AP English Literature and Composition (Period 6) Assignments
- Instructors
- Term
- SPHS 2018-2019
- Department
- English
- Description
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Hello and welcome.Attached below is a template that can be used for the Dialectical Journal that will be submitted to Turnitin by the start of the year.NOTE THE FOLLOWING:---If you are in AP Lit/Period 4, you have the following TURNITIN login #s:-Class ID: 18336938-Key ID: 12342. If you are in AP Lit/Period 6, you have the following TURNITIN login #s:-Class ID: 18336949-Key ID: 1234And, for fun, I have attached a version of a class syllabus which should be mostly reliable (although meant to provide an overview and a sense of the course-not necessarily an actual blueprint).Feel free to email me with any questions or concerns.
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Upcoming Assignments
No upcoming assignments.
Past Assignments
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NOTICE (READ ENTIRE POST):
There are several people with an NA designation in Aeries as a place-holder for missing work. In certain cases, we have had discussions regarding a waiver of that required assignment; in most cases, there is no such understanding. NAs will be converted to ZEROS if the assignment is not submitted by the end of class on 5/30. If you do submit the work (for some, not full credit), you must let me know via email (and be specific as to which assignment has been submitted). In addition, several people have a 0 as a score for certain assignments. Those scores will remain unless the work is made up and submitted for some credit by the end of class on 5/31 (I'm assuming that most people have already decided to simply let the 0 scores stand). IT IS UP TO YOU TO ATTEND TO ZEROS OR NAs. CHECK AERIES. ANY NEWLY SUBMITTED WORK MUST BE IN BY THE END OF CLASS ON 5/30.
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FINAL EXAM
The final exam will be an AP-level multiple-choice test*. It will be in the same format as those you have taken during the year. As always, the exam will assess your mastery of literary analysis and responsiveness to prompts. The same study tools as previously recommended for those preparing for the AP exam will be of value with respect to this test. (See postings on Homework Page.)
*There may be a short "composition" based upon Heart of Darkness.
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NOTE TO ALL (ESPECIALLY AP TEST-TAKERS):
FOR THOSE WHO WERE NOT IN CLASS ON MONDAY, 5/6, THIS:
I DISTRIBUTED THE PEER-EDITED ESSAY YOU DID REGARDING THE POEM "THE CENTURY QUILT." IT HAS THE COMMENTS AND SCORING OF THE PEER EDITOR. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS ESSAY TO REVIEW AS PART OF YOUR PREPARATION FOR THE AP EXAM (OR FOR ANY REASON), PLEASE STOP BY THE ROOM AT ANY TIME, INCLUDING LUNCH, TO COLLECT IT.
LIKEWISE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE A HARD COPY OF THE ONE-PAGE AP TIPS GUIDE ATTACHED TO THE AP NOTICE POSTED 5/3, STOP BY THE ROOM FOR ONE.
And this: Those absent from class on 5/6 missed a brief discussion of "Heart of Darkness" and its frequent appearance on the AP exam as a text that could be used for Question #3-the Open Free-Response Essay*. We talked about the fact that the novella fell into the literary era of Early Modernism (a reflection of more experimental, untraditional writing-breaking from the orderliness of Victorian culture and acknowledging the need to represent the more chaotic reality of the world, e.g., The First World War, exploding scientific advancements). A recognized stylistic component of this new writing was stream-of-consciousness (a literary style in which a character's thoughts, feelings, and reactions are depicted in a continuous flow uninterrupted by objective description or conventional dialogue). In addition, we covered a common element of modernism: existentialism (a philosophical theory or approach which emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will-often addressing conflicting aspects of individualism, e.g., freedom, alienation, will, angst).
*Below find 4 typical AP Open Free-Response Essays (Question #3), each of which is deemed by the AP College Board as answerable by reference to Heart of Darkness:
1-In literary works, cruelty often functions as a crucial motivation or a major social or political factor. In Heart of Darkness, acts of cruelty are important to the theme. Write a well-developed essay analyzing how cruelty functions in the work as a whole and what the cruelty reveals about the perpetrator and/or victim.
Do not merely summarize the plot.
2-Many works of literature feature characters who have been given a literal or figurative gift. The gift may be an object, or it may be a quality such as uncommon beauty, significant social position, great mental or imaginative faculties, or extraordinary physical powers. Yet this gift is often also a burden or a handicap. Select a character from Heart Of Darknesswho has been given a gift that is both an advantage and a problem. Then write a well-developed essay analyzing the complex nature of the gift and how the gift contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.
Do not merely summarize the plot.
3-Many works of literature not readily identified with the mystery or detective story genre nonetheless involve the investigation of a mystery. In these works, the solution to the mystery may be less important than the knowledge gained in the process of its investigation. In Heart of Darkness, one or more of the characters confront a mystery. Write an essay in which you identify the mystery and explain how the investigation illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole.
Do not merely summarize the plot.
