AP English Literature and Composition
Syllabus
Part I. General Course Information
Grade level offered: 11/12
1.0 Credit
Prerequisites:
Honors 11th Grade English, Teacher Recommendation
Teacher webpage: http://www.rak12.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=932907&pageId=7324958
Assignments and work submitted: classroom.google.com f8to816 (that’s a lowercase L between the 8 and the 6)
Remind 101: https://www.remind.com/join/aplittbob or text: @aplittbob to 484-577-2358
Contact Information: Renaissance Academy 610-983-4080 x119
Mrs. Behrens O’Brien tracey.behrens@rak12.org
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Which English course did you take last year? (i.e. ELA 11 Honors, ELA 11 On-Level, etc.)_________
What was your end of year grade in English class? _________
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What was the most commonly stated positive feedback that you heard about your reading or writing
abilities last year? (a strength noticed by your teachers)
_____________________________________________________________________
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What was the most commonly stated corrective feedback that you heard about your reading or writing
abilities last year? (a struggle noticed by your teachers)
_____________________________________________________________________
Immediate writing goal:
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
AP English Literature and Composition
Syllabus
Course Description
Students enrolled in AP English Literature and Composition will experience learning similar to an undergraduate
introduction to literature course. Through close reading of several challenging literary texts, students will explore
how writers use language to create meaning and address universal human concerns and questions. The class will
examine how literature is not only relevant to the historical time period it was produced but also how it is timeless.
First, students will continue to build vocabulary, and in particular add a wide variety of literary terms to their
repertoire. Students will then be able to develop a critical eye in order to determine what qualities make great art
and literature. Through the development of skills of literary analysis, students will examine language and syntax,
figurative, language, imagery, selection of detail, diction, rhetoric, style, and structure.
Writing in response to literature is the central component of the class. As a result, students will write a variety of
essays, revise and refine their written work, and keep a writing log throughout the school year in order to gauge
their progress and to enable them to reflect on their writing.
All students are expected to take the AP Literature and Composition exam in May and should check with colleges
in order to determine what credits may be offered for the test.
Course Outcomes
In this course, students will:
 read and critically analyze literature, both independently and as a class
 participate in the close reading of literature through the subjective reading and responding to literary works,
interpret literature by analysis to understand multiple meanings, and evaluate literature by assessing the
quality and artistic achievement as well as value to society.
 consider a work’s structure, style and themes as well as elements such as the use of figurative language,
imagery, symbolism, and tone
 study representative works from a variety of genres and periods
 understand a work’s complexity, absorb richness of meaning, and analyze how meaning is embodied in
literary form
 consider the social and historical values a work reflects and embodies
 learn and use teacher suggested annotation skills and develop their own annotation
 read novels and plays independently outside of class and respond in writing
Part II: Classroom Expectations:
 Start of Class—Enter the classroom ready to work. There will be a Do Now exercise on the board every
day. Begin working quietly on these exercises as soon as you enter the class. You will have between 5-7
minutes to complete the exercise. You may not go to your locker or leave class at this time.
 Materials—You will bring a 3 ring binder, agenda, current materials/novel and something to write with
daily. You will need your agenda to write down homework and due dates. Lost materials can be found on
Google classroom, as listed on the first page of the syllabus.
 Texts—Textbooks will be used in class and occasionally you may be required to access the online edition
on the home page of your class website. Novels will be checked out of the library; library policies apply.
 Vocabulary—FLEX periods will be used for extended work time or vocabulary intensives and word study;
vocabulary will be formally assessed almost every cycle and at the end of each trimester.
AP English Literature and Composition
Syllabus
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Google Classroom-- Unless otherwise noted, all work will be submitted via Google classroom. Feedback
will be given, a grade assigned and work will be returned to you, all electronically. It is your responsibility
to become comfortable with this system, and seek help early to troubleshoot any complications.
o All assignments should be created in, or uploaded to, your rak12 Google drive prior to submission
in Google classroom. This allows for feedback on your document.
o DO NOT mark comments as “Resolved” by clicking the button on the comment. You can, however,
for tracking purposes “add a comment” and type “resolved” in the box.
o You are expected to check your rak12.org email daily. It is suggested that you link this account to
your device(s).
