2014 2015

Ms. Krista L. Mann

Email: krista.mann@hck12.net

AP English Literature and Composition is designed to be an undergraduate introduction literature course
equivalent. A major goal for this class is to enhance students abilities to explore, interpret, evaluate, and
(most importantly) appreciate complex literary texts. We will measure the literature read this semester
against the history of philosophy to better understand how literature fits within its own history against the
span of time. Students will examine literature through lenses of style and structure, rhetoric, diction,
figurative language, and syntax. By accepting the rigors of this AP course, you are preparing yourself to be
more than just college ready; it is my goal for you to leave this course as a more mature, brilliant, and
original thinker.

Prerequisites:

Some schools admit only those students who can be expected to achieve a high score on the ACT reading
and English exams. Cherokee High School does not have stringent entrance requirements; however, some
students may face obstacles. This course will have the intellectual challenges consistent with a college level
course along with a similar workload. AP Literature requires discussion, critiques and feedback about
literature and about each students work. A student who has not read the assigned works or, perhaps, has
not comprehended the assigned works, has no place to hide in this challenging course. Students will
regularly share their work with the class and critique each others work. Consider carefully the amount of
work and dedication this class requires.

The AP Exam:

At the end of the course, students may choose to take the AP English Literature and Composition Exam
given in May. A score of 4 or 5 on this exam is considered equivalent to a 3.34.0 for comparable courses
at the university level. A student earning a grade of 3 or above on the exam will be granted college credit at
many colleges and universities throughout the United States.

This semester students will:

Read carefully and analyze complex literature
Understand how writers use language to provide meaning and pleasure
Examine universal big questions of human existence by exploring literary themes
Increase knowledge of literary structure, themes, and literary devices
Examine relationships between past and present
Relate experiences of others to their own experiences
Research the diversity of world experience
Pose questions/listen actively to the ideas of others/contribute information in class discussion
Give and receive feedback in a palatable manner

Classroom Norms:

1. Give your best effort.
2. Be respectful.
3. Come to class prepared and on time.
4. Accept responsibility for the choices you make.

Grade Distribution - Your grades will be calculated using the following weights for each category average:

Tests 50%
o Exams
o Essays
o Socratic Seminars
Portfolio 50%
o Quizzes
o Writing Assignments (Discussion Board)

Class Supplies All students are required to bring the following items to class daily:

1) 3 Ring Binder (for your portfolio)
a. Portfolio (designed for this class and labeled)
i. Works of Literature (kept in pristine condition)
ii. AP Vocabulary
iii. Class Work
iv. Graded Work
v. Cornell Notes
2) Selected Readings
3) Sticky Notes (highly recommended)
4) Dark colored pens
5) Pencils
*** Note This is an AP course. I will not supply pens/paper for students on a daily basis. It is
your responsibility to come prepared. Speak with me privately if you need help obtaining these
items.

Absentee and Tardy Procedures Students should give me their absentee note or excused tardy note when
entering the classroom. If the student does not have a note, they should write a note explaining his or her
absence or tardy and hand it to me immediately upon entry. No student will be allowed to leave class to
obtain a note from the office after entering the classroom.

Make-up Work Procedures It is the students responsibility to obtain missed work due to absence.
However, be here! Again, this is a college course equivalent. Most colleges allow less than 5 absences for
the course. I cannot hold you to the stringent policies of a college, but if you anticipate missing class, plan
on extensive writing assignments on the content missed as a result. This is not intended as punishment;
your reflections are the only way I can ensure you are delving into the literature in a similar fashion to your
present colleagues.

Late Work:
All work should be submitted the day it is due.
Late Work This is an elective AP course, and expectations are high. All late work will receive a
30-point reduction immediately. The second day will result in a deduction of 10 points. If you
choose to go down this route, be prepared for your grades to suffer.
o If you believe I have not allotted proper time for you to complete an assignment, the time
to speak with me is before the assignment is due, preferably before or after class.
o No work will be accepted after it is 2 days late.

Homework It would be impossible to cover, explain, practice, read, and write about all that is required in
this course every other day in the timeslot given. Therefore, homework is not an option, and planning on
your part is crucial. Consider other obligations, and set time aside to complete the necessary work for this
class.

Student Dismissal Procedures The teacher dismisses students from class! Do not pack up to leave before
instructed or while I am talking. This is rude, and you may miss critical information needed.

Workspace Clean up your workspace at the end of class. Do not leave trash to be cleaned up by
someone else. Do not throw away trash during the class period; wait until the bell rings.

Academic Integrity Academic dishonesty (which includes, but is not limited to plagiarism, fabrication,
deception, cheating, or sabotage) will not be tolerated. Results of academic dishonesty may include failing
the assignment, parent conferences, and/or referrals. Just do your own work!

