AP English Literature and Composition Syllabus
Course Overview
AP English Literature and Composition is a college/university level English
course. Our focus is on close, critical reading of poetry, drama, prose fiction and
expository literature. The course is designed to comply with the curricular
requirements in the AP course description. (C1) We will be analyzing literature
from the point of view of the writer as well as the reader to determine how
literature affects the reader and in what ways. We will measure literature
against the history of philosophy to understand how literature fits into its own
time as well as in ours. We will examine the definition of art and literature to
determine what makes a work great. Our literary analysis will look at style and
structure and a writer’s diction, imagery, use of detail, language and syntax.
Vocabulary study is important. Grammar study is integral. The study of
grammar and vocabulary will be an essential aspect of all study in this program.
Writing well about literature is a key component of the class.
Key Outcomes
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To give students the knowledge and skills they need to score a 3 or higher
on the AP English Literature and Composition Exam to be written in Early
May
To promote students’ imaginative ability in reaction to literature
To help students find and explain what is of value in literature
To understand the nature of literature in its historical and universal sense
The AP English Literature and Composition Course Requirements
C1-The teacher has read the most recent AP English Course Description
C2-The course includes an intensive study of representative works such as
those by authors cited in the AP English Course Description. The choice of
works for the AP course is made by the school in relation to the school's
overall English curriculum sequence, so that by the time the student
completes AP English Literature and Composition she or he will have studied
during high school literature from both British and American writers, as well
as works written in several genres from the sixteenth century to
contemporary times. The works selected for the course should require careful,
deliberative reading that yields multiple meanings.
C3-The course teaches students to write an interpretation of a piece of
literature that is based on a careful observation of textual details, considering
the work's:
-Structure, style, and themes
-The social and historical values it reflects and embodies
-Such elements as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and
tone
C4- The course includes frequent opportunities for students to write and
rewrite formal, extended analyses and timed, in-class responses. 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 could include annotation, freewriting, keeping a
reading journal, and response/reaction papers)
-Writing to explain: Expository, analytical essays in which students draw
upon textual details to develop an extended explanation/interpretation of the
meanings of a literary text
-Writing to evaluate: Analytical, argumentative essays in which students
draw upon textual details to make and explain judgments about a work's
artistry and quality, and its social and cultural values
C5- The AP teacher provides instruction and feedback on students' writing
assignments, both before and after the students revise their work, that help
the students develop:
-A wide-ranging vocabulary used appropriately and effectively
-A variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of subordination
and coordination
-Logical organization, enhanced by specific techniques to increase coherence,
such as repetition, transitions, and emphasis
-A balance of generalization and specific, illustrative detail
-An effective use of rhetoric, including controlling tone, establishing and
maintaining voice, and achieving appropriate emphasis through diction and
sentence structure
Unit 1 Introduction to the Course Week 1-5
What is Literature?
This unit provides the framework for our course of study. We will
explore fundamental questions regarding the study of Literature such as:
 How do you define Literature?
 What makes a work great?
 How do we distinguish between pleasure and academic process?
Students will be assigned the reading, “Reading and Writing about Literature”
by Robert DiYanni in Literature: Approaches to Fiction, Poetry and Drama (1-17)
This article is meant to generate a preliminary discussion on the nature of this
course.
Students will be given frequent opportunities to read and write in
response to various forms of writing from the student text The Act of Writing
edited by Ronald Conrad. Reading will be assigned in the areas of narration,
writing to describe, cause and effect, writing to compare and contrast, analogy
and related devices as well as argumentation and persuasion. (C4)
A number of essays (3-5) will be assigned in relation to short fiction and
prose in this text, where students will analyze the writing of particular authors.
Classes will consist of workshopping and discussion. I will also provide student
feedback on these essays to help students understand the nature of writing with
purpose. (C5)
Sample Works: Where the World Began Margaret Laurence
Encounters Carol Shields
Hidden Lessons David Suzuki
How to Live to Be 200 Stephen Leacock (C4)
Unit 2 The Novel
Ongoing – Week 1-10 / Week 11-20
Students choose 2 novels to read and study independently from a list of possible
titles. One must be from the “classics” and one modern novel. (C2)
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Pride and Prejudice, Frankenstein, Anna Karenina, The Scarlet Letter,
Wuthering Heights, Don Quixote, Siddhartha, The Republic, Beowulf,The
Canterbury Tales, Les Miserables, Great Expectations, A Passage to India, Tess of
the D’Urbanvilles, Middlemarch, Ulysses
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Alias Grace, The Kite Runner, The Great Gatsby, Snow Falling on Cedars, The
Bell Jar, Lord of the Flies, The shipping News, Life of Pi, Brave New World,
Invisible Man, The Fountainhead, Fifth Business, Grapes of Wrath, The
Alchemist, Love in the Time of Cholera, The Color Purple, Heart of Darkness,
Night, Cry the Beloved Country, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, The
Stone Angel, The Divine Ryans, Fall on Your Knees, The Republic of Nothing,
The Mountain and the Valley, The Stone Diaries
Students must submit a paper on each work of literature near the end of each of
the two terms. Conferencing and editing these papers will occur on selected
days throughout the term as students will write and rewrite their extended
analysis and show evidence of their ability to write for understanding and
evaluation. (C4)
Unit 3 Poetry Week 6-9
The Basics
Students will use Sound and Sense as their primary text. I will also supply
individual photocopies of poems we read and discuss in class. Some of these
poems are from past AP exams and others are pieces I have collected over the
years. The poetry ranges from the “classics” to modern poetic examples. (C2)
I begin this unit with formal instruction on tone and voice, imagery and
symbolism, rhythm and sound, as well as extensive study of figurative devices.
