Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition



Towson High School

English Department

AP Literature and Composition Course Syllabus

2017-2018

Contact Information:

Mr. Freeburger

Email: afreeburger@

Office: 221B

Office hours: by appointment

Class meeting place and time: 1A: Room 300, 3A: Room 403, 1B: Room 302, 2B: Room 403

Course Description:

The AP English Literature and Composition course is designed to teach students the beginnings of college-level writing through the interpretation and rhetorical evaluation of a wide range of literary works and genres. On a daily basis, students will be asked to read critically, think clearly, and write concisely. By the end of the course, students will be able to use a well-developed voice in their writing through varied sentence structure and tone in order to analyze the effectiveness of the author’s style and use of literary devices; which includes, but is not limited to diction, syntax, figurative language, and mechanics. Through the study of literature, students will use the authors studied in this course as appropriate models for their own development as a writer.

In addition, students will be exposed to the art literature. They will compare the different works’ structure, style, language, imagery, symbolism, and tone and analyze how this affects the work as a whole. Students will be constantly asking why decisions were made by the author in order to understand that each and every word or punctuation has a purpose and should be analyzed as such. By the end of the course, students will be able to look at literature as a carefully organized piece of art, rather than randomly selected words.

The instructor will work closely with students throughout the writing process which includes, but is not limited to: writing to understand, writing to explain, and writing to evaluate. The instructor will provide frequent and consistent feedback as students are provided opportunities to revise their work. Feedback will be focused on the structure of the essay, its paragraphs and its sentences. In addition, feedback will assist students in the art of being an effective evaluator of a piece of literature, which includes an ample understanding of literary devices and an unfaltering ability to question why something was or was not used. The overall goal of feedback from the instructor is to assist with the student’s development of their writing toward a sophisticated style and guide their criticism of literature toward an in-depth analysis.

Reading: Students will read both widely and deeply for this class. Students are expected to read thoroughly and accurately, annotate texts and be ready to engage with the texts in a variety of ways. Students will be asked to make connections between and among texts and with the real world. The more you read, the more interesting this all gets.

Major works will include Heart of Darkness, Frankenstein and Hamlet. Students are encouraged to purchase these texts, allowing for annotation, study and the development of a personal academic library.

Additionally, students will read another novel outside of class (at least once per quarter). These novels will be chosen from a wide list. The lists will reflect novels of literary merit and novels that are frequently used on the Advanced Placement Literature and Composition test. You will be working in literature circle groups to identify and answer questions in and about the text.

Supplementing the study of the major works will be extensive analysis of poetry and short fiction and non-fiction writing. These will be chosen to reflect a range of time periods and styles. The teacher reserves the right to revise the list of works in order to best meet the needs of the students.

Writing: Students are expected to produce college-level writing in response to the assignments and prompts given by the teacher. Assignments will include AP-released timed writing prompts, short and long research papers in MLA format, reflection assignments, literature circles and creative writing.

Students will write in response to prompts analyzing poetry, paired passages and novels. Students will further their abilities to annotate prompts, formulate strong thesis statements, develop pre-writing plans, draft well-organized responses and support these responses with text-based evidence.

Students will be expected to revise selected sections of their writing and to reflect on the changes and new understanding and skills they have developed throughout this course.

Additionally, students will learn to score writing using College Board-generated rubrics. Use of these rubrics will drive much of the aforementioned writing, reflection and revision.

The senior research paper will be assigned in the first quarter, and students will be working on it throughout the year. Think of this as a way to demonstrate all that you have learned throughout high school in literature, analysis and writing. It is tentatively due in early March. Much more information on this will be given at a later date.

In Class Writing, Tests and Quizzes:

Students will be required to complete in-class, informal journal writing on a regular basis. The purpose of these journal entries is to give students ample opportunity to translate their thoughts, interpretations, and analysis of literature into the written word. These will be graded for completion only, but will be shared and discussed during the course of the class.

