Syllabus — AP Literature & Composition
August
29
WELCOME BACK! Introduction. Review summer reading assignments.
30
Discuss taste and the two short stories. Heart of Darkness due October 2.
31
Animal Farm. Letter due; discussion. Jane Eyre list due.
September
1
“Eleven;” Literary terms. In class essay.
Journal: List the novels and significant works you have read. Explain how one of them has influenced you.
4
NO SCHOOL!!
5
Sophie’s World study guide due! History of philosophy in an hour
6
“The Sisters” and “Araby” from Joyce’s Dubliners
7
SAME
8
“Eveline,”Dubliners
Journal: Choose any question from the Sophie’s World study guide and explore it fully.
11
Clay”; Criterion test #1
12
“Eveline” ESSAY DUE! Practice multiple-choice test
13
Review multiple-choice test questions and types; Criterion test #2
14
“Ivy Day in the Committee Room,” Dubliners
15
“The Dead,” Dubliners
Journal: Choose a motif/theme in two or more Dubliners stories and respond to it.
18
AME; Criterion test #3
19
Point-of-view; In-class essay: “The Dead”
20
Syntax & diction; Criterion test #4
21
Revised ESSAY “The Dead” DUE! Discussion of Jane Eyre.
22
Character, theme, and symbolism in Jane Eyre; character essay due 9-29
Journal: Rewrite an event from Jane Eyre from the perspective of one of the novel’s characters.
25
Hawthorne’s “Rappaccini’s Daughter”
26
Chekhov’s “The Lady With the Lap Dog”
27
Test-taking strategies
28
Multiple-choice TEST
29
Character ESSAY DUE; Review test
Journal: Evaluate your test-taking strategies, strengths & weaknesses.
October
2
Theme, tone, and imagery in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness
3
Time, setting, and narrative framework in Heart of Darkness
4
Symbolism, connotation, and imagery in Heart of Darkness
5
Characters in Heart of Darkness
6
In-class ESSAY: setting in Heart of Darkness
Journal: Which philosophy(ies) in Sophie’s World are reflected in Heart of Darkness?
9
Critical readings of Heart of Darkness
10
The Problem Theme: Heart of Darkness; Comparison of two novels
11
Introduction to poetry: Types of poetry; Crime and Punishment due 10-30
12
Elements of poetry
13
Practice multiple-choice test
Journal: Explain the lyrics to your favorite song using the poetry terms we use in class. Include the lyrics.
16
NO SCHOOL!! ACT 80 DAY
17
Imagery and Figurative language
18
ProblemTheme ESSAY DUE! Close-reading strategies for poetry
19
Connotation and denotation
20
Essay: “Dulce et Decorum Est”; identify 3 poems for focus
Journal: Recommend for class study three poems from the poetry packet. Argue for your choices.
23
Poetry PARAPHRASE DUE!; In-Class Essay: Analyzing a poem
24
More Test-taking strategies
25
Comparing two poems: Greek & Latin derivatives – Vocabulary
26
Revised poetry ESSAY DUE! More Vocabulary practice
27
Poetry/ Practice AP test
Journal: Explain the character of Raskolnikov in Crime & Punishment.
30
Dostoevsky’s Crime & Punishment
31
Dostoevsky’s Crime & Punishment
November
1
Dostoevsky’s Crime & Punishment
2
Dostoevsky’s Crime & Punishment
3
In-class Essay: TBA.
Journal: Respond to the course thus far: What has been helpful? What has been too easy or difficult? What
have you learned?
6
TBA
7
TBA
8
Gulliver’s Travels
9
Gulliver’s Travels
10
NO SCHOOL!! VETERANS’ DAY
Journal: Choose an example of irony/satire from television, movies, art or literature. Explain the satire/
irony and why it is successful.
13
Antigone
14
Antigone
15
TBA, ACT I
16
TBA, ACT II
17
TBA, ACT III
Journal: Who in Macbeth is right or wrong? Why?
20
TBA, ACT IV
21
TBA , ACT V
22
TBA
No entry
November
27
NO SCHOOL
28
Essay
29
The Importance of Being Earnest
30
The Importance of Being Earnest
December
1
The Importance of Being Earnest; In-class essay
Journal: Free response to the novel.
4
Poetry. To the Lighthouse due January 3.
5
Poetry
6
Poetry
7
Multiple choice test
8
Composition test (poetry, prose, & free-response)
Journal: What is your favorite poem (of all time)? What is so special about it?
11
Hamlet, Act I
12
Hamlet, Act II
13
Hamlet, Act III
14
Hamlet, Act IV
15
Hamlet, Act V
Journal: What should Hamlet have done? How would it have helped?
18
Essay: Hamlet
19
Hamlet
20
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
21
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
22
Hamlet encore. A well-deserved break!!
Journal: Why would someone write an absurdist play? What does absurdism say about life?
January
3
To the Lighthous
4
5
To the Lighthouse
To the Lighthouse
Journal: How does the stream-of-consciousness technique of To the Lighthouse influence your
reading of the novel?
8
a modern play on film
9
SAME
10
SAME
11
SAME
12
Wrap-up
Journal: Write a final reflection on the course: What was most valuable? Least valuable? Why
should anyone take this course?
16
FINALS WEEK