Syllabus
2014-2015
Advanced Placement Literature and Composition, 12th Grade
COURSE SYLLABUS
Description: This rigorous, college-level course focuses on the reading, writing, and discussion of
imaginative literature and poetry. Students will do more than merely read literature; they will learn to
experience it and respond to it both critically as well as emotionally. They will discover the many layers of
meaning revealed through close readings of a worthy text and learn to evaluate works based not only on
their own impressions but the work’s social, historical, and cultural importance.
The composition portion of the course includes writing reactions to literature, explaining literature through
analysis of language and structure, and finally, writing to evaluate the cultural, social, and historic impact
of a work. Essay writing includes expository, analytical, and argumentative essays, as well as creative
writing assignments such as narratives.
As per the official AP English Course Description, by the end of the class, the writings of an AP Literature
student will be able to show:
* a wide-ranging vocabulary used with denotative accuracy and connotative
resourcefulness;
* a variety of sentence structure will appropriate language usage skills;
* a logical organization, enhanced by specific techniques of coherence such as repetition,
transitions, and emphasis;
* a balance of generalization with specific illustrative detail;
* an effective use of rhetoric, including controlling tone, maintaining a consistent voice,
and achieving emphasis through parallelism and antithesis
Resources:
Core Novel List (# in parenthesis refers to the # of times the work
has specifically been referenced in the essay
portion of the AP Exam from 1973-2014)
Beloved (10) by Toni Morrison, Vintage International
Brave New World (4) by Aldous Huxley, Perennial Classics
Catch-22 (12) by Joseph Heller, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks
Crime and Punishment (16) by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, trans. Sidney Monas, Signet Classic
Hamlet (5) by William Shakespeare, McDougal Littell
The Inferno by Dante Alighieri, trans. John Ciardi, Signet Classic
King Lear (17) by William Shakespeare, Signet Classic
Never Let Me Go (2) by Kazuo Ishiguro
Textbook: Arp, Thomas R. and Johnson, Greg. Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound
and Sense, 10th Ed. Boston: Thomson Wadsworth, 2009.
Poetry selections include works by Auden, Blake, Lord Byron, Coleridge, Dickinson, Eliot, Frost, Keats,
Poe, Shakespeare, Shelly, Lord Tennyson, Whitman, Wordsworth, and Yeats (as well as others). Expect a
strong shift towards poetry to occur in the second half of the year (closer to the AP test).
Short fiction, includes authors Shirley Jackson, Flannery O’Conner, Melville, Amy Hempel and Edgar
Allan Poe.
Works may be added or deleted, depending on time constraints. Due to state-wide budget issues, students
are highly encouraged to purchase their novels. Some used copies may be available for loans for those with
financial difficulties (however, the summer reading text must be purchased). It is strongly recommended to
purchase all the books, as this allows you to annotate the works and, not deal with a ten year old used copy,
and allows you to start your own college-level literature library.
The course textbook will not be used until the 2nd half of the year (Spring semester). As this is an
expensive book (approximately $70 new), accommodations will be made for those unable to purchase their
own copy.
Note the order of works covered on this syllabus is subject to change.
Finally, students will select a classic novel (see Silent Reading Project) and report on it independently for
their first nine weeks project. It is highly suggested to complete this reading, along with the summer class
novel, over summer vacation.
Course Overview:
General procedures for essays: students will keep an essay improvement sheet throughout the year, for
recording essay errors and suggestions for improvements. Prior to writing a new essay, students will be
asked to review their sheet, and discuss specific points of improvement they will be focusing on for their
new essays. After completing an essay, students are given time to discuss their responses in peer groups for
some immediate feedback. Scoring rubrics and sample high scoring essays are also available for students,
upon request (see me after school). The College Board website at apcentral.collegeboard.com also has
samples of high scoring essays for many of the essays we will be writing in class.
Once all essays are graded, we thoroughly discuss the prompt and notes are given highlighting common
student errors (homonym errors, sentence structure improvements such as subordination) and tips for essay
improvement (exploring themes, supporting details, evaluating tone, etc). Anonymous selections from
recent student essays are often used to illustrate errors and improvements. Students who wish for more
feedback are encouraged to meet for private, after-school conferences.
