AP Literature Syllabus/Policies
English 12 AP Lit. Course Syllabus
Lauren Monahan La Costa Canyon High School lauren.monahan@sduhsd.net Room 400 Website: https://sites.google.com/a/sduhsd.net/monahan/home
Course Description
This is an Advanced Placement course, and as students will be eligible for college credit if they pass the AP exam, I expect a college-level environment.
This course is designed to:
· Enhance students’ writing, reading, and thinking skills
· Stimulate students’ appreciation and understanding of the function of literature in society
· Strengthen students’ confidence, competence, and enjoyment of reading and writing
· Prepare students for the challenges of college and the AP Literature Exam
· Expose students to a variety of ideas, readings, and writings so that they can formulate their own opinions, ideology, and philosophy
· Challenge students’ assumptions, expectations, and limitations, so that they not only succeed, but exceed their standards, as well as those of the State
· Encourage genuine discussion, conversation, and interaction in the classroom
Syllabus
The list of texts that we may study (due to newer AP Literature outlines we will be reading more excerpts, short stories, and poetry) includes the following :
• The Color of Water -- James Mc Bride (This is the first work we will read and many students prefer to own the hard copy of the text as opposed to the online version. A used version is fine. )
Dubliners – James Joyce
• A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man – James Joyce
• 1984 – George Orwell
• Sound and Sense – An Introduction to Poetry, 8th Edition – Laurence Perrine
• Hamlet: Prince of Denmark – William Shakespeare**
• The Tragedy of Macbeth – William Shakespeare**
• Frankenstein: Or, the Modern Prometheus – Mary Shelley
• Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad**
• A Modest Proposal – Jonathan Swift
• Selected Canterbury Tales – Geoffrey Chaucer
• In addition, students will read non-fiction analyses of literature, various short stories, personal essays, and a wide selection of modern and post-modern poetry that reflect a more diverse collection of voices.
The amount of reading required per night will vary, depending upon the text being studied at the time. In addition to reading and discussing the works, students should expect to often annotate their reading in detail.
Classroom Atmosphere
I encourage my students to learn independently and to develop the courage and confidence to explore original ways to think, write, and present their ideas. I expect courtesy, kindness, integrity, and dedication to excellence to prevail.
Students will also need to contribute to the course. As the AP exam requires the deep nuanced thinking produced by an entire year of nuanced discussions teasing out the subtle hard questions of living, students will be expected to contribute heavily to discussions and to remain engaged throughout as robust discussions are a key foundation of this course.
At times, discussions may encounter challenging/controversial ideas. Students should be respectful, thoughtful, kind, and curious as they form their own nuanced opinions, keeping in mind that there are others from many backgrounds/circumstances/differing walks of life. Kindness and sincere curiosity should guide all interactions. If there are times of great distress to the student, or if any cruelty occurs that I do not notice, they are encouraged to come see me and to talk through the issue/next steps.
*Note: Per school/county guidelines masks are required. Those who are not wearing them/wearing them improperly will receive a referral to administration and may be asked to leave the class. I do not want to waste educational time begging students to put on/wear masks as the school has no control over the requirement to mask. As guidelines change, our class will follow the guidelines/laws. If teacher does not notice mask misuse (I can't see everything), feel free to shoot me an email so I may address the concern/remove the distraction from our educational environment.
My Expectations
· AP English students who want to write, read, discuss, explore, and investigate
· Enthusiastic, active class participants eager to engage in meaningful, mature discussions
· Students who take ownership for their learning and behavior, acting maturely and responsibly
· Honest students with academic integrity (which includes not pretending to have read or written something that they haven’t) – please see the Academic Honesty Policy below
· Responsible students who bring the appropriate, completed work and materials to class every time and who are ready to work when class starts
· Respectful students who keep their hands, belongings, and hurtful comments to themselves, and who show kindness and courtesy to everyone in the class
· Students who are proactive and turn major assignments (know the deadline in advance) on the due date regardless of whether or not they are there, and who ask for make-up exams/work the day they return.
Consequences
We are a community of learners in my classroom. I rarely, if ever, find that behavior is a problem, and seldom take “punitive” action. However, if students do have a lapse in judgment (depending upon the severity or nature of the disruption), I reserve the right to take any of the following actions I see fit:
Teacher warning / private conference with student
Parent-teacher conference
Change of seating location
Removal of student from classroom for a period of time
Detention / referral of student to assistant principal
Suspension / permanent removal of student from my class
Confiscation of cell phone (first time use: confiscation for class period, second time use or more: confiscation of cell phone to assistant principal)
Grading Policy and Deadlines
Since grades are indicators of student effort, achievement, and the quality of your work, the grades students earn are consistent with the expectations of an Honors classroom.
