Teacher:
Ms. Gritter Room: F-11 Email:
jean.gritter@albany.k12.or.us
Websites: www.msgritter.com (handouts, schedule, general
information)
apeonline.edublogs.org (daily
lesson plans & assignment info)
This college-level course includes an
examination of selected works of literature from the Classical era to
contemporary texts, and follows the curricular requirements outlined in the AP English Course Description. Close reading and analysis will be applied
to the study of drama, fiction, and poetry.
Compositions will include interpretations of literary works as well as
more informal writing. Preparation for
the AP exam in May will also be a major part of this class. Students are not required to take the AP
exam, but may earn college credit by passing it successfully. Note, however,
that although taking this exam is not a requirement, it is a requirement that all students
prepare for the exam through assigned and graded course work.
READING
As AP English Literature is a college-level
course, students should be prepared to perform (read, write, and discuss) at
college level. We will read and discuss a number of significant and challenging
pieces of literature in this class, and some of the material may include mature
content, including language and/or situations appropriate to a college
audience. These works have been selected because they are representative of the
literature that students must be familiar with to perform well on the AP exam
or in equivalent college classes.
The following is a list of the bulk of the
year's reading material. In addition to
the titles listed below, additional short pieces will be added as time allows.
Structure, Sound and Sense Perrine, ed. textbook
à informative material,
short stories, poetry
Independent
Reading (see separate assignment information)
Canterbury Tales Geoffrey
Chaucer prose fiction
Oedipus Rex Sophocles drama
Hamlet William
Shakespeare drama
(Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Tom Stoppard drama)
Death of a Salesman Arthur
Miller drama
Frankenstein Mary
Shelley prose
fiction
Jane Eyre Charlotte
Bronte prose fiction
A Doll’s House Henrik
Ibsen drama
The
Yellow Wallpaper Charlotte
Perkins Gilman prose fiction
All texts, aside
from independent reading and reference works, are supplied by the school.
However, I strongly urge you to purchase your own copies whenever possible
so that you can mark them as you read. If this is not possible, judicious use
of sticky notes is the next best thing. Stock up.
I also recommend
purchasing a college-level dictionary, thesaurus, and writing handbook (see
recommendations on the class website); these will continue to be useful to you
throughout your years of university study.
WRITING
Writing is a major part of this class; you
will write to explore a subject (to understand), to analyze a text (to
explain), to defend a position (to evaluate). E.M. Forster said, “How can I
know what I think until I see what I say?” In that spirit, you will do a great
deal of writing to discover what you think in addition to the writing you will
do to explain what you have discovered. Several different types of assignments
will be given throughout the year, including:
Written work will include in-class, on-demand
responses as well as longer, more formal essays. You will be expected to revise
formal essays, often several times, after receiving feedback. Responses to
formal written work will follow a rubric covering the following traits: ideas
and content, sentence structure, organization (including effective emphasis and
transitions), use of sufficient and specific detail to illustrate points,
vocabulary/ diction, mechanics, and effective use of tone and voice. Some
categories are weighted more heavily than others; we will go over the general
rubric the first week of class, and then as we progress throughout the year you
will create a personalized editing and revision checklist focusing on those
areas you most need to strengthen.
We will occasionally workshop essays in class,
meaning that you will work with a partner or a group to respond to and improve
your essays. During these workshops, I will also be coming around to each group
and answering questions, clarifying the rubric, etc. If you are unsure about an
expectation or an aspect of your writing, this is the time to ask!
Dates will undoubtedly change as we work
through the year. See the class website for current calendar information.
All assignments are due at the BEGINNING of
the class on the assigned date. Assignments turned in late will be subject to a
grade penalty, and any late assignments will be graded on a low-priority basis;
this means that you may not have the assignment returned to you for many weeks,
and the assignment may appear as missing in my gradebook until I have an
opportunity to grade and return it.
Note: Late assignments will not be accepted after 48 hours.
If you are scheduled to be gone on a due date
because of a prearranged absence (field trip, family business, etc.), please
turn the assignment in BEFORE you leave.
If you are absent for any other reason on a due date (illness,
emergency, etc.), please have someone deliver the assignment to me. WARNING: Do not simply place a paper in my mailbox
or, worse yet, slide it under the classroom door. I will not assume
responsibility for any assignment not delivered to me in person.
You may also email
an assignment as an attachment if you are absent on the day it’s due. HOWEVER,
it must be in one of the following formats: Microsoft Word, RTF, or PDF; and I
must receive it by class time on the due date. Also, if the attached file
cannot be opened for any reason, it will not be considered turned in. I
will send you a response indicating that I received the file and was able to
open it, or not; if you do not get a response from me, do not assume that I
have received the file. If you email an assignment, you must also turn in a
paper copy when you return to class.