Students will also choose 1 in-class essay per term to revise. Revisions must be typed and handed in by the
8th week of the term, including the rough draft stapled to the back.
General procedures for multiple-choice: Students will complete short (usually 1-2 passages or poems)
multiple-choice (MC) practices weekly, with one lengthier (typically a 60-minute) AP test or equivalent per
nine weeks. With all practices, students are provided with immediate feedback as to their efforts. Students
also have the opportunity to ask about any questions they didn’t understand during a thorough review the
next day.
9-week projects: Each term students are responsible for a nine-week project. Their
completion instructions are more detailed than what’s listed here.
Sample Agenda (note that the order of novels & content are subject to change):
Term 1:
Week 1: Course introduction, Never Let Me Go discussion. Student
AP expectation surveys. AP exam notes (process & scoring). First Open
Essay. Summer journals due first day.
Weeks 2-4: Hamlet. Full length MC practice, literary
analysis questions. Notes on Shakespeare, political ,social and historical values .
Quiz on notes. Begin Prose Essay practice.
First half journal check. Vocabulary 1-2 tests. Notes on characterization.
Week 5-7: Begin Crime and Punishment( C&P). Consider Dostoyevsky’s use of nihilism, and sociopolitical attitudes. C&P test & journal check. 2nd prose essay practice.
Notes on how to properly use citations in papers. Vocabulary 3 test,
MC 1-2.
Weeks 8-10: Begin The Inferno. Background notes on Dante, politics and culture of his
time. Daily discussion and literary analysis questions with smaller
discussion groups. Vocab 4-5 lists/tests. Notes on irony. MC 2.
Inferno notes quiz. 3D Literature Project explained (see below). Dore’s
artistic vision of Dante. Open Essay #2. Presentations starting week 8.
Revised essays due Week 9. Vocabulary semester review.
Week 10: Midterm exam review and test.
9 week project: “Own your own classic.” Students will submit a typed paper which
includes an analysis and evaluation of the book and thematic
connections to works read in and out of class. Students will also
present a commercial to the class designed to spark interest in
reading their novel. Extra credit to the top commercials per class.
Term 2:
Week 1: Open notes test on The Inferno, closed notes test on structure of Hell. Introduce
Heller, prose essay #3, MC #2.
Weeks 2-6: Begin Catch-22. MC 3-5. Vocab 6-8 lists/tests. Daily discussion
and small group work on Catch-22 analysis questions. Notes on catch-22s &
paradox. Humorous piece on bad metaphor usage. Prose Essay #2&3, Open Essay
#3. Heller notes and quiz.
Weeks 7-8: Begin Hamlet. Take 1994 AP exam. New lit terms: foil, hyperbole,
understatement, etc. Background notes on Shakespeare and Hamlet. Live reading
of the play, pausing intermittently to discuss and explain text. Improvement sheets
due. Exams.
9 weeks project: 3D Literature: students will create a 10-15 minute production,
either live or in film, bringing scenes from one work or several we’ve read
in class to life. Students will need to submit scripts for their ideas by Monday of
Week 4. Students can creatively reinterpret literature, so long as they stay true to
the “spirit” or theme of the original work. Extra credit for top play and film
performances.
Term 3:
Weeks 1-2: Distribute Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense 10th Edition.
Notes on poetry terms (myths, metonymy/synecdoche, etc), how to
read/write about poetry, and poetry journal format. Voc 9-10 lists/tests.
Discuss in class and work in poetry groups on Chapters 1-6. Analysis
questions per chapter on class web page (ahorowitz1.wordpress.com).
Introduce poetry project. Poetry MC #1. 2004 AP Poetry prompt.
(“Crossing the Swamp”). Notes on stanza types. Check 1-6 poetry journal.
Weeks 3-4: Begin Beloved. Notes on Morrison and novel background. Vocab 11-12
lists/tests. Poetry notes quiz. Poetry MC #2. Class discussion and small
group work on analysis questions for Beloved. Sign-up for poetry project.