(Sound and Sense) We explore various ways to read and explicate poems from
the “Poetic Method” to “TP CASTT” to the “Five S Strategy” to explicating a
poem which involves examining key sentences or phases, the speaker, the
situation, major shifts and syntax. (C3)
The Poets
Students choose individual poets and complete a research project on the
history of that poet, their influences and achievements as well as exploring the
nature of their poetry. They must provide a detailed analysis of individual
poems (3-5). The analysis must include an awareness of poetic technique and
patterns of language. (C3) This research must then be presented to the class in
the form of a power point presentation where students demonstrate their ability
to verbally and visually communicate their knowledge.
Unit 4 Thematic Connections Week 12The Individual in Society – Past, Present and Future
This unit focuses on the roles and responsibilities of the individual in
society. Diverse works of literature are used to fully explore the central theme.
These works may change from year to year depending on student interest and
current issues. There are three anchor texts; William Shakespeare’s Hamlet,
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. (C2,C3)
Part I Hamlet Week 10-12
Students read and study the play as an exploration of the individual’s
presentation of choice. We will examine the creation of character, the structure
and development of the five act play, the question of morality and individual
responsibility. An extensive examination of the role of fate verses freedom of
choice is key in this study. Students will complete a variety of non evaluated, in
class writing assignments. (C4)
Part II The Crucible Week 13-15
Arthur Miller’s classic play has gained renewed importance in a post 911 world.
The drama will be examined in historical perspectives of the Salem Witch Trials
of 1692 and the separation of church and state; the McCarthy era and the role of
government in the lives of the individual, as well as current issues of free speech
and security. Students will explore the responsibility of the individual to and in
their society. The function of social drama will be pivotal. (C3,C4)
Part III
The Handmaid’s Tale Week 15-17
This dystopian novel allows readers to explore a future world where the role of
the individual in society is threatened. An examination of dystopia verses utopia
in literature is an essential component of this unit. I will include an assignment
on writing to respond in this section of the unit where students reflect on the
future of individualism. (C3,C4)
Assignments in this unit will fall into two categories.
a) Students will be required to read a minimum of three scholarly critiques
on each work of literature and submit an evaluation of these critiques.
b) Students will be given a list of past AP Open Essay Questions from which
to select. They must select one essay topic for each work studied,
workshop their topic in groups and complete a final draft. (C5)
Students must show an awareness of structure, style and theme,
awareness of social and historical value and an appreciation of the use of
literary elements. (C3,C5)
Unit 5 Final Unit Week 18-20
Explicit Review for AP Exam
An extensive review for the AP exam
Multiple Choice and Essay Practice Questions. Segments of practice exams will
be assigned for homework each night and discussed the next day. Student
concerns and deficits are addressed in anticipation for the exam. (C5)
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Multiple Choice and Essay Questions practiced
Timed Essays written in class
Review of Exam structure and discussion of writing tips
Discussion of past exam questions in preparation for the exam
Student Evaluation
The AP Course rewards both student achievement and effort. Individual papers
will be evaluated using specific rubrics provided to students. Tests and multiple
choice quizzes will be graded objectively and both will comprise a significant
portion of the student grade. However, commitment will be recognized and
rewarded. I keep anecdotal records on each student which includes notes on
preparation for class, participation in discussion and effort in the workshop
process. A student in AP English Literature and Composition must participate
as well as perform.
In Class Discussion, Workshopping and
Preparation
30%
Quizzes – Multiple Choice, Short Answer
10%
Timed Writings – Essays
20%
Class Assignments – Essays, Critiques and
Research
40%
Resources
Anderson, Jeff. Mechanically Inclined. Portland, Stenhouse Publishers, 2005.
Baym, Nina, ed. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. New York:
Norton Publications,2000.
Buscemi, Santi V. A Reader for College Writers. Boston: McGraw Hill
Companies, 2005
Conrad, Ronald, ed. The Act of Writing: Canadian Essays for Composition.
Toronto: McGraw, Hill Ryerson Ltd, 2003.
Di Yanni, Robert, ed. Literature: Approaches to Fiction, Poetry and Drama.
New York: McGraw Hill Company, 2004.
Langan, John and Sharon Winstanley. College Writing Skills with Readings.
Toronto: McGraw Hill Ryerson, 2005.
Perrine, Laurence. Sound and Sense. Toronto : Academic Press Canada, 1967.
Silverman, Jay ,et al. Rules of Thumb. Toronto: McGraw, Hill, Ryerson Ltd,
1996.
Stanford, Judith A., ed. Responding to Literature 5th Edition. New York:
McGraw Hill, 2006.
Web Resources
AP Central
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/Controller.jpf
AP English Literature Web Sites
http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/listaplitma.html
Memorial University Writing Centre
http://www.mun.ca/writingcentre/