Mrs. LesLeigh Golson
Upper Keyser, 329 [Type text]
AP English Literature & Composition: At-A-Glance
Welcome! This course is a challenging, college-level exploration of literature as art. Through critical reading, discussion, and written analysis of novels, plays, and poetry from various literary periods and perspectives, you will develop the reading, thinking, and composition skills necessary for success in college coursework and on the Advanced Placement exam in English Literature and Composition. You need to be passionate about reading and writing in order to endure the pace and expectations of this course.
AP Literature Goals:
o To develop and maintain literacy skills needed, as aligned with the Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS), which will help you to succeed in your high school career and beyond. These skills include but are not limited to improving your critical thinking, reading, and writing skills; learning to analyze an author’s argument as measured through multiple choice; developing, revising, and editing well-supported literary arguments
o To expand vocabulary to better describe and understand the literary works studied
o To identify and analyze literary devices and elements
o To promote imagination and improve ability to respond to all literature
o To evaluate the historical, cultural, social, economic, political, religious, psychological, and philosophical influences on theauthor and his or her work
o To analyze the literary and social impact of the work
o To write an effective essay on a literary topic with a limited period of time
o To develop the skills and knowledge necessary to score well on the AP exam in the spring
o To develop the skills and knowledge necessary to adapt well to the rigor of college
Actually Read This Section (TL; DR):
All of the information above is absolutely true. However, I know it does not really contain the answers you actually want to know right now. In an effort for clarity, here is a bulleted list of points I anticipate will answer many of your actual questions about this course:
1. I understand that many students may opt out of taking this particular AP exam. The course you signed up for stays the same whether or not you take the exam because it follows a College Board curriculum AND because this curriculum will prepare you well for college. I will try to keep assignments practical for all students, but we will talk about the exam components and practice skills needed to do well on that exam. In May, everyone will take an in-class practice exam as well.
2. Homework: Lots of reading. Lots. Yes, you will need to actually read to do well on the work in this class- reading quizzes, class discussions, and analysis essays. On average, I expect you to read between 25-40 pages a night depending on the difficulty of the text. There will ongoing notes and during-reading journal assignments for every major text but very few at-home essays. Assorted projects and presentation preparation will be needed at home, but only a few times per semester.
3. Tardy/ Attendance policy: You need to be here in class to do well. Class discussions and materials we review are not easily made up, and this class can overwhelm if you get behind. That said, we are all humans and life happens. I will conference one-on-one with anyone whose attendance becomes an issue, and reserve the right to bring parents, counselors, or admin into that conversation if needed.
4. Cell phones: Don’t use them for social media or games during class time. I won’t either. Sometimes you will need to use your phone- to set a reminder, record an assignment, take a survey, text your ride after school, or many other valid reasons- and I know that you know when that usage is reasonable and when it is not. I reserve the right to ask students to park their phones away (in the class parking lot or in the bottom of a backpack) if the phone policy is abused.
5. Perhaps the most important note: I strive to treat each of you like a young adult. You will find that treatment to be a double-edged sword at times because with the respect and freedom adulthood allows comes great responsibility. I have high expectations for you, and I promise you I will do everything in my power to help you build the skills to meet or exceed those expectations.
6. We will have fun. We will laugh often, occasionally wander to different topics, and get to know each other well. BUT we will work hard and learn about literature at the same time.
Course Elements:
Class Reading:
We will read and annotate plays, novels, poetry, short fiction, criticism, and other supplemental works. The vast majority of the reading will be done at home.
Our planned major texts are listed below; however, some additions, substitutions, or deletions may be required during the year.
Full Year Texts:· How to Read Literature like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
· Selections of poetry, including unit studies of the metaphysical and Romantic poets, and many short stories by various authors.
First Semester / Second Semester
· Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
· Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman
· Richard III by William Shakespeare
· Hamilton: A Revolution by Lin-Manual Miranda and Jeremy McCarter / · The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
· Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
· Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
After the exam, we will work on a Character Analysis through Song (CATS) project and engage in a series of seminar discussions until the year ends.
