SCCHS 2017-2018

12th Grade AP Literature & Composition

Mrs.

AP Literature & Composition

As a rigorous college-level course, AP® Literature and Composition requires the student to exceed the requirements of the high school curriculum set forth for typical senior English classes. The reading is challenging. The writing assignments will be numerous. The focus of this course is the reinforcement and mastery of critical thinking, analytical writing, and close reading skills necessary for success on the AP® Literature and Composition Exam. This course will provide you with the intellectual challenges and workload consistent with a typical undergraduate university English literature course. As a culmination of the course, you will take the AP® English Literature and Composition Exam given in May. A grade of 4 or 5 on this exam is considered equivalent to a 3.3 – 4.0 for comparable courses at the college or university level. A student who earns a grade of 3 or above on the exam will be granted college credit at most colleges and universities throughout the United States.

Pre-Course Assignment

Prior to entering AP Literature & Composition, students are expected to complete the summer reading portion of the course. The requirements of this pre-course assignment include reading Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible.

Writing

As part of the AP® curriculum, there will be numerous opportunities to write formally and informally. Formal writing will consist of literary analysis and literary response with essays and the ongoing literary glossary assignment. Informal writing will include dialectical journals, personal response poetry journals, and varied responses to literature. At least four in-class, timed essays (40 minutes) per quarter are designed to prepare the student for the AP® Exam in May. These timed writing assignments will focus on the critical analysis of literature and include personal, expository, analytical, and argumentative essays. Throughout each unit of study, the teacher’s instruction and feedback on student’s writing assignments will focus on helping them develop a variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of subordination and coordination. Essays, including timed essays, will be assessed according to the nine-point rubric created by the College Board. In addition, these essays will be scored in a variety of ways including peer scored, self –scored, and teacher scored. Expect to have one formal, out of class writing assignment per quarter.

9 point essay rubric adjusted to grades

1st Quarter / 2nd Quarter / 3rd Quarter / 4th Quarter
9 / A 100% / A 100% / A 100% / A 100%
8 / A 98% / A 97% / A 96% / A 95%
7 / A 90% / B 88% / B 87% / B 85%
6 / B 85% / B 82% / B 78% / C 75%
5 / B- 80% / C+ 77% / C 74% / C- 70%
4 / C 75% / C- 70% / C 65% / D 60%
3 / D+ 60% / F 55% / F 50% / F 40%
2 / F 40% / F 35% / F 35% / F 30%
1 / F 25% / F 20% / F 15% / F 10%

Reading

In this class you will read some interesting things that you might never have gotten to read otherwise and have some interesting conversations about those things with interesting people. The reading portion of the AP Lit class includes the reading of a wide range of challenging works of recognized literary merit. As an AP Lit student you will participate in oral and written discourse regarding the nature of literature in an artistic sense as well as in its historical and universal sense. This will require you to think critically beyond the literature itself and raise relevant questions and perspectives. By sharing your personal observations, you bring something worthy to the table. In so doing, you will participate with maturity and insight in the discussion of literature, and pay consistent attention to the comments of others, offering questions, substantive commentary, and/or corroborative evidence from text or other research materials. Throughout the year, we will study a minimum of six long, richly layered texts as well as read and study poetry that stands alone and poetry that thematically complements the longer works.This is a college course; therefore, many of the readings address adult themes and/or disturbing situations. Mature reading and mature readers are necessary components for this course. You will need your own copies of the longer text that we read in order to annotate. Until you are actively engaging with every page of your text (annotating), you are not reading on the AP level.

SUPPLY LIST
  • Post-Its
  • Pens: black/blue
  • Pens: multiple colors
  • Highlighters: (multiple colors)
/
  • Sheet protectors or tab dividers
  • 2-inch or larger 3-ring binder
    devoted only to AP Literature
  • Paper
  • Clorox Wipes

General Syllabus

As the educator, I reserve the right to make any changes to this schedule that I deem in your best interest. You are responsible for making additions and changes that I announce in class.

FIRST SEMESTER / SECOND SEMESTER
  • POISONWOOD BIBLE
  • HEART OF DARKNESS
  • OTHELLO
  • POETRY
  • SHORT STORIES
/
  • CRIME AND PUNISHMENT*
  • SOUND AND THE FURY*
  • IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
  • POETRY
  • SHORT STORIES
  • FINAL FOUR PROJECT
  • AP EXAM

*The final decision will be made between C&P or S&F after Christmas break.

