Ms. Murphy
AP Literature and Composition
Fall 2014 Course Syllabus
Brooklyn Studio Secondary School
Course Description:
This class will consist of four units with an emphasis on thematic content as well as historical context:
1. The first unit will address the inception of literature in the English language through the reading
of the epic poem, Beowulf, one of the first known works written in Old English.
2. Unit two will be an in-depth study of the psychology of the individual and the complexities of
conveying such subtlety through character development in William Shakespeare's Elizabethan
drama, Hamlet.
3. Unit three will be an exploration of the role of technology and its influence on the development of
the Romantic period through Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
4. The fourth unit will be ongoing throughout the term, and will be a reading of poetry written
during various literary periods and addressing a range of subjects.
Course Objectives:
This course is an intensive study of classical literature culminating in an assessment similar to that of an
introductory college level English course the AP Literature and Composition Exam. As such the class will
be a series of extensive and varied compositions structured around close reading and in-depth discussion
of a variety of literature. The approach to writing will focus on students working to develop clear,
authoritative voices that develop analyses and arguments from carefully reasoned and well supported
assertions.
In accordance with The College Board, upon completion of this course students should be able to:










Analyze and interpret samples of good writing, identifying and explaining an author’s use of
rhetorical strategies and techniques;
Apply effective strategies and techniques to their own writing;
Create and sustain arguments based on reading, research and/or personal experience;
Write for a variety of purposes;
Produce expository, analytical and argumentative compositions that introduce a complex central
idea and develop it with appropriate evidence drawn from sources, cogent explanations and clear
transitions;
Demonstrate understanding of the conventions of citing sources;
Move effectively through the stages of the writing process, with careful attention to inquiry and
research, drafting revising, editing and review;
Write thoughtfully about their own process of composition;
Revise a work to make it suitable for another audience;
Analyze image as text; and Evaluate and incorporate reference documents into researched papers
(www.collegeboard.com.)
Texts:
Beowulf author unknown
Oedipus Rex Sophocles
Hamlet William Shakespeare
Frankenstein Mary Shelley
The Norton Anthology of Literature
Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama
Vocabulary for the High School Student
Kaplan AP English Literature and Composition 2014
Supplemental readings
Critical Reading:
You are expected to read every assignment and be prepared to discuss and write about the text. You may
be given criticisms of the long works studied using the critic’s analysis to complement your thoughts on
the work and to introduce the critic’s ideas into the classroom for discussion. You will be asked to read
aloud in class to attune your ear to recognize and consequently emulate quality writing.
Writing Assignments:
You will write several times each week, both out of class and in class. Essays, or benchmarks, will focus
on close analysis of the text to support an original thesis. Each day students will respond, in journals,
to a released AP prompt in a timed setting. Students will be expected to take written assignments
through several drafts with instructor and peer suggestions for revision. Essays will be examined for
effective word choice, creative sentence structure, and strong textual evidence with a clear connection to
your thesis. You will be encouraged to incorporate into your own writing the effective sentence patterns
and structures that you find pleasing in the texts we study. All writing will be assessed using a College
Board rubric that students have access to prior to the assignment. Responses will be evaluated using
College Board scoring guides for the prompt addressed.
Discourse:
Each student will be responsible for initiating and participating in a range of collaborative discussions,
effectively presenting information relevant to both current events and class texts. We will practice
Socratic discourse, debating for and against given subjects. There is an expectation for presentations to be
quid pro quo, both students presenting and those auditing should be involved in an equal exchange.
Evaluation:
Students will be evaluated on preparation (10%), participation (30%) and written assignments (60%).
Preparation is work that you are responsible for outside of class such as readings, homework, thought
pieces or response papers. It is essential to the authenticity of a college preparatory course that all students
give their utmost to class time so attendance and punctuality are critical to students overall evaluation.
Throughout the course we will break up into small groups or parings to deepen our analysis and gain
perspective on our class discussion. All students will be expected to participate in dramatic, as well as
prosaic, readings. Major essays or compositions will contribute to the bulk of the final grade as they will
require drafting.
Ms. Murphy
AP Literature and Composition
Spring 2015 Course Syllabus
Brooklyn Studio Secondary School
Course Description:
This class will consist of five thematic units:
1. The first unit will explore the nature of conflict through the writings of Frederick Douglass
including a speech and his autobiography.
2. Unit two will be an exploration of the role of women in relationship to their respective societies
through the works of Stephen Crane as well as Edith Wharton.
3. Unit three will be an in-depth study of the psychology of the individual and the complexities of
conveying such subtlety through character development in dramas by both Tennessee Williams
and Henrik Ibsen.
4. The fourth unit will cover the use of satire to reveal societal as well as individual flaws through a
close reading of A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams.
5. The fifth and final unit will be an analysis of social issues and their determination on the course
of society as a whole as well as the lives of individuals as illustrated in works such as Song of
Solomon by Toni Morrison.
Course Objectives:
This course is an intensive study of both classical and contemporary literature culminating in an
assessment similar to that of an introductory college level English course. As such the class will be a
series of extensive and varied compositions structured around close reading and in-depth discussion of a
range of literature. The approach to writing will focus on students working to develop clear, authoritative
voices that develop analyses and arguments from carefully reasoned and well supported assertions.
In accordance with The College Board, upon completion of this course students should be able to:









