Mrs. Logan / C304 and Mrs. Connors / C204 Since this is an Advanced Placement® course, I have high standards for all written work you turn in. These expectations are not for show. If you want to improve your writing and are willing to put in time and effort for it, you'll find much success in this class. Do not plan on whipping off papers the night before they're due.
Reading Assignments The goals of AP English Literature and Composition are to survey certain important forms of American and British literature--novels, short stories, poems, and plays--and to introduce you to some techniques for achieving a critical appreciation of literary art.
Critical appreciation means having informed, intelligent reasons for liking whatever literature you like and being able to articulate those reasons clearly, persuasively, and interestingly, especially in writing. Vital for critical appreciation is the ability to "interpret" a piece of literature by formulating an account of what a piece of imaginative literature means, what it's trying to do to or for the reader, and what technical choices the author makes in order to try to achieve the effects he or she wants. We will be learning how to interpret by examining structure, character, setting, point of view, tone, theme, symbolism, figurative language etc.
In order to prepare for the level of work you will be expected to complete in AP English Literature & Composition, you are expected to read all the assigned readings in their entirety. Strive to analyze and interpret the literature on your own so that you will be prepared to think critically. You will not succeed in this course if you plan to read SparkNotes (or other “help” sites) instead of reading and studying the actual books - effective time management is a must.
Writing Assignments Writing is integral to this course. Most writing in this course involves developing an argument using a thesis statement or presenting an analysis at length. In-class writing assignments will help you write effectively under the time constraints that you will encounter on essay exams in this and other high school courses, and later in college courses in many different disciplines, including English. Throughout the course, you will receive instruction and feedback on writing, with emphasis on your ability to organize your work logically, concisely, and coherently, and to make effective use of rhetorical and literary techniques.
Informal Writing Throughout the semester you will be completing a series of informal writing assignments that complement the reading you are doing. This writing may include essays (timed and untimed), your Literary Response Journal (LRJ), various forms of poetry, creative, and collaborative writing that will help you to explore texts and issues under study. This writing will be evaluated quantitatively: full completion earns full credit, regardless of whether or not the writing reflects conventional reading or “correct” thinking. Frequency of these assignments will vary.
Formal Writing Formal essays will be assigned so that you can explain aspects of what you read and evaluate works within a given context. You will receive various forms of feedback on these essays, including peer review. Formal writing may require revision and editing before a final submission is graded. These assignments will be graded according to an AP writing rubric. Your scores on this rubric will be scaled over the course of the semester. You will also be required to write a 6-10 page paper using MLA format.
Plagiarism: According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to “plagiarize” means: · to steal and pass off the ideas or words of another as one's own; and · to use another's work without crediting the source.
Plagiarism will result in a “0” as your grade for any assignment. Period. No make-ups/revisions will be accepted on an assignment that was first plagiarized. Incorporating Sparknotes, Cliffnotes, Shmoop, or any other study aid content is plagiarism and will result in a “0”.
Another important consideration is that as you progress in your education the standards become higher. As a high school student (and later, in college) you are expected to have your own ideas, to read information and explain it in your own words. If you complete an assignment by copying material, you are not showing that you understand something, only that you can repeat what someone else has to say. This does not show that you understand nor does it show you can think for yourself. This class is a “safe space” to share and grow.
Absences & Make-Up Work: It is your responsibility to arrange to make up work you miss.