Notes on scansion and meter. 2003 Poetry Essay, “Modern Love.” Scansion
practice. Poetry journals checked.
Weeks 5-7: Voc. 13-14 lists/tests. Finish Beloved. Beloved test and journal collected.
Read and discuss as a class (and in small groups) Chapters 7-11 poetry.
Poetry presentations begin week 7. Poetry MC #3. Comparative poetry
essays, #3 & #4. Give King Lear background notes and begin novel. Check
7-11 poetry journal.
Week 8-9: Begin live reading of King Lear. Continue poetry presentations, and discuss
daily reading as a class and in small groups. Work on analysis questions.
Go over comparative poetry essays. Voc. 15 & semester vocabulary review.
Finish novel & questions. Revised typed essay due. Lear test. 1999 AP
exam (thoroughly go over after).
Week 10: King Lear journal due. Midterm review and exam.
9 week project: Students select a poem from any author of literary merit (any
anthologized author or one whom has received a national/international
award). In a five minute presentation, they are to give a convincing
reading of the poem (by memory, if possible), highlight interesting
aspects of the author’s life, analyze the poem, and share outside critical
interpretation. Can be done with a partner. Must also compose original
poem, demonstrating many things learned this semester. Best of class
poetry earns extra credit.
Term 4:
Week 1: Complete chapters 12-16 poetry. Discuss as class and in small groups.
Analysis questions on webpage. Voc. 16 list/test. Discuss midterm essays,
improvements. Notes on poetic patterns, scansion. Draw genres for 9-week
short story project. Begin Major Works Review project. Double essay
practice #1 (open/prose).
Week 2: Introduce Heart of Darkness (HOD), including background notes on Conrad
and the history & culture of the Congo. Several in-class readings, daily
teacher-led discussion as well as focused small literary groups and
novel analysis questions. Notes quiz. Connections to Apocalypse Now.
2004 AP exam (thoroughly go over after).
Weeks 3-5: HOD test & journals due. Introduce Brave New World. Notes on satire,
utopias, dystopias. Double essay practice #2 (prose/poetry) & 2009 AP
exam (thoroughly go over after). BNW teacher-led discussions & small
group work with analysis questions.
Week 6: BNW test and journals due. Exploring short fiction: “The Lottery” by Shirley
Jackson, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Conner, “Bartleby the
Scrivener” by Herman Melville, and “In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is
Buried” by Amy Hempel. Also Poe story.
Weeks 7-8: Short stories due. Begin The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer notes, quizzes,
exit surveys, senior thank you letters. Share best of short student fiction.
Week 9: Review for final and final exam.
Nine weeks project: Genre writing. Students will randomly draw various genres and
need to create a short story, which creatively incorporates new vocabulary as well
as yearlong writing improvements as a reflection of their best writing. Top
stories receive extra credit, and will be read to the class. Due at the beginning of
week 8. Note that this assignment will be given before Spring Break, for those
concerned about having time to write.
Major works review project: Students will review key themes, characters, quotes,
and plots of all novels read this year.
AP Test Prep:
Preparing for the AP exam in May will begin the first day of class. Practice writing prompts, all from
previous AP exams, will be given weekly or biweekly. Short multiple choice practices will follow a similar
schedule. Students will learn how to peer edit, using AP essay scoring rubrics. Four full-length, published
AP multiple choice tests will be given, one per semester, and students may keep and study these tests. Time
will be devoted to thoroughly discuss all essays and multiple choice practices after they are given.
Students who do well on the AP exam in May (score a “3” or higher on the 5 point scale) can earn college
credits and exempt themselves from needing to take certain preparatory English classes (in most schools,
this translates to a saving of $1,500 to $5,000 dollars).
Attendance:
To keep up with the pace of this college level course, attendance is critical. Class discussion (and
participation) cannot be “made up,” and is integral to the full experience of the course.
Frequent tardiness is disrespectful to both the instructor and the class. Students with either problem
(frequent absenteeism or tardiness) should not take this course.
No work will be accepted if an absence is unexcused. If a parent calls in after the day of the absence, the
student must bring a printout from Virtual Counselor within one week of their return showing the date has
been excused. This is not an issue if the parent calls before the absence to excuse it.
