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A.P. English Literature & Composition
Instructor: Mrs. Lindsey
Contact Information:
Cell: (951)-520-7235 ext. 111324
Email: lindkk@fusd.net
Website: http://teacherweb.com/CA/FontanaHighSchool/MrsLindsey/
Course Description
This Advanced Placement Literature and Writing course is designed to teach beginning college
writing through the fundamentals of rhetorical and literary theory, and follows the curricular
requirements described in the AP English Course Description. The overall purpose of this class is
to teach students to “write [and read] effectively in their college courses across the curriculum.”
(The College Board AP English Course Description, May 2007, May 2008, p. 6) Students will be
expected to think critically, think analytically, and communicate effectively through oral and
written assignments. The A.P. Literature and Composition course helps students to become
proficient readers of various British and *American works that yield multiple meanings, through
a variety of periods between the 16th and 21st century, and to become effective writers who can
utilize various literary devices to achieve a variety of effects. The class will focus on a variety of
genres of literature including and not limited to fiction, nonfiction, drama, poetry, and short stories
and advancing students writing skills. This course will prepare students for the AP exam in the
spring which all students will be expected to take. (C1) Also, there will be regular student/teacher
conference both in class and out of class regarding student essays. (C6)
*We may not cover as many American works because students are exposed to many American
writers in their eleventh grade A.P. Language and Composition course.
Goals and Objectives
Students will be able to:
 Write an interpretation of a piece of literature that is based on close reading and careful
observations of textual details while making careful considerations of such elements as
figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone in their writing as seen in the students’
ability to indentify metaphors and poetic devices from the attached list of poetry to
demonstrate how and why the author uses these techniques. (C2)
 Write an interpretation of a piece of literature that is based on close reading and careful
observations of textual details while making careful considerations of structure, style and
theme by having students using notes from journals to draft a particular interpretation of a
work (i.e. Hamlet) in anticipation of revising the draft after review from the teacher.(C3)
 Write an interpretation of a piece of literature that is based on a careful observation of
textual details, considering the work’s social, cultural and/or historic values as seen by a
written study of the English language with the study of literature with examples from each
period beginning with Beowulf to Chaucer to the Renaissance to the Romantics to the neoClassicists and so on. (C4)
 The course includes frequent opportunities for student to write and rewrite timed, in class
response based on a series of previous AP prompts and from selected literature found on
the course description. (C5)
 The course includes frequent opportunities for student to write and rewrite formal,
extended analyses outside of class with regular student/teacher conference on both in-class
and out-of-class essays. (C6)
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The course requires writing to understand: Informal/exploratory writing activities that
enable students to discover what they think in the process of writing about their reading
(such assignments may include annotation, free writing, keeping a reading journal,
reaction/response papers, blogging, and/or dialectical journals.(C7)
The course requires writing to explain: Expository, analytical essays in which students
draw upon textual details to develop an extended interpretation of a literary text as seen by
students’ essay showing how to analyze two key passage of dialogue from Shakespeare’s
Macbeth highlighting the play’s central theme.(C8)
The course requires writing to evaluate: Analytical, argumentative essay in which students
draw upon textual details to make and explain judgments about a work’s artistry and quality
as seen by an assignment involving a “close reading“ of a poem focusing on how the
individual components (i.e. analysis of theme, characterization, style, and meaning)
contribute to its overall effect. (C9)
The course requires writing to evaluate: Analytical, argumentative essay in which students
draw upon textual details to make and explain judgments about a work’s social, historical,
and cultural values as seen by an assignment involving an essay where students must
analyze Bäumer’s All Quiet on the Western Front to determine how the text promotes or
protests the involvement of a country, government or people in WWI. (C10)
The AP teacher provides instruction and feedback on students’ writing assignments, both
before and after students revises their work that help the students develop a wide ranging
vocabulary used appropriately. In order to maximize the benefits of rigorous reading,
students will create a glossary/journal for each novel or play they read. Students will use
their journal throughout the year in completing both reading and writing assignments
including revision activities.(C11)
The AP teacher provides instruction and feedback on students’ writing assignments, both
before and after students revises their work that help the students develop a wide variety
of sentence structures as seen by an ongoing component of all teacher-led and/or peer
review activities throughout the year. (C12)
The AP teacher provides instruction and feedback on students’ writing assignments, both
before and after students revises their work that help the students develop logical
organization, enhanced by specific techniques to increase coherence. Such techniques may
include traditional rhetoric structures, graphic organizers, and work on repetition,
transitions, and emphasis. An equally important requirement for this course is the in-class
and out-of-class writing assignments. Students’ papers should always include thoughtful
and extended analysis and logical organization. Students will be exposed to both formal
and informal timed in-class writing assignments. The formal assignments will often be
processed writing where the students will have ample opportunities to revise based on peer
commentary. If students are not happy with their final evaluation from peer review,
students may revise again based on teacher comments and a teacher/student conference.
