AP English Literature and Composition Syllabus
School: Mililani High School
Instructor: Donald Leong
Classroom: H-106
Email:
School Phone: 307-4305
SCHOOL VISION AND STATE GLOs
Mililani High School's vision is to develop a community of compassionate lifelong learners who experience positive personal growth and who will contribute to society.
The Department of Education’s General Learner Outcomes (GLOs) are: 1) Self-Directed Learner; 2) Community Contributor; 3) Complex Thinker; 4) Quality Producer; 5) Effective Communicator; and 6) Effective and Ethical User of Technology.
Course Description
This course is for eleven and twelfth graders. It is run at a college pace where students are engaged in the close reading of multiple novels, poems, excerpts from prose works, as well as working on different types of writing: creative, analytical, and reflective. Students’ work will exceed the state’s standards in Reading, Writing, and Oral Communication. Students will be exposed to many different types of literature: British, American, Minority, Feminist, Classical, and Contemporary, in the form of Prose works both fictional and non-fictional.
This course is for students who are curious about literature and enjoy literature immensely. They look at the written words as a way to learn about being fully human. Students must have a desire to know more about others as well as themselves through the close study of literature.
The year culminates in the taking of the national Advanced Placement exam administered in early May. The exam is three hours in length and students may earn college credit.
Course Goals
1. To carefully read and critically analyze imaginative literature.
2. To understand the way writers use language to provide meaning and pleasure.
3. To consider a work’s structure, style, themes as well as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone.
4. To study representative works from various genres and periods (from the sixteenth to the twentieth century) and to know a few works extremely well.
5. To understand a work’s complexity, to absorb richness of meaning, and to analyze how meaning is embodied in literary form.
6. To consider the social and historical values a work reflects and embodies.
7. To write, focusing on critical analysis of literature including expository, analytical, and argumentative essays as well as creative writing to sharpen understanding writer’s accomplishments and deepen appreciation of literary artistry.
8. To become aware of, through speaking, listening, reading, and chiefly, writing, the resources of language: connotation, metaphor, irony, syntax, and tone.
Reading and Literature
*RANGE: Adapt messages appropriate to audience, purpose, and situation.
*COMPREHENSION PROCESSES: Use strategies within the reading process to construct meaning.
*CONVENTIONS AND SKILLS: Apply knowledge of the conventions of language and texts to construct meaning.
*RESPONSE: Initial, personal, interpretive, and critical
Writing
*RANGE: Write in various forms for a variety of purposes and audiences.
*COMPOSING PROCESSES: Using processes and strategies appropriately and as needed to construct meaning and communicate effectively.
*RHETORIC: Use devices to craft writing appropriately to audience and purpose.
Oral Communications
*RANGE: Using various forms—interpersonal, group, and public—for a variety of purposes and situations.
*COMMUNICATION PROCESSES: Strategies within speaking and listening to construct and communicate meaning.
*CONVENTIONS AND SKILLS: Apply knowledge of verbal and non-verbal language to communicate effectively.
*RHETORIC: Adapts messages that are appropriate for audience, purpose, and situation.
EXPECTATIONS/ REQUIREMENTS
1. Regular class attendance
2. Participation in all class activities
3. Abide by classroom and all school rules at all times
4. Required school supplies
5. Pass this course with a C or better.
Reading: Students are expected to keep a reading journal where they were actively respond to the literature though literary commentary, dialectic journals, and reflect on class discussion of close reading of a piece of literature using specific evidence to support any inferencing.
Students will also build personal vocabulary lists stemming from literature studied in the course. This vocabulary will be integrated into their writing assignments and annotated in drafts related to the literature studied.
Major Titles
Title / Author / Type / PublishedA Tale of Two Cities / Charles Dickens / British Lit. / 1859
Slaughterhouse Five / Kurt Vonnegut / American Lit. / 1969
Medea / Euripides / World Lit. / 431 BC
Streetcar Named Desire / Tennessee Williams / American Lit. / 1947
Hamlet / William Shakespeare / British Lit. / 1603
Heart of Darkness / Joseph Conrad / British Lit. / 1899
Beloved / Toni Morrison / American Lit. / 1987
In addition to the titles listed above, students will be expected to select additional titles to read in groups and discuss/present analysis through quarterly projects.
Short Stories and Poetry will also be included in the curriculum and will be pulled from the textbooks listed below.
