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AP English Literature and Composition:
Syllabus- 2014-2015
Text:
Arp, T.R., Johnson, G. Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense.
Note: A number of supplementary paperbacks will be provided. However, students
should be prepared to obtain copies of necessary outside reading books.
Approach:
This course will devote equal time to the literary genres of fiction, poetry, and drama.
Course Description:
This course will teach students to read, analyze, and write about fiction, drama, and
poetry. We will read literature from the 16th century through the 21st Century. These
activities will prepare students for the AP Exam administered in May. AP English
Literature and Composition requires students to complete college-level work with the
goal of training students in the study of literature to increase the students’ ability to
understand texts through literary analysis. This course is also designed to improve
students’ understanding of basic techniques of composition. Students must learn to write
clear, coherent papers to be successful at the college level. All assigned readings need to
be read by the due date. Students cannot contribute to a discussion if they have not read
the work; therefore, tests will be given to ensure that all students are doing their fair share
of the work.
Academic Honesty Policy Statement:
I take academic dishonesty very seriously, and I will deal strongly and without
compromise with any student who attempts to cheat in this course.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any student who violates this rule will receive a “0” for
that assignment. A “0” on a major assignment will make it very difficult for any student
to pass this course. A second violation of this policy may result in immediate removal
from the course, and the student will receive a failing grade.
Information taken from any source must be acknowledged through citations. All citations
will be in Modern Language Association (MLA) format, which we will cover in detail.
Please sign here to indicate that you will abide by the academic honesty policy for
this course.
Parent Signature _________________________________
Student Signature ________________________________
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Absences: You are expected to attend all classes and turn in assigned homework on
time.
 If have a history of missing more than six days in a semester, you will have a
hard time passing this course.
 If you know you are going to be absent, talk to me in advance so we can make
appropriate arrangements.
 If you miss class the day an assignment is due, please make every effort to have
someone else turn it in for you. I expect you to do this as a courtesy to your
classmates.
 If you are absent on the day an assignment is given, you are responsible for
getting that assignment on the day you return.
 Students with extended absences will have the opportunity to complete missed
work. See me to make arrangements. However, this will make life difficult for
you.
Format:
Turning in assignments: Points will be deducted from your grade if this format is not
followed.
Guidelines for turning in assignments
 MLA format will be used in this course.
 All assignments must be turned in on time.
 Typed papers should be in 12 point Times New Roman font, double spaced, with
1 inch margins
 All assignments will have a heading in the upper left hand corner. The heading
will include the following information:
o Name
o Class
o Date
o Please center the title for each assignment below the heading.
 All major papers must be computer generated. Handwritten assignments need to
be legible and in blue or black ink. If I cannot read your paper, I cannot grade it.
Evaluation Procedures:
Your grade for this course will be comprised of the following four major categories:
1. Class Participation, Daily Dose of Grammar, Reading Checks, Homework, Summer
Reading Response, Daily Exercises- 40%
2. Major Papers, Timed Writings-30%
3. Tests, Literary Terms, Major Work Data Sheets- 30%
Grading Scale: I will provide scoring rubrics for your major writing assignments.
A
93-100
B
92-85
C
84-77
D
76-70
F
Below 70
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Communication:
Every student will be given every opportunity to succeed. I can be available before and
after school for student meetings or parent conferences. If you have any questions or
concerns at any time, please let me know. I am more than happy to meet with you, and
you can reach me at 488-2152 (work) or via e-mail at dgyoung@swainmail.org.
Narrative4:
This year, I am beginning to work with Narrative4, a student story exchange group.
We will spend one day working at WCU with the writer, Ron Rash, to begin
preparation for later exchanges with students in Newtown, Connecticut, and
Limerick, Ireland. It will be both a written and spoken narrative.
Major Writing Assignments:
Students can expect to write four long papers (750-1000 words on short fiction, the novel,
a poem, and outside reading of drama), numerous in-class writing exercises (weekly), and
several short (one page) responses to some of the works we read. Students will complete
a Major Work Data sheet on one work (short fiction, novel, poetry [book by one poet]) or
drama that we have read as a group and present the work to the rest of the class. Your
final exam will consist of an annotated bibliography using all of the novels and dramas
covered in this course.
Individual Reading Assignments:
The AP Exam format requires students to have an in depth knowledge of at least four
novels, four plays, and a variety of poems. Therefore, students will be required to read
two works in addition to our class reading schedule (one novel and one drama). This
presentation should include a technology-based presentation on an analytical reading of
the work. This will allow all class members to become familiar with more works than
we can cover in this class together. The first work will be due right before
Christmas Break, and the second will be due in the final weeks of class. (Tentative
dates are included in the course schedule.) I will provide a list of works from which to
choose. Students should choose their works early in the semester and reserve them.