Quality of work— You are expected to proofread all assignments before submission. (Tip: Procrastination
will make this difficult.) Work that is submitted with typographical errors and negligence to appropriate
grade-level conventions will be returned. Resubmissions are required within 24 hours and will be graded
starting with a reduction of 10%.
Testing—MAP testing will not be administered to seniors in most cases. Scores and data from assessments
are analyzed and used for remediation and enrichment. (This is in addition to regular unit testing on texts,
novels, etc.) Students will take the AP test in May.
Writing Portfolios—Writing portfolios are an accumulation of assignments and reflection throughout all
four years of high school.
Trimester Self-Assessments—Self-evaluations will be completed near the end of each trimester. This is an
important opportunity to reflect on effort put into your work this trimester. If completed honestly, you will
notice that your score is close to your trimester grade. This is also a time to communicate openly with your
teacher about areas in which you need help.
Lunch Detention Intervention— If required assignments are not completed by the start of class on the due
date, students will be expected, at teacher discretion, to attend a lunch detention within 24 hours to
complete the assignment. Credit will not be given for late assignments, but skill mastery is expected. If the
student does not come to the assigned lunch detention, as per the school handbook, an after school
detention will be assigned. Phone calls or emails home may also be made if this is a chronic problem.
Parents are expected to check the Infinite Campus Parent Portal weekly to monitor grades.
Make Up/Late Work
o Required homework assigned while a student is present will not be accepted late. Students in the
Collegiate Academy are required to electronically post, email or send previously assigned work in
with a friend/sibling/parent/etc. If the assignment is not received by the beginning of class on the
due date, the assignment will receive a zero, but feedback may be given.
o If a student misses a test, quiz, or presentation, the student will have the same number of days that
he/she was out to make up the test, quiz, or presentation, or it will become a zero.
o Students will be granted one “Oops!” pass per semester. These passes grant each student a 24 hour
extension on any assignment due date without penalty. Passes are non-replaceable and nontransferable. Treat them as you would your most prized concert ticket. Void in Nebraska. *NOTE:
Assignments due on a Friday MUST be emailed by class time on Saturday (the 24 hours still
applies). Fill this pass out and submit it to the bin on Friday so that I am aware that you are using
the extension. Not replaceable if lost or stolen.
o A student participating in externships, such as Kensey Nash or Vanguard, leaving school early for
field trips or illness, or otherwise missing class (including but not limited to: sports, tours, testing,
working with another teacher, school events) must hand in work to affected classes PRIOR to
attending the event or activity. Previously assigned work that is not turned in by the start of class
will not be accepted. Students are also required to write down work from the assignment board at
AP English Literature and Composition
Syllabus
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this time; students are responsible for coming to class prepared with completed assignments/
classwork/homework the following day.
o If a student needs to print out an assignment or electronically submit an assignment during the class
when it is due, it is not on time. Print out/post assignments that are due before coming to class.
o For assignments that will be physically handed in: In the event that a student’s printer does not
work, he/she may email the assignment as proof of completion and then, he/she may use my
classroom computers during home base, FLEX or lunch to print his/her assignment prior to class.
This is to be used for emergency situations only AND the assignment must be received before the
class period during which it is due.
o Any assignment not turned in due to an unexcused absence, including cutting class, will not be
accepted.
Behavior—As high school students, behavior should not be an issue in the classroom. Students with
individual concerns will avoid commandeering class time for such matters and schedule a meeting with the
teacher. In the rare case that behavior becomes an issue, the student will receive one verbal warning and a
possible private conversation in the hallway. If behavior continues to disrupt the learning environment, the
student will be sent out of the classroom. A referral will be documented, and detention or other appropriate
consequence will follow.
Respect—Put things in the classroom back where they belong, do not leave trash behind and respect the
items in the classroom. You may eat in ELA class, but if trash is left behind, or this behavior is disruptive,
the privilege will be revoked.