While completion of assignments is essential to a strong grade, in order to receive an "A" in the course there MUST be mastery of skills. Please do NOT rely on AERIES as a full indicator for your current grade status as it is often deceptive throughout the semester since final mastery of skills at the end of the semester will be weighted far more heavily than mere completion of the assignments first quarter.
Grades will be awarded on a point system with a significant number of points reserved for the end of the semester, and will usually be updated monthly. In the meantime, you should check your work in the Google Classroom to make sure all work is completed.
THE FINAL PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT WILL ACCOUNT FOR APPROXIMATELY 1/3 OF YOUR GRADE!!!
***NOTE: ANY CHEATING/PLAGIARISM (see attached guide at end of document) WILL RESULT IN NOT ONLY A 0 ON THE ASSIGNMENT, BUT ALSO A -40 POINT PENALTY. THIS WILL OFTEN DROP A GRADE A FULL LETTER GRADE. TURN IN YOUR OWN WORK!!!
Late Work:
Late work is not accepted for unexcused absences and must follow excused absence guidelines per school policy. Occasionally there are extenuating circumstances where special accommodations might be given, but student must proactively talk to teacher as soon as circumstances emerge to work out a plan ahead of time.
Grade Breakdowns are as Follows:
100%-98%: A+
97.9%- 94%: A
90%-93.9%: A-
89.9%-88%: B+
87.9%- 84%: B
80%-83.9%: B-
79.9%-78%: C+
77.9%- 74%: C
70%-73.9%: C-
69.9%-68%: D+
67.9%- 64%: D
60%-63.9%: D-
59% and below: F
Personally Speaking
I love teaching. I take my job very seriously, and deeply believe in my students. I hope that we can have a fantastic year where, together, we become stronger as we traipse through the minds of the greats, and pick up some of their skills along the way. If there is ever a problem, please contact me immediately. I prefer to be proactive and address any issues personally and with speed before they become worse. You may also contact me with happy thoughts/articles/ideas as well so we may deepen our bond as learners.
Sincerely,
Lauren Monahan
Please also read and sign the Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty Policy information below:
(Borrowed, in part, from policies established by the University of Washington’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.)
Cheating, or academic misconduct, is increasingly a problem amongst high school students. Regardless of motivation, cases of academic misconduct are completely unjustified in every instance. To cheat is to demean one’s efforts. It causes one’s character to come under suspicion, and it belittles the hard work of all students. Cheating, plagiarism, or academic dishonesty, in any form, is not tolerated. The purpose of these policies is to clearly delineate examples of cheating, as well as to clearly inform students of the consequences of academic misconduct in this course.
**NOTE: These policies refer only to how plagiarism is viewed within the confines of this classroom. These do not supersede the Academic Dishonesty policies initiated by the San Dieguito Union High School District in any way. These policies inform students and parents/guardians of how academic dishonesty is viewed in this class.
Examples of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to:
1. Using another author’s words without proper citation.
2. Using an author’s ideas without proper citation.
3. Reproducing the exact wording of another source without using quotation marks, even if the source is cited.
4. Borrowing the structure of another author’s words or phrases without proper credit or citation.
5. Borrowing all or part of another student’s paper or assignment, including borrowing the structure of another student’s words, phrases, or ideas.
6. Using a paper writing service, or an online source of written assignments, or having another student complete an assignment
This includes obtaining information, either in full or in part, from Internet websites (popularly known as “paper mills”), in which students can obtain papers either free or for cost). This also includes the cutting and pasting or by hand reproducing content which can be found online, such as is found on sites such as (but not limited to) Wikipedia..
Other examples of academic dishonesty:
1. Cheating during a quiz or an exam, including:
Copying answers from another student
Possession of unauthorized notes or study-aids during a quiz or exam
Using an electronic device (such as a camera-enabled smart device) at any time during an exam or quiz.
2. Turning in work that is identical, or substantially similar to, the work of another student:
This is frequently a by-product of “working with another student.” In many cases, working with a partner while studying is a beneficial way of learning. However, please understand that submitting work that is identical or quite similar to the work of another student is considered cheating. All work should be uniquely your own.
3. Purchasing or possessing materials that contain specific answers to homework assignments or exams.
4. Cutting and pasting answers from online sources, such as Wikipedia, even if the work is cited properly. This is not “doing” your own work, and in this class, it shall be treated as a case of academic dishonesty.
Any infraction not described above, but that clearly falls under the auspices of academic dishonesty, is subject to the consequences in the Discipline Policy outlined by La Costa Canyon High School and the San Dieguito Union High School District.
Students who engage in academic misconduct will incur the following consequences:
1. The student will lose credit for the assignment and will be ineligible for an "A" in the course
2. The student will be referred to an administrator for documentation and for possible disciplinary action.
3. There will be a 40 point deduction from grade as a penalty.