which focus on how individual story elements and/or literary conventions contribute to meaning. - Students will select two stories and write a comparison or contrast essay that serves to evaluate these stories in terms of their elements, literary conventions, or overall meaning. Timed Writing: - Students will complete an in-class, timed writing prompt on a significant short fiction passage in the style of the AP Literature Examination Text: Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry and Drama. Robert DiYanni. McGraw Hill. 2007. William Faulkner, A Rose for Emily; Eudora Welty, A Worn Path; Edgar Allan Poe, The Purloined Letter; Flannery O’Connor A Good Man Is Hard to Find, The Life You Save May Be Your Own; F. Scott Fitzgerald, Babylon Revisited; Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper; Nathaniel Hawthorne, Young Goodman Brown; Ernest Hemingway, Hills Like White Elephants; Katherine Anne Porter, The Jilting of Granny Weatherall; Alice Walker, Everyday Use; Eudora Welty, Why I Live at the P.O.; Joyce Carol Oates, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?; and other selected stories, case studies, and critical perspectives. The Novel Unit Using the cumulative knowledge from their study of short fiction, students will read and analyze with greater depth and independence through the study of the novel. Students will examine how multiple plots entwine and characters develop within longer texts. They will analyze an author’s style and structure and the specific importance of figurative language, tone, and theme. They will uncover the complexity as well as the social and historical values that embody the selected novels. Further, students will apply the characteristics of critical approaches to literature and examine the novels through these lenses. Either as a part of this unit or as a part of the multi-~genre unit (described later in this syllabus) students will complete the reading and research of a novel of their choice(reading list provided) and, in the role of teacher, demonstrate their insight and understanding of the work. Guiding Questions - What approaches does an author use to develop character and plot over time in a novel? - How do figurative language, tone, structure and theme affect complexity and contribute to the deeper meaning of the Work? - How does the author’s use of style and structure contribute to our understanding and deepen our appreciation of the work? - What approaches does an author use to reveal social/historical values that embody a novel? - How does an author draw from and develop variations on traditional archetypes?
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Overall, how does the interconnected relationship of structure, figurative language, and thematic design enhance the values set forth by the novelist and affect literary interpretation?
Options for Writing Assignment Informal/Exploratory: - Students will identify and respond to key passages in the reading in an effort to discover meaning and enhance understanding. - Students will experiment with writing interpretations of texts (or sections of texts) from a particular critical approach. - In place of the traditional reader response journal, students will write and exchange letters with classmates. By creating a conversation with a classmate, students will explore ideas, actions, dialogue, and other elements within the text. - Students will identify and define problem vocabulary. Creative: - Students will write in a journal format using a particular character's point of view. Expository/Analytical: - Students will write and revise (informed by peer/teacher feedback) several short analysis papers which focus on the author's use of tone in a passage from the text. - Students will write and revise (informed by peer/teacher feedback) an analysis paper which focuses on how a single image or a series of images contributes to the theme of the work. - Students will select interesting or unique archetypal traits and write an essay that discusses their function in the work, particularly as they relate to plot, characters, symbols and setting. Students may also select two or more works and compare their archetypal traits. Timed Writing: - Students will complete an in class timed writing prompt on a significant short fiction passage in the style of the AP Literature Examination - Texts: (minimum of 4) Kate Chopin, The Awakening; Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns; Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, William Golding, Lord of the Flies, and student choice from a list of titles of significant literary merit. The Poetry Unit The reading and understanding of poetry is multi-faceted. A poem always needs to be read more than once in order to form an understanding of how various elements of a poem work in concert to create meaning. While reading poetry representative of a variety of time periods and forms, students will hone their skills as close readers and study the complex relationship between form and meaning. The students will analyze poetry and be able to articulate how specific techniques contribute to the purpose of the poem.
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Guiding Questions - How do various elements, such as a poet’s use of literary conventions reinforce meaning? - How does diction contribute to tone and meaning in a poem? - How does the poet’s use of sound devices influence the reader’s understanding and appreciation of the poem? - How does poetic form and pattern reflect the historical and cultural context of the poem? - How might biographical and cultural information help to determine the poem’s central concerns? - To what extent are a poet’s formal choices influenced by established poetic traditions? - How do these choices — to follow or break from tradition — reinforce meaning in a poem? Options for Writing Assignments Informal/Exploratory: - Students will frequently respond to informal writing prompts meant to help them gain a deeper understanding of the elements of poetry they study in class. In these responses they will include their observations, reactions, and applications of poetic devices. - Students will identify and define problem vocabulary. Creative: - Students will write their own poetry that emulates the style and conventions of poetry they study. Expository/Analytical: - Students will practice writing several explications and revise (informed by teacher/peer feedback). Students will then write a formal explication which focuses on how the literary conventions of an individual poem contribute to its overall meaning. - Students will write a comparison/contrast essay that serves to evaluate two poems with similar subjects or themes in terms of their use of poetic devices and overall effect. Timed Writing: - Students will complete an in-class timed writing prompt on poetry in the style of the AP Literature Examination. Texts: Reading Fiction, Poetry and Drama. Robert DiYanni. McGraw Hill. 2007. Selected poetry from poets such as Steven Crane, Robert Browning, Muriel Stuart, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Randall Jarrell, William Wordsworth, Edwin Arlington Robinson, Robert Herrick, Elizabeth Bishop, William Butler Yeats, Melissa Range, H.D., Thomas Hardy, William Shakespeare, John Donne, Robert Wallace, Judith Wright, Peter Meinke, Christina Rossetti, Robert Frost, William Blake, Emily Dickinson, e.e. cummings, Stevie Smith, May Swenson, Helen Chasin, William Carlos Williams, Lord
