AMERICAN LITERATURE/ADVANCED PLACEMENT LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION

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1 AMERICAN LITERATURE/ADVANCED PLACEMENT LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION COURSE DESCRIPTION This course will focus on four primary areas of study: literature, language, composition, and spech. We will study American literature and documents using a Humanities approach: placing readings in historical and cultural context with supplementary lectures and research activities on art, music and popular culture in order to establish a fuller understanding of each style and period. We will place particular emphasis on critical and persuasive essay writing in preparation for the Advanced Placement Exams in Language and Composition and in United States History. COURSE OBJECTIVES Students in this course will: 1. read, analyze and discuss various selections of American Literature with a special emphasis on nonfiction: essays, journalism, political writing, science writing, nature writing, autobiography, biography, memoir, diaries, history, criticism and visual texts 2. analyze literature for meaning, structure, theme and style 3. discuss literature in historical context as well as personal relevance. 4. study and master rhetorical strategies and writing approaches that will provide the framework for text analysis and composition these include: rhetorical terms, logical fallacies, sentence structure and variety, and organizational strategies. 5. write comprehensive, analytical responses to essay prompts comparable to those found on AP English Language and Composition and the AP United States History exams. 6. complete an independent reading of non-fiction and fiction writers of artistic merit, write analytical critical reviews of those works in an ongoing writing journal (Quick Write Notebook) 7. submit at least one of the 5 original compositions for possible publication in a school or professional newspaper or magazine. 8. develop and practice composition and language skills: vocabulary, grammar, usage, and mechanics 9. complete five major writing assignments a personal essay, an historic narrative, an editorial, a reflective essay and a satire 10.research and document information following MLA style EVALUATION Projects 30% Tests and Exams 30% Preparation (Homework and Quizzes) 20% Participation and Classwork 20% The APS policy regarding AP grades is to add an additional 10 points to grades of A, B, and C. A 95 average, therefore, will be recorded as a 105 on the student s transcript. Students and parents should be aware of this increase when assessing the student s performance level in the course. A D or F average, however, receives no 10-point increase. In other words, the school report card lists a raw student percentage of 74 as a grade of 84 while the school lists a raw student percentage of 73 as a grade of 73. Students need to plan carefully and study carefully to avoid forfeiting the 10 bonus points that the system awards AP students. Second Semester the EOCT score will count as 15% of the course grade. If a student maintains a grade of 80% or higher and earns a score categorized as pass-plus or higher on the Writing and Reading portions of the GHGST, he or she may opt out of the final exam.

2 EXTRA CREDIT Students may earn Extra Credit by attending museum exhibitions, dramatic performances, or films, or by viewing television broadcasts of documentaries on American literature, culture or history. Students may then present information in oral presentation to the class, or by compose a review and submit it in the Quick Write Notebook. No extra credit will be accepted within the last week of a grading period. Students may also earn extra credit by viewing films and taking part in discussions as part of the after school film series. READING ASSIGNMENTS The College Board curriculum for this course requires that we read a broad array of non-fiction writings: essays, journalism, political writing, science writing, nature writing, autobiography, biography, diaries, history, and criticism. We will explore all of these by reading from both our assigned text, Elements of Literature, (Holt, Rinehart) as well as handouts from a variety of sources, and non-fiction anthologies like The Bedford Reader (Kennedy, Kennedy and Aron) and the essay section (Part Four) of Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay (DiYanni). Because this is also an American Literature course, we will read and analyze several novels during the second semester. We will also devote some time to the reading and critical analysis of graphic and visual texts, as well. We will study the approach and the images presented in Seeing and Writing 2 (McQuade and McQuade), and we will apply the strategies learned there to contemporary images that we confront this semester. In addition to this heavy diet of assigned anthology readings, I expect that each student will read one book or 200 pages each month. I encourage students to select American novels, histories as well as newspaper columns (from contemporary sources and from published anthologies) that provide excellent examples of narrative, speculative, argumentative and persuasive writing. Students will engage in a weekly period of silent sustained reading. Mr. Pope and I plan together and attempt to coordinate reading assignments to try to limit the reading load, but students should expect to read between pages per night. All of the readings assignments major and minor will provide avenues for us to write. Good writers read and learn to read as writers, examining the strategies of good writers as they read. WRITING ASSIGNMENTS We will engage in informal writing at least twice a week with a wide range of writing purposes and audiences. These Quick Writes will relate to assigned readings. In addition to this informal writing we will develop five major writng assignments. The major writing assignments may include: an argumentative or persuasive column or editorial an extensive piece of narrative from a historic perspective a critical review of a play, novel, film or other appropriate cultural item a complementary pairing of visual and verbal texts a piece about a particular place or setting a piece describing how to do something an ironic or satirical essay For those pieces deemed major writing assignments, we will conduct a peer review and revision before each student submits his or her piece to the instructor for evaluation. The peer review will be structured to target the following areas: introductions with clear thesis and organization, effective conclusions, appropriate tone (for subject and for audience) well-developed, mature voice, appropriate vocabulary (diction) sentence structure and variety (syntax) logical and effective organization, and an effective balance between showing (illustration) and telling (generalization) Students will revise his or her work incorporating peer and adult feedback, and will submit each draft and peer edit along with the written assignment. Students will be afforded an opportunity to do a second revision of writing assignments if they wish to improve the first assigned numerical grade. The student may also seek individual help with the instructor during the teacher s weekly tutorial session on Monday afterschool, or he/she may seek assistance from The Writing Center M-F 3:30-5:30. Students who avail themselves of this assistance will receive five additional points on the final grade for that writing project.

