AP English Literature and Composition

AP English Literature and Composition – Grade: 10,11,12

Prerequisites

Students will be expected to acquire the following novels for this class: The Good Earth, The Kite Runner, The Secret Life of Bees, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Our Town, The Awakening, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Death of a Saleman. These books can be found at a local or school library or can be purchased through Amazon for a few dollars each.

This course has an AP fee. Please see ‘Additional requirements’ for details.

Description

This course is designed to promote the love of literature and to engage students to become independent thinkers and skillful writers. By using major works from different literary periods, this year long course focuses on a variety of genres. This includes the short story, the novel, drama and poetry.

This course requires extensive reading assignments to promote close and analytical interpretation of the text. It also includes challenging writing assignments, generally 3-5 pages in length, to foster strong organizational skills with attention to form, style, and structure as well as content. Some research is included.

Finally, class discussion is a major component of this course. We are a community of learners and teachers and it is important that we “hear” one another’s voice. Everyone is expected to participate fully.

Students enrolled in Advanced Placement VHS courses are required to take the AP exam, and to report their AP exam scores to VHS. By enrolling in an AP VHS class, the student authorizes their school administration to report AP exam scores to VHS. Exam results will not affect the student’s VHS grade or future enrollment in VHS courses.

This course has recommended summer reading. Students are encouraged to complete and submit the summer assignment for extra credit. The summer assignments will help students prepare for the course as well as the AP exam. All summer work for AP English Literature can be found here: [AP Summer Work]

Course Objectives

Students will:
1. Develop accurate, perceptive reading skills through close study of text representing various literary genres.
2. Acquire a fluent, precise writing style through the preparation of questions and essays about the text.
3. Identify and understand the literary techniques of literature with particular attention on poetry as it affects and enhances the material.
4. Generate independent, thoughtful and analytical discourse during class discussions.
5. Do independent research.

Additional Requirements

This course has recommended summer reading. Students are encouraged to complete and submit the summer assignment for extra credit. The summer assignments will help students prepare for the course as well as the AP exam. All summer work for AP English Literature and Composition can be found here: [AP Summer Work]

Syllabus

Weeks 1-6
Short Stories, Essays, and Letters: The Individual in Society

Week 1
Getting Acquainted.
In class: Rudyard Kipling’s “If”
Outside Reading: Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Week 2
“The Allegory of the Cave” Plato

Week 3
The Transcendentalists
“Self-Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Address to the Graduating Class…” by William Faulkner

Week 4
” A Rose for Miss. Emily” by William Faulkner

Week 5
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Week 6
“My Dungeon Shook” by James Baldwin
“On Love” by Khalil Gibrahn

Weeks 7-11
Novel: Self- Discovery and Relationships

Week 7
“The Awakening” by Kate Chopin
Outside Reading: : The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Week 8
“The Awakening” by Kate Chopin

Weeks 9-11
“Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston

Weeks 12-15
Values and choices

Week 12
The Kite Runner Paper Due

Week 13
“The Good Earth” by Pearl S. Buck

Week 14
“The Good Earth” by Pearl S. Buck

Week 15
“The Good Earth” by Pearl S. Buck

Weeks 16-24
The Truth and Family Identity

Week 16
“Hamlet” by William Shakespeare
Outside Reading: “The Secret Life of Bees” by Sue Monk Kidd

Week 17
“Hamlet” by William Shakespeare

Week 18
“Hamlet” by William Shakespeare

Week 19
“Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles

Week 20
“Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles

Week 21
Li-Young Lee’s Poetry

Week 22
Outside Reading: “The Secret Life of Bees” by Sue Monk Kidd

Week 23
Death of a Salesman

Week 24
Death of a Salesman

Weeks 25-27
Our Town

Week 25
“Our Town” By Thornton Wilder

Week 26
“Our Town” By Thornton Wilder

Week 27
“Our Town” By Thornton Wilder

Week 28-33
Poetry, Short Story and AP Prep

Week 28
How to analyze a poem

Week 29
Figurative Language

Week 30
Poetic Structure

Week 31
Themes, Themes, Themes

Week 32
“The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot

Week 33
Wrap ups