2015-16 AP Literature and Composition Syllabus (<--click for version in Word)
Instructor: Ms. Dame
Course Overview
Every author we will read has tried to explain or depict
some aspect of this beautiful, absurd state of being in which we find
ourselves. The books we read in this
class each address a big question: What does it mean to become your self? Is there a difference between our natural and
our fully-realized self? How do our
experiences propel us toward or disable us from becoming our selves? What is the relationship between our selves
and the world we are dropped into by the circumstance? Literature, as I hope you will see, is the
perfect prism for looking at these questions.
Great literature is a conversation about the mystery of human existence.
In this course, you will be expected to join that
conversation. To do so, you need to learn
to do two things better than you have ever done them: read and write.
Of course, an equally important objective is to prepare you
for the AP Literature and Composition Exam.
But, luckily, our objectives are entwined. By practicing the type of close reading and
trenchant analysis required of the exam, you will necessarily also develop
college-level reading and writing skills, and immerse yourself in the topics of
our great books.
Assignments
Each marking period, you will be expected to complete short,
well-developed summaries on a regular basis in class, write two in-class
essays, and take several multiple-choice and vocabulary quizzes. In addition, you need to keep up with the
reading.
I often post helpful information on the course blog,
lincolnaplit.blogspot.com.
Grading
Classwork 60%
Includes: Do Nows, in-class reading responses,
multiple-choice assignments
Homework 10%
Includes: well-developed paragraph responses to prompts
on the reading, vocabulary assignments, other forms of reading responses
Projects, Essays and Quizzes 30%
Includes: multiple-choice exams, essays, reading
quizzes, multi-day class projects
