Course Philosophy:
This is a rigorous
college-level course. The reading and writing is frequent and challenging; the
course requires independent thinking. We will function as a community of learners. If you are committed to the work as well as to listening and learning from each other,
this class will ultimately become one in which we are all teachers and students. Each
member of the class will have a voice. We will learn from each other and share
our thoughts, ideas, and observations with each other. I am not the
“guru” of texts – we all are. I am just as interested in your
interpretations as you are in mine. While the ultimate goal of the class is to
pass the exam with a 3,4, or 5, know that if you actively engage yourself in this class and complete all of the work, you
will have taken giant steps in preparing yourself for college.
Course Objectives:
- Develop accurate, perceptive reading through close
study of major texts representing various literary genres
- Deepen understanding and appreciation of literature
- Understand the technique of poetry as it affects
and enhances meaning in a poem
- Generate independent, thoughtful, and analytical
discourse during class discussions
- Deliver oral reports and lead class discussions
with poise and clarity
- Develop college-level writing abilities
- Recognize works for their literary merit
Expectation of Students:
- To participate in class discussions and group activities
- To engage in directed reading and studying of works
other than class assignments
- To complete every assignment at your highest ability
and by the specified date.
- To be open-minded as a thinking student in pursuit
of advanced literary and writing skills
- To read texts thoroughly: annotate, read more than
once (if possible), and look up all unfamiliar words in the dictionary.
- To be able to work on more than one assignment at
a time, since you will have long-range assignments and daily work.
Class Expectations:
- Various compositions about every week-and-a-half
- Reading anywhere from 20-35 pages per class night
- Homework of some sort every night
- Test at end of each unit, unannounced quizzes throughout
the year
- Outside reading due about every month
- Participating in class discussion everyday as well
as leading class discussion a few times during the year
- A timed writing every 1-2 weeks to practice for
the AP Exam
- Taking the AP Exam in May
Class Format:
The class will focus on class discussion, some lecture, group and individual presentations, style
and literary analysis of various works and writing/vocabulary/analytical skills. You
should take notes each day, for tests and quizzes will cover notes and reading assignments.
Also, thoughtful and detailed notes provide valuable ideas and support for essays.
Do not merely take notes on what I say; take notes on what your peers say as well.
Student leadership roles and participation in class discussions are vital to the quality of learning
for which we are all responsible.
Class Requirements:
1.
Necessary materials
are the following:
·
a composition book
·
highlighter
·
loose leaf paper
·
2 pocket folder (something
in which to keep graded papers)
·
pens and pencils
·
binder (at least
2 ½”) with at least 5 dividers (you will receive MANY handouts)
·
Post-Its of different
varieties are recommended
·
Markers or colored
pencils are recommended
·
a pocket dictionary
or electronic dictionary is highly recommended
2.
Assigned textbooks
are required for all class sessions. Not having an
assigned text results in a failing participation grade for the day; you cannot be a literary scholar
without the relevant text in hand. Required books for this class are the following:
·
Literature: Reading,
Reacting, Writing, 5th ed. Kirszner & Mandell
·
The current novel
we are reading
·
The Art of Styling
Sentences, 4th ed.
Longknife, Ann*
·
The Elements of
Style, 4th ed. Strunk and White* or a similar book on writing
Textbooks with an (*) are highly suggested but will not be provided. We will discuss ways of purchasing them.
Grading and Assessment Policies:
All grades will be figured on a point system. The grading scale is the following:
94-100%: A
90-93%: A-
87-89%: B+
83-86%: B
80-82%: B-
77-79%: C+
74-76%: C
70-73%: C-
67-69%: D+
64-66%: D
60-63%: D-
59% and below: E
The weight of each grade is the following:
Writing/Projects:
50%
Oral:
20%
Tests:
20%
Miscellaneous:
10%
(Quizzes, warm-ups,
journals, annotating, etc)
*Sometimes there is a question about a grade that has
been earned. I ask that you wait until before or after school to discuss it with
me. Only then will I be able to give you my full attention.
Make-up and Late Work:
1. Work missed due to excused absence will be subject to
school
policy: one day is allowed for each day absent if the assignment
was given during the absence. If you were given a due date and
then become absent, the due date is still in effect as stated.
