Mr. Rodebaugh’s AP English Literature and Composition classes 2013-14
Syllabus and Class Policies
OverviewFirst Semester - 1st 6 weeks
LITERATURE
Summer Work A Raisin in the Sun
Review due
PORTFOLIO
Flashcards due Lots of poetry &
short stories throughout
Resume, formal document,
preparation work for UC
Personal Statement
Other
Second Semester LITERATURE
PORTFOLIO
Other
2nd 6 weeks
1st 6 weeks
3rd 6 weeks
Pygmalion and The
Awakening Reviews due
First Independent Novel
Get Letters of
recommendation/ Finish
Personal Statement
Literary Devices
2nd 6 weeks
Othello/Hamlet or Measure for
Measure
Second Independent Novel
First Formal Paper
Community service hours
Get a SEP mentor/ letters of
recommendation
3rd 6 weeks
Heart of Darkness and various
Othello/Hamlet or Measure
poetry Things Fall Apart
for Measure
Third Independent Novel
Second Formal Paper
Collect all senior assignments, cover letter, and community
service hours.
Literary Devices
Final project for class.
Interview practice and Interview
Grades for AP
A more exact point scale will be give to you later.
Grades are given every six weeks and are based on the following scale:
90% - 100% = A
Absences – If you are absent it is your responsibility to bring
80% - 89% = B
a readmit slip to class. With an excused absence you may make
70% - 79% = C
up work that was missed. (It is your responsibility to do so)
60% - 69% = D
Work not made up in a timely manner is given a zero.
Below 60% = F
Grades are based on point totals in class.
Class Guidelines (Rules) The same as the school rules.
Consequences
1. Commitment – Students will commit to being prepared and on time
First Incident –Warning/Counseling
Second Incident – Teacher Detention/Besties
Third Incident – Student Self-Reflection Form
Fourth Incident – Parent Contact
2.Honor – Students will honor school and teacher policies and rules
 Show Respect
 Make Good Decision
 Solve the Problems
3. Success- Students will exhibit success by actively engaging in the
learning process each day
Fifth Incident – Sent out of class
Sixth Incident – Office Referral
* Severe Incident= automatic referral
Bestie(s)
This is term for someone who has detention just so you know.
Tardy Policy
The school tardy policy has changed from last year. When you are tardy you will receive a tardy
card, and the policy on that card will be followed. This, of course, applies only to unexcused tardies.
Students walking in late should be quiet and respectful.
Bathroom Use
Ask and ye shall receive- as long as you don’t ask amiss. The Agenda will be used for passes.
So bring it if you use the restroom. (This will be described later in class.)
Class Participation is calculated every six weeks. Just because you are quiet does not mean you are
not participating and participating is not just accomplished by making noise/comments/talk/etc.
Participation includes actively reading assignments and being ready for a literary conversation
with the class, teacher or author. An AP student reads, and comes prepared to class everyday.
Cheating
Simply frowned upon. Cheating is simply turning in work that isn’t wholly and completely
yours. Do not copy, share, paraphrase or otherwise “borrow” other students’ work. Plagiarism active or
inactive is cheating. If you are caught once you receive a zero for the assignment and at home detention.
If you are caught twice, then may the gods of grades have mercy on your cheating soul. Be honest and do
your best.
Late work
I will accept it, but the value of the assignment is lowered by me. Generally all late work it is
worth half-credit if it is one moment late. If you are absent and you work is not received on the due date,
this “late work policy” applies. Emergencies and catastrophic events will be dealt with on an individual
basis. Computer problems are not catastrophic events (although they may seem like they are);
handwrite the assignment or accept the late penalty.
Late Penalties can be avoided with TRIBUTE (Below)
Tribute
Teachers “wait behind great desks . . . to receive these offerings”
To avoid the late work penalty you may participate in Tribute, but you don’t have to- All late work will
be accepted for half credit. Tribute must accompany the late assignment at the time the assignment is
turned in.
Again Disclaimer: You do not have to participate in this opportunity at all. Do not feel obligated in any
way, shape or form. The teacher determines/decides if the tribute is acceptable- if it is not acceptable than
try again – just because an effort is made does not mean the assignment will be taken.
Suggested “Tribute”
1. A letter of praise written (handwritten of course) to Mr. Rodebaugh on stationary- no notebook
paper
2. Cards with the same praise as above heartfelt- Think Hallmark, but with your thoughts inside.
3. An original song of praise on CD to be played in the classroom
4. Time-The greatest gift of all
5. Complete an act of service for Mr. Rodebaugh- Clean desks, organize books, etc. Ask the teacher
first for an appropriate time. The assignment will not be graded until the act of service is
completed.