ONE of the following novels of choice:
The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
The Goldfinch by Diana Tartt (or The Secret History?)
The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
The Stand by Stephen King
American Gods by Neil Gaiman / ONE of the following dramas of choice:
Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
Fences by August Wilson
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Long Day’s Journey into Night by Eugene O’Neill
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
A Doll’s House by Ibsen
Our Town by Thorton Wilder
Buried Child by Sam Shepard
Angels in America by Tony Kushner
Wit by Margaret Edson
Proof by David Auburn
Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley
August: Osage County by Tracy Letts
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee
The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh
Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire
Between Riverside and Crazy by Stephen Adly Gurgis
Benghal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo by Rajiv Joseph
Materials:
1. Black or blue pens, and pencils. A highlighter or colored pens may help with annotation.
2. Notebook or binder with loose-leaf notebook paper- I recommend a binder just for this course.
3. Current texts should be brought to each class session.
4. Access to Google classroom via Tam’s provided email address. I will use this email for communication, to organize materials online, and to remind students of important dates and information.
Grading Policy:
60% Major Grades: In-class timed essays, process essays and projects, multiple-choice exams, and other summative assessments.
40% Minor grades: Classwork, group work, homework, reading quizzes, discussions, and other formative assessments.
Basic Policies
· No extra credit is offered, though a graded essay can be reworked for re-grading with prior approval. To revise a piece, you must first meet with me during tutorial or by appointment. Upon submitting the original piece AND the revised piece, you must also compose a separate reflection explaining the substantive alterations in bullet points.
· Work turned in on the due date but AFTER I collect it in class will be penalized 5%. If you have to go to the library to print an assignment once class has already started, that assignment is late (-5%). If you have to use my computer to print an assignment once class has begun, that assignment is late (-5%).
· Work handed in after the due date has passed will be penalized 10% for each calendar day (not class meeting) the work is late.
· If you have an excused absence on the day an assignment is due, you are expected to submit it via classroom or email or bring me the assignment the next day you are on campus (even if you do not have my class on that day). In such cases, I will check your attendance records to make sure you are adhering to this expectation.
· A due date can be re-negotiated up to 48 hours prior to the due date with a valid reason. No extensions will be considered beyond that mark.
· You are responsible for all material presented on days you are absent. If you miss a test or timed writing, you must make it up within a WEEK of your return to school. Free periods, tutorial, and after school by appointment are the best times to make-up missed assignments. All work due within a reporting period (R1, R2, etc.) MUST be handed in before the end of that grading period.
Academic Honesty:
· Do your own work. If I collect work that is identical, both students will receive zeros for the assignment, regardless of who did the copying, and the work cannot be made up. Cheating on tests or quizzes will also result in a zero.
· I have a zero tolerance policy for cell phones during assessments. You will be required to either turn your phone OFF and place it in the bottom of your bag or park it in the cell phone keeper at the front of the room during all assessments.
· Plagiarism—using another person’s written work from the internet, a book or another publication, without proper attribution—will receive a zero, with no opportunity for make-up. Instances will also be referred to administration and parents notified. If a paper has your name at the top, you are representing that all ideas on that paper are yours unless otherwise attributed to others using proper citation.
Homework and Time Management:
To succeed in this course, plan to spend substantial time outside class studying, reading, and/or writing. Keep in mind that AP courses are designed to be demanding – you must learn how to manage your time effectively.
What next?
1. Join the Google Classroom using your Tam email log-in and the passcode: yv4y559
2. Take the survey posted to the class wall or follow the following link if you have not yet gained access to your email account: https://goo.gl/2lyutF
3. Begin reading from HTRL- the Introduction “How’d He Do That?” and “Every Trip is a Quest (Except When It’s Not)” for tomorrow. Seriously, y’all, it’s about 13 pages. You go this.
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