Analyze and interpret samples of good writing, identifying and explaining an author’s use of
rhetorical strategies and techniques;
Apply effective strategies and techniques to their own writing;
Create and sustain arguments based on reading, research and/or personal experience;
Write for a variety of purposes;
Produce expository, analytical and argumentative compositions that introduce a complex central
idea and develop it with appropriate evidence drawn from sources, cogent explanations and clear
transitions;
Demonstrate understanding of the conventions of citing sources;
Move effectively through the stages of the writing process, with careful attention to inquiry and
research, drafting revising, editing and review;
Write thoughtfully about their own process of composition;
Revise a work to make it suitable for another audience;

Analyze image as text; and Evaluate and incorporate reference documents into researched papers
(www.collegeboard.com.)
Texts:
Self Reliance Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Hypocrisy of American Slavery Frederick Douglass
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave Frederick Douglass
Plato’s Cave Sophocles
A Desertion Stephen Crane
Ethan Frome Edith Wharton
A Streetcar Named Desire Tennessee Williams
Song of Solomon Toni Morrison
Critical Reading:
You are expected to read every assignment and be prepared to discuss and write about the text. You may
be given criticisms of the long works studied using the critic’s analysis to complement your thoughts on
the work and to introduce the critic’s ideas into the classroom for discussion. You will be asked to read
aloud in class to attune your ear to recognize and consequently emulate quality writing.
Writing Assignments:
You will write several times each week, both out of class and in class. Essays, or benchmarks, will focus
on close analysis of the text to support an original thesis. Each week students will have an opportunity to
respond to a released AP prompt in a timed setting. Students will be expected to take written assignments
through several drafts with instructor and peer suggestions for revision. Essays will be examined for
effective word choice, creative sentence structure, strong textual evidence with a clear connection to your
thesis. You will be encouraged to incorporate into your own writing the effective sentence patterns and
structures that you find pleasing in the texts we study. All writing will be assessed using a College Board
rubric that students have access to prior to the assignment. In class timed writings will be evaluated using
College Board scoring guides for the prompt addressed.
In your journals, you may also have the opportunity to write creatively in a style that reflects and connects
to the works being studied.
Evaluation:
Students will be evaluated on preparation (10%), participation (20%) and written assignments (70%).
Preparation is work that you are responsible for outside of class such as readings, homework, thought
pieces or question papers. It is essential to the authenticity of a college preparatory course that all students
give their utmost to class time so attendance and punctuality are critical to students overall evaluation.
Throughout the course we will break up into small groups or parings to deepen our analysis and gain
perspective on our class discussion. All students will be expected to participate in dramatic readings as
well as reading aloud from other forms of prose. Major essays or compositions will contribute to the bulk
of the final grade as they will require drafting