Primary Text

  • *Literature and Composition (Bedford/St. Martin’s)

NOVELS

  • Poisonwood Bible
  • *Heart of Darkness
  • *Othello
  • *Crime and Punishment
  • *Sound and the Fury
  • *The Importance of Being Earnest

*Note: Those titles marked with an asterisk will be provided by SCCHS

General Expectations

Since this is a college-level class, students will strive to do the following:

Devote 5 to 7 hours per week to studying course material and prepare to take the AP® English Literature and Composition Exam in early May.

Turn in all work on time. If you are absent and that absence is excused, you are expected to bring your work to me the day you are back in school.

Make contact with me the day you return to school upon being absent to see what you missed.

Organize your binder into the following sections using your tabs: SYLLABUS/DOCUMENTS, LITERARY DEVICES, POETRY (QUESTION 1), PROSE (QUESTION 2), NOVELS (QUESTION 3), AND YELLOW PAGES.

Gain outside access to the following technology needs for this course: a computer, a printer, and the Internet. Assignments must be typed. Do not ask me to print your paper for you or to go elsewhere to print during class time. You must plan ahead. Remember, procrastination on your part does not necessitate an emergency on my part. If you will need to print your assignments at school, buy a flash drive or create an online storage account for free (Google Docs, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc)

Know your sign in user name and password for our Classroom and OneNote on Microsoft Office 360. This will be used to turn in the weekly literary device assignment as well as where group work presentations will take place.

Aggressively recognize the warning signs of one of the world’s most intellectually damaging and insidious diseases, the feared SENIORITIS. Unlike some diseases, it is spread by casual contact (with schoolwork). It has been known to strike otherwise strong, capable students and turn them rapidly into gelatin brains. Because this disease renders you unfit for AP English Literature, any hint of said disease will require the known cure of the dreaded teacher/parent conference.

Mrs. Richardson’s Rules

  • BE PREPARED
  • BE RESPECTFUL
  • DON’T BE TARDY
  • NO FOOD/DRINK/GUM
  • NO ELECTRONIC DEVICES
  • NO BACKPACKS
  • FOLLOW CODE OF CONDUCT

Cell Phone Policy

SCCHS is a BYOD school. You may use your device in Mrs. Richardson’s class as an educational tool to complete her assignments. Failure to abide by this rule will result in a loss of cell phone privileges in Mrs. Richardson’s classroom.

Make-up Work Policy

Mrs. Richardson will follow the policy set forth in the St. Clair County Student Code of Conduct Handbook. Basically this policy states that STUDENTS are responsible for getting their makeup work upon returning to school due to an EXCUSED absence. Three (3) days are allowed for turning in makeup work. Because all test, projects, and lengthy assignments are announced well in advance, you WILL be expected to take test or turn in this work on the announced date despite the fact that you may have been absent the previous day.

Late Work

Mrs. Richardson does NOT accept late work. Not even for half credit. Do not give me excuses. Failure to prepare on your part, does not necessitate an emergency on my part.

Grading Policy

Students will receive progress reports once every grading period and a final grade at the end of each grading period. The scheduled date for progress reports and reports cards is printed in the student handbook available on-line. The English department at SCCHS operates on a total points earned divided by total points possible policy. Grades will be awarded from a variety of different activities including tests, quizzes, writing assignments, classwork, etc.

Parent Information Sheet

Name: ______

Relationship to Student: ______

Contact Number: ______

Email Address: ______

Bonus Points

The student will receive 25 bonus points if the parent/guardian fills out the contact information form located on Mrs. Richardson’s page of the school website (see link on school website). Bonus Points for this assigned 1st 9 weeks. It is possible that parents will need to use their child’s computer sign in to access the form. It is a good opportunity to learn your child’s user name and password.

For another 25 bonus points bring paper and Clorox wipes as noted above in the supply list. These bonus points assigned 2nd 9 weeks.

Return this form for another 25 bonus points. These bonus points assigned 3rd 9 weeks.

I have read and understand the policy and procedures of Mrs. Richardson’s class.

Parent/guardian signature: ______

Student signature:______

M. Richardson |AP English Literature & Composition Syllabus / 1