Danville Area School District Course Overview

Transcription

1 Danville Area School District Course Overview Course: AP English Literature & Composition Teacher : Deborah Parker Course Introduction: Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition is designed to provide motivated students with a scholarly and supportive environment in which to experience literature through a combination of active and critical reading, oral articulation and writing. As college credit can be earned for this course, the course emulates college courses in terms of student in-class expectations and workload. Unlike many lecture-based college courses, however, this course is still preparatory in nature; students have the benefit of a small discussion-based atmosphere, writing workshops and specific feedback that will enable them to exhibit extensive growth through enhancement of critical reading skills as well as critical revisions to both their thought processes and their written work. In this way, Advanced Placement English is much more of a critical reading and writing workshop than many lower-level collegiate English courses. Course Text or Student Materials: The core textbook is Literature and Composition: Reading Writing Thinking, ed. Carol Jago For additional practice with AP-style multiple choice, we will be using released exams from College Board. Novels and plays change yearly at the teacher s discretion. College Board recommends that texts from both the American and British tradition are represented. A variety of historical periods will be addressed as well. Below are AP texts that have been used in the past, and a few that are anticipated to be used in the near future: Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare The Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare King Lear, William Shakespeare Hamlet, William Shakespeare Macbeth, William Shakespeare A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams Antigone, Sophocles Oedipus Rex, Sophocles Doubt, John Patrick Shanley Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller The Crucible, Arthur Miller Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte Lord of the Flies, William Golding Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison The Awakening, Kate Chopin The Hours, Michael Cunningham Great Expectations, Charles Dickens A Lesson Before Dying, Ernest Gaines Frankenstein, Mary Shelley The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald The Things They Carried, by Tim O Brien

2 Units of Study: Units of study focused on literary study are aligned thematically, and are adjusted to suit student needs and interest as the school year develops. Anticipated units include: Summer Reading o Oedipus Rex, Sophocles o Antigone, Sophocles o Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare o The Awakening, Kate Chopin o The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne Ambition and Dreams o Great Expectations, Charles Dickens o The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald Society vs. The Individual o The Crucible, Arthur Miller o Frankenstein, Mary Shelley Moral Ambiguity o Macbeth, William Shakespeare o The Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare Man s Search for Meaning o The Things They Carried, Tim O Brien o Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad Race and Identity o A Lesson Before Dying, Ernest Gaines o Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison Student Objectives: Reading Students will engage with texts in a meaningful way, using annotation, journaling, and discussion. Students will make original claims about literary texts, and support these claims with valid reasoning and sufficient evidence. Students will discuss and analyze the author s choices, and how those choices impact the text. Students will identify and analyze literary elements and strategies within a text, and discuss the overall effect created. Students will read, understand, and analyze collegiate-level texts. Writing Students will write persuasive literary analysis that focuses on an original claim. Students will incorporate textual evidence to support original claims. Students will respond subjectively to texts in reader response journals. Students will revise writing as needed, especially to improve clarity and conciseness. Students will analyze nonfiction critical essays, and incorporate various critical views into their writing. Students will write routinely over extended and shorter time frames for a range of tasks. Speaking and Listening Students will lead class discussion, preparing notes and analytical questions to pose to their peers. Students will participate in small and whole group discussions, conveying nuanced and sophisticated ideas about literary texts. Students will present multimedia presentations they have produced collaboratively.

3 College Board Curricular Requirements: The AP curriculum is aligned to requirements created by College Board. The curriculum is designed to give a collegiate learning experience and to prepare students for the culminating assessment (the AP exam). The College Board curricular requirements are listed below: The course includes an intensive study of representative works such as those by authors cited in the AP English Course Description. The course teaches students to write an interpretation of a piece of literature that is based on a careful observation of textual details. The course includes frequent opportunities for students to write and rewrite formal, extended analyses and timed, in-class responses. The course requires: Writing to understand : Informal, exploratory writing activities that enable students to discover what they think in the process of writing about their reading (such assignments could include annotation, freewriting, keeping a reading journal, and response/reaction papers) Writing to explain : Expository, analytical essays in which students draw upon textual details to develop an extended explanation/interpretation of the meanings of a literary text Writing to evaluate : Analytical, argumentative essays in which students draw upon textual details to make and explain judgments about a work's artistry and quality, and its social and cultural values The AP teacher provides instruction and feedback on students' writing assignments, both before and after the students revise their work, that help the students develop: o A wide-ranging vocabulary o A variety of sentence structures o Logical organization o A balance of generalization and specific, illustrative detail o An effective use of rhetoric