On days where you are in school but are school-related for my
class, you are still expected to turn in any assignments due
that
day. Failure to do this results in a zero.
2.
Quizzes and tests
should be made up promptly. The only time you may make up a test or a quiz is
by appointment before or after school. It is your responsibility to approach me with an appointment time in mind. You will complete numerous timed writings
in class, so these also will need to be made up if you are absent.
3.
Since this is a college-level
course, late work is extremely unfavorable and will therefore not be accepted. Each
student receives one grace period per semester – you may hand in one of the essays or projects after it is due
(up to 2 days). Nothing else will be accepted late.
4.
You may do make-up
work for poor performance. This means if you are not happy with your grade on
an assignment (not quizzes, tests, or timed writings), you may choose to do the assignment over within 48 hours after the
graded work is returned. The grade for a make-up assignment may be an average
of the two grades or added points, depending on the assignment.
Attendance:
My attendance policy is
the same as the school’s. It can be found in the school handbook. I will not allow big assignments to be made up if you are unexcused on the day it
was due.
Seniors should try to take advantage of the attendance incentive. At the
same time, know that first semester I usually give a bit of incentive myself. This
only comes to you if you prove to me you deserve it.
Tardies/Passes:
1.
My policy on tardies
is the same as the school’s, so look in your handbook.
2.
If tardies are a
constant problem for you, I reserve the right to create my own special punishment.
3.
You student planner
is your hallway pass. I will not sign your book during class unless it is an
emergency. Please ask at the beginning or end of class and have your pass filled
out before you approach me.
Rules:
I have two rules –
1.
Respect others –
This includes not talking when you shouldn’t be, respecting authority, not swearing or putting others down, and respecting
people’s property.
2.
Be prepared –
this includes being on time with all materials you need for the day.
When you break a rule, you will be warned. After
you are warned, you will then have a consequence to be determined by me.
* I don’t have an “official” rule against eating and drinking in class, but as soon as this
privilege is abused, it will be taken away.
* Of course, all other school rules apply.
Rewards:
I do believe in rewarding people for doing a
good job or following the rules. Expect some of the following rewards throughout
the year:
- verbal praise
- positive phone calls home
- extra credit opportunities
- Late passes (to be used
in addition to your grace period)
- other various perks throughout
the year
Procedures:
In order to run an effective classroom, it is
necessary to have certain procedures. These will be practiced until they become
routine to you.
1.
Be in your seat and
ready to work when the bell rings. I will always have a warm-up
for you to work on while I am taking attendance.
2. I dismiss the class, not the bell. This means no jumping out of your seat
when the bell rings or standing by the door, waiting for the bell.
Always wait in the desk area. The entire class will stay after whenever
I see someone lining up at the door.
3. When I (or anyone else) am in front
of the room, everyone stops what they are
doing, looks at me, and listens to what I have to say.
4.
Turning in homework: There are “in” and “out” trays in the classroom for your homework. When an assignment is due, I expect you to put it in the correct slot at the beginning
of class. When I have something to return to you, it will be in the correct slot
in the out tray. I expect you to keep everything that is returned to you because
you might need it later, and it’s helpful in case I make a recording error.
Any homework assignment must have the following on it:
Name
Hour
Mrs. Richardson (optional)
Anything
you turn in should be neat. Your assignments reflect you. Please use only blue and black ink. No other colors on anything
you turn in – it hurts my eyes! Also, please use only looseleaf paper or
cut the “spiral scraps” off. Failure to follow directions will result
in reduction of points.
I
will not accept typed assignments on disk. I will not dismiss you to go to the
library, and I will not let you print papers in my room during class time. Computer
and printer problems are not acceptable excuses. Technology fails all the time. Plan ahead! If you, for whatever reason
can’t, then exhaust all possibilities before telling me. Some possibilities
are: email it to a friend and have him/her print it, print it at the public library, arrive early to school and print it in
my classroom or the library. If you think there’s a chance you won’t
be able to print your paper, email it to me as an attachment, but know that you will still need to turn in a hard copy as
soon as possible.
5.
Checking and turning
in makeup work: When you come back from being absent,
you should go over to the make-up table, check the folder for your hour, and grab any papers you
need from the correct tray on the make-up table. When you turn in make-up work,
please write absent on the front and turn it in the make-up tray on the table. If
you turn it in the regular in box, it will be marked late.