6. A CD of music that you think I will like. Burn it so that it can be played on a CD player.
7. A box of facial tissue- Kleenex for those brand name buyers
8. School Supplies: A ream of paper
9. School Supplies: Large Binder clips
10. School Supplies: Pens for the “pen jar”
11. School Supplies: Blank scantrons.
12. Other items ask the teacher first- Note: I DO NOT NEED glue or glitter- Don’t Ask!
Literary Device Papers
(These will be described later in class)
Turnitin.com and Edmodo (These will be described later in class)
You are encouraged to sign up for these programs. Sign-up papers will be discussed in class.
Independent Novel Reading (This will be described later in class.)
You are expected to read in this class, and you will be given lists of novels to choose, read,
ponder, understand and present to the class. Rubrics covering the expectations will be given to you. It is
an excellent decision to buy your own copy of each text, but you can find most of texts in the school
library, public library or a bookstore. Some of the books are even in the classroom library.
Annotating Texts
Buying the texts (novels, plays, etc.) makes annotating easier because you can write directly in
the text, but if you did not buy the texts you can use sticky/Post-it notes to make you annotations. One
should have about one or two annotations per page; this will be discussed later in class and more specific
directions will be given at that time.
Formal Essay Writing
All formal work should be typed (font 12 Times/TNR is preferred and will make me happy. Plus
it’s MLA format). DOUBLE SPACE ALL Formal ESSAYS and work! All formal work must be turned
in to Turnitin.com. This will be discussed later in class.
Informal work (timed essays) should be written in blue or black ink. Work done in pencil will not be
graded.
Lost papers
If you don’t have a copy of a paper that you need in class (an assignment, notes, etc.), extra
copies cost $.25 (if you fail to get an assignment when you are absent the same cost is applied- if it were
me, I’d come to class or borrow from a friend.) Many papers in class can be found on the teacher’s
website on the faculty page on Century’s website.
Notebook
Students are expected to have a notebook for this class that stays in the class. Many of these can
be found in the back of the class (reuse the ones from last year). Students need a section for notes,
vocabulary and writing.
Office Hours
Teacher is available most days after school by appointment on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
If you have any further questions please feel free to e-mail me at gary.rodebaugh@sausd.us
Please note that this is the school e-mail system, and some or most junk mail gets filtered. Type “AP
Student” in the heading otherwise your e-mail could be ignored and tossed out.
Anything not covered now
Additional information will be given on an as needed basis. I look forward to a great year.
AP Literature and Composition First 6-Week Assignments The Short Story
Starting Tuesday, September 3, 2013
All of these selections are found in the text Perrine’s Structure Sound and Sense 9th edition. (It’s a blue and red
covered book.) Get this book from the library and bring it to class.
Assignments
Read and annotate the following (skim it actually- to skim a passage read it quickly
and look for the main ideas. One technique is to pay attention to the beginning and
ending of each paragraph.)
Writing about Literature pp. 1-56
Take notes specifically on pp. 3-6; pp. 11-12; pp. 15-23; pp. 32-34; pp. 37-39
Elements of Fiction
Class Dates- For the most part, bring your book to
class the first six weeks of school.
Chapter 1 Reading the Story Reading pp. 61-67- Present a lesson on this part
Hunters in the Snow Tobias Wolff p. 86
*Expect a quiz on the short stories; read them carefully; take notes.
Literary Device
Quiz #1
Wednesday, September 4 Group 1
Wednesday, September 4
Chapter 2 Plot and Structure Reading pp. 103-11
How I met my Husband Alice Munro p125
Friday, September 5 Group 2
Friday, September 6
Chapter 3 Characterization pp. 161-166
Every Use Alice Walker p166
Miss Brill Katherine Mansfield p 175
Monday, September 9 Group 3 Early Release
Monday, September 9 Early Release
Wednesday, September 11
Thursday, September 12
Literary Device
Quiz #2
Chapter 4 Theme pp. 188 - 195
The Lesson Toni Cade Bambara p 195
Once upon a Time Nadine Gordimer p.220
Tuesday September 3
Tuesday, September 3
Thursday, September 5
Friday, September 13 Group 4
Friday, September 13
Monday, September 16 Early Release
Start Personal
Statement
Chapter 5 Point of View pp. 227- 233
The Lottery Shirley Jackson p251
Literary Device
Wednesday, September 18 Group 5
Wednesday, September 18
Thursday, September 19
Quiz #3
Hills Like White Elements Ernest Hemingway p268
Friday, September 20
Chapter 6 Symbol, Allegory and Fantasy pp. 274-285
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Joyce Carol Oates p311
A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings Gabriel Garcia Marquez p327
Literary Device
Quiz #4
Monday, September 23 Group 6 Early Release
Monday, September 23 Early Release
Wednesday, September 25 BTSN
Thursday, September 26
Chapter 7 Humor and Irony pp. 334-338
The Drunkard Frank O’ Conner p339
The Kungelmass Episode Woody Allen p348
Friday, September 27 Group 7 Early Release
Friday, September 27 Early Release
Monday, September 30 Early Release
Chapter 8 Evaluating Fiction pp. 371-374
A Municipal Report O. Henry p 375
Wednesday, October 2 Group 8
Wednesday, October 2
Thursday, October 3
Literary Device
Quiz #5
A Jury of Her Peers Susan Glaspell p 389
*Quizzes can be made up after school during teacher’s office hours.
