Schweinfurt Middle High School Advanced Placement Literature & Composition, 2013-14 Ms. Kathy ONeill (kathleen.oneill2@eu.dodea.

edu) Course Website: http://www.oneillenglish.com Dear Students and Parents/Guardians, Welcome to Advanced Placement Literature and Composition! I look forward to our year together as literary scholars. Over the course of the school year, the "who", "where" and "when" of literary narrative will transcend into thoughtful, meaningful discussions of "how" and "why". We will be exploring a plethora of literature from different genres and time periods, challenging ourselves to respond to them as creative, insightful thinkers. This is a college-level introductory literature course, with corresponding expectations. Be prepared to read and write every day, both inside and outside of the classroom. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will your preparation for the Advanced Placement exam. Hard work put in today will yield positive results tomorrow. DODEA Objectives: AP English Literature and Composition is designed for students willing to accept an intellectual challenge and is intended to engage creative and analytical thinking skills. Students will experience, interpret, and evaluate challenging imaginative literature of recognized importance. (http://www.dodea.edu/curriculum/courses/courses_0708/LAL613-6130T.htm) Students are expected to take the AP exam at the end of this course on Thursday, May 8, 2014 at 8:00 AM. Over the course of the year, students will: Learn a personal and collective process for making meaning of a literary work, connect this meaning to other pieces of literature, and recognize the commonality of the human experience as expressed through literature. Apply the language and vocabulary of the discipline to explain their understanding and interpretation of a literary work. Recognize the environmental and historical values manifested in a piece of literature. Identify and explain the use of literary devices and elements in a piece of literature. Actively participate in group discussions and critique writings about literature. Apply the writing process to interpret, experience, and evaluate literary works leading to the development of stylistic maturity.

Major Texts (these will be provided for you): How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Tom Foster Holt Elements of Literature British Literature, Sixth Course The Elements of Style, William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White Macbeth, William Shakespeare A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen Required Materials: due at the beginning of class on Wednesday, August 28 Three-ring binder (for course review/exam preparation) Notebook (for multiple choice analysis and thematic journals) Two pencils Two pens (one black, one colored) Any books/additional materials needed for the day (please see outside Room 220)

***Recommended Texts*** CliffsNotes AP English Literature and Composition, Allan Casson (3rd Edition) 5 Steps to a 5: AP English Literature, Estelle Rankin and Barbara Murphy (2nd Edition) Both of these texts are available for purchase on Amazon.com. Absences/Late Work: This is a fast-paced, accelerated course. You are expected to be in class regularly and punctually; absences must be kept to a minimum. Major assignments (papers, etc.) MUST be turned in on the day they are due. If you are absent from class, please email Ms. ONeill (kathleen.oneill2@eu.dodea.edu), or submit your work on the course website (http://www.oneillenglish.com/) the day the assignment is due. You will have one day per absence to make up smaller assignments (reading responses, etc.). THERE WILL BE NO LATE WORK ACCEPTED IN THIS COURSE. Please see Ms. ONeill, of course, in an emergency (my dog ate my Shakespeare does not constitute as an excuse). Just Say No: Although I will encourage our classroom to be a place of positivity and yes, the following will be prohibited: *iPods/phones/other electronic devices *Gum *Food and non-water drink (unless previously approved by Ms. ONeill)

*Tardiness *Cheating/Plagiarism (see statement below) *Disrespect to Ms. ONeill or your classmates Repeated violation of these rules will result in school-sanctioned disciplinary procedures (detention, in-school suspension, etc.). Academic Honesty (Cheating and Plagarism) Cheating and plagiarism are considered very serious offenses. Per school policy, if a student is found participating in these offenses a zero (0) or partial credit will be given for the assignment and the parents will be notified. Academic dishonesty includes copying homework or answers from another students test, sharing tests or teacher material, and plagiarism from either electronic or print material. The student has the right of appeal. Respect Clause We will discuss many sensitive topics in our study of literature, including issues of politics, gender, sexuality, race, class and religion. While active debate is encouraged in our classroom, we will respectfully honor differences in opinion. Any person who issues disparaging and prejudicial remarks in our classroom will receive disciplinary consequences. Tentative Course Calendar The major texts will be paired with poetry, short stories, and other types of literature for the following thematic units. We will attempt to answer the following questions as we travel together through British and American literature: Unit 1: How to Read Literature Like a Professor (Quarter 1) How can you write an effective response to a piece of literature, without knowing what youre looking for? This unit will include a review of literary terms, an introduction to the Advanced Placement exam (including multiple choice questions, essay questions, and the holistic writing rubric used by College Board), and a reading of Tom Fosters aforementioned novel. Your goal in this unit will be to grow from unsure reader to confident literary scholar. In preparation for our reading of Macbeth, we will conclude this unit by applying our newfound analytical skills to a selection of Elizabethan poetry (including Shakespearean sonnets). Unit 2: The Best of Times, The Worst of Times: Tragedy and Morality in Literature (Quarters 1 and 2) Bravery, triumph, insanity, murder, bloodshed, death: this reads like the back of a present-day bestselling crime thriller or a Shakespearean/Dickensian adventure!

