AP English Literature and Composition
Instructor: Mrs. Katy Hooker
Room: 301
katy.hooker@stpsb.org
http://teacherweb.com/LA/MandevilleHighSchool/Hooker/photo1.aspx
Email is the best way to reach me and the easiest way for me to provide feedback.
Course Description: AP English Literature and Composition is a rigorous course that includes intensive
writing and analysis of complex literature spanning the 16th century to today. The class will cover poetry,
short stories, drama, novellas, and longer works of fiction. The course goals include mastering the AP
English Literature and Composition Exam of course, but also the aim is to encourage students to dig
deeper, look more closely, and to ask questions in not only literature but life while improving at writing
and voicing logical, concise and well proven views.
In addition to our AP goals, this course will prepare students for writing, reading, and performing at the
college or career level. The course readings, assignments, and pacing will give students a taste of what a
college level course would be like. Students will have to work on time management and personal
responsibility to be successful this year and beyond.
The AP Exam: The AP exam consists of 2 parts: Multiple Choice and Essays.
 Multiple Choice Sections: this portion of the test is equivalent to 45% of the exam score. This
portion consists of 52-60 questions pertaining to on average four passages. Two passages of
poetry and two prose passages. The questions relate to point of view, character, symbolism,
style, diction, syntax, tone, theme, irony, figurative language, and style. Students have 60
minutes to complete this portion.
 Essay Section: this portion of the test is equivalent to 55% of the exam score. The test consists of
3 individual essays referred to as Question 1, 2, and 3. Question 1 is always a poetry cold read
and prompt. Question 2 is always a prose passage cold read with prompt, and question 3 is
always an open ended question that will be answered using a novel or drama that fits the
prompt of the student’s own choosing. Each essay is roughly 18% of the total score.
 Scoring: after points from the multiple choice and essay are calculated a student will be assigned
a score of 1-5. A passing score on the AP exam is a 3 or higher.
All students will be prepared to take the AP exam at the end of class and are encouraged to.
Materials:
 1 Composition Notebook
 Highlighters in a variety of colors and a various types of sticky notes (ones for writing on and flag
types)
 Pens and pencils
 A flash drive
 Loose lined paper
 Your choice: a divided binder or 7-9 pronged folders. You will need to keep all materials,
handouts, work, etc ALL YEAR. Decide what method of organization works best for you.
 Novels or text copies as needed
Textbook: Understanding Literature Houghton Mifflin 2004 edition. Other textbooks will be used as
supplements but class sets are not available for all.
Grades: Total Points System
70%: Tests, outside assignments, quizzes, essays, daily work, and projects. 10%: Homework 20%: Exam
****Cheating of any kind will result in a zero and office referral*****
Timed writing practice will be an integral part of this course. At least half of your timed writings will be
fully corrected and graded; the rest will be read briefly commented on and given a participation grade.
You will not know if your paper will be graded for content or participation while completing it. Some
practice AP multiple choice test will be graded for correctness but with a slant.
Bathroom- You may use the bathroom before class or during independent work time. Do not disrupt
class discussions, presentations, or teacher directed learning to leave class. If bathroom passes are
abused with frequency or length of time out of class, the policy will return to a 2 pass per nine weeks
policy.
Tardiness- The school tardy policy will be followed in this classroom. You are responsible for the work
covered that you missed. (If a student is more than five minutes late to class he/she will be considered
skipping, and the office will be notified.) Everyone receives one free tardy. A second tardy =10 minute
detention. The third tardy = 15 minute detention. A fourth or subsequent tardy will be referred to the
office.
Absences- Make up work will only be accepted if the absence has been excused by the office. The
student is responsible for getting make up assignments and materials, including test. A ZERO will be
given for any missed work not made up by the student. The student has a week to make up the work.
This is the student’s responsibility. All major projects are due on due date regardless of being absent.
All Work due the day a student was absent is due the day the student returns. Tests assigned and
covered before the absence will be expected to be taken on time.
***Late Work: Homework, journals, and class work are not accepted late. Essays, projects, or similar
large assignments will be accepted with points docked a letter grade per day late*****
What to Expect
Before the bell rings- Have your supplies out and ready for class. Be in your seat when the bell rings.
Every day read the board for the day’s directions, homework, upcoming tests etc. Get started on the
work before being prompted.
Homework- Written homework will be collected at the beginning of class on the due date. Place work in
the turn in bin at the start of class. Work won’t be accepted at the end of class or any time after it has
been collected from the bin. If you are absent on a due date then you should have the assignment
ready to turn in when you return with an excused absence.
Test- Missed test must be made up within a week of the absence at the scheduled make up time.
