Syllabus

AP®English Literature and Composition: Mrs. Sheridan Elizabeth.sheridan@dmps.k12.ia.us (515) 242-7272 Office Hours: Room 2800 M-TH 7:15-7:40 & 2:35-3:30 and by appointment

This course is designed as a high-level, challenging course with similar rigor to that found in the collegiate classroom. Students will engage in careful reading of a variety of texts from 16th-21st century including poetry, drama, novels, news media, short stories, and scholarly articles. The experiences provided will help students develop a deeper understanding of a work’s structure, style, use of language, and themes through critical discussion, informal writing, timed writing, formal composition, and unit exams. It is important to note that this course is designed to be a collaborative workshop where students actively engage, explore, question, and create learning from each participant.
 * Course Description: **


 * Big Ideas **
 * Justice serves to reinforce socially accepted norms of behavior whereas revenge serves only personal gratification.
 * Structure gives and creates meaning.
 * Each action is motivated by a person’s sense of self.
 * Societal expectations shape the human spirit.
 * Human beings get what we want through the manipulation of language.
 * Critical writing provides an opportunity to better understand ones’ self.


 * Essential Questions **
 * What is the delineation between justice and revenge?
 * How does structure emphasize an intended message?
 * How does ones’ sense of identity or individuality impact his/her motivation?
 * How does society shape and influence the human spirit?
 * How does the manipulation of language impact the audience’s perception of a work?
 * In what ways does writing allow opportunities for self-exploration?

The texts selected for this course meet the requirements of the College Board and provide examples of British, American, and world literature from the 16th-21st century. Works are selected from a variety of genres including narrative novels, narrative short stories, poetry, drama, essays, newspapers, creative non-fiction (blogs, food writing, travel writing, memoirs) and scholarly articles. It is essential that all students read every text in its entirety. (Spark Notes will not suffice in preparing you for the assignments in this class or the expectations of the College Board.) You will be required to keep a composition notebook in which you compile vocabulary, class notes, and personal reading reflections intended to help broaden your understanding of the material. // Antigone // by Sophocles // Hamlet // by William Shakespeare // Fahrenheit 451 // by Ray Bradbury // Waiting for Godot // by Samuel Beckett // Rhinoceros // by Eugene Ionesco // Heart of Darkness // by Joseph Conrad // Things Fall Apart // by Chinua Achebe // The Invisible Man // by Ralph Ellison // Their Eyes Were Watching God // by Zora Neal Hurston
 * Reading Assignments: **
 * Required Texts **

Selections from other works will be provided in class as needed. These include but are not limited to: //Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales, Dante’s Inferno, The Old Man and the Sea, Crime and Punishment.//

Follow the weekly schedule as to when you need to have a particular book purchased, borrowed, or checked out by. I will not require that you purchase every text but you are required to locate a your own copy to read from. The benefits of having your own text, is that you can highlight, make notes, and really make the book your own. Amazon, half.com, or barnesandnoble.com are great options to locate some of the more uncommon titles. If you have trouble locating a particular text, please come talk to me.

Students will write for a variety of formal and informal purposes. Students will keep a reflective journal where they will be called to perform quick writes and in class responses. These writings are meant to serve as an aid in understanding and a basis for discussion. There will be seven timed-writings paired with each unit based upon an AP Free Response Question. There will be 5 formal writing assignments including a creative poetry interpretation, analytical response to //Hamlet// or //Antigone//, literary analysis of //Fahrenheit 451//, comparative analysis for //Heart of Darkness/Things Fall Apart//, and an analysis of societal perceptions for //Their Eyes Were Watching God//. Not all writing assignments will be graded in the traditional sense. Students will receive feedback from both the instructor and their peers on how to improve their structure, style, tone, content/details, diction, syntax, and conventions. In-class writing, quick writes, and journals are intended for student reflection, ability to internalize and understand material, and to aid in discussion. Some timed writings will go through a formal revision process to be included in the student’s cumulative portfolio. All in-class writing is expected to follow the basic paragraph format outlined below.
 * Writing Assignments: **

1. The main idea/topic is clearly identified in the first or second sentence. 2. Paragraph contains two-four explanatory sentences that develop that author’s argument or claim. 3. Details are colorful, interesting, and appropriate. 4. Paragraph contains a closing sentence that refers to the main idea and concludes the passage as a whole. 5. Paragraph is free from serious errors in convention (grammar, spelling, capitalization). 6. Hand-written responses are easily readable. 1. Double-spaced 2. 1” margins 3. Times New Roman/Calibri. Other fonts will not be deemed acceptable. 4. Contain proper heading. (Left justified) Name Elizabeth Sheridan Teacher’s Name Mrs. Jones Course title AP Literature and Composition Date (day, month, year) 12 May 2001
 * Paragraph Expectations for Stand-Alone Paragraph Responses: **
 * Typed responses are expected to follow the following format, as well as addressing the parameters of each individual assignment. **