What does literature teach us about the capacity of the human spirit in times of despair? What can we learn from both heroes and villains? How do we define good and evil? We will examine Macbeth and A Tale of Two Cities, and analyze the sensational symbolism used to evoke their epic, poignant narratives. We will also look at the faraway lands that poetry can take us to, and how we can relate to experiences that are disparate in time, space and culture. Unit Paper: As evidenced in the units literature, how have the definitions of heroes, villains, and morality changed throughout time and culture? Unit 3 - Unsung Voices: The Body vs. The Mind (Quarters 2 and 3) When characters true feelings and opinions are silenced, another story is often told through their physicality: sexuality, violence, etc. How does literature give a narrative to these downtrodden, conflicted characters? We will ponder this question through readings of A Streetcar Named Desire, Invisible Man, and selected poetry by and about traditionally neglected minority groups. Unit Paper: How are the units characters literally and metaphorically silenced, and how does physicality give voice to some of these characters? How is this process reflective of the values and biases of a society/culture? Unit 4 - Love, Interrupted: Societys Influence in the Narrative of Romance (Quarters 3 and 4) Gone are the days of Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet, the star-crossed lovers who worship each other from affair. Argument and tension is now the name of the game, and societal prejudices often add another dimension to this negotiation of attraction and marriage (not necessarily in that order). As we will see in The Importance of Being Earnest and Pride and Prejudice, this dating game often comes with ridiculously humorous consequences. We will look at the different ways romantic love was (and continues to be) portrayed in literature, from the biting wit and satire of Wilde and Austen to the wild sentimentality of the Romantic poets. Unit Paper: Interpret and analyze the convergence and divergence of love, courtship and marriage throughout the units literature. Unit 5: Exam Review (Quarter 4) Practice Multiple Choice/Timed Essay exams will continue to be given, discussed and graded/evaluated until the time of the exam.

Your work in these units will be assessed using the following grades: Weekly Participation (10%): This category will include class participation (written and oral), preparedness for class, and homework assignments assessed for completion. You will be assigned a weekly grade based on the following point value: 10: Outstanding 9-8: Excellent 7-6: Satisfactory 5-4: Needs improvement 3-0: Missing participation

Projects/Assignments (20%): This could include group presentations, extended close reading/writing assignments, individual projects, practice multiple choice exams, etc. Timed Essays (30%): On every other 50-minute C day we will be taking a timed essay test, with the alternate C days reserved for writing workshops. Although some of these in-class essays will receive an additional grade from a peer, Ms. ONeill will be giving the final grades/feedback on all written work, using a holistic Advanced Placement rubric (see attached). Writing workshops will help you hone specific skills before you write, and provide specific feedback on areas of concern after you write. Our writing workshops will include (but are not limited to) the following topics: Syntax/Sentence Structure Formulating Arguments o Generalization vs. Specificity Introductions/Conclusions Paragraph Order o Transitions Verb Tenses/Active Verbs Supporting Evidence o Application of Literary Terms Academic/Writing Vocabulary Pre-writing Strategies o Graphic Organizers o Time Management Outlining vs. Writing

Unit Essays (30%): Formal, analytical responses of 8-10 pages will be assigned at the end of each unit. These papers will challenge you to examine thematic issues (associated with morality, physicality, love and courtship/marriage) through the social, cultural, and historical lenses of literature. Close textual explication and interpretation are required in these essays.