Books will be assigned on a first come- first served basis. Most of these books can be
obtained from the library or bookbub, a free online e-book service. However, students
may wish to purchase their own copies of their chosen works.
Grammar:
Many people suffer from a lack of knowledge about our language, its structure, and its
inner working. You will not. You will have a small dose of grammar each day, and a
short homework assignment with grammar each night. It will be a consistent part of your
grade each nine weeks.
AP Exam Practice Exercises:
We will conduct weekly timed writing exercises throughout the year to prepare for the
AP Exam in May. These exercises will be counted as part of your class participation
grade. You will receive credit for completing them, and you will learn to score your own
practice essays to help determine your strengths and weaknesses. Be sure to talk to me if
you are having a problem in any area, so we can schedule some out of class tutoring
sessions. We will also have several practice tests, including one that is full length. During
the week just before the AP exam, we will have student led reviews for two evenings.
Materials:
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A three- ring binder
A flash drive
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Pens and No. 2 pencils.- All Tests Should Be Taken In Pen.
6 Dividers with plastic tabs. Conventions/ Short Fiction/ Novel/ Poetry/ Drama/
Writing/ Literary Analysis Terms and -isms.
Rule:
1. Be nice or leave.
Course Schedule
First Writing Assignment- Due- August 18, 2014 response to Tim O’Brien’s The
Things They Carried
I. Introduction, Essay Scoring and the College Essay, Literary Terms, and Summer
Reading: August 18th to 29th
Focus- Student response to the novel, Diction, Syntax, Tone, Point of View
Activities- Class discussions and introduction to the Major Work Data Sheet
II. The Elements of Short Fiction
Reading Assignment- Due: Sept 1
 “Reading the Story”
 “Plot and Structure”
 Richard Connell- “The Most Dangerous Game”
 Tobias Wolff- “Hunters in the Snow”
Focus- Plot, Suspense, Conflict
Reading Assignment- Due: Sept. 8th
 “Characterization”
 Alice Walker- “Everyday Use”
Reading Assignment- Due: Sept 12th
 “Theme”
 Eudora Welty- “A Worn Path”
 Graham Greene- “The Destructors”
Reading Assignment- Due: Sept. 19th
 William Faulkner- “A Rose for Emily”
 Alice Munro- “How I Met My Husband”
Focus- Point of view
Reading Assignment- Due: Sept. 26th
 “Symbol, Allegory, and Fantasy”
 Gabriel Garcia Marquez- “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”
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 Woody Allen- “The Kugelmass Episode”
Focus- Symbolism and Irony
Reading Assignment- Due: Sept. 30
 “Humor and Irony”
 Frank O’Connor- “The Drunkard”
 Albert Camus- “The Guest”
Focus- Humor and Irony
Reading Assignment- Due: Oct. 3
 “Evaluating Fiction”
 Extra stories:
Reading Assignment- Due:
 Flannery O’Connor- “A Good Man is Hard to Find”
Reading Assignment- Due:
 Flannery O’Connor- “Good Country People”
Short Story Paper Workshops on analyzing a short story will take place on October
7th. Have solid draft ready and shared with me and two other assigned classmates
on Google Drive before class begins.
Short Story Paper Due: Oct. 13
Topic-Analyzing a short story
III. Elements of the Novel: Introduction to understanding and finding meaning in long
fiction
We will begin with assigning books and chapter readings on October 7th. We will spend
about two weeks discussing each novel and working with the literary techniques the
authors used.
Reading Assignment- to be completed by October 20
 Charlotte Bronte- Jane Eyre or Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Supplementary
Paperback
Focus: Elements of the novel, Plot, Setting, Theme, Social Roles, Point of View,
Bildungsroman, Race
Reading Assignment- Due: November 3
 William Golding Lord of the Flies
Focus- Setting, Theme, Characterization, Symbolism, Relationships
Reading Assignment- Due: Nov. 10
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 Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, Supplementary Paperback
Focus- Setting, Characterization, Bildungsroman, Social Roles, Symbols
Reading Assignment- Due November 21
 Ron Rash’s, Daniel Woodrell’s, or Silas House’s novel
You will have to buy this supplementary paperback
Focus- Finding meaning on multiple levels of a text. application of literary devices.
First Outside Reading Presentations will be due December 1 . Work in class on
November 24 to 26 (half day). Present on Monday after Thanksgiving.
Novel paper workshops on 8th. Have a solid draft ready and shared with me and
three assigned classmates on Google Drive. Novel paper, completed, edited, and
polished, is due January 5. See class website for prompt and description.