Quizzes may be given as well, but will not be announced. These will be questions that ask students to connect to the reading as an active reader in order to prove their understanding. Quiz grades will be used to assess understanding and progress in order to direct future instruction.

Because the ultimate goal of this course is to prepare the students to pass the AP exam, there will be frequent practice AP exams given in class; both timed writing and multiple choice. Students will be expected to track their progress on different question types from these practice exams, develop personal goals for improvement and apply strategies to improve their score.

Grading Specific guidelines/rubrics/spec sheets for all assignments will be distributed before any major assignment is turned in for assessment. The following categories and terminology will be used in the gradebook (which can be found on BCPSOne):

Major Assessment: 60% of the quarter grade. These may include released AP exams, timed essays, group and individual presentations, research projects, etc.

Minor Assessment: 40% of the quarter grade. These may include classwork assignments, small group and whole class discussions, and at-home preparation for class discussions which may include reading and taking notes on novels, plays, short stories, and poetry.

Practice: These are ungraded assignments that will receive a grade and feedback, but will not count toward your grade; they are merely practice. This may be something like the first draft of an essay.

Gradebook Codes:

IN Code = Incomplete/Insufficient Evidence

The (IN) code serves as a placeholder for assignments that have not been attempted or completed by the student. It does not immediately impact the overall grade shown in the gradebook. However, the (IN) can impact the overall grade on the student’s report card if the impact of the missing assignment(s) affects their body of evidence proving proficiency learning of the standard as determined by the teacher. The (IN) code should be converted to a score once the student completes the assignment within the parameters set by the teacher. If not completed, the teacher may change the grade to an (M) (see Missing Assignment below).

LS Code = Lowest Score Possible

The (LS) code indicates the student attempted the assignment or assessment but at this point demonstrated insufficient evidence of the knowledge, skills, and practices embodied by the standard. The (LS) code factors into the grade as 50% of the total points possible for the assignment, signifying a failing grade.

M Code = Missing Assignment

The (M) code indicates that after opportunities have been given to the student to complete an assignment, the student has refused. This code may also be used when a student is absent or when a task assigned is not completed. This code will average into the student’s overall grade as a zero (0), lowering the marking period grade.

E Code = Exempt

The (E) code does not impact the overall grade shown in the gradebook. This is used when a student has been excused from completing an assignment under special circumstances.

Attendance: Students are expected to attend class every day on time. Please refer to the BCPS student handbook for policies on excused and unexcused absences and policies for make-up work. Students are responsible for contacting the teacher to get any missed assignments or to make arrangements to access missed class materials and information.

Helpful Things: Note that the library is open before and after school and at lunch to give students easy access to computers and printers. It is best to use Microsoft Word if you plan to use the printers at school. All assignments must be printed on white paper and be ready before the period in which they are due. Always have a back-up plan for printing!

Google docs is not supported by BCPS—don’t count on reliable access. Office 365 is the best tool for accessing work remotely. And a flash drive is also recommended for backing up work. Unless specifically told otherwise, it is not acceptable to only send me documents through email.

Though I don’t have formal coach classes, I am available for any help that you might need. Please make an appointment with me and we can talk through any literature or assignments that you find yourself struggling with. There may also be required meeting with me before or after school for major assignments (your college essay, your research paper, your test corrections, just to name a few).

Academic Integrity: Students must produce and submit original work. All students will document research and appropriately credit other scholars through the accurate use of MLA citations. Tests in class and at home must be done independently. Any incidents of academic dishonesty will be subject to disciplinary referrals and failing class grades.

I am recommending that you purchase copies of the three main texts that we will read in class. This will allow you to annotate as you read, making your reading both more efficient and effective. I am recommending the following editions:

Hamlet $5.39



Heart of Darkness  $7.33



Frankenstein  $5.99



If you do not choose to purchase these books, school copies will certainly be available, but you will not be able to annotate in them.

Please share the information in this overview with your parents or guardians. It is important for them as well. I’m looking forward to a great year.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download