Ms. Lau
alexandria.lau@lausd.net
mslau.weebly.com
Office Hours: 7:45 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
or by appointment
Ambassador School of Global Leadership
701 S. Catalina St. Los Angeles, CA 90005
Phone (213) 480-4540 Fax (213) 480-4549
AP English Literature and Composition Syllabus
The Course
This course will follow the curricular requirements outlined by the College
Board in the AP English Literature and Composition Course Description
which focuses on building skills necessary for college-level reading, writing,
and critical thinking. The texts include works from a variety of time periods
and genres, and the writing assignments include in-class essays as well as
formal process essays with several opportunities for revision. This is
considered a college-level course; this means that you will be asked to read
and analyze challenging, provocative, dense, and sometimes controversial
material. You will also be expected to come to class prepared to challenge
yourself and others with interesting discussion points.
The course design is based on the premise that the AP English Literature
exam measures skills that you need in order to be successful in college. In
other words, the focus of the course is NOT the exam; rather, it is the skill set
that will lead to success on the exam and to success in college. The course
will focus on improving skill sets related to confidence and facility with
language; skill in critical reading, writing, and thinking; and success in
academic endeavors. All students are expected to take the exam in May.
This course includes using approaches that develop skills to study and write
about poetry, drama, fiction and non-fiction. This course will build on the
vocabulary of rhetorical techniques as well as introduce additional terms of
literary analysis for poetry and fiction. We will also look specifically at
strategies to identify tone, and how to apply critical theory to the texts we
study.
Grading Policy
Students will be given an academic grade, a work habits grade and a
cooperation grade based on their performance on the learning outcomes. The
letter grade is measured by the student’s ability to meet content and skill
standards. The work habits grade is measured by the student’s ability to meet
expectations of professionalism. The cooperation grade is measured by the
student’s ability to work well with teachers and peers.
Core Values
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Be prompt
Be polite
Be prepared
Be productive
Be proficient
Class Expectations
1. Be on time to class
2. Turn in all work on
time
3. Do your own work
4. Come with all
required materials
5. Use restroom
before or after
class
6. Pay attention in
class
7. Ask permission
before speaking or
getting up
8. Take turns speaking
9. Use class time
productively.
10. Keep all property
clean and tidy
Consequences
Grading Scale
Essays and Projects 40%: Students will be required to write several drafts
for all major essay assignments. The students will participate in
teacher/student conferences and peer/student conferences throughout the
drafting process. In addition, students will self-edit final drafts before
submitting finished pieces for grading. Students must submit all of their
drafts along with their final copies for their portfolios. In addition, in class
analysis essays will be completed as timed writings in each unit of study.
1. Teacher warning
2. Teacher
conference
3. Phone call home
4. Parent conference
5. RTI Team referral
6. Principal
intervention
Tests and Quizzes 30%: Tests will consist of multiple-choice questions based on rhetorical devices and their
function in given passages. Some of the tests will be based on readings done together, while others will be
based on passages that students read independently.
Notebook 20%: Students will maintain an interactive notebook where they will write vocabulary, notes from
discussions and readings, drafts of papers, and entries for dialectical journals. Notebooks will be checked for
quality of responses, completeness, organization and neatness.
Homework 10%: Homework will also vary depending on our specific focus. Much of the homework will
involve drafting, outside reading, responding to analytical questions, using rhetorical devices, and practicing the
conventions of writing.
Enforcement and Guidelines
Late work: If students have an excused absence, they have a day to make up the assignment.
Assignments that are turned in one week after the deadline will be reduced one letter grade. After two
weeks, the assignment will be reduced two letter grades. After two weeks, the assignment will not be
accepted.
Cheating: If students are caught cheating or plagiarizing, they will be expected to redo the assignment
and their parents will be notified.
Extra credit: Extra credit will be given at the teacher’s discretion. If students miss an opportunity to
complete extra credit, it will not be accepted after the deadline.
Learning disabilities: Teachers will accommodate students who have learning disabilities when
assessing performance by following the IEP.