Poetry Unit: January 5th through March 16th
This unit focuses on the poetry section of Perrine’s anthology. With our poetry unit, we
address various methods of responding to poetry through inquiry forms and personal
response. We also focus on having an understanding of how the speaker’ s background
and situation affect the language and structure of the text before moving into a figurative
interpretation of it.
Focus Skills and Subjects
During the early part of this unit we work on concepts of connotations of
language, contexts of speaker and setting, form, syntactical units and
structures, and recognition of the literal scene being described in the piece.
A strong basis in the literal concepts presented in a poem alongside an
understanding of what context the poem falls into are prerequisite to
figurative interpretations. The figurative interpretations, using TPFASTT
format, begin with Chapter Three.
Read all prose for each chapter by the date after which it is listed; read all
poems in each chapter unless otherwise instructed.
January 5th and 6th Chapter One: “What is Poetry?”
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Read all poems as well as prose introduction, in class intro to poetry
response.
January 6th First poetry response is due, one full page, hard copy, typed,
dbl spaced, TNR, standard format and heading as described on fall
syllabus (to any poem in chapter one, focusing on speaker and setting,
form, syntactical units and structures, and recognition of the literal scene
being described)
Introduction to TPFASTT (paraphrase and title only for response)
January 7th and 12th Chapter Two: Continue poetry readings as well as
responses using syntactic and literal approach during review period
January 7th; also, timed writing (last one to prose selection)
January 12th Continue Chapter Two
January 13th Chapter Three, in class full TPFASTT
January 14th Continue Chapter Three; first poetry response due, this one
based on any three elements of TPFASTT and how it leads to theme, same
format as above
January 15th First poetry timed writing
January 16th TPFASTT Chapter three poems in class; prose intro to
Chapter Four
January 20th Poetry Response based on TPFASTT, three elements and
how it leads to theme due on any Chapter Four Poem; practice AP Exam
selection on poetry
January 21st Chapter Five prose and poetry; TPFASTT in class
January 22nd Timed writing in poetry; continue Chapter Five
January 23rd Discuss one volunteer’s essay at length; begin memorizing
one Ch 6 poem of ten lines or more and sign up for food that symbolizes
your poem
January 26th Chapter Six poetry recitation and eating; Chapter Seven;
poetry response due same as previous using three elements of TPFASTT
and how it leads to theme
January 27th Chapter Seven continued
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January 28th Chapter Seven continued
January 29th Poetry Timed Writing; Chapter Eight discussion and
TPFASTT one poem
January 30th Discuss one volunteer’s essay; practice AP poetry test
selection
February 2nd Chapter Nine poetry discussion. February 3rd Chapter Ten
poetry discussion; TPFASTT in class
February 4th Continue Chapter Ten; focus on intro. and Donne and Collins
poems. In class, imitate one poem’s tone after identifying what creates
that tone.
February 5th Cornell Notes on chapters eleven, twelve, and thirteen
February 6th Discuss one volunteer’s essay; test on ch 11 Cornell Notes
February 9th Timed Writing makeup; test on Ch. 12 and 13 Cornell Notes
February 10th Discuss Ch. 14; choose one Italian or English sonnet or
villanelle to imitate for a Valentine’s Day love poem; be prepared to read
or recite it February 13th
February 11th Chapter Fourteen discussion continued
February 12th Chapter Fourteen continued; revise poem; bring food related
to poem for tomorrow
February 13th Poetry recitations and dining
February 16th Revision due; Chapter Fifteen discussion of prose and
poetry in chapter; answer questions on p. 905 before class begins
February 17th Continue Chapter Fifteen
February 18th Chapter Sixteen discussion of poetry and prose; TPFASTT
test in class
February 19th Chapter Sixteen continued, timed writing
February 20th Discuss one volunteer’s timed writing; practice AP poetry
test
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February 23rd Featured Poets Section and introduction to poetry long
essay
February 24th Featured Poets section and Poems for Further Reading;
TPFASTT two poems in class
February 25th Practice AP poetry test
February 26th AP Poetry Timed Writing; choose poem and outside
academic or juried source to use for long poetry essay
February 27th Discuss one volunteer’s essay; check poem and outside
source with me; write thesis statement
March 2nd Outline due for poetry essay, include Works Cited page
March 3rd Work on poetry essay in class
March 4th First draft of poetry essay due in duplicate hard copy; poetry
essay peer editing; I circulate
March 5th Same as above
March 6th Revise poetry essay draft in class
March 9th Polished and revised poetry essay due; sign up for metaphorical
Italian food for tomorrow
March 11th and 12th Watch Il Postino and eat metaphorical food
March 13th Return essays and discuss grades; Readers’ Theater
introduction; NEW UNIT: DRAMA (be sure to have read 1021 to 1028 as
well as Susan Glaspell’s one act , Trifles)
To be continued…
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