Writing Suitability—Some writing is not appropriate for a school setting, including writing that deals with
explicit content. Please use your own discretion. Feel free to consult with your teacher prior to the due date
if you are unsure about the suitability of a subject matter. Also, please note that writing that concerns
harming yourself or others will be taken seriously and, if necessary, shared with the counselor.
Part III. General Handbook Reminders:
 Agenda—You MUST have an agenda in order to leave the classroom. USE PEN.
 Absence—The time frame for completing make up work shall be one day for each day of absence, with the
exception of long-term assignments for which the student was present for the assignment of work. Students
should be prepared to take missed tests/quizzes, etc. upon returning to school, dependent on Academy
Policy. For planned absences, it is the responsibility of the student (grades 7 to 12) to contact teachers a
minimum of one week in advance of the absence to request assignments that will be missed. All work must
be submitted to the teacher upon the student’s return to school or be subject to the Academy Policy.
Students should be prepared to take missed tests/quizzes, etc. upon returning to school, dependent on
Academy Policy. Any student who misses 12 or more classes in a school year may not receive credit for that
class.
 Tardiness—Tardiness is an issue of respect; if you are not in the classroom when the door closes, you are
late. Three tardies will result in a detention.
 Uniform—You must be in proper uniform before, during and after class. Refer to the handbook for further
details. Uniform notices will be sent electronically to the Dean of Students.
 Confiscation—Cell phones and electronic devices are not to be used in class, except for when explicit
permission is given. These items will be confiscated for unauthorized use and given to the Dean of
Students. Students must obtain permission from the teacher at the beginning of each lesson and turn in a
signed Bring Your Own Device policy in order to use devices such as smart phones, laptops, iPads and
tablets, etc.
AP English Literature and Composition
Syllabus
Part IV. Methods of Instruction
Understanding of literature will be achieved through discussion. Discussion format will vary between small and
large group, as well as student and teacher led. Cooperative learning groups will also be utilized as a means of
learning. In addition, assignments will be completed individually. Some assigned texts will be read individually,
in addition to course texts.
Writing about literature
 Students will write several AP style essays throughout the course of the year. Most of these will be in
response to literature read in class and independently.
 Writing to understand: Informal writing that captures the student’s thoughts while reading such as
annotations, journaling and reaction essays.
 Writing to explain: Analytical (argumentative) essays that judge the craft, quality and societal value of a
work.
 Students will keep a writing log in order to track their progress and enable themselves to reflect on their
own writing.
 Students will revise their essays to improve content, style, diction, and sentence structure.
Part V. Specific Course Descriptors
Essay Summary:
1. First AP essay: Question 3 “Character conflict” (not graded)
2. Setting: Frankenstein
3. AP essay: The Stranger 5 Steps to a 5 pg. 206 “Transformation”
4. Critical lens: Hamlet
5. Short Fiction: Compare and Contrast
6. Satire: The Importance of Being Ernest
7. Tone: Their Eyes Were Watching God
8. AP essay: 2004 Form B “Death scene”
9. AP essay: 2002 Form B “Secrets”
10. Responding to a critical analysis (first of two): partner
11. Responding to a critical analysis (second of two): individual
*Subject to change!
Grammar
 As needed based on student error in composition through mini lessons, do now warm up exercises, and
through teacher, peer, and self editing.
Vocabulary
 Generated from “AP Literature and Composition Master Vocabulary List” as well as literary texts
 24 vocabulary quizzes throughout the year
 “I own you!” bookmarks for vocabulary while reading novels
 Student generated word wall created by words that “wow” them while reading
Assessment
 Timed essays based on past AP prompts
 Essays in response to literature
AP English Literature and Composition
Syllabus
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Weekly vocabulary quizzes based on “AP Literature and Composition Master Vocabulary List”
Students are expected to be active participants in class discussions
Student created writing log used to help with self-assessment of writing
Graphic organizers, annotations, analytical reflections and study guides
Grading
Trimester Breakdown
Summative (Formal) Assessment
Formative (Practice) Assessment
AP
70%
30%
Yearly Calculation
Trimester 1 Exam 1 Trimester 2 Exam 2 Trimester 3
29%
6%
29%
7%
29%
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Grades are calculated using total points
Grades are represented by percentages, not letter grades
AP Rubric is used for scoring essays
Primary Texts
Booth, Alison, J. Paul Hunter and Kelly J. Mays. The Norton Introduction to Literature. New York: W.W.