Feedback: Grades will be submitted to ISIS every five weeks with a print out with assignments and
test scores for students and parents to discuss, review and sign.
Parent involvement: Teachers will personally meet with every parent at least once a semester. They
are expected to provide a safe and nurturing environment at home so students can practice what they
have learned in class. They are also expected to check a students’ progress at home.
Intervention: The teacher will schedule a meeting with students and their parents who have chronic
fails or have problems with behavior. If progress does not improve, counselors or administrators will
also participate in the meeting.
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•
•
•
•
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Name__________________________________________________Date________________________Per______
Course Supplies Checklist
Deadline _____________________
It is the student’s responsibility to come with the right course materials. Having the right tools gives students
the means to perform their work successfully. Bringing course materials is a part of the work habits grade
because it cultivates a professional work ethic.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
____150-page hard cover, college-ruled notebook
____2 dark blue or black ink pens
____2 highlighters
____2 red pens
____glue stick
11. ____ Ruler
12. ____ Colored pencils
13.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
____ white-out
____ 2 pencils
____ 1 eraser
____ pencil sharpener with lid
____ 1 ruler
Name_________________________________________________________Date______________Per___
Learning Contract
A contract is an agreement between two or more people to perform a duty. The contract
below explains each person’s responsibilities in relation to the learning process. Read and
initial by the following statements to indicate that you agree to fulfill the expectations listed.
Teacher Expectations
1. To come prepared with an engaging lesson plan. ____
2. To inform students about their progress ____
3. To communicate with parents. ____
4. To provide a safe place for students to learn ____
5. To enforce classroom and school rules ____
Student Expectations
1. To listen to instructions carefully ____
2. To bring my materials everyday ____
3. To treat my teachers, classmates and parents with respect ____
4. To complete all my assignments and make up work when absent ____
5. To have a positive attitude and exhibit proper behavior ____
Parent Expectations
1. To make sure that their child completes her homework EVERY DAY. ___
2. To stay informed about the child’s progress towards graduation. Do NOT wait for the
school or the teacher to contact you before asking about how they are doing in class.
____
3. To provide a quiet place and a time that is consistently set aside for studying ___
4. To make sure the child gets adequate nutrition and rest. ___
5. To enforce rules and deliver consequences to motivate positive behavior. ____
.
By completing this, I certify that all information is accurate and information will be updated.
Name of Student:
_________________________________________________ Date ____________________
Student Signature:
_________________________________________________
Name of Parent/Guardian:
__________________________________________ Date _____________________
Parent/Guardian Signature:
__________________________________________
Name of Student:
Home Contact Information
_________________________________________________
Home Address ___________________________________________________________________________________
E-mail _____________________________________ Cell ______________________ Home ______________________
Name of Parent/Legal Guardian _________________________________________________
E-mail _____________________________________ Cell ______________________ Home ______________________
Name of Parent/Legal Guardian _________________________________________________
E-mail _____________________________________ Cell ______________________ Home ______________________
FIRST SEMESTER
Year-­Long Glossary Project: Literary Devices Over the course of the semester you will complete a number of literary device entries. The total number and submission dates will be clarified in the initial assignment handout. Unit 1 Introduction and General Habits of Literary Study
Essential Question: Why and how do we write about literature?
Week 1: Orientation
Reading: “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman, Sound and Sense: I. Why Write about Literature?
Writing: Mentor Poem – mentored by Walt Whitman
Speaking: Share mentor poem
Homework:
1. Learning Contract
2. Supplies
3. The Notebook
4. Book Cover
5. Mentor Poem
6. Cornell Notes CH 1
Week 2: Pre-Assessment
Reading: The Yellow Wallpaper, VII. Writing In Class Essays
Writing: In-Class Timed Writing
Notetaking: Annotating Texts, Socratic Seminar, Calibration and Reflection
Socratic Seminar on The Yellow Wallpaper
Homework:
1. Read and annotate The Yellow Wallpaper
2. Timed writing reflection
3. Socratic Seminar Reflection
Unit 2: The Personal Statement
Week 3: Writing, Drafting, and Revising The Personal Statement
Prompt 1 Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us
how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.
