AP English: Language & Composition
American Literature

Teacher: Ms. Sarah Taylor

Brief Description of Course: Advanced Placement English is a two-year, college-level course that will engage students in the careful reading and critical analysis of non-fiction and fictional literature. Through the close reading of selected texts, students will deepen their understanding of a work’s structure, style, theme, and meaning. We will focus on reading and analyzing the content, language, and rhetoric of short passages, poetry, and full length works and on advancing student writing skills to the college level for multi-draft essays and timed writings. AP English is a college level course that will challenge students to read, write, think, and speak at advanced levels.

In addition to meeting the requirements of an introductory college English class, AP English will prepare students to take the AP English: Language and Composition exams at the end of this year and the AP English: Literature and Composition at the end of next year. This year’s course will concentrate on American Literature and on an understanding of the development of our nation’s literature within the context of history. Writing assignments, focusing on the core literature, will vary between multi-draft essays and in-class, timed writings. During the course of the year, each student will compile a portfolio of his or her best work. In addition, students will prepare a short research paper and a formal speech.

Textbooks and other sources: Elements of Literature 5th Course, Perrine’s Literature: Sound, Sense & Structure, The Crucible, The Scarlet Letter, All the Pretty Horses, The Great Gatsby, and Their Eyes Were Watching God. Summer Reading: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn & Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Grading Procedures

Homework and class assignments 30%*

In-class essays 20%

Formal essays 20%

Tests 15%

Speech/Portfolio/Independent Reading 15%

Because this is a AP level course, students will be graded on a rigorous scale and will be given challenging assignments, but student GPAs will be given an additional grade point for this class. For example a B will count as an A in their GPA.

*percentages are approximate

Independent Reading

Students will be required to read one to three books each quarter. At least one book from each semester (300 page minimum) must be an AP level book (a book of recognized literary merit). Please see Ms. Taylor for a list of acceptable books or borrow a book from the AP shelves next to Ms. Taylor’s desk. It is recommended that students read The Grapes of Wrath as one of their AP level IR books. The Independent Reading grade will be worth 200 points per quarter. Students will show that they have read and comprehended the book through an oral or multiple choice exam at the end of each quarter.

A+ = 750 pages, A = 700 pages, A- = 650 pages

B+ = 600 pages, B = 550 pages, B- = 500 pages

If students read 12 pages each night or 70 each weekend, they will easily meet the page requirement.

Late Work

Although students will always be given extra time to make up work after absences, late work will not be accepted. Because a 0 will be given for work not handed in, students should be sure to manage their time carefully in order to avoid missing assignments.

English-Language Arts Standards

This course will prepare students to meet or to exceed the CA Language Arts Standards. Students will work to improve their vocabulary, reading comprehension, literary analysis skills, writing strategies (in various forms), written and oral language conventions, and listening and speaking strategies. Please refer to the standards for more detail.

Major Projects/Assignments

Long, multi-draft essays (6 to 7)

Timed Writings (20)

Rhetorical analysis, persuasive, thematic analysis, and researched argument

Formal Speech

Short Research Paper (1)

Writing Portfolio

Image Analysis project
Short Story/Creative Writing

Oral Presentations

AP Exam

Homework Practices

Due dates for major assignments, essays, and tests will be indicated ahead of time. Students should check the web page regularly for due dates and instructions. Daily homework assignments will be assigned and posted on the web page at the beginning of each week. In general, students will have about 45 minutes of homework per night. Students are encouraged to work on major assignments (like essays and Independent Reading) on those days when they finish the assigned work early.