Extra Help:
I am available if you need extra help with the
class. Please do not be afraid to ask for it.
My usual hours are 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM, and I have 3rd hour prep from 9:50-10:50 AM.
I am usually willing to come in earlier or stay later if you talk to me ahead of time.
Emailing is another way of receiving help. I check my email often and
usually once before bed, so always know that is another route. I may ask you
to email me at various times of the year. You will find this is even more common
when you arrive at college next year.
Plagiarism/Cheating:
There is no tolerance for cheating and plagiarism
in an AP English classroom. The school rules apply. Plagiarism includes using any part of someone else’s written thoughts and not giving him or her credit. Cheating includes using Cliffs Notes or Spark Notes and not reading the actual text;
copying and pasting from the Internet, copying someone else’s annotations, journal entries, vocabulary, or any other
type of assignment; and every other “typical” type of cheating. I
encourage you to develop ideas together through discussion, but you should make sure that assignments turned in to me do not
look similar in any way. If they do, I will assume you have cheated off one another.
Extra Credit:
There will be chances for extra credit throughout the year. Your chances of getting extra credit improve with your behavior and dedication to the workload. I always feel more free to give those with no zeros extra credit first, since they show initiative and
hard work.
One ongoing extra credit assignment
is Grammar Cops. This will be explained as the year progresses.
Course Content
I
suggest that you purchase all of the books we read this year so you can annotate them properly, but please note that I have
copies of all of the works listed below if purchasing them is a problem.
Note
to parents: The works listed below come from the AP Suggested Reading List, a list that corresponds with college level English
classes throughout the country. By signing the contract at the end of this packet,
you are acknowledging that your child will be reading these works.
Summer Reading/College Essay
- Discussion, Tests, Timed Writing
- Work on college application essay
To Make a Long
Story Short: Short Story Unit
- Various short stories
- Review and deep analysis of literary devices
- Timed writings and process paper
Women as Victims, Survivors, Heroes
- Novel: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
- Various short stories and poems
- Leading discussion
- Timed writings
- 1-2 process papers
- Multiple choice practice
Figuratively
Speaking: Poetry Unit
- Close study of a multitude of poems and their poetic devices
- Live Poets Society presentations
- Timed writings
- 1 process paper on poet of presentation
- Research
- Multiple choice practice
I Am Who I Am: The Search for Self
- Novel: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
- Various poems and short stories
- Timed writings
-Process papers
-Multiple choice practice
End of Semester I
All the World’s
a Stage: Intro to Plays
-
Study of elements in plays
-
Difference between plays and other genres
Heroes?
- Plays: Hamlet by William Shakespeare and Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
- Types of literary criticism
- Timed writings
- 1-2 process papers
- Student-led discussion
- Reduced Hamlet
- Research
Seriously Funny:
A Study of Comedy
- Plays: The Importance
of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde and 1 of the following: Pygmalion
by George Bernard Shaw, Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare, or Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard as well as various other Shakespeare comedies.
- Timed Writing
- Process papers
- Study of the forms of humor
- Study of non-print materials
What Does the Future Hold?
- Novel: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
- A look at dystopian fiction
- Timed writings
Prep for AP Exam
- Review of past novels
- Practice tests
- Look at sample writing
Post AP Exam
- “Remembering”
- Surveys
* If you do not take the AP exam, you should expect to take the exam.
This syllabus is just a brief overview of what we will be covering, and it is subject to change. Many other assignments will be completed. You
will be required to read one novel outside of class almost every month; a new list will be given to you each month. Remember to review the syllabus before selecting a novel. You
may not read something we will be reading as a class.
There will also be a small movie analysis portion to the class, so expect to hear more about that
as the year progresses.
A note for parents: we will watch a few movies during class this year that enhance the themes
and novels we are studying. They will be rated PG or PG-13. By signing the form on the next page, you also consent to your son/daughter watching these movies.
Final note: This class is challenging; I will not
lie to you about that. Don’t think for one minute that I don’t know
what I’m asking of you. In return for your hard work you will become
better thinkers, readers, and learners. I can prepare you for college, but only
if you let me. That means you must be committed to the class. I love teaching this class, and I hope when you leave you can say the challenge was worth it.