Prompt 2 Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important
to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you
are?
Reading: Read sample personal statements from previous years.
Discussion: Brainstorm ideas for your thesis.
Writing: Draft an essay for prompt 1 or prompt 2.
Peer review: Use rubric to offer feedback to peers.
Final draft: Submit to teacher through Engrade.
Links:
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/how-to-apply/personal-statement/index.html
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/642/01/
http://students.berkeley.edu/apa/personalstatement/structure.html
Unit 3 Looking at Literature Closely and Writing Critically
Essential Question: How do literary elements contribute to a text? How does understanding these parts help us
in analysis and interpretation?
Week 4: Reading the Story, Plot
Read:
1. Structure, Sound and Sense CH 1, CH 2
2. “The Destructors” by Graham Greene
3. Wolff’s “Hunters in the Snow”
Write: In Wolff’s “Hunters in the Snow,” the plot helps to illuminate the struggle for power among the three
principal characters. Write an essay in which you show how this struggle for power is elucidated by some of
the elements of fiction presented in Chapter Two – such as suspense, mystery, surprise, and conflict. (p. 159)
HW:
1.
2.
3.
4.
CH 1 Cornell Notes (CN)
CH1 Review Questions (RQ)
CH 2 CN
CH 2 RQ
Week 5: Characterization
Objective: To study and evaluate how characterization plays a role in short stories
Read:
1.
2.
3.
Structure, Sound and Sense CH 3
Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”
Katherine Mansfield’s “Miss Brill”
Write: Choose ONE of the Suggestions for Writing p. 190
1. Write an essay on the direct or indirect presentation of character in one of the texts we have read
2. Considering the three criteria that are necessary for developing a convincing character, write an essay
in which you determine whether one of the following characters in one of the texts we have read meets
these criteria.
HW:
1. CH 3 CN
2. CH 3 RQ
3. “Everyday Use” RQ
4. “Miss Brill” RQ
Week 6: Theme
Objective: To study and evaluate how theme plays a role in short stories
Read:
1.
2.
3.
Structure, Sound and Sense CH 4
Tim Gautreaux’s “Welding with Children”
Anton Chekhov’s “The Darling”
Write: Suggestions for Writing p. 236
The theme of a story often is displayed in the development of the protagonist or in the epiphany that the
protagonist experiences. But in some short stories, there may be more than one focal character, and the theme
must therefore be inferred by examining the different experiences of more than one person. Demonstrate the
validity of this statement by examining the three main characters in one of the following:
a.
b.
HW:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Wolff, “Hunters in the Snow” (pg. 86)
Walker, “Everday Use” (pg. 166)
CH 4 CN
CH 4 RQ
“Welding with Children” RQ
“The Darling” RQ
Week 7: Point of View
Objective: To study and evaluate how point of view plays a role in short stories
Read:
1.
2.
3.
Structure, Sound and Sense CH 5
Willa Cather’s “Paul’s Case”
Ernest Hemmingway’s “Hill’s Like White Elephants”
Write: Suggestions for Writing p. 283
1. Compare the effectiveness of first-person point of view in any two of the following stories. What
contrasting effects do the authors achieve from the different ways they use the first person?
2. Compare/contrast the use of third-person point of view in any two of the following stories. Does the
author use objective, omniscient, or limited? Why is the particular point of view appropriate to each
story? Focus on scenes in which the chosen point of view is especially effective.
HW:
1. CH 5 CN
2. CH 5 RQ
3. “Paul’s Case” RQ
4. “Hill’s Like White Elephants” RQ
Week 8: Humor and Irony, Evaluating Fiction
Objective: To study and evaluate how humor and irony play a role in short stories
Read:
1.
2.