Tests
Discussions of literary works will sometimes
end with a unit test on the material.
These exams will test students’ knowledge and understanding of both
class notes (discussion and lecture) and the literary work itself. Some of these tests may be open book and/or
open notes.
Quizzes based on class discussion, lecture
material, and assigned reading will take place on both an announced and
unannounced basis.
Grades
Grades are determined by the accumulation of
points, with some assignments weighted more heavily than others. Grades are assigned according to a standard
percentage scale (A = 90-100; B = 80-89; C = 70-79, etc.). The most heavily
weighted assignments are the formal papers and the unit exams.
A note about PINNACLE:
Because the gradebook is online, I expect you to use it to check your grades.
Because it is the nature of an AP-level course, assignments tend to be less
frequent and weighted more heavily. You will work through a fair amount of
ungraded material in preparation for completing graded assignments. In
addition, AP Literature assignments require careful attention and take time to
grade. This means that there are times when your grade in PINNACLE may not
change for several weeks, and then may change significantly when the final
assignment has been graded and entered. If you are unsure of your standing in
the class at any time, please do not hesitate to talk to me about it.
Extra
Credit
None. This is an advanced class; you are
expected to put your best effort into each and every assignment and complete
them when they are due. Please don’t ask for extra credit to make up for poor
or missing work.
Extra
Help
If you need extra help while writing a paper
or in preparing for an exam, please make an appointment to see me at a mutually
convenient time. Before or after school are always good options. Do not
hesitate to come see me if you are having any kind of difficulty – that’s why
I’m here! -- and please do not wait until the last minute for help.
Attendance
Policy
Because we write, discuss, analyze, and
brainstorm together in class, it is crucial that each person attend every
day. As you will see, it is not easy to
make up work that your classmates have already talked about, begun, or even
completed. Moreover, this class is
considered college level, and the expectation is that you attend conscientiously.
Tardies are not acceptable. Coming to class on time generally becomes more and
more difficult as students approach the end of their high school careers, but
coming in late is disruptive and disrespectful to your fellow classmates as
well as your teachers. Furthermore, reading quizzes and notebook entries are
frequently given at the beginning of the period, and they will not be repeated
or given more time for students who are late.
Permission
to Use Student Work
Throughout the semester, I may occasionally
share student work with the rest of the class so that we can all learn from the
writer’s words. I will never use
anyone’s paper in a way that would humiliate or embarrass the author. Names will never be mentioned. If you are uncomfortable with this policy,
please come and talk to me about your concerns.
Final
Items
Students who choose to take AP English
Literature have often created a very busy senior year for themselves. You may be enrolled in other advanced
courses, or taking part in time-consuming activities such as drama, speech,
music, sports, newspaper, band, leadership, college visits to other states,
and/or work.
I understand the pressure that students are
faced with under these circumstances, but please note that such activities do
not in any way excuse you from the assignments and/or deadlines that other
students in the class must face. Due dates will be the same for everyone. You will know about the assignment (or test)
well ahead of the due date so that you can budget your time accordingly.
Papers must, of course, be typed
(word-processed). Please note that any computer or printer problems will not
excuse you from missing a deadline; the grade will be reduced if the paper
is late for any reason. Here are some
suggestions:
AP English Literature
acknowledgement of course details
Both the student named below and her/his parent or guardian should sign this form and return it to Ms. Gritter by the end of the first week of class.
Student’s Name: __________________________________________________________
Class Period: _________________ School Year: ________________________________
I have read and I understand the course outline for AP English Literature at West Albany High School. I have paid particularly close attention to the sections titled Course Description, Reading, Due Dates, Grades, Attendance Policy, and Final Items. I have also read and understand the WAHS plagiarism policy. I understand the expectations and requirements of this course.
Student’s signature: _______________________________________ Date: ___________
Parent’s signature: ________________________________________ Date: ___________
Please print parent’s name: _________________________________________________
Permission to view R-rated movies:
Because of the level of the reading material for this course, we may occasionally view and discuss excerpts from related films which have an R-rating. Films, if shown, are always chosen for their literary significance and value, and the scenes which might warrant an R-rating (for nudity or violence, for example) are not shown in class. Please indicate below whether you do or do not give permission for your student to view this material with the rest of the class:
□ I give permission for my student to view and discuss excerpts from R-rated films that relate to the AP English Literature curriculum while in class.
□ I prefer that my student not view excerpts from R-rated films that relate to the AP English Literature curriculum while in class. I understand that my student will have to leave class while the film is being shown and that s/he may not be able to participate in the class discussion relating the film to the literature being studied.
Parent signature: ___________________________________ Date: _________________