You will be required to use literature covered in the unit (novels, short stories, poetry, etc.) to formulate these arguments. While work on these essays will be required outside of class, there will also be time set aside for peer reviewing and writing workshops targeted specifically towards these essays. Reading/Editing Quizzes (10%): Ms. ONeill will be giving pop quizzes on assigned readings. Please make sure you come to class prepared and having done the reading no skimming or SparkNotes surfing! To practice your editing skills, you will also be taking quizzes that challenge you to edit papers based on your knowledge of grammar, syntax, and structure. Final Projects (30% of final semester grade): Rationale Paper (first semester): After selecting and reading a work of fiction or drama off of the recommended A.P. Literature list, you will write a formal, detailed argument (12-14 pages) for why your specific piece of literature would be beneficial for an A.P. Literature student to read in preparation for the exam. This is your opportunity to get inside the head of an A.P. evaluator, and determine what criteria they will use to evaluate literary knowledge/analytical skill. For example, how could students reference your piece of literature on an open-ended essay question? Please reference all of these criteria in your interpretation of this piece of literature, and use them in your justification for A.P. - appropriateness: Figurative Language Symbolism Imagery Style Structure Theme Tone

Reflective Portfolio and Historical Legacy Scrapbook (second semester): After the A.P. exam, you will be working on projects that will remain in Ms. ONeills classroom library for all of eternity! 1) Reflective Portfolio: You will be composing in-depth reflections on every major writing exam/assignment you have completed in A.P. Literature (so make sure you hold on to all graded writing assignments). To conclude your portfolio, you will be required to include original creative writing pieces centered around a theme of your choice. 2) Historical Legacy Scrapbook: You will be researching for/picking 100 literary quotes that you believe are particularly provocative/meaningful for juniors and seniors in high school. For each quote, you will do a brief,

creative interpretive analysis that reflects on the importance of each quote. This is your chance to demonstrate the breadth of wisdom you have gained from being an A.P. scholar of literature! Analysis for each quote must include the social, historical, and cultural significance of the piece of literature from which it was selected. I am looking forward to working with all of you over the course of our year together, as partners in literary sleuthing. Happy Reading! Ms. ONeill

A.P. Literature Supplemental Readings Unit 1: Literary Review/Sonnets/How to Read Literature Like a Professor How to Read Literature Like a Professor: Introduction (Howd He Do That?); Chapter 1 (Every Trips a Quest, Except When Its Not); Chapter 4 (If Its Square, Its a Sonnet); Chapter 5 (Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before?); Chapter 6 (When In Doubt, Its From Shakespeare); Chapter 10 (Its More than Just Rain or Snow); Chapter 12 (Is That a Symbol?); Chapter 19 (Geography Matters); Chapter 20 (So Does Season); Chapter 25 (Dont Read With Your Eyes) Shakespeare: Sonnets 18, 19, 23, 29, 116, 130 (Major Authors 499-507, Holt 92-95) Marlowe: The Passionate Shepherd to His Love (MA 459) John Donne: A Valediction: Forbidden Morning (MA 102-104)

Unit 2: Tragedy and Morality in Literature (Macbeth/A Tale of Two Cities) How to Read Literature Like a Professor: Chapter 3 (Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampire); Chapter 8 (Hanseldee and Greteldum); Chapter 11 (More than Its Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence); Chapter 13 (Its All Political) Miller: Tragedy and the Common Man Pope: from an Essay on Man (Holt 142-144) Coleridge: Kubla Khan (Holt 177-180, ED 447-448) Shelley: Ozymandias (Holt 182-183, ED 768) Keats: Ode on a Grecian Urn (Holt 192-195) Tennyson: Ulysses (Holt 207-210, EE 1123-1125) Yeats: The Second Coming (Holt 306-308, EF 2036-2037) Twain: The War Prayer (AC 322-324) Plath: Child (AE 2710-2711) Rogers: Grief (AE 3213) Hemingway: Letter of August 18, 1918, to His Parents (AD 1377-1379) Frost: The Road Not Taken (AD 1399-1400) Emerson: from Nature (AB 1106-1109) Poe: The Tell-Tale Heart(AB 1572-1575) Thoreau: from Resistance to Civil Government (AB 1792-1807) Whitman: from Preface to Leaves of Grass (AB 2131-2145) Dickinson: I Felt a Funeral, in my Brain (AB 2509) Hardy: A Broken Appointment (EF 1870) Brooke: The Soldier (EF 1955-1956)

