2014-2015 12 AP Literature Syllabus

Troy Athens High School

Literature is the question minus the answer. Roland Barthes

All literary worksare rewritten, if only unconsciously, by the societies which read them; there is no reading of
a work which is not also a rewriting. Terry Eagleton

Instructor Logistics:

Teacher: Ms. Danielle Smit
Classroom: 250J
Class Periods: 1
st
and 6
th

Prep Hour: 2
nd

Email: dsmit@troy.k12.mi.us
Classroom Website:
ahs12aplit.weebly.com

Course Description:

Official Description: Designed for seniors who excel in English language skills, this course
emphasizes the following areas: composing collegiate-level essays; studying poetry; and reading
a survey of world literature, including novels and plays. Students are prepared for and
encouraged to take the AP exam in May (TSD course catalog).

What This Course is Really About: In its scope and its ambitions, this is a big class. Over the
year, well read, write, and think BIG. Your brains will be challenged and, hopefully, excited and
expanded as our material explores (among other things), the nature of language, culture,
society, interpretation, time, ethics, and categories of identity such as race, class, sexuality, and
gender. Well investigate the ways that ideology works in and through literature and the
value/limitation of literature and theory itself. Please remember: while literary studies is
challenging and not always readily accessible, it can be life changing. In this sense, well not
merely be learning literature. By the end of the semester, well be smarter, more critically
aware, more empowered subjects because of it.

Suggested Materials:
Loose leaf paper
Highlighter/Marker
Pencil and/or pen (black or navy blue only)
Three ring binder with dividers
Suggested Tabs:
Vocabulary
Prose
Poetry
Drama
Essays
Sticky Notesfor annotating school textbooks and novels

Classroom Expectations:
Academic:
Excused absences: If you have an excused absence, it is your responsibility to get the missed
assignment(s) from that day. Ask me for any handouts at the beginning or end of the hour.
You have the same number of days you were gone to make up an assignment. However, if
you have been given prior notice of a test/quiz or assignment that was due the day of your
return, you are responsible for taking/turning said assignment in.

Unexcused absences: Unexcused absences will result in a zero for any missed assignments.
If you should attain FIVE total absences (excused or unexcused), a phone call home should
be expected and a follow-up conference before or after school. Refer to the Troy Athens
School Attendance Agreement for more details.

Cheating/Plagiarism: Your report card grades are a reflection of your own work. Anyone
caught cheating or plagiarizing an assignment will receive an automatic zero for that
assignment and a parental contact. All large formal essays must be submitted to
turnitin.com to receive credit for the work.

Late work: All course work is expected to be turned in on time. In the event of an excused
absence, you may make up the work assigned and turn it in according to the school policy.
Unexcused absences do not allow for make-up work. Any late long-term assignment
will be downgraded 20% per day. 50% will be deducted from nightly
assignments. Any quiz or test scheduled on the day of your return must be taken unless
prior arrangements have been made (email me).

Behavioral:
Technology: No iPods or cell phones will normally be allowed in the classroom, and every
infraction will result in confiscation of the item for the rest of the day. Repeat offenders will
be sent down to the front office. On very rare occasions, students may be allowed to utilize
their technology for school related purposes, but only after receiving permission from the
instructor. During this time, all Athens technology agreements apply. Any student found in
violation of these rules will permanently lose the privilege of using technology in the
classroom.

Bathroom: Bathroom passes will be allowed during appropriate breaks during instruction. I
reserve the right to revoke this privilege if it becomes apparent that it is being abused.

Timeliness: You are expected to be in class and READY to work when the bell rings.
Consistent and repetitive tardiness will warrant a phone call home and a follow-up
conference before or after school.

Grading: A students grade will be determined by dividing the total number of points earned by the total
number of points possible. The value of each individual assignment is determined by its size and/or
importance. Assignments generally are valued as follows:
Quickwrites, daily classwork/homework, etc=5-20 points each
Extended homework assignments= 15-30 points each
In-Class Essays=50 points
Seminar=20 points
Projects/Presentations=50-100 points each
Formal Essays=50-100 points each
Quizzes=20-40 points each
Tests=50-100 points each
Participation (once per quarter)=50 points

Your final semester grade will be determined according to the following percentages:

Quarter 1=40%
Quarter 2=40%
Fall Semester Exam*=20%

Quarter 3=50%
Quarter 4=40%
Spring Semester Exam**=10%
*Fall Semester Exam will consist of a timed, in-class essay and a summative multiple-choice test
**Spring Semester Exam will consist of a creative presentation
Grading Scale:
100-98 A+
97-94 A
93-90 A-
89-87 B+
86-84 B
83-80 B-
79-77 C+
76-74 C
73-70 C-
69-67 D+
66-64 D
63-60 D
Overview of Units of Study
(Please note: this is a working document that may be tweaked as the year goes forward. You may use this as a malleable preview piece, but please do not view it as a rigid structure.)
Units/Anchor Texts Unit Description Overarching Questions Major Assessments
Unit One:

Summer Reading
(2-3 weeks)

Nonfiction:
How to Read Literature
Like a Professor

Novels:
Things Fall Apart
The Namesake
The Road
Atonement
Beloved
Ceremony
Never Let Me Go

This is our opening unit for the class.
During this unit I hope to establish
norms for how we read, write, and think
about literature. Expect to engage in
Socratic seminars, write responses
both formal and otherwiseand warm-
up those brains for the journey ahead!