Make an appointment. You need an excused absence to make up a test.
Plagiarism: The English Department at Mandeville High has a policy against plagiarism. Plagiarism is
considered as passing off someone else’s work as one’s own. Changing a word or two within a sentence
or a sentence or two within a paragraph of someone else’s work and using it as yours is still plagiarism.
Cutting and pasting from the internet for a written assignment is never acceptable for your final
product. Be sure to always read information, make it your own and then still give credit to your
original source through a Works Cited page. Any written assignment requiring research must have a
Works Cited page to not be plagiarized. Plagiarism will result in a zero on the plagiarized assignment, no
exceptions. The office will also be notified as this violates the honor code of the school.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
AP English Literature and Composition—K. Hooker
(katy.hooker@stpsb.org)
I have read the handouts and understand and acknowledge the
behavior and work ethic needed for success in AP Literature
and Composition.
I understand this is a college level course; thus, it will be conducted accordingly. Because this is counted
as a high school credit and for graduation, it is imperative that all students attend class regularly.
Student Signature
Date
Parent Signature
Date
AP Literature and Composition Pacing Guide
This is a guide and may be subject to change based on the needs of the class.
Additional titles may be added if extra practice is needed or titles may be
changed to suit the needs of the class.
First Nine Weeks: "Dreams, Hopes, and Plans"
To be completed in this order1. Summer Reading Assessment: 1 Week
2. AP Exam Understandings and Short Story Boot Camp: 2.5 Weeks
3. Poetry Introduction: .5 Week
4. Ethan Frome: 2 weeks
5. Death of a Salesman: 2 weeks
6. Independent Novel: On Going throughout nine weeks
7. AP Exam Style timed writing and multiple choice practice ongoing
Second Nine Weeks: "The Tragic Hero"
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Poetry Boot Camp and Independent Novel Assessment: 2 weeks
Macbeth: 3 Weeks
Things Fall Apart: 3 weeks
Continued Short Stories and Poetry throughout the nine weeks
AP Exam style timed writing and multiple choice practice ongoing
Third Nine Weeks: "Examining Self in Society"
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
A Doll's House: 2 weeks
The Awakening: 2 weeks
Daisy Miller: 1.5 weeks
"The Dead": 1 week
Short Story and Poetry Practice: 1.5
Movie to Film Group Project ongoing
AP Exam style tied writing and multiple choice practice ongoing
Fourth Nine Weeks: "The Folly of Man" Humor, Satire, and Absurdist
1. The Importance of Being Earnest: 2 weeks
2. The Sandbox: 1 week
3. Independent Modern Novel post 1930's ongoing: 1 week for in class
essay, conferencing, revisions etc
4. Exam Review and Prep work ongoing: remainder of time
Composition Notebook
This will be your journaling notebook. Journaling will be completed throughout the
year at your own pace. It can be completed in class at provided times but also will
need to be done from home. Journaling is an individual activity and therefore your
entries must be original and authentic. The composition notebook will be collected
at the dates appointed below. The purpose of this activity is to give you more
opportunity to practice writing about literature, to practice research, and to learn
about an author’s life and times in connection to the literature.
Journaling categories:
Grammar Journal: Select a passage from a text for its grammatical structure.
Write the example, cite the source informally (title, author, page #) or formally
(proper MLA citation) if you want the practice. Finish at least most of the page
discussing/analyzing/explicating the effects or purpose of the grammatical
structure example chosen.
Author Research: Look up and read about the author we are currently reading.
Write about a page about this person’s life. Avoid the basic biographical
information and focus on the author’s style, influences for his/her own writing,
the role he/she had in a literary movement, or critical review. Formal citations
needed for sources used. This is where you should be working on assimilating
what you’ve learned. Make it read coherently with interest. Quotes aren’t
needed but if multiple sources are used for the information then internal
citations will be needed.
Historical Time Period Research: Research the time period in which a story takes
place or the time period in which the author lived. Poetry/poets apply here also.
Your focus should be on things that influenced the perspective of the author
and/or the piece of literature. Apply what you have learned to the literature so
that the research connection is relevant. Formal citations needed for sources
used. This is where you should be working on assimilating what you’ve learned.
Make it read coherently with interest. Quotes aren’t needed but if multiple
sources are used for the information then internal citations will be needed.
Literary Response: same as a dialectic journal or split page notes. Select a
passage, phrase from the text and discuss your reactions to the passage. This
may include personal feelings as well as discussing/analyzing/explicating the
passages purpose or effect on the piece of literature. Informal citation only
Complete at least one of EACH of the above journals for each designated
grading point.