Structure, Sound and Sense CH 6, 7
Frank O’ Connor’s “The Drunkard”
Write: Choose ONE of the Suggestions for Writing p. 398.
1. Write an essay evaluating the relative quality of any of the following pairs of stories. Decide which is
the better story, and support your argument fully.
2. Write an essay in which you argue for the literary quality of any one of the following stories, detailing
its successful use of the elements of fiction.
HW:
1. CH 6 CN
2. CH 6 RQ
3. “The Drunkard” RQ
4. CH 7 CN
Unit 4: The Novel as Social Commentary
Week 9-12: Close Reading – Their Eyes Were Watching God
Objective: To identify plot, characterization, theme, symbol, allegory, and fantasy, dialogue, and point of view
In what ways can fiction function as social commentary? Read: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Speak: Think-Aloud activities and literature circles, Socratic Seminar, Group Presentations
Write: In-class essay, Literary essay
Week 13-16: Close Reading – Black Boy by Richard Wright
Objective: To identify plot, characterization, theme, symbol, allegory, and fantasy, dialogue, and point of view
Read: Black Boy by Richard Wright
Speak: Think-Aloud activities and literature circles, Socratic Seminar, Group Presentations
Write: In-class essay, Literary essay
Week 17-18: Write and revise literary essay
DUE: FINAL ANALYTIC PAPER
Sharing: the discourse of literature (author, audience, occasion, and subject interaction)
The author’s style (diction, syntax, figurative language, rhythm and sounds tied to authorial purpose); conscious
choice for needed effect (idea and meaning); symbolism; perspectives of author, character, audience (creating
credibility at various levels)
SECOND SEMESTER
UNIT 5 Senior Project Research Paper
Essential Question – What is a global issue that impacts your community?
Week 1: Investigate an issue
Reading: Sound and Sense: IV-XII: Choosing a Topic, Proving Your Point, Writing the Paper, Introducing
Quotations (Q1-11). Documentation, Stance and Style, Grammar, Punctuation, and Usage: Common Problems,
MLA stylebook
Assignments:
1. 5 Sources
2. 25 notecards
3. Outline
4. 1st Draft of 5-7 page research paper
Week 2: Explore multiple perspectives
Reading: Writing the Research Paper, Quarter 1 Portfolio Conferences
Writing: Draft 1 of Research Paper
Assignments:
1. Peer Review
2. 2nd Draft
3. Final Draft of 5-7 page research paper
Week 3: Take action
Describe the hands-­‐on and/or experiential project you will complete in conjunction with your research. Discuss why you want to pursue this project and how it will complement your research. State directly your sense of the costs, the time, and other logistical challenges posed by this project. Document your
project either in words, pictures, sounds or video. UNIT 6 Poetry
Week 4: What is Poetry? And Reading the Poem
Reading:
Alfred, Lord Tennyson “The Eagle”
William Shakespeare “Winter”
Wilfred Owen “Dulce et Decorum Est”
Thomas Hardy “The Man He Killed”
Philip Larkin “A Study of Reading Habits”
A.E. Housman “Is my team plowing”
HW:
1.
2.
CN CH 1
CN CH 2
Writing:
Poetry Definition essay: Read the definitions of poetry on p. 672. Select the best definition of a poem in your
opinion and use two or three poems from this chapter to support the definition you have chosen.
Week 5: Denotation and Connotation
Reading
Emily Dickinson “There is no Frigate like a Book”
William Shakespeare “When my love sweats that she is made of truth”
Ellen Kay “Pathedy of Matters”
Langston Hughes “Cross”
William Wordsworth “The world is too much with us”
HW:
1.
CN CH 3
Writing
Denotation and Connotation essay: Choose two poems and compare and contrast the denotative and
connotative meanings of each.
Week 6: Imagery, Allusion
Reading
Robert Browning “Meeting at Night”
Robert Browning “Parting at Morning”
Robert Frost “Out, Out”
William Shakespeare From Macbeth “She should have died hereafter”
HW:
1. CN CH 4
2. CN CH 8
Writing
Imagery essay: Analyze the imagery in one of the poems from the book and explain how the author uses
images to evoke vivid experience, convey emotion, or suggest ideas. Be sure to identify the sense reference of
the imagery – visual, auditory, and so forth.