Food and Drinks We follow school rules in this class.

All school rules will be observed in this classroom. If there are questions, please refer to the Student
Handbook.

Course Work -

Dialectical Journals/Discussion Board To facilitate your continued understanding of the texts we
read, you will respond to the works through the use of dialectical journal entries and/or discussion
board responses online. A format will be provided, and I will periodically review these throughout
the semester.

Literary Analysis You will complete two formal literary analyses (1 per semester) on a text we are
reading. These are the only formal writing assignments required for the semester. Expect to have
multiple drafts and revisions before the final essay is submitted. Your essay will be an interpretive
and evaluative essay that focuses on topics such as social, cultural, or historical values of your piece of
literature. Most/all of this assignment will be completed outside of class. Due to the progressive
nature of the AP course, you will have to use outside resources to complete the assignment. Your
essays will be peer reviewed, and you will receive feedback from your instructor throughout the
assignment.

Socratic Seminars At specified dates, we will break up into seminar sessions in which you, as a
class/group, will lead discussion regarding an assigned work. You will drive the class with questions
geared towards discussion. You will use your dialectical journal entries/discussion board
responses/class notes to aid the discussions. The rules of these graded seminars will be reviewed
prior to each session. Your responsibility is to discuss the assigned text in a scholarly fashion,
building upon the responses of your colleagues.

Study Teams Study teams are long-term groups whose primary responsibility is to provide
members with support, encouragement, and assistance in completing course requirements and
assignments. Your study team members will inform each other about missing assignments, provide
copies of notes, and offer general assistance regarding issues for this course. The study team will be
your family in this class treat them wisely, and do your part! All members of the group are
expected to participate equally. Each group will consist of the following roles Initiator, Literary
Luminary, Artful Adventurer, and Wordsmith.

Tests A formal unit test will be given after each unit is completed. Students will be responsible for
the skills learned during these units. The tests may assess the skills learned more than the materials
read.

Extra Credit Throughout the semester, few extra credit opportunities will be granted. Do not come
to me at the end of the semester and ask for more extra credit if you have not seized the
opportunities previously granted.

A note on course material and keeping an open mind: Many of the texts we will study deal with strong
themes. You are not required to agree with everything you read. Consider the words of Aristotle, It is the
mark of an educated mind to entertain a thought without accepting it.

Also: A good library contains something in it to offend everyone. Jo Goodwin

While it is not my intention to offend anyone, you may find yourself in disagreement with some of the
literature this semester. A major goal of this course is to develop strong thinkers. If you are only faced with
information you agree with, you will never become mature and independent thinkers.

It is okay to disagree; however, A mind is like a parachute. It does not work if it does not open. - Frank
Zappa

For Your Edification It is my goal for you to find this course to be educational, extensive, and enjoyable.
If at any point you feel overwhelmed or need to express concern about your individual performance in the
class, do not hesitate to chat with me.

AP Literature Course Outline This course has been outlined thematically to juxtapose what is being
studied in AP American History. Many of the texts we are studying will not match the same era as your
other course. However, through our collaboration, we hope similar themes will shed light on literatures
applicableness to moments throughout history. Below is a tentative schedule of the semester.

Unit 1: Truth and Lies: the thin line between civilization and savagery
o Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad
Native American Creation Myth
Platos Allegory of the Cave
Unit 2: The Search for Identity
o Anthem Ayn Rand
The Hunger Artist Franz Kafka
The Prince Niccolo Machiavelli
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Joyce Carol Oates
I Sing the Body Electric Walt Whitman
Unit 3 - The Nature of Good and Evil
o Grendel John Gardner
The Ways We Lie Stephanie Ericsson
The Gettysburg Address Abraham Lincoln
I heard a fly buzz when I died Emily Dickenson
Unit 4 Awakenings and Discovering Purpose
o Waiting for Godot Samuel Beckett
The Book of Esther
To His Coy Mistress Andrew Marvell
The Flea John Donne
Out, Out Robert Frost
Unit 5 Tradition of Revenge: psychological tragedy; feminist critique
o Hamlet William Shakespeare
Shakespearian sonnets (variety)
The Story of an Hour Kate Chopin
She Walks in Beauty Lord Byron
My Papas Waltz Theodore Roethke
Unit 6 Finding Self
o Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neale Hurston
Mirror Sylvia Plath
A&P John Updike
Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space Brent Staples
Soldiers Home Ernest Hemingway
Unit 7 Exploitation: Conformity and Rebellion
o Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
o Metamorphosis Franz Kafka
The Second Coming William Butler Yeats
The Swimmer John Cheever