Course+Syllabus


 * AP **** ® **** Literature & Composition **

Syllabus 2008-2009
** Mr. Mullen ** ** 262-789-6458 (voicemail) ** ** mullend@nbps.k12.wi.us **** (preferred) ** ** Website: http://www.nbps.k12.wi.us/faculty/mullend/ ** ** Wiki: |http://mullendr.wikispaces.com/ ** “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald AP English Literature is a year-long course in world literature designed for seniors who are committed to becoming critical readers of complex texts. The course will provide a survey of world literature that focuses primarily on texts from the sixteenth to the twenty-first centuries. Students will read widely and analyze their reading through extensive discussion, writing, and rewriting. They will consider not only the structure, style, and themes of texts, but also the social and historical issues surrounding the various pieces. AP English provides students with the early exposure to college-level reading, writing, and thinking. Students who consistently put forth their best effort will leave this course better readers, better writers, and better prepared for college. *Please go to my wiki (http//mullendr@wikispaces.com) to see the quarter one schedule. Note that this schedule is subject to change. -//The Plot Against America//
 * Course Description: **
 * Course Outline: **
 * General Year Overview (subject to change as necessary) **
 * Quarter One ** : Catharsis in Quarter One
 * Major Texts ** :

- Hamlet
-Selected Pieces from //The Compact Bedford Introduction to// // Literature //, 6 th Edition -Various Poems from //Sound and Sense//, 8 th Edition (mainly Lisel Muehler’s //Palindrome// and Robert Penn Warren’s // Evening Hawk // ) // Narrative Conventions and the Politics of Interpretation. // // The Theory and Interpretation of Narrative Series //. Ohio State University Press, 1997. Reader Response Theory Authorial Audience vs. Actual Audience Elements of Greek Tragedy from Aristotle’s Poetics Shakespearean Tragedy, Tragic Hero Archetypes Sonnet/Poetic Form, Meter, and Rhyme Scheme -//One Hundred Years of Solitude// -Various Poems from //Sound and Sense//, 8 th Edition -Selected Pieces from //The Compact Bedford Introduction to// // Literature //, 6 th Edition Magical Realism Narrative Structure (including some from Rabinowitz) Synatx Continued Poetry Explication Metacognition Revision
 * Major Concepts ** : Peter Rabinowitz’s Rules of Notice, from //Before Reading://
 * Quarter Two ** : Me, Myself, and I: What Shapes the Conscious Self
 * Major Texts ** :
 * Major Concepts ** :
 * Quarter Three ** : Making Connections: The Process and Pain of Hermeneutics

-//The Brothers Karamozov//
-Selected Pieces from //The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature//, 6th Edition, including, but not limited to Anton Checkov’s and Oates’ //The Lady with the Pet Dog//, T.C. Boyle’s //Carnal Knowledge//, and Raymond Carver’s, //Popular Mechanics// -Various Poems from //Sound and Sense//, 8th Edition

Tone Point of View Figurative Language/Symbolism
 * Major Concepts**: Syntax

Aesthetic

 * Note: We will be presenting at the University of Wisconsin in May for the annual UW Center for the Humanities Conference on Great World Texts. More details coming.


 * Quarter Four**: AP Text Prep

-Selected Pieces from //The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature//, 6th Edition -Various Poems from //Sound and Sense//, 8th Edition -Practice Tests from a variety of AP approved resources
 * Major Texts**:

Review of terminology and strategy Multipe-Choice Testing Strategies --- // *New Berlin West Writing Handbook // *Blue or black pens (no other colors please) *Loose paper to use for assignments *Access to the internet and e-mail *Cost of AP Exam in May (Cost TBD)—Due in January. A+ 98-100 || B+ 88-89 || C+ 78-79 || D+ 68-69 || A 93-97 || B 83-87 || C 73-77 || D 63-67 || A- 90-92 || B- 80-82 || C- 70-72 || D- 60-62 || Each assignment is given a point value. In general, the more difficult and time consuming the assignment, the more points assigned. Final percentages are determined by the number of points a student has divided by the total number of points available during the semester. **Each quarter is worth 40%, with the semester exam worth 20%** Unless I say otherwise, **homework is due at the exact time given**. If you do not turn it in when due, you may turn it in one day late for ½ credit. *Portfolios cannot be turned in late. The idea behind this portfolio, and its extensive weight grade-wise, is to give you a chance to thoroughly work through many of the issues that surround the analytical writing process, especially when it’s timed. The portfolio also gives you the opportunity to really reflect on your own strategies as a writer, something most research suggests will improve one’s writing skills. After writing several in-class essays this quarter, you will be given the opportunity to revise **two papers**. Select the two that you feel will best represent your ability as a writer, not simply based on the score you received from me. All essays must be typed, double-spaced, and use MLA format. Please submit your initial draft. You will be asked to produce a portfolio every quarter, and prior to the 2 nd quarter/1 st semester, I will ask you to add a reflective analysis. For the reflective, use your lowstakes writing relating to companion pieces and writebacks, my comments, and the conference we had during the second quarter. Class policies follow district policies as outlined in the student handbook. Plagiarism, the intentional or unintentional copying of an author’s original work, is absolutely unacceptable in any form. This includes, but is not limited to, using ideas found in another student’s work, the Internet, or contemporary nonfiction (magazines, newspapers). It is also plagiarism if the words have been rearranged or altered. Essays may go through turnitin.com, an online database to check for academic honesty. *Please see student handbook for Academic Honesty policy. I rarely, if ever, give extra credit opportunities! Just wanted to wrap up by saying how excited I am to have you in my class. I also want to let the parents know that I truly look forward to working with you! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Please sign this portion of the letter, detach it, and return it to me by **Friday, September 5, 2008.** Student Name (Please Print)________________________________ Parent/Guardian Signature ________________________________ Date_______ I would also like your preferred email address to use on an AP parent listserv. This will be used to send out periodic (about once a month) newsletter-type reminders about what we’re doing in class, important dates, and general comments. I will not use this listserv to discuss particular students, and your individual emails will not be included when I send out group emails. *Please let me know if you prefer that I contact you via phone by including a current phone number below. Otherwise, I’ll contact you via e-mail.
 * Major Concepts:**
 * Please note that we will do independent reading all year long.**
 * Required Materials and Supplies: **
 * Grading Scale ** :
 * of the final semester grade. **
 * Late Work Policy: **
 * The Portfolio: **
 * Each portfolio will be worth approximately 50% of each quarter grade. **
 * No late portfolios will be accepted. **
 * Absence or Tardiness Policy: **
 * Plagiarism: **
 * Extra Credit: **
 * A Few Last Words **
 * Thank You! **
 * Yes! Include me on the listerv. My //e-mail// (//__please__// __print legibly__) **
 * __________________________________________. **