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Byron, Anne Sexton, John Keats, Walt Whitman, Theodore Roethke, Robert Hayden, Sylvia Plath, Langston Hughes, Rita Dove, Christopher Marlowe, Sir Walter Raleigh, Matthew Arnold, David Gewanter, W.H. Auden, Natalie Safir, Stephen Mitchell, X. J. Kennedy, Cathy Song, Frederico Garcia Lorca, Lun-Yi Tsai, Lucille Clifton, Billy Collins, Pablo Neruda, Anne Bradstreet, Gwendolyn Brooks, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Lucille Clifton, Countee Cullen, T. S. Eliot, Louise Erdrich, Nikki Giovanni, Seamus Heaney, Andrew Marvell, Edna St. Vincent Millay, John Milton, Geoffrey Chaucer, Beowulf, Edgar Allan Poe, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Wallace Stevens, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, case studies, and critical perspectives; handouts, including sample poems from previous AP exams and other sources. The Drama Unit General Description In this unit, students will study and analyze literary selections of this genre as well as some of the techniques that bring it alive on stage. Students will be encouraged to imaginatively collaborate with the text in an effort to create a mental world that can be nearly as real and vivid as a live performance. They will construct interpretations based on a playwright’s use of language, development of character, arrangement of incidents, descriptions of setting, and directions for staging. Guiding Questions - How does the structure of basic dramatic forms, and the manner in which they are presented, affect our understanding of the text? - How does the history of drama, its principles and its social/ historical context contribute to our understanding of a text? - To what extent do staging, costumes, sets, lighting and/ or sound affect our understanding of a play? - How does the playwright’s choice in dramatizing certain events on stage and others off stage help determine the play’s focus? - How does the playwright’s use of language contribute to the tone of the play? Options for Writing Assignments Informal/Exploratory: - Students will journal in the voice of one of the main characters in the play. Students will make inferences regarding the character’s thoughts and emotions as they relate to key events and other characters in the play. - Students will experiment with writing an interpretation of a play from a particular critical approach. - Students will identify and define problem vocabulary. Creative - Students will outline a Shakespearean tragedy by choosing a central question (such as the role of fate). They will build a story around it, complete with parades, episode and stasimon.
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Students write as the director (considering stage development, cast, costuming, props, and specific direction). They will describe their vision of the stage, set design, and costuming; identify their casting decisions; and provide their actors with specific stage directions. Finally, they will defend their choices by revealing the specific details from the text that informed their interpretation.
Expository/Analytical: - Students will write one or more analysis papers (informed by peer/teacher feedback) that focus on how a particular dramatic/literary element contributes to the overall effect of the play. - Students will write an essay that examines the nature of tragedy in classical Greek, Shakespearean, and/or contemporary drama. - Students will select two plays and write a comparison/contrast essay that serves to evaluate these plays in terms of one specific element, character portrayal, dramatic convention or use of language. Timed Writing: - Students will complete an in-class timed writing prompt on a significant short dramatic passage in the style of the AP Literature Examination Texts: Reading Fiction, Poetry and Drama. Robert DiYanni. McGraw Hill. 2007. William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing; Tennessee Williams, The Glass Menagerie, Sophocles, Oedipus Rex, Antigone; Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman; Susan Glaspell, Trifles; Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest; August Wilson, Fences; Henrik Ibsen, A Doll’s House; George Bernard Shaw, Pygmalion; case studies and critical perspectives. Multi-Genre Unit Multi-Genre Research Paper (Based on work by Tom Romano as described in Writing with Passion) Walt Whitman said, “I am large, I contain multitudes.” The traditional research paper about a person’s life and work shows that person through a limited structure - generally, a 5-10 page expository research paper - and thus introduces that person in a fairly flat way. The object of the multi-genre research paper is for students to make a thorough study of one writer and then to present him or her to the audience in all his or her multitudes. Students will read at least one complete work by an author, learn everything they can about him or her, and then create a group of works of several genres which will introduce the class to that author. They will ultimately present their work in an oral presentation. Text: Sebranek, Peter, Verne Meyer, and Dave Kemper. Write for College. Wilmington: Write Source, 2007. Expectations: - All projects will contain at least 5 component pieces and at least 4 genres. A genre can be a traditionally defined item such as poem, short story, letter, newspaper
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article, or essay; it can also be something less traditional such as a passport, a diary, a map, a marriage certificate, or a medical report. - None of the 5 pieces may repeat each other. This means that each piece must introduce something new about the author’s life and work. Each piece must be necessary to the audience’s understanding of the complex person studied. - All projects will contain at least once piece which is visual rather than written. This could be a video, slides, map, painting, photograph, etc. - All projects will contain at least one expository piece, properly documented in MLA style. This piece must be a minimum of two typed (double-spaced) pages. This piece should not simply be a summary of the author’s life. - All projects will be developed around a central idea - which may be structural or metaphorical. The idea is that all the elements of the project are linked through some theme or symbol or by a motif which recurs throughout. - All projects will be presented in a container which is relevant in some way to the presentation. - All projects will include a thorough, correctly formatted works consulted list. Students will create one works consulted list for the entire project, not separate lists for each piece. - Each piece in the project will include internal citation (required for the expository piece), footnotes, or endnotes (depending on which format will interfere the least with the artistic effect). - During the learning process, all students must keep notes - either traditional note cards or learning/response journals. - All students must use a minimum of 4 sources of information about the author in addition to whatever sources they might need for developing their genre pieces.