(C13)
The AP teacher provides instruction and feedback on students’ writing assignments, both
before and after students revises their work that help the students develop a balance of
generalizations and specific, illustrative detail. As part of an assignment, the student will
be learn to use deductive reasoning in their essays- moving from the general to the
particular-and inductive reasoning-moving from the particular to the general. (C14)
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The AP teacher provides instruction and feedback on students’ writing assignments, both
before and after students revises their work that help the students establish an effective use
of rhetoric including controlling tone and a voice appropriate to the writer’s audience. This
is seen in the peer review sessions in which students analyze and evaluate specific
rhetorical aspects of student drafts, with specific focus on strategies for revision. (C15)
Reading Assignments:
The most important requirement for this course is the outside reading. You will be focusing on the
social and historical context the text was created. Be prepared for a rigorous reading schedule and
plan ahead for heavy reading assignments whenever possible. Poetry, although not long like a
novel, may require reading more than once due to its dense and complex nature. Don’t fall behind
in the reading. You will be held accountable through various comprehension strategies.
Essays:
After each major work of literature you read, you will be completing an AP timed write, with
opportunities to revise. In addition, each quarter you will be writing a processed essay, which may
sometimes include outside resources.
Important note about Feedback on writing:
I will always read your entire paper carefully and provide helpful and honest commentary. I may
comment on your choice of words and provide alternative vocabulary words to help build and
expand your vocabulary. I will help you with mechanical errors whenever possible which includes
sentence structure and use of subordination and coordination. I will be looking at the way you
organized your paper and provide some alternative methods of organization when necessary and
ensure your paper is coherent. I will make you aware of redundancy (sometimes
Redundancy is appropriate if it’s done emphatically) and lack of transitions or transitions that
sound too juvenile. I will ensure you have a balance of both specific and illustrative detail. Finally,
I will be ensuring that you have a command of rhetoric, tone, voice, and that you are achieving
appropriate emphasis through diction and sentence structure.
Literary devices:
To increase your exposure to literary devices and increase familiarity for the AP exam, each
student will be responsible for 15 devices via DEFs per semester. I will check them about every
other week and collect half at the quarter for an evaluative summative grade.
Vocabulary:
For every major work we read you will complete a glossary. This means for every one hundred
pages you will carefully select ten vocabulary words and follow the instructions on the handout.
Card Tricks:
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For each literary work you are assigned you will create a 3X5 note card with all the pertinent
information including, but not limited to the title, author, main characters, themes, memorable
lines. We will be using the cards as a study tool to prepare for question three.
Blogs/logs:
With each novel/play you will be required to blog at least twice a week via our class website; if
you don’t have access you will alternatively do reading logs. I highly recommend the blogs as they
will better prepare you for online discussions in college.
Multiple choice:
We will slowly ease into the multiple choice portion of the text, starting with a single passage and
one grouping of questions, into analyzing the test over a series of weeks in the fall, into a full test
in the winter and spring quarters. The multiple choice questions are rigorous and I do not want to
see the kind of burnout that accompanies drill and kill sessions.
Grading Policy:
Grades are determined each quarter by following a standard percentage breakdown as follows:
97-100%
94-96%
90-93%
87-89%
84-86%
80-83%
A+
A
AB+
B
B-
77-79%
74-76%
70-73%
67-69%
64-66%
60-63%
59%-0
C+
C
CD+
D
DF
Evaluations:
Formative assessments: MC practice, in class work (including timed writes), Socratics, reading
quizzes, poetry responses, blogs, reading logs close reads, DEF checks, glossaries = 30%
Summative Assessments: process writes, unit tests, DEFs, projects, presentations, midterms,
finals. =70%
Makeup and Late Work:
I do not accept late work on summative assignments period; most of the summative assignments
are given in advance, which gives students plenty of time to complete them. However, on formative
assignments you may turn in assignments in late for a 10 % deduction per day; this includes
weekends and holidays, so plan accordingly.
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Course Breakdown:
Summer Reading:
Selected Biblical readings
The Poisonwood Bible
Quarter One:
Unit One: The Kite Runner: (4) Four Weeks
The Bildungsroman: Themes: Coming of Age, Innate Violence, Gender Roles, Sin and
Redemption, Homeland and Nationality, the Importance of Family and Heritage, Literacy and
Storytelling, Ethnic and Religious Discrimination.
 Baseline essay, literary analysis via poetry, how to read a poem, MC. Test for the
Poisonwood Bible, Introduction to AP Literature and Composition Course expectations,
Introduction to DEFs, AP exam breakdown, AP practice written exam, the AP rubric, AP
rubric/grade conversion, quote integration.
Essential Questions:
How does the Kite Runner change preconceived notions of the Middle East?