3 Formal Drafts must be submitted word-processed, typed or handwritten neatly in blue or back ink. Drafts should be double-spaced, in at least 12 point type, on one side of a page. Students should remove rough edges from spiral notebook paper. Students may submit final drafts on-line, but they are responsible for compatibility of software, and documenting time of transmission. Formal written assignments are considered due at the beginning of the class period on the due date; papers turned in after this time will be penalized one letter grade for each calendar day late. I will accept late papers for up to one week after the due date. Papers or other assignments turned in after this or judged to be Incomplete may be resubmitted, but will earn no more than 70%. RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS In the second semester of the course, you will be assigned a major research project. We will utilize the Modern Language Association Style, the most common style for academic writing in the humanities. NOTEBOOKS/FOLDERS The student will keep Quick Write compositions, and the assignments not deemed major assignments in their Quick Write notebooks. The instructor will randomly select notebooks for evaluation every other week, and may or may not provide feedback on these pieces, but the student is responsible for producing and submitting the notebook to the instructor before each grading period. All students will be expected to bring their spiral Quickwrite notebook, a notebook or binder for handouts and classwork, and a pen to every class meeting, unless specifically notified to the contrary. Each student should keep a complete, organized three ring notebook or binder for storing supplementary reading assignments. Your notebook in this course will be a valuable resource next year and you are expected to maintain it for use, next year. These supplementary reading handouts will be collected at the end of each unit. HOMEWORK AND THE MEANING OF PREPARATION Students are expected to complete all homework assignments. Student completion of homework will be checked occasionally, but there will be times when it is not checked. Frequently during the semester, students will be assessed through random pop quizzes which determine the degree to which students prepared the previous night s assignment. Students are encouraged to prepare questions to ask in class as part of each homework reading assignment. I will not accept spiral note paper or notebooks for assigned class work or homework. All quizzes, and homework assignments are to be in ink only unless otherwise instructed. Any assignment judged to be of less than C quality will be deemed Incomplete and must be resubmitted for reevaluation. Students with outstanding assignments must attend a tutorial and submit or resubmit the missing work. A student s grade cannot be computed if he/she has not completed all assignments. All Incomplete work must be cleared before a grade can be assigned for the course. Missed assignments (for excused absences) must be made up promptly. Zeros will be given for all work not made-up by the end of each grading period. Quizzes cannot be made-up. For an excused absence, quiz grades will not count against the students; for an unexcused absence, students will receive an automatic 0. If you are absent the day before an announced test or a quiz you will take the exam as scheduled. The same policy applies to deadlines for essay assignments No make-ups will be given for unexcused absences. You will be given make-up time for excused absences equal to the number of days you missed plus one day. Getting a make-up assignment or notes is totally your responsibility. If you are absent on a test date, you will take the test immediately upon your return to school. You may be given a different test or an essay version of the test. PARTICIPATION Participation is highly encouraged, and will factor in your academic and conduct grade. At the end of each six-week grading period I will assess your conduct in class based on the following criteria: (1) Your attitude toward the subject matter. (2) Your preparation for class. (3) Your contribution to the classroom learning environment, and (4) Your overall attendance effort.