4 PA Common Core Standards 1.2 Reading Informational Text: Students read, understand, and respond to informational text with an emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among ideas and between texts with focus on textual evidence. CC A Determine and analyze the relationship between two or more central ideas of a text, including the development and interaction of the central ideas; provide an objective summary of the text. CC B Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly, as well as inferences and conclusions based on and related to an author s implicit and explicit assumptions and beliefs. CC C Analyze the interaction and development of a complex set of ideas, sequence of events, or specific individuals over the course of the text. CC D Evaluate how an author s point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text. CC E Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging. CC F Evaluate how words and phrases shape meaning and tone in texts. CC G Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem. CC H Analyze seminal texts based upon reasoning, premises, purposes, and arguments. CC I Analyze foundational U.S. and world documents of historical, political, and literary significance for their themes, purposes, and rhetorical features. CC J Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college- and career-readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. CC K Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools. CC L Read and comprehend literary nonfiction and informational text on grade level, reading independently and proficiently. 1.3 Reading Literature Students read and respond to works of literature with an emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among ideas and between texts with a focus on textual evidence. CC A Determine and analyze the relationship between two or more themes or central ideas of a text, including the development and interaction of the themes; provide an objective summary of the text. CC B Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly, as well as inferences and conclusions based on and related to an author s implicit and explicit assumptions and beliefs. CC C Analyze the impact of the author s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama. CC D Evaluate how an author s point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text. CC E Evaluate the structure of texts including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the texts relate to each other and the whole. CC F Evaluate how words and phrases shape meaning and tone in texts. CC G Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.) CC H Demonstrate knowledge of foundational works of literature that reflect a variety of genres in the respective major periods of literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics. CC I Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools. CC J Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college- and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. CC K Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.

5 1.4 Writing Students write for different purposes and audiences. Students write clear and focused text to convey a well-defined perspective and appropriate content. CC A Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately. CC G Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics. CC M Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events. CC S Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research, applying grade-level reading standards for literature and literary nonfiction. CC T Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. CC U Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments and information. CC V Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. CC W Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and over-reliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation. CC X Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. 1.5 Speaking and Listening Students present appropriately in formal speaking situations, listen critically, and respond intelligently as individuals or in group discussions. CC A Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on grade-level topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. CC B Evaluate how the speaker s perspective, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric affect the credibility of an argument through the author s stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone. CC C Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitative, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data. CC D Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective; organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task. CC E Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks. CC F Make strategic use of digital media in presentations to add interest and enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence. CC G Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English when speaking based on Grades level and content.

6 Instructional Plan: Lessons are standards-based and follow the district instructional plan, and include an opener, structured activities focused on objectives, and a closer. The course is rooted in seminar-style discussion. The AP class numbers are kept small deliberately to accommodate this type of learning. Students are not only expected to participate regularly in everyday class discussion, but will also be assigned topics to discuss in small groups while the rest of the class looks on. This type of activity is graded, and occurs quite frequently. In addition, there is a heavy writing component. Students will complete timed writings to simulate the AP exam for every text. Close readings and longer analytical and research-based essays will also be assigned, and taught as process writings (planning, drafting, revising). Students will also take practice exams to gauge progress and build confidence for the AP exam. Student Assistance: In the event of an issue affecting student performance, students and parents can expect teacher-initiated contact, via and/or phone. I am happy to host impromptu student conferences, schedules permitting. Students are encouraged to address any concerns to me directly. Parents can use phone contact ( x1100) as well as dparker@danville.k12.pa.us. Assessments and Evaluation: Students will be assessed formally throughout the year using both written exams and performance assessments. Homework and other non-summative assessments will also be assigned and graded. Students are assessed informally and formatively on an ongoing basis. Observation of student classwork (independently and in groups) as well as participation in daily discussion aid the instructor in evaluating student ability and progress. Grading & Assessments: Typical Graded Assignments: Timed Writings Close Readings Extended Essays Reading Quizzes Graded Discussion Leading Class Discussion Group Presentations Journals & Annotations Reading questions (homework) Homework/Procedures: Students are expected to keep up with assigned reading and annotation of texts and to come to class prepared to make meaningful contributions to discussion based on that annotation. If students are not actively annotating in-text, then they will be expected to keep a journal of reader responses, a dialectical journal, or answer guided reading questions. Other homework assignments may include activities from the textbook.

7 Student and Parent Communication: Students and parents can access Sapphire at any time to monitor student progress. The grades are updated in real time. Students (especially upperclassmen) are encouraged to address concerns directly to their instructor. Parents can use phone contact ( ) as well as to contact me ( dparker@danville.k12.pa.us ). In addition, parent-teacher conferences are interspersed throughout the school year. Student Expectations and Classroom Rules of Conduct Students are expected to follow all school policies as outlined in the Danville Student Handbook, which contains procedures regarding absences, classroom behavior, make-up of work, dress code, academic integrity and all other student conduct guidelines. Each teacher will go over individual policies for behavior, classroom organization and course work during the first week of school.