*Some of the reading assignments for our course deal with mature content. They have been selected from a list of works that have appeared on previous AP Literature and Composition Exams. It is my hope that you feel your student is mature enough to read and discuss aspects of these pieces as they pertain to literary analysis. If there are any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.
TEXTBOOKS:
Arp, Thomas, and Greg Johnson, eds. Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound & Sense. 12th edition. Cengage Learning
DiYanni, Robert, ed.Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry and Drama. Compact edition. McGraw-Hill.
Vendler, Helen, ed. Poems, Poets, and Poetry. 3rd edition. Bedford/St. Martin’s
Writing: Students will have many opportunities to practice their writing for a variety of purposes and audiences. This will range from timed in-class writing prompts using previously released AP exam prompts to very informal responses related to inquiry developed in the classroom. For the more formal pieces (including timed writing), there will be opportunities for ongoing teacher and peer feedback throughout all steps of the writing process.
Course Writing Goals
Students are required to use syntactic variety in their writing assignments. Certain peer review activities will focus on sentence length and complexity relating to style in efforts to develop a more sophisticated writing style.
Students must demonstrate an ability to produce multiple drafts of essays and written compositions that are clear, well organized, and supported by evidence. Certain peer review activities will focus on outlining of main ideas, and students will draft multiple introduction and conclusion paragraphs to evaluate appropriateness and effectiveness based on purpose and audience.
Students learn to use deductive reasoning in their essays – moving from the general to the particular –and inductive reasoning – moving from the particular to the general. Essays must include a thesis supported with detailed evidence or specific quotations.
Students will be asked to experiment with different rhetorical choices such as tone and voice to meet the purpose and audience expectations of various writing assignments.
Oral Communication: Students will constantly work on oral communication in and outside of the classroom. They will be asked to work in pairs, small groups, and in larger groups. There will be formal and informal speaking opportunities.
GRADING SCHEME
The grades for this course will be obtained by totaling the points earned from the following sections with the corresponding weights:
1. Homework/Classwork Assignments and Activities – 20%
2. Reading Commentaries/Vocabulary Assignments and Informal Essays – 30%
3. Formal Papers, Tests, and Mock Exams – 50%
Final grades are posted every quarter and are based on the student demonstrating mastery of the course work and being able to meet or exceed Language Arts Standards by doing well in all of the basic activities. A running total of grades will be posted online. Final grades may be viewed after deadlines set by the school registrar. Students are also able to look on google classroom for reminders, due dates, assignment requirements, clarification, etc. as pertains to the course.
. The grades will be assigned according to the following grading scale:
A = 90 – 100% B = 80 – 89% C = 70 – 79% D = 60 – 69%
F = 0 – 68%
ABSENCES AND TARDIES
All students are required to attend class daily and be present on time. To be excused, please refer to school policies in your planner. An excused absence is required for any makeup work missed. It is the responsibility of the student to see me within three days from the day he/she returns to class for any work missed. The teacher and student will agree upon a reasonable amount of time to complete the missed work.
ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE
Students are encouraged to ask for assistance if needed. The instructor is usually available for assistance (during lunch and afterschool). After school assistance is usually available by previous arrangement.
HOMEWORK POLICY
NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED!!! This is a college preparatory course and students will know due dates and assignments beforehand in order to meet assignment requirements. 504 and SPED modifications will be noted and will be put into effect with every effort to build student capabilities.
CLASS MANAGEMENT PLAN
In order to ensure that each and every student in our class has a safe and effective environment conducive for learning, students will follow the Four Agreements along with other Classroom Rules:
Four Classroom Values:
1. Mutual Respect: for the teacher, their classmates, and for themselves. This will include treating each other well, being attentive and supportive, and taking care of the classroom and their belongings.
2.Responsibility: This is being able to note down all assignment requirements, assignment and project due dates, meeting their roles and duties as a member of a group, and keeping on top of things.
3. Punctuality: This is coming to class on time, ready to work, and having all materials for assignments and daily work ready. It is turning work in on time or earlier if possible.
4. Productivity: This is being mindful of producing the best possible work they can that shows pride. It is keeping on task during long-term projects or papers. It is doing a little each day to keep up with the pace of the course.
CONSEQUENCES: Students are expected to act with maturity and respect at ALL times. When they are unable to do so, I will:
First offense: Give verbal warning
Second offense Have a conference with them
Third offense: Call home
Fourth Offense Have a parent/teacher/student/counselor/administrator conference.