Hopkins: As Kingfishers Catch Fire(EE 1517) Wordsworth: Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey (ED 258-262; Holt 169-175) Coleridge: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (ED 430-446) Shelley: Mutability (ED 744)

Unit 3: The Body vs. the Mind (A Streetcar Named Desire/Invisible Man) How to Read Literature Like a Professor: Chapter 21 (Marked for Greatness); Chapter 22 (Hes Blind For a Reason, You Know); Chapter 23 (Its Never Just Heart Disease); Chapter 24 (And Rarely Just Illness) Tennyson: The Lady of Shalott (EE 1114-1123) Thomas: The Cherry Trees (EE 1958-1959) Owen: Anthem for Doomed Youth (EE 1971-1972) Yeats: Easter, 1916 (EE 2031-2033) Lawrence: The Horse Dealers Daughter (EE 2258-2269) Eliot: The Hollow Men (EE 2309-2313; Holt 247-253) Thiongo: from Decolonizing the Mind (EE 2535-2539) Rushdie: English is an Indian Literary Language (EE 2540-2541) Agard: Listen Mr Oxford don (EE 2542-2543) Boland: The Dolls Museum in Dublin (EE 2850-2851) Longfellow: The Slaves Dream (EE 1480-1481) Lincoln: Address Delivered at the Dedication of the Cemetery at Gettysburg, November 19, 1863 (AB 1616) Lincoln: Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865 (AB 1616-1617) Douglass: The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro: Speech at Rochester, New York, July 5, 1852 (AB 2108-2127) Dickinson: Success is counted sweetest (AB 2503) Lazarus: The New Colossus (AB 2601) Hughes: from The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain (AD 1512-1513) Sandburg: Chicago (AD 1437) Eliot: The Waste Land (AD 1587-1599) McKay: If We Must Die (AD 1688) Hurston: How It Feels to Be Colored Me (AD 1710-1713) Cummings: next to of course god america I (AD 1811) Hughes: I, Too (AD 2028) Brooks: We Real Cool (AD 2413-2414) Ginsberg: Howl (AD 2577-2583)

Morrison: Recitatif (AD 2685-2698) Alexie: from Tourists (Marilyn Monroe) (AD 3241-3242) The Navajo Night Chant (AC 372-374) Gilman: The Yellow Wallpaper (AC 808-820) Roosevelt: from American Ideals (AC 1153-1156) Arnold: Dover Beach (Holt 220-223)

Unit 4: Love and Marriage (The Importance of Being Earnest/Pride and Prejudice) How to Read Literature Like a Professor: Chapter 26 (Is He Serious? And Other Ironies) Wharton: Roman Fever (AC 843-852) Poe: Annabel Lee (AB 1524) Woolf: Shakespeares Sister from A Room of Ones Own (EF 2093-2152; Holt 269-279) Patmore: from The Angel in the House (EE 1586-1587) Wollstonecraft: from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (ED 170-171) Byron: She walks in beauty (ED 612) Keats: Bright star, would I were steadfast thou art (ED 898-899) Keats: La Belle Dame sans Merci: A Ballad (ED 899-900) Defoe: from The Education of Women (Holt 155-159) R. Browning: My Last Duchess (EE 1255-1256; Holt 212-215) E.B. Browning: Sonnet 43 (Holt 216-218)

Holt: The Holt Reader, Sixth Course MA: The Norton Anthology of Literature, The Major Authors (Eighth Edition) AB: The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 1820-1865 (Sixth Edition) AC: The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 1865-1914 (Seventh Edition) AD: The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 1914-1945 (Seventh Edition)

AE: The Norton Anthology of American Literature, since 1945 (Seventh Edition) ED: The Norton Anthology of English Literature, The Romantic Period (Eighth Edition) EE: The Norton Anthology of English Literature, The Victorian Age (Eighth Edition) EF: The Norton Anthology of English Literature, The Twentieth Century and After (Eighth Edition)

I have read and understand the expectations and guidelines for Advanced Placement Literature and Composition. I am willing and excited to take on the rigor and inquiry involved with this course. Student Signature: ____________________________________ Parent Signature: _____________________________________ Date: _________________ Date: _________________

Please return this signed sheet to Ms. ONeill in class on Wednesday, August 28