Who am I as a reader?

Who am I as a writer?

What are different methods of
reading I can use while
reading literature?

What threadif anycan I
draw between the books I
read this summer?

How do we read, write, and
speak about literature on a
collegiate level?

Summer Reading Test
50 points

Things Fall Apart Seminar
20 points

In-Class Essay #1Things
Fall Apart Question 3
50 points

Unit Two:

The Road to Theme
(2-3 weeks)

Select Short Stories from the
Diyanni Textbook
Short Stories
A&P
The Story of an Hour
Hills Like White
Elephants
Girl
Araby
The Dead
Eleven


During this unit we will be reading many
different short stories from various
authors. While reading these stories, I
hope that we always return back to the
so what? question. For example, many
of our discussions will revolve around
the authors use of character, setting,
style, etc. This is wonderfulbut at the
end, Im always going to ask you So
what? What is the effect of these
observations were making? This
question will lead us to themethe
authors insight about the human
condition. We truly dont understand
the piece unless we can articulate what
the theme isso this is our goal!

How do different elements of
a story come together to
create theme?

How does an authors style
influence the way in which we
read his/her text?

What does it mean to engage
in close reading? What does
this skill look like when we
apply it to fiction?


Literary Terms Test
50 points

In-Class Essay #2Short
Story Question 2
50 points



Unit Three:

Literary Criticism
(2-3 weeks)
Novels
Catcher in the Rye


This is the first unit that is going to be
wholly different from what you have
done before. For many years people
have looked at a text mostly from a
Formalist point of view (looking at a
work just at the structural levelwe did
this in our short story unit!) But, as we
will discover, there are a million
different ways to look at and analyze
texts! In this unit you will be introduced
to various camps of literary criticism. I
will ask you to apply one of these lenses
to our companion novel, Catcher in the
Rye and an independent literary novel
of your choice.

What is literary criticism?
What does it mean to look at a
piece of literature like a critic?
How does literary criticism
transcend the world of
fiction?
What literary lens do I
normally apply to the world?
How does this affect my
interactions with the world?

Literary Criticism
Presentation
50 points
In-Class Essay #3Catcher
Question 3
50 points
Catcher in the Rye Seminar
20 points
Formal Paper with Literary
Criticism
100 points

Unit Four:

Poetry, Poetry, Poetry!
(4-5 weeks)
Poetry:
Select Poetry from the
DiYanni textbook


For this particular unit, we will be both
reviewing terminology and concepts we
learned about poetry in the past and
adding more lexicon onto our analytical
tool belt. The goal in this unit will be to
look at poetry mostly through a
formalist lens (but we will at times veer
off into other literary modes). While
reading the poetry in class, you will be
asked to be reading Pride and Prejudice
at home for our next unit.
How does structure, meter,
figurative language, etc
contribute to meaning in
poetry?
What is the creative process
like for poets?
How does meaning in poetry
change when its performed,
includes images, music, etc?
In-Class Essay #4 & 5
Poetry Prompts Question 1
50 points each
Creative Poetry Project
50 points
Poetry Unit Test
75 points

Unit Five:

Issues of Propriety
(3-4 weeks)

Drama:
The Importance of Being
Earnest

Novels:
Pride and Prejudice



During this unit we will be reading,
writing, and talking about texts from the
Victorian Era. These texts are interested
in questioning issues of moralitysome
more subtly than others. Throughout
this unit we will be looking at how these
past authors have questioned societys
values. The last work we will read will be
a comedy. I really want us to think about
how comedy can be an effective tool for
criticism. At the end of the unit, I will
ask you to create your own form of
social criticism through the vehicle of
comedy.

How do authors criticize
society?

How does culture influence
literature? Conversely, how
does literature influence
culture?

Many people argue that our
cultures understanding of self
emerged from the Victorians.
How much truth is there in
this belief?

How do novels both
interrogate and enforce social
constructs?

In-Class Essay #6 & 7
Austen and Wilde Close
Reading Question 2
50 points each
Pride and Prejudice
Seminar
20 points
Satire Group Project
50 points
Formal Paper
100 points


Unit Six:

The Literary Existential Crisis
(5-6 weeks)

Novels:
The Things They Carried

Graphic Novel:
Maus

Drama:
Waiting for Godot

Short Story:
The Metamorphosis

Nonfiction:
Pork Chops and
Pineapples
Icons


During this unit we will be reading many
works that have more questions than
answers. Many are interested in
questioning the effectiveness of
storytelling and fiction in general. All of
these texts are post-modern and look at
the world in nontraditional ways.
During this unit we are going to be
grappling with large, unanswerable and
sometimes dark questions about human
nature.