4-Many works of literature contain a character who intentionally deceives others. The character’s dishonesty may be intended either to help or to hurt. Such a character, for example, may choose to mislead others for personal safety, to spare someone’s feelings, or to carry out a crime.
In Heart of Darkness, a character deceives others. In a well-written essay, analyze the motives for that character’s deception and discuss how the deception contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.
Do not merely summarize the plot.
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AP TEST-TAKERS: PLEASE READ (THIS IS A RE-POSTING OF THE 5/3 NOTE)
It will come as no surprise to you to learn that I am tempted to load this posting up with a large number of documents that I think should be studied as a means to help you prepare for the exam (such as the stuff included on the very first posting of the year and the postings pertaining to the one exam you had this year covering chapters and handouts) AND direct you to all manner of sample essays and multiple-choice exams with scoring rubrics and scorers' comments and scores/answers that have been distributed and discussed over the year AND invite you to review those essays upon which I have made comments, as well as those that were peer-reviewed. Certainly I encourage you to do any or all of these things. HOWEVER, knowing that, ahem, many of you will simply "not be able" to undertake such a thorough approach, this:
1) I am attaching one document that at least reminds you, on one page, of the key do's and don'ts for the exam as regards the Free-Response Essays. (This document will also be handed out in class.)
2) There is one multiple-choice practice exam we did that comes straight from the College Board-it was given in one of the AP Lit. exams*. We reviewed this exam and you have it and the correct answers. Review it. Make certain that you understand why the correct answers are, in fact, the correct answers.
*That is the exam where the first 14 questions are from the poem "Remembrance."
3) In order to have source material for the 3d Free-Response Question, review all novels, novellas and plays that we read this year (Frankenstein, Bartleby the Scrivener, The Metamorphosis, Hamlet, Fences, Ethan Frome, Heart of Darkness). Note: While not a source of first choice, it might not be a bad idea to revisit briefly some of the short stories we covered, e.g., "The Dead"; "Babylon Revisited"; "Keela, the Outcast Indian Maiden." And finally, for those of you who feel comfortable with the poem, take another look at "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."
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NOTE NEW DATE
Read Heart of Darkness* (Joseph Conrad) by this date.
If you are unable to purchase the novella or check it out of the library, see the link to the book below.
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AP TEST-TAKERS: PLEASE READ
It will come as no surprise to you to learn that I am tempted to load this posting up with a large number of documents that I think should be studied as a means to help you prepare for the exam (such as the stuff included on the very first posting of the year and the postings pertaining to the one exam you had this year covering chapters and handouts) AND direct you to all manner of sample essays and multiple-choice exams with scoring rubrics and scorers' comments and scores/answers that have been distributed and discussed over the year AND invite you to review those essays upon which I have made comments, as well as those that were peer-reviewed. Certainly I encourage you to do any or all of these things. HOWEVER, knowing that, ahem, many of you will simply "not be able" to undertake such a thorough approach, this:
1) I am attaching one document that at least reminds you, on one page, of the key do's and don'ts for the exam as regards the Free-Response Essays. (This document will also be handed out in class.)
2) There is one multiple-choice practice exam we did that comes straight from the College Board-it was given in one of the AP Lit. exams*. We reviewed this exam and you have it and the correct answers. Review it. Make certain that you understand why the correct answers are, in fact, the correct answers.
*That is the exam where the first 14 questions are from the poem "Remembrance."
3) In order to have source material for the 3d Free-Response Question, review all novels, novellas and plays that we read this year (Frankenstein, Bartleby the Scrivener, The Metamorphosis, Hamlet, Fences, Ethan Frome, Heart of Darkness). Note: While not a source of first choice, it might not be a bad idea to revisit briefly some of the short stories we covered, e.g., "The Dead"; "Babylon Revisited"; "Keela, the Outcast Indian Maiden." And finally, for those of you who feel comfortable with the poem, take another look at "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."
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NOTE NEW DATE/SOCRATIC SEMINAR
READ ENTIRE POST-GROUP TOPICS ARE PRESENTED
-Be prepared for the seminar. Make certain that you have read the short story, the article about writing literary analysis and the article with guidelines for participation. Facilitators should also have read the guidelines for leading/facilitating a seminar. (See posting for 4/9 for materials.)
Group 1:
According to Welty, “Keela, the Outcast Indian Maiden,” included in her first collection,
A Curtain of Green and Other Stories (1941), grew from an oral exchange:
“Keela” (…) came about in a special way. In my job I would go to different county fairs and put up booths for the WPA. Once some of the people in the midway – I used to go outand drink coffee with them and so on – were talking about the sideshow act of something like “Keela, the Outcast Indian Maiden.” (…) it involved a little black person who had been carried off. Well, of course, my story is not about that; it’s about the moral response to it made by three different people. It troubled me so and I tried to write my story in response to that situation.
Please discuss the following:
Does Welty succeed in displaying a moral response by the