Norton and Company, 2006.
Foster, Thomas C. How to Read Literature like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading
between the Lines. New York: Quill, 2003. Print.
Hogue, Dawn. AP Literature and Composition Crash Course. Piscataway: Research & Education Association,
2011.
Odell, Lee et. al. Elements of Literature Sixth Course. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2007.
Probst, Robert et. al. Elements of Literature Sixth Course. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1997.
Rankin, Estelle M. and Barbara I. Murphy. 5 Steps to a 5. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2014.
Secondary texts
Bronte, K. Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Dover, 2002.
Camus, Albert. The Stranger. New York: Random House, 1988.
Chaucer, Geoffrey. “The Canterbury Tales.” Elements of Literature Sixth Course. Ed. Robert Probst. Austin:
Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1997. 107-150.
Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities. New York, Random House, 2003. (Independent reading)
AP English Literature and Composition
Syllabus
Hansberry, Lorraine. “A Raisin in the Sun.” The Norton Introduction to Literature. Ed. Alison Booth. New
York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2006. 1046-1112. (Independent reading)
Lawrence, D. H. Sons and Lovers. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. (Independent reading)
Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York: penguin, 1987. (Independent reading)
Neale Hurston, Zora. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: Harper Collins, 1998. (Independent reading)
Orwell, George. 1984. New York: Signet Classics, 1950. (Independent reading)
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. New York: Dover 1992.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1995. (Summer reading)
Vonnegut, Kurt. Cat’s Cradle. New York: Dell, 1998. (Independent reading)
Wilde, Oscar. The Importance of Being Ernest. New York: Harper Collins, 1965.
Wilson, August. “The Piano Lesson.” The Norton Introduction to Literature. Ed. Alison Booth. New York:
W.W. Norton and Company, 2006. 716-778. (Independent reading)
Course Outline
Monthly
 Literary Terms
 Review book: 5 Steps to 5
 AP Literature and Composition Vocabulary quizzes
 Independent reading projects/ Open response practice questions
Trimester One
Introductory Unit (8 weeks, overlapping with Frankenstein and The Stranger)
 Hand out syllabus and course calendar
 Introduce Vocabulary Study and Weekly quizzes
 Pennsylvania mandated Senior Project guidelines review
 Plagiarism
 College essays and applications
 First AP essay
o Talk through the process: what went right, wrong, what do you need?
 Make first entry in writing log
Frankenstein (2-3 weeks)
 Analytical Focus: Mood, atmosphere, tone, structure
 Thematic Focus: Loneliness and alienation, nature vs. nurture, forbidden knowledge, science vs. nature
 Assignment: Small group student led discussion
 Essay: Importance of setting
AP English Literature and Composition
Syllabus
A Tale of Two Cities (Independent Novel)
 Analytical Focus: Setting, antithesis, doppelganger
 Thematic Focus: Order and disorder, death and resurrection, memory
 Assignment: Study Guide
OR
1984 (Independent Novel)
 Analytical Focus: Point of view, diction, tone, imagery, syntax
 Thematic Focus: Dissolution of language, innate vs. learned behavior, objective reality
 Activity: Logical fallacies & Rhetorical Strategies