What happens to literature
when the world changes
quickly?

How does the fragmentation
and industrialization
influence society?

How do we make sense in a
chaotic world?

What does truth in
storytelling look like? Can a
text ever capture truths
essence?

In-Class Essay #8 & 9
Godot and Maus Question
3
50 points each
The Things They Carried
Seminar
20 points
Maus Seminar
20 points
Text Adaptation Project
50 points
Unit Seven:

The Bard
(4 weeks)

Dramas:

Most simply put, during this unit we will
be reading Hamlet. At home you will
read Oedipus Rex to help guide your
understanding of dramatic conventions,

What makes a tragic hero?

What are the tenets of Greek
and Shakespearean theater?

In-Class Essay #10 & 11
Hamlet Question 1 & 3
Oedipus Rex
Hamlet

and also as a means of interpreting
Shakespeares text. Hamlet is a
challenging text, and Hamlet is a
challenging character, but at the same
time, very rewarding to unpack. While
reading the play we will, of course, use
the literary tools that we have crafted
throughout the year, but more
importantly we will be asking
ourselvesWhy Hamlet? What is it
about this play that has captured the
imagination of so many people? How is
it still relevant in the world today?

How has drama developed
over time?

Why is Hamlet considered
one of the best plays in the
English language? What
about this text makes it
timeless?
50 points each
Formal Paper
100 points

Unit Eight:

AP Review
(1-2 weeks)



Basically this is going to be review time
before the test. At this point, hopefully
you feel very comfortable with the test
format and understand the type of
essays you will be expected to write for
the exam. Just in case though, we will
devote a couple of weeks solely to
practice. During this time we will take
more multiple choice tests and review
the works we have read this semester to
prepare for the Question 3 essay.

What skills do I still need to
hone for the upcoming AP
Test?

Multiple Choice AP Test
(for those not taking the
testthose taking will be
exempt)
54 points
Sparknotes Group Review
20 points


Unit Zero:

Vocabulary Study
(Entire Year)

This is a unit that will be ongoing
throughout the year. You will be given a
packet of vocabulary words at the
beginning of the semester are will be
required each week to learn 10-15
words. In order to practice with these
words, I will ask you to complete various
tasks. These may includes writing
sentences with the words or the
occasional vocab challengewhich is
more creative than just sentences. Each
Friday you will take a quiz on the words.
At the end of each quarter you will take
a summative test on the words. The idea
here is not that we are learning words
and regurgitating their definitions on a
quiz, but rather that we are constantly
expanding our lexicon so as to become
more educated, articulate people in all
aspects of our lives.

What academic words can I
use in my writing to describe
literature?

What are the nuanced
differences between words
that appear to be synonyms?

How does language usage
change over time?

Weekly Quizzes
10-20 points
Quarter Tests
50 points
Weekly Vocabulary
Exercises
5-10 points











Unit Quarter:

Independent Novel study
(Entire Year)

Each quarter I will ask you to find a
piece of literature that you have not read
to complete an independent read of. You
will be asked to do various tasks after

How can I independently
analyze and evaluate
literature?


TBD
completing this novel, including, but not
limited to: writing essays (formal and
in-class), creating projects, creating
presentations, etc. For first semester I
will ask that you pick works from the AP
reading list. For second semester, your
choices can be more fluidbut we will
discuss this when we get there.
How does my chosen
independent work connect to
other concepts that we have
covered this year?

How might I use my chosen
novel to assist me with
Question 3 on the AP test?

Appendixes

Attached to your syllabus is a copy of the following documents. Please do not lose these as I will
be referencing them throughout the year.

Appendix A: In-Class Essay Grading Rubric
This is the rubric (designed after the College Board rubric) that I will use to assess you on
all in-class essays.

Appendix B: Short Response Grading Rubric
This is the10 point rubric I will use when assessing you on shorter responses. These
shorter responses may be from homework assignments, in-class responses, quickwrites,
etc.

Appendix C: Vocabulary List
This is the list of vocabulary for the year. Please keep in mind that weekly (unless
instructed otherwise) you will be assessed on these words.

Appendix D: AP Test Format Information
This is a one page descriptor of what the test is going to be looking like that you will take
in the Spring. When I reference different types of essays throughout the year (Question 1,
2, etc) you may wish to reference this sheet for further information.

Appendix E: AP Test Literature
This is a list developed by the College Board that includes all of the major works that the
AP Board has listed as appropriate to write about for their Question 3 responses. Keep in
mind that this is a fluid list, and works are always being added to this list. For your
independent novels first semester, you must choose a work to read from this list.

Appendix F: AP Test Score Calculator
Students always ask me how many multiple choice questions do I need to get right or
what score do I need on my essay to get a 5? While I tend to think these are silly
questions (as I think you should always just do your BEST), for those of you who are
more objective and perhaps pragmatic than I, I have included a chart that you can use to
calculate your projected score.