Missed tests or quizzes must be made up within one week of return from an absence. Students please
contact me for make-up availability.
Any student with an excess of absences can expect a call home.
Availability:
Students can meet with me after school to discuss essays, letters of recommendation, scholarship
opportunities, course concerns, etc. It is courteous to give me at least a day’s advanced notice, if you can
only meet on a particular day.
Class Rules:
Rules in this college seminar-type course are as follows:
1) Be seated and ready to start at the bell.
2) Treat everyone with respect.
3) Raise your hand before speaking.
4) No food or drink in the classroom.
5) Do not get out of your seat without permission.
Course Website:
Assignments and supplementary materials will be posted on your class period page of Everglades.org.
Familiarize yourself with, and utilize the resources available on apcentral.collegeboard.com.
Fire drill:
This procedure will be rehearsed in class. At all times students must stay with the class and instructor.
Expect to go out the main classroom door, make a right towards the faculty parking lot, and out towards the
football field.
Homework:
The average night’s reading is around 25 pages, or around 6 poems. This includes weekends, and may vary
slightly depending on a novel’s difficulty. Reading is never done in isolation: students are expected to keep
a Literary Journal as they read, whether for fiction or poetry. Other regular assignments include weekly
vocabulary, note reviewing, nine-weeks projects, occasional extended essays and group presentations. Keep
in mind this course is taught at the college level, with college level expectations. This course will routinely
require at least an hour of homework a night. Plan ahead if you know you won’t have time one evening by
reading ahead.
Literary Journal:
Part of the college level literature experience is learning to express and organize one’s thoughts. Students
will keep a running dialogue with the texts they read throughout the year. They will most likely go through
several journals (figure at least 1 a term) as 12 novels, dozens of poems, and several short story selections
are covered throughout the year.
The key to a good journal is commentary: jot down thoughts as questions arise, find memorable quotes
(and explain them), notice something the author has hidden (subtexts), find new words to add to one’s
arsenal of vocabulary, spy instances of key themes, meaningful metaphors, in short—anything the student
finds interesting. Journals can be typed (please make handwritten journals legible). All journals must be
more than summary, since summary can easily be found online. Turning in a summary-based journal will
earn you zero credit—personal commentary is essential. If you include summary for yourself (for later
novel review), use highlighters or some kind of symbol to denote your own analysis, separate from the
summary.
Include page numbers throughout your journal. This is a good habit to develop for college paper writing—
if you do your journal thoroughly enough, you won’t even need to open the novel again to construct your
paper. Pages also help for class discussion, so we can quickly refer to a specific passage that you found
either interesting or troublesome.
Journals must be brought to class daily. They may be picked up any time for a grade.
Late journals will not be accepted.
A section of your journal should be devoted to exclusively writing down and defining new vocabulary as
you read. Any student who seeks to improve their writing, SAT score, or reading comprehension should
keep up with this diligently. Write brief definitions, geared towards being easily memorized.
Make-up policy:
Make-up information is available in a black make-up folder perusable before or after class. Any handouts
given the day before will be also available on that same desk. For older assignments, come see me
privately. I can also be contacted through the class website.
Materials:
Students will need all of the following: plenty of paper (200+ sheets), a silent reading novel (see Silent
Reading), two pencils, two pens (black or blue ink), a highlighter, and white-out. Optional supplies: pocket
dictionary/thesaurus. Also needed is a notebook for one’s Literary Journal (spiral or composition). A 3-ring
binder should be used to keep track of all returned work and regular assignments. A daily planner is vital as
well, as the typical day may have several different homework reminders.
Quizzes & tests:
Pop quizzes on assigned readings, notes, or previous day’s discussion should be expected as regular
occurrences in class. Tests will vary from multiple choice, to short answer, to all essay. Come to each class
prepared by having reviewed any recent notes, and especially being current in any assigned reading.