 Essay: Analyze a passage---diction, tone, imagery
The Stranger (2 weeks)
 Analytical Focus: Point of view, imagery, diction, symbolism, existentialism (PP)
 Thematic Focus: Absurdity, colonialism, free will
 Assignment: Analyze and discuss critical essays
 Essay: Transformation in The Stranger
Canterbury Tales (1 week)
 Study the General Prologue, The Pardoner’s Tale, and The Wife of Bath’s Tale
 Analytical Focus: Structure, diction, imagery, symbolism
 Thematic Focus: chivalric values, love, human idealism
 Assignment: Pilgrim autobiography
Sons and Lovers (Independent Novel)
 Analytical Focus: Episodic structure, point of view
 Thematic Focus: Free will, sexuality, class structure
 Assignment: Close reading/annotations of episodic structure and point of view; literature circle discussions
of themes
Hamlet (5 weeks)
 Analytical Focus: Tragedy, Shakespearean plot structure, language
 Thematic Focus: Complexity of action, impossibility of certainty, rot, death
 Assignment: Point of view response, performance
 Essay: Critical Lens
Writing Log is due
Trimester One Exam
 A practice AP exam is given as the trimester exam
Trimester Two
Short Fiction Unit (2 weeks)
 Analytical Focus: various literary elements, as applicable
 Thematic Focus: various themes
 Assignment: In class discussion; close reading and annotation of a major text from this unit
 Essay: Compare/Contrast
AP English Literature and Composition
Syllabus
Beloved (Independent Novel)
 Analytical Focus: Flashback, idiom, motif, imagery
 Thematic Focus: Racism, freedom, motherhood, creativity and imagination, memory
 Assignment: Spontaneous spotlight
The Importance of Being Ernest (2-3 weeks)
 Analytical Focus: Comedy, farce, parody, satire
 Thematic Focus: Morals and morality, love and passion, culture clash, language and meaning, freedom
 Assignment: Performance
 Essay: Analysis of Satire
Jane Eyre (4 weeks)
 Analytical Focus: Narrative, structure, Gothicism, setting, imagery, symbolism
 Thematic Focus: Love and passion, independence, God and religion, atonement , the search for home
 Assignment: Close reading/annotations of all analytical and thematic foci
Their Eyes Were Watching God (Independent Reading)
 Analytical Focus: Diction, tone, syntax
 Thematic Focus: Search for self, language and meaning, racism, folklore
 Essay: Analysis of tone
A Raisin in the Sun (2 weeks)
 Analytical Focus: Setting, allusion, climax, foreshadowing, symbolism
 Thematic Focus: Prejudice and tolerance, civil rights, American dream, gender roles
 Assignment: Performance and discussion
The Piano Lesson (Independent Reading)
 Analytical Focus: Naturalism, storytelling, character
 Thematic Focus: Past and present, American dream
 Assignment: Outside Reading Project Options
OR
“Free” Choice from the AP book list
Trimester Two Exam
 A practice AP exam is given as the trimester exam
Trimester Three
Poetry Unit (5 weeks)
 Analytical Focus: Elements of poetry
 Thematic Focus: varies with poem
 Poetry Terms Test
 Assignment: Close reading/annotations comparing/contrasting poems
Cat’s Cradle (Independent Reading)
AP English Literature and Composition
Syllabus
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Analytical Focus: Irony, Fragmented structure, parody, satire
Thematic Focus: The threat of technology, free will, the problem of communication
Essay: Responding to a Critical Analysis
Test Prep (2 weeks)
 Practice Objective Tests
 Review answering strategies, thinking processes, pitfalls, etc.