In what ways does The Kite Runner reflect a coming of age story?
Does Amir redeem himself by the end? How do we know?
How does Hosseini explore the significance of father/son relationships?
Unit Two: All the Pretty Horses: (6) Six weeks:
The Quest: All the Pretty Horses: the hero’s quest, gender roles, innate violence, genealogy,
mythical quality of horses.
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McCarthy’s style: imagery and sentence structure analysis, Mini multiple choice test,
reading quizzes biweekly, Intro to blogging/reading logs, glossaries=30 words, selected
poems for biweekly poetry responses, intro. to the Quest, Watch Liberty Valance-write
essay, The Quest Process write, intro to close reads, unit test.
Essential Questions:
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What does it mean to engage in a close reading of a text?
How does structure relate to meaning in literature?
Does McCarthy’s All the Pretty Horses convincingly transpose the hero’s cycle into a modern
context?
Can John Grady Cole be considered a hero for the 20th century?
Quarter Two:
Unit Three: Frankenstein/ Wuthering Heights: (8) Eight weeks:
Gothic Literature: Themes: Nature is Sublime, Social Class Divides, the Supernatural,Death is
an Escape, Love is Destructive, Dangerous knowledge; Secrets are Destructive, Social Isolation.
 Themes of the Romantic Era, AP timed write, in class: analysis “Rime of the Ancient
Mariner” Film analysis: Frankenstein, Intro to the full AP multiple choice exam and
ATHERVQ, biweekly poetry responses on selected poems, close readings, reading
logs/blogs, glossaries, reading quizzes, unit test, DEF presentations.
Essential Questions:
Frankenstein:
How does Shelley blur the line between Monster and human?
According to Shelley what are the consequences of scientific advancement?
How does popular culture skew the perception of the monster?
On a larger scale what does the creature represent?
How does Shelley reflect religion?
Wuthering Heights:
How does Bronte critique the social hierarchy of the time?
How does Bronte use doppelgangers to develop characters?
What is the significance of the setting?
How does WH highlight the cliché’ “There’s a fine
line between love and hate.”
Quarter Three:
Unit Four: Viewing Hamlet through a literary lens: (6) Six weeks:
The Psychology of a Madman-Genius: Hamlet: the psychology of madness, religious
implications, gender roles, mortality, father son relationships, revenge, Hamlet’s inability to act.
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• To be or not to be-analysis, AP timed write, intro. to literary theory, poetry response biweekly
on selected poems, glossaries, logs/blogs, reading quizzes biweekly, unit test, literary theory
group project/presentation, various Hamlet group activities, Multiple choice ATHERVQ,
DEF presentations.
Essential Questions:
How does Shakespeare explore the theme of madness in Hamlet?
How does Shakespeare differentiate male/female madness?
What relevance does Hamlet have in the 21st century?
How can various characters in Hamlet be viewed from various lens?
How is the concept of sin explored in Hamlet?
End of Quarter Three / All of Quarter Four:
Unit Five: All Quiet on the Western Front: (6) Six weeks
The Futility of War: The Horrors of War, Patriotism, Political Power and Nationalism, the
absolution of governmental power, impotence of language, loss of religious faith, inevitably of
death, fragmentation of society, intro. to modernism via Eliot.
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A.P. timed write, A.P. M.C. practice exam ATHERVQ , biweekly poetry response,
glossaries (30), reading quizzes, unit test, DEF presenations, close readings, logs/blogs,
The Wasteland group project.
Essential Questions:
What does Remarque have to say about war?
How does Remarque’s message contradict war novels of past?
How is the concept of death explored in AQWF?
Why did Hitler ban this novel?
How does Eliot encapsulate post WWI modernist views?
Unit Six: Selected Short Stories (2) Two weeks:
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Various group activities, AP timed write.
Final: Illuminated Poem: Approximately two weeks during AP testing; you will share out your
presentations during seniors’ finals week.
Required Texts:
Students will be required to read from the list below. All of the texts are available in the school
library. Additionally, many of the texts are also available online.
Summer Reading:
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1. Selected Bible readings
2. The Poisonwood Bible
Fiction:
1. The Kite Runner
2. All the Pretty Horses
3. Frankenstein
4. Wuthering Heights
5. All Quiet on the Western Front
6. Selected Short Stories
Drama:
7. Hamlet
Poetry:
In order for students to become familiar with the nuances of poetry and to learn various strategies
to breakdown and analyze a poem there will be a poetry boot camp at the beginning of the year.
Thereafter students will turn in poetry responses every other week throughout the year with a series
of poems from the textbook and handouts.
 Additionally, we will be reading various poems at the beginning of the year selected from
both the Bedford Introduction to Literature and some various online sources. We will also
be reading various short stories and handouts from the Bedford Introduction to Literature
and a variety of other sources.