In addition to regular quizzes on notes and readings, there will be weekly vocabulary tests on Fridays. Each
Monday (starting the first day of class) students will be given a list of 15 words. These words must be
copied in a notebook then looked up (along with parts of speech) for discussion Tuesday. Tuesday will
clear up any ambiguities over definitions or multiple meanings. By Friday, students are expected to not
only know definitions, but will be tested on how to apply them. They should practice using these words in
their journals, class discussion, or in more formal writing, when appropriate.
Restroom passes:
Restrooms should be used before or after class. Passes will only be issued for emergencies. Students should
be mindful of what is being interrupted when asking for a pass
Rewards:
Successful completion of this class will lay a solid foundation not only for success on the AP exam, but for
future college level work as well. I will happily write a letter of recommendation (or multiple ones) for any
student earning a “B” or higher in the class. Any request for a letter should be made privately (after school).
You should have a list prepared with background about you outside of the course, such as GPA, class rank,
awards, activities, etc. Also, students should wait until at least the 5th week of the first term before asking
for a letter, so I have the empirical data to back up my supposition that the college or scholarship in
question would suffer a grave loss by missing out on such an exemplary applicant.
Silent reading project (1st 9-weeks project):
Students should choose a classic novel they have always wanted to read, that they will present to the class
in an interesting and informative way. Some time may be given on Fridays for reading the novel, but it is
highly encouraged to complete it over the summer.
When presentations are due, students will submit a typed paper and give a short oral presentation (2-3
minutes) to the class. These presentations (or “literary commercials,” as I refer to them) are designed to
both entertain and inform. Specific guidelines for the presentation and paper will be given the first week of
class. A journal is not required for the silent reading project, however, taking notes as you read will make
writing your paper and doing your presentation infinitely easier.
In selecting your novel, you should choose one written by a classic author, such as the authors listed below.
Only one student can choose a particular novel. You may not use a novel covered in the course syllabus.
You should not select a novel that you read in a previous year’s English class. To reserve your selection, email me through the course web-page. I will inform you if your novel is available or has been taken.
You may also want to check out this link of novel titles. It includes every book that has appeared on
previous AP Exams as a suggested title to use for the Open Essay:
http://mseffie.com/AP/APtitles.html
Chinua Achebe, Kingsley Amis, Rudolfo Anaya, Margaret Atwood, Jane Austen, James Baldwin, Saul
Bellow, Charlotte and Emily Bronte, Raymond Carver, Willa Cather, Sandra Cisneros, John Cheever, Kate
Chopin, Colette, Joseph Conrad, Stephen Crane, Anita Desai, Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Ralph
Ellison, Louise Erdrich, William Faulkner, Henry Fielding, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ford Madox Ford, E. M.
Forster, Thomas Hardy, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ernest Hemingway, Zora Neale Hurston, Kazuo Ishiguro,
Henry James, James Joyce, Maxine Hong Kingston, Joy Kogawa, Margaret Laurence, D. H. Lawrence,
Bernard Malamud, Katherine Mansfield, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Bobbie Ann Mason, Carson McCullers,
Herman Melville, Toni Morrison, Bharati Mukherjee, Vladimir Nabokov, Flannery O’Connor, Cynthia
Ozick, Katherine Anne Porter, Jean Rhys, Jonathan Swift, Leo Tolstoy, Mark Twain, John Updike, Luisa
Valenzuela, Alice Walker, Evelyn Waugh, Eudora Welty, Edith Wharton, John Edgar Wideman, Virginia
Woolf, Richard Wright
Summer reading/homework:
Students will need to purchase a copy of Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
to read over the summer. Students must keep a literary journal for each night’s reading, which will be
collected on the first day of class. See the Literary Journal section of the syllabus for how to do this. Expect
to write an essay using this novel during the first week, and possibly a quiz on the book as well. Note that
my tests are not Cliff Notes/SparkNotes friendly—students must read the book.
Course Syllabus Contract
Directions: Read through (along with a parent) all of the pages of this syllabus.
Separate this page, sign it (both parent and student), and bring just this page
to class on the first day.
This signature indicates that I (the student) have read and understood the class syllabus.
_________________________ ___________________________
Student name (print neatly) Student signature
This signature indicates that I have gone over the requirements of AP Literature and Composition with my
child, and I am aware of the demands of the course.
_________________________
Parent signature