Students will compile examples of their writing process from both formal and informal writings throughout the semester. These should be the final, clean copy of any assignments meant to demonstrate the student’s best work and progress. As part of the final semester grade, students will write an evaluative response to their own writing, analyzing their own work and progress and justifying a grade for themselves. All students will be expected to attend an individual conference with Mrs. Sheridan to discuss their cumulative portfolio and work in the course.
 * Cumulative Portfolio **

All units will contain examinations of material that may include multiple choice and free-response questions. A student’s final grade is compiled of timed writings and discussions, formal writings, exams, and the cumulative portfolio. A student’s final grade will reflect their process, product, and progress throughout the grading period.
 * Assessments: **

2- 65% 3- 70% 4- 75% 5- 80% 6- 85% 7- 90% 8- 95% 9- 100% ||
 * 1- 55%

In-class writings Discussion In-class activities Exams Formal Writings Selected timed writings Cumulative Portfolio ||
 * **Process**
 * Product**
 * Progress**

Poetry Unit: poetic elements, overview, analysis Among the poetry studied will be works by the following authors; this list is not exhaustive. Selections will be handed out in class: Shakespeare, Milton, Keats, Wordsworth, Bradstreet, Browning, Tennyson, Dickinson, Yeats, Eliot, Frost, Douglass, and Plath.
 * Reading Schedule: **
 * Fall Semester **
 * Week 1, 2, 3 August 25 – September 9 **


 * Week 4 September 12-16 ** * Creative Poetic Interpretation: Students will construct their own works of poetry and go through a workshop process.

// Antigone // Themes: Rivalry, revenge, identity * Timed writing: Free-Response 3, 2006 “Power” SC3 Students will be asked to look at how the author utilizes structure, style, and theme to help give more meaning the work as a whole. Analyzing the Greek Tragedy format for both its artistic and structural components.
 * Week 5, 6, 7 September 19 – October 7 **

// Hamlet // Themes: Revenge, consequences, identity * Timed writing: Free-Response 3, 2001 “Madness” SC4 Students will be exposed to other excerpts and poems that discuss the concept of madness or insanity in both historical contexts and the social ramifications of such a label. The essay asks students to synthesize his/her ideas about the meaning of madness as it relates to //Hamlet//.
 * Week 8, 9, 10, 11 October 10 – November 4 **


 * Week 12 November 7-11 ** * Analytical essay: Revise, and develop one of your previous timed writings.

// Fahrenheit 451 // Themes: Censorship, individuality, limitations of ideology * Timed Writing: Free-Response 3, 2010 “Exile” SC3, SC4 Students will look at structure, style, and theme, as well as historical and cultural context and their relationship to the author’s specific intent. Looking at related social movements and the agenda trying to be addressed, students will analyze style and structure on a deeper level as it conveys meaning.
 * Week 13 November 14- Thanksgiving Break **

// Waiting for Godot/Rhinoceros // Themes: Life, consciousness, and existence, truth, choices/ responsibility, change * Timed writing: Free-Response 3, 2009 “Political/Societal Issues” SC2 Students will analyze pieces of absurdist literature through the use of language and literary devices and create a personal interpretation of the effectiveness of these components.
 * Week 14 November 28- December 2 ** * Literary Analysis: Revise and develop “Exile” timed writing into a formal literary analysis.
 * Week 15, 16, 17 December 5-21 **


 * Week 18 ** * Finals

// The Invisible Man // Themes: Individuality, racism, adversity, limitations of stereotypes/ ideology * Timed writing: Free-Response 3, 2011 “Justice/Injustice” SC4 Students will look at how characters respond to justice and how this search for justice brings significance to the work as a whole. Looking at the historical and social implications of justice, students will draw their own interpretations of how this struggle impacts our narrator.
 * Spring Semester **
 * Week 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 January 17- February 17 **

// Heart of Darkness/Things Fall Apart // Themes: Expectations, absurdity of society, cultural differences, masculinity * Timed writing: Free-response 3, 2003 “Colliding Cultures” SC3, SC4 Students will construct a character analysis for one the two novels and discuss how character is built through cultural experiences. Students may look at theme and other literary devices as they help shape the chosen characters’ sense of self.
 * Week 6, 7, 8, 9 February 21 – March 13 **

**Over Spring Break – March 30** * Comparative analysis essay Students will expand upon their previous timed writing and construct a comparative analysis looking at common themes through the lenses of historical influences and literary devices.

// Their Eyes were Watching God // Themes: Independence, rebirth, race and racism * Timed writing: Free-response 3, 2007 “Past and Identity” SC2, SC3 Students will look at literary devices including tone, figurative language, textual details, theme, and symbolism to construct a response that analyzes a specific characters response to the past. Test prep, review * AP Test May 10, 2012
 * Week 10, 11, 12, 13 March 2-27 **
 * Week 14, 15 April 30 – May 10 **

// Angels in America // Themes: Overcoming adversity, identity, embracing change
 * Week 16, 17 May 14-25 **


 * Week 18 ** * Finals

 I have read this syllabus in its entirety and understand my responsibilities to be successful in this course. I have shared this information with my parent/guardian and I am prepared to complete all requirements of this course. I agree to take risks, embrace new ideas, and share my ideas to help my peers grow as well.

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