Friday, October 4
Extra Stories – If you need extra credit, read one of the stories below and present a lesson to the class.
Civil Peace Chinnua Achebe p511
The Gilded Six-Bits Zora Neale Hurston p 564
The Swimmer John Cheever p 529
A Contract Ha Jin p575
A Rose for Emily William Faulkner p556
No One’s a Mystery Elizabeth Tallent p617
AP English Literature and Composition Suggested Summer Assignments for 2013-14
Thank you for accepting the challenge of AP English Literature and Composition. To better
prepare for the new school year I suggest students complete the summer assignments before school starts;
at the very least I suggest you obtain, read and re-read the assigned texts. If you are prone to
procrastinate, be aware that this work will make up the bulk of your grade for the second six-weeks (this
gives late students time to panic, procrastinate and complete the work). Please use the summer to get a
head start on school assignments, and avoid the stress. I hope to see you in class in August, and I hope
your summer will be productive and restful. – Mr. Rodebaugh
You will need the following texts:
Novel: The Awakening by Kate Chopin - Get this book from Century’s library or buy your own copy.
Plays: Pygmalion with Connections by George Bernard Shaw - Check this book out from Century’s
library.
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry - Get this book from Century’s library or buy your own copy.
Assignments
Exact due dates will be discussed once class starts, but these general guidelines will be followed so you
know the order assignments should be completed.
The Literary Devices Flashcards are due the first Friday of the first full week in class.
The review for A Raisin in the Sun is due during the first six-week grading period.
The reviews of the following texts are due after the first six-week grading period.
Pygmalion Review will be due before The Awakening
The Awakening Review is obviously due last. Again these works will cover the bulk of the
second six-weeks workload.
Literature Review
Pygmalion, The Awakening and A Raisin in the Sun Assignments
Write a one-page typed review of each work, analyze the setting and characters in each work, and discuss
one of the major themes. Do not summarize the plot. Pick one theme in the work and discuss the theme.
Make sure to quote and cite from the work. This will be reviewed the first two weeks of class.
You must discuss:
Be sure to elaborate on one of the major themes of the play/novel. Works of literary merit (like the ones
assigned) have more than one theme. Cite passages in MLA format (Author page).
Just to be clear, a theme is written in a complete sentence. It is what the author is saying about a topic in
the literary work. For example, the topic of a poem (My Old Man) might be love, but the theme would be
what the author is saying about love. “Love between a father and son is often complex and filled with
misunderstanding.”
You may wish to discuss:
 The setting of the play/novel and its influence on the work. (Author page)
 The major characters in the play/ novel, cite passages from the book that reveal characterization.
Please make flashcards for the following list of words. Write the word or words on one side of the
card and the literary definition on the other side (Make sure you understand the definition; if you find an
example this will also help). PLEASE use a dictionary of literary terms (I used the Bedford Glossary of
Critical and Literary Terms). The flashcards will be checked in September, and knowing these words will
help you throughout the school year –Quizzes on the terms will happen at the end of September.
Literary Device Terms
List #1
1. Alliteration
2. Allusion
3. Antagonist
4. Anachronism
5. Analogy
6. Antithesis
7. Archetype
8. Aside
9. Cacophony
10. Catharsis
List #2
1. Characterization
2. Conflict
3. Connotation/Denotation
4. Dramatic monologue
5. Dystopia
6. Epilogue
7. Extended metaphor/Metaphor
8. Flashback
9. Foil
10. Formal diction
List #3
1. Foreshadowing
2. Frame Story
3. Hyperbole
4. Informal diction Colloquial diction
5. Irony, Dramatic
6. Irony, Situational
7. Irony, verbal verses sarcasm
8. Motif
9. Narrative structure
10. Nemesis
List #4
1. Oxymoron
2. Paradox
3. Parallelism
4. Matriarchal/ Patriarchal society
5. Personification
6. Point of View
7. Prologue
8. Protagonist
9. Puns
10. Satire verses parody verses farce
List #5
1. Setting
2. Simile
3. Soliloquy
4. Style/Syntax
5. Symbol
6. Synecdoche
7. Theme
8. Tone
9. Tragedy verses Comedy
10. Tragic flaw/ Hamartia/Hubris