Week 7: Figurative Language 1: Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Apostrophe, Metonymy
Reading
Frances Cornford “The Guitarist Tunes Up”
Robert Frost “Bereft”
Emily Dickinson “I taste a liquor never brewed”
Sylvia Plath “Metaphors”
Andrew Marvell “To His Coy Mistress”
Langston Hughes “Dream Deferred”
HW:
1.
2.
CN CH 5
CH 5 Exercises
Metaphor essay: Write an essay describing the pair of objects and/or concepts compared in one poem. How
does the figurative language help us to communicate an idea with greater vividness or force than an ordinary
prosaic description could have achieved?
Week 8: Figurative Language 2: Symbol, Allegory
Reading
Robert Frost “The Road Not Taken,” “Fire and Ice”
Walt Whitman “A Noiseless Patient Spider”
William Blake “The Sick Rose”
Alfred, Lord Tennyson “Ulysses”
Alastair Reid “Curiosity”
HW:
1.
2.
CN CH 6
CH 6 Exercises
Writing
Symbol essay: Select a poem and describe how the characters are symbolic and use evidence in the poem to
offer a symbolic interpretation of the reading.
Week 9: Figurative Language 3: Paradox, Overstatement, Understatement, Irony
Reading
Emily Dickinson “Much madness is divinest sense”
Dorothy Parker “One Perfect Rose”
Lucille Clifton “in the inner city”
Sterling A. Brown “Southern Cop”
HW
1.
2.
CH7 CN
CH 7 Exercises
Writing
Irony essay: Select a poem and discuss the irony – verbal, dramatic, or irony of the situation. How does the
ironic content of the poem heighten its impact?
Week 10: Tone
Readings
Richard Eberhart “For a Lamb”
Emily Dickinson “Apparently with no surprise”
John Donne “The Flea”
John donne “The Apparation”
Matthew Arnold “Dover Beach”
Philip Larkin “Church Going”
HW
1.
2.
CN CH 10
CH 10 Exercises
Writing
Tone essay: Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistresss,” Herrick’s “To the Virgins to Make Much of Time,” and
Housman’s “Loveliest of Trees” all treat a traditional poetic theme known as carpe diem. They differ sharply in
tone. Pointing out the differences in poetic technique among them, characterize the tone of each.
Week 11: AP Free Response: Poetry
1. Sample Prompt
2. In Class Timed Write
3. Reflection
UNIT 7 Drama
Week 12: Intro to Drama – Sound and Sense
Readings:
The Nature of Drama
Realistic and Nonrealistic Drama
Tragedy and Comedy
Weeks 13-16: Hamlet
Essential Questions
How does critical theory influence or change the way we interact with a text?
What relevance does Hamlet have in the 21st century?
How is the concept of sin explored in Hamlet?
What does it mean to read against a text?
In this unit you will examine the concept of critical theory focusing on an array of critical schools using a
selection of short stories as the unit of analysis.
Texts
Hamlet by Shakespeare
Green Eggs and Ham Dr. Seuss
The Giving Tree Shel Silverstein
Where the Wild Things Are Maurice Sendak
“Story of an Hour” Kate Chopin
"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" Ursula Le Guin,
“Seven Deadly Sins” by Yusef Komunyakaa
Excerpt from The Faerie Queen by Edmund Spenser (Book 1, Canto 4, Stanzas 17-36)
Group project - You will work in small groups and create a presentation in which you provide a critical
interpretation of a portion of a scene from Hamlet.
Writing Assessments: In-Class Essays, Critical Lens Essay
Written Assessments: Ongoing Journal, In-­‐Class Essay UNIT 8 AP Practice Exam prep (Week 17)
UNIT 9 Senior Project Presentations (Week 18)