4 TARDINESS Tardiness is not being in the room when the bell rings. In accordance with the school attendance policy, late students will not be admitted after the tardy bell has rung. Students will have to get an admit pass from the discipline office. Students who arrive to class six minutes after the time indicated on their pass from the discipline office will receive a teacher-assigned detention. Five unexcused tardies to class (any of your classes) will result in a mandatory conference. BEHAVIOR Behavioral expectations in this class will be consistent with GHS school policy and are explained in great detail in the student handbook. You will be expected to respect the teacher, other students and the learning environment at all times. Specific student actions which violate these three tenets will earn an initial warning followed by punitive action deemed appropriate by the instructor. If teacher action (i.e. detention, parent contact) fails to correct the misbehavior, the teacher will refer the student to the discipline office. APS CELL PHONE AND PED POLICY 1. The possession of cellular telephones and other personal electronic devices (PEDs) is a privilege extended only to high school students. 2. The use of cellular telephones or other PEDs is forbidden for all students at all times during the instructional day. The instructional day includes, but is not limited to, lunch breaks, class changes, study halls and any other structured or non-structured instructional activity that occurs during the normal school day. Devices must be out of sight and turned off. This prohibition includes all emergency situations unless the student is directed to use a cellular telephone or PED by an APS employee or other official. 3. Photographing, audio recording or videotaping on Atlanta Public Schools property is not allowed at any time without the expressed, written consent of the students, staff members or other persons being photographed or recorded. 4. The parent or legal guardian must complete the Parent Permission Form for a Cellular Telephone/Personal Electronic Device each school year and deliver it to the school principal or designee before the student is allowed to possess a device on school property. TEST POLICY I believe that no student should have more than two (2) major tests on any given day. However, it is the student's responsibility to discuss such conflicts with the teacher before the test date. I will make other satisfactory arrangements under these conditions with the affected student(s). TUTORIAL/COMMUNICATION I will be available for tutorial each Monday after school from 3:30 until 5:30. I will also be available before school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30 unitl 8:00 by prior arrangement. Parents and students may contact me directly online at mwilloughby@atlanta.k12.ga.us or by cell at Parents may contact the school at to arrange an appointment through a counselor. Students with academic difficulties will be given deficiencies; these should be signed promptly and returned to the teacher. 1.

5 HONOR CODE I expect that each student behave honorably and with the highest sense of academic and personal integrity. I have developed the following honor system for my classes. It is based on that expected of students at Davidson College: "Every student shall be honor bound to refrain from cheating (including plagiarism). Every student shall be honor bound to refrain from stealing. Every student shall be honor bound from lying about official school business and from obstructing or sabotaging communication between the school and the student s parents or guardians. Every student found guilty of an honor code violation shall receive a zero for the grade or grades in question, a discipline referral to the discipline office, and a parent-teacher-student conference." A few explanatory notes: Plagiarism is defined as copying another writer's sentences, phrases or ideas on essays or any written assignment. This includes copying the writing of another student on any take-home assignment where the expectation is that you do your own thinking, analyzing, and writing. Any behavior that lacks integrity hurts your learning process, but it also undermines the integrity of the entire classroom community in ways that are irreparable. The trust and shared commitment necessary for true academic success are fundamentally important but also fragile. Don t destroy them for yourself, your classmates and me. AP LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION COURSE CONTRACT I have read and understand the course syllabus for AP LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION/AMERICAN LITERATURE. I commit to: 1. Fulfill the requirements of the course as outlined in the syllabus, 2. Diligently prepare for the AP Language and Composition exam throughout the year, 3. Take the AP Language and Composition exam in May 2011, and 4. Maintain a grade of at least C. I understand that if I fail to fulfill any of these commitments, I will not be awarded the 10 AP points on either my first or second semester grades. Furthermore, I understand that I must earn a grade of at least C in the first semester to be allowed to continue into the second semester of the course. Student Signature Date Parent Signature Date