Welcome to your AP English Literature and Composition course site. Here you can find out details about the course and handouts about the readings and assignments.
General Outlay for Course
Units will consist of one or two readings of full-length works, as well as shorter readings that share similar themes. There will be lectures regarding the authors’ lives, the time periods relevant to their writings, and the general literary movements (and the achievements) associated with the pieces; in addition, the readings (and hence the discussions) will be guided by overarching questions of theme and style that can be applied to each of the works covered by the unit. A series of discussions will accompany each work, leading up to unit exams that could consist of AP-like multiple-choice quizzes and/or essay responses. Since this class is meant to simulate (and, assuming you pass the AP test and your college accepts your score, replace) a college-level English class, there will be two typed essays of between 2000-3000 words (approx. 5-8 pages, excluding pers. info, title, works cited) and an annotated bibliography.
Aside from these processed works, there will be other written assignments of lesser value, many just for practice or brainstorming—though none, perhaps, has a greater value than the first one due: your college essay. Starting the first week of summer, you began your college essay, turning in a draft the first day of class. The first few weeks of school, we will spend time discussing the college essay (in general); if you want feedback on an additional draft(s), simply set up a time to review them in person.
At the same time that you are reading and learning about the books and authors of a given unit, work will be done on vocabulary (a minimum of 200 words per semester), as well as literary terms and devices, all interspersed with an on-going examination of poetry and poetic styles and techniques. You are encouraged, whenever possible, to purchase personal copies of the texts being read; by owning them, you can begin crafting your own style of marginalia—the underlining and writing of notes in your texts facilitates your learning (both present and future).
Since the course is geared toward helping you prepare for the A.P.® Literature & Composition Exam, some class time will be spent reviewing relevant terminology and writing modes and structures, with nearly all of the reading done at home and only various classes devoted to discussion of the literature. You will also learn about various schools of philosophy, literary movements and time periods, and literary criticism; you must formulate your own theories about literature, exploring different schools of thought; most importantly though, you must allow yourself to enjoy the magic of literature—the experience of giving into to another’s experience and view of the world—making it a part of who you are and (bravely) entering the conversations that have surrounded these works—in some instances, for thousands of years!
Click through to discover what's available and feel free to email your instructor at any time (though always follow up on the emails by speaking directly to your instructor—making sure your email was received and read, at the very least).
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District and Site Policies in General
Unit Close-Ups
(Note on Order of Units: this order has been established through past experience with the availability of books at a given time; thus the order of units is occasionally altered to meet the changes in availability better.)
The Course
AP® English Literature and Composition will require students to learn and/or implement careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature. In-class work includes frequent close reading of selected texts, through which students can deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers. Students will also make it their habit to consider a work’s structure, style, character, and themes as well as such smaller-scale elements as the use of figurative language, diction, imagery, symbolism, and tone that go into creating the others as well as each other.
The course includes intensive study of works of recognized literary merit from various genres and periods, getting to know a few works well. Many demand (and reward) rereading because they do not yield all of their thought and feeling the first time through. The AP English Literature Development Committee agrees with Henry David Thoreau that it is wisest to read the best books first; the committee also believes that such reading should be accompanied by thoughtful discussion and writing about those books in the company of one’s fellow students. Most of the works studied in the course were written originally in English; some works in translation may also be included (e.g., Greek tragedies, Russian fiction, etc.).
The longer readings will be accompanied by notes and lectures that allow students to reflect on the social and historical values that informed their creation, further allowing for careful critical analysis. At the same time, various modes of literary interpretation will be discussed and examined allowing for a broadened base of analysis. Careful attention to textual detail and historical context allows for a more informed and academic reading and interpretation that can be layered and deepened through the various critical perspectives that will likewise be brought into the classroom discussions. AP recommends an approach that involves the experience, the interpretation, and the evaluation of literature: experience refers to the subjective, pre-critical and emotionally based responses as the reading takes place; interpretation refers to the analysis of works through close reading in order to arrive at an understanding of their multiple meanings; and evaluation consists of both an assessment of the quality and literary merit of a work and a consideration of the social and cultural context and values. These multiple approaches to reading lead directly to the writing expected of AP students.
Within the course, students will do three types of writing: writing to understand, to explain, and to evaluate a literary work. This may involve writing response and reaction papers, analytic and interpretative essays (focused on aspects of language and structure), and explanatory position papers on artistry or social/cultural/ historical values through argument based on analytic interpretation, along with annotation and free-writing; to each of these ends you should get a spiral-bound notebook in order to maintain a reading journal. Throughout the course, emphasis will be placed on developing stylistic maturity, which, for AP English, is characterized by the following:
· a wide-ranging vocabulary used with accuracy and resourcefulness;
· a variety of sentence structures, including subordinate and coordinate constructions;
· a logical organization, enhanced by proper use of repetition, transitions, and emphasis;
· a balance of generalization with specific illustrative detail; and
· an effective use of style, i.e., achieving emphasis through a consistent voice and parallelism and antithesis. [1]
[1] This section ("The Course") has been modified by Mr. Ireland based upon the details found in the Fall 2010 English//English Language and Composition/English Literature and Composition//Course Description, 49-52.