syllabus


 * AP Literature & Composition Syllabus** Mrs. Carroll 2012 - 2013
 * Expectations:** The AP Literature & Composition course is designed for those students who have a special interest in all aspects of English. AP English IV is both challenging and intellectually stimulating; it demands a passion for reading and writing. It requires your best effort consistently, and encourages your developing independence and maturity in critical thinking. Classroom discussion and active participation are vital means of testing your ideas. Written assignments, both short and long term will be important and frequent features of the course. You will be asked to complete outside readings regularly, in addition to class assignments.

As your teacher, I hope that each of you will accept the challenge of tackling college-level work and give it your best effort. I promise to be available to help you in any way I can in class, before and after school. From you, I expect good work, on time!

1. To develop the ability to interpret a literary work through the use of compelling literary evidence. 2. To sharpen skills in conventional grammatical usage, punctuation and sentence structure. 3. To recognize and use various literary techniques in writing. 4. To master the skills of literary discussion—speaking and listening. 5. To hone skills in close reading by picking out patterns of language---motifs, symbolism, imagery and metaphor, sound and meter, and the effect of tone. 6. To understand the historical and cultural factors inherent in literature of a given period. 7. To develop a usable personal technique for writing literary essays in preparation for the AP exam. My personal goals for each of you are that you will increase your affection for literature, so that enjoying it becomes a lifelong pursuit, and that you become more confident in yourselves as readers and writers.
 * Objectives:**


 * Tentative Timeline/Units of Study:** Because I am retooling the course, I will not even //attempt// to create a timeline. Instead, I am listing the //units// I hope to cover and the literature included in each.

Summer Revisited: Activities related to summer reading (Sophocles) Intro to course format/Reading Record Cards Diagnostic grammar and writing Literary Terms Review Preparing for the AP literature course: How to read/think critically
 * HERE WE GO**:

Modern Drama: __Fences__, August Wilson Short Stories: "I Stand Here Ironing," Tillie Olsen "I Yam What I Am," Ralph Ellison Non-fiction: "Brain Food," Chris Offutt Poetry by:Jonson, Bradstreet, Wordsworth, Hughes. Roethke, Hayden, Nye We will also be referencing the House of Thebes again! Sophocles will provide the classic text for this unit....
 * UNIT 1: Home & Family**

Classic Text: __Heart of Darkness__, Joseph Conrad Short Stories: "Young Goodman Brown," Nathaniel Hawthorne "A & P," John Updike "In Cuba, I Was a German Shepherd," Ana Menendez Non-fiction: "An Image of Africa," Chinua Achebe Poetry by: Milton, Wordsworth, Emerson, Dickinson, Cullen, Thomas, Brooks, Alexie Classic Text: __Much Ado About Nothing__ (film), Shakespeare __The Importance of Being Earnest__, Oscar Wilde Short Stories: "Bliss," Katherine Mansfield "A Rose for Emily," William Faulkner Non-fiction: from "The Art of Courtly Love, Andreas Capellanus "Is Arranged Marriage Really Any Worse Than Craigslist?" Anita Jain Poetry by: Sidney, Shakespeare, Donne, Herrick, Byron, Millay, Atwood, Collins
 * UNIT 2: Identity & Culture**
 * UNIT 3: Love & Relationships**

Classic Text: __Hamlet__, William Shakespeare Short Stories: "Bartleby the Scrivener," Herman Melville "Harrison Bergeron," Kurt Vonnegut Poetry by: Herbert, Shelley, Stevens, Cummings, Thomas, Clifton, Auden
 * Unit 4: Conformity & Rebellion**

Whew! It’s a ton, I know—and I have __no__ idea how much of this we’ll actually get to do! My plan is to prepare you to the best of my ability for the spring AP exam, and this is the range of material that has been covered on past tests. Feedback from former students has led me to believe you need to read more literature, so I'm packing it in! You will be working independently out of class and cooperatively in class...very much as you will be in your college courses.

We’ll practice test strategies on a regular basis, starting in the 2nd quarter. Pop quizzes may be expected at any time. Accountable Talk sessions will be held to discuss readings, mine and share ideas. There will be lots and lots of writing--all kinds.

One of the major problems facing students taking the Advanced Placement Exam in Literature and Composition is the free-response question that requires students to choose a work from their own reading experience to support their answers. The writing assignments are one way of preparing you; another means is the Reading Record Card System. I will provide you with 4 x 6 note cards and detailed instructions. When finished, you will each have a personal flashcard review system to help you prepare for the AP exam. You will be expected to keep your reading cards up to date—don’t make me collect them!
 * Reading Record Cards:**

Ok—that will cover it for now. You should know that I put a lot of thought into my “game plan;” however, I am a huge believer in the words of Andre` Gide, who said, “The drawback to a journey that is too well-planned is that it does not leave enough room for adventure.” I like to leave some “wiggle room” to allow us to experiment from time to time, and to revel in those ‘teachable moments” that are so important in the educational experience. I have been known to deviate from the “plan” in order to have a little adventure now and then! I look forward to beginning this journey with you. It will be a fascinating learning adventure for all of us, I promise!