 Practice AP essay
AP EXAM (May)
Post-AP Exam
Revisionary Literature & Oh the places you will go! Unit
AP English Literature and Composition
Syllabus
Short Fiction
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“Sony’s Blues” by James Baldwin pgs. 81-105
“Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway pgs. 114-117
“Bartleby, the Scrivener” by Herman Melville pgs. 133-161
“The Lady with the Dog” by Anton Chekhov pgs. 181-193
“Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne pgs. 197-207
“A Hunger Artist” by Franz Kafka pgs. 207-214
“The Secret Sharer” by Joseph Conrad pgs. 237-267
“Araby” by James Joyce pgs 328-332
“A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner pgs. 356-363
“A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor pgs. 369-380
Poetry
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W. H. Auden
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“Musee des Beaux Arts” pg. 565
Elizabeth Bishop
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“Sestina” pg. 557
William Blake
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“London” pg 442
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“The Tyger” pg. 573
Anne Bradstreet
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“To My Dear and Loving Husband” pg 411
Robert Browning
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“My Last Duchess” pg. 574
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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“Kubla Khan” pg. 575
John Donne
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“The Flea” pg. 450
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“A Valediction:Forbidden Morning” pg. 580
Robert Frost
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“The Road Not Taken” pg. 584
Seamus Heaney
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“Digging” pg. 590
Gerard Manley Hopkins
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“Spring and Fall” pg. 517
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“The Windhover” pg. 591
Randall Jarrell
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“The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” pg 489
John Keats
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“Ode on a Grecian Urn” pg.597
Andrew Marvell
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“The Garden” pg. 601
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“To His Coy Mistress” pg. 456
Marianne Moore
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“Poetry” pg 555
Sylvia Plath
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“Daddy” pg. 605
Alexander Pope
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“Sound and Sense” pg 505
Adrienne Rich
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“Diving into the Wreck” pg 497
William Shakespeare
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Selected Sonnets
Percy Bysshe Shelley
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“Ode to the West Wind” pg 535
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
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“Ulysses” pg 621
Dylan Thomas
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“Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” pg. 556
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“Fern Hill” pg. 622
Richard Wilbur
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“Love Calls Us to the Things of This World” pg. 627
William Carlos Williams
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“The Red Wheelbarrow” pg. 472
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“This is Just to Say” pg. 472
William Wadsworth
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“Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey” pg.628
William Butler Yates
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“The Lake Isle of Innisfree” pg. 632
Selections for Short Fiction and Poetry Units from The Norton Introduction to Literature
AP English Literature and Composition
Syllabus
Part V Plagiarism Statement:
Definition:
Plagiarism is a form of cheating and is the use of words, ideas, or opinions of someone else without specific
acknowledgement of their source. It is the attempt – deliberate or unintentional - to pass off as one’s own what has
in face been borrowed. Whenever you are writing on an unfamiliar, specialized, or technical topic, it is likely that
you will be using printed or oral sources of information. To fail to indicate that you used such sources and/or to fail
to identify them constitutes plagiarism.
Student guide:
1. Copying homework from another student or enabling someone else to do so.
2. Using someone else’s (whether a classmate or a published author) words in a paper without using quotation
marks. Whenever you use a key word or more words in a row from another source, you must put these
borrowed words in quotation marks and cite your source.
3. Using someone else’s (whether a classmate or a published author) ideas in a paper without giving that
person credit.
Consequences:
1. Any student who is caught cheating and/or plagiarizing will automatically receive a zero on the assignment.
Students will be required to re-do the assignment to complete the original learning objective; credit, if any,
for the assignment will be determined by the teacher and the Academy Director. Students who do not
complete the assignment will receive a failing mark for the marking period.
2. All cheating and/or plagiarism incidents must result in parental contact by the classroom teacher.
Subsequent offenses will result in a failure for the marking period; grades not to exceed: MS=59%,
HS=64% and further disciplinary action.
3. Plagiarism is a violation against academic ethics. Examples of plagiarism are: stealing, borrowing, buying
or copying someone else’s work, including but not limited to: homework, lab reports, take-home tests,
research papers, copyrighted materials, published books and/or internet websites.
AP English Literature and Composition
Syllabus
Student/ Parent Signature Page
Name:____________________________
Course:___________________________
Teacher:___________________________
Please sign the page below to indicate that you have read the syllabus and understand the expectations and
guidelines for high school AP LIT.
Student signature:_____________________________________
Parent Signature:______________________________________
Date:___________
I have read and understand the Statement on Plagiarism. I understand that plagiarizing an assignment will result in
a grade of 0% and the assignment must be re-written or the result will be a failing grade for the trimester. If
plagiarism occurs twice in one trimester, I understand that a failing grade will be issued for the trimester.
Student signature:________________________________________
Parent signature:_________________________________________
Date:___________
This page should be returned to your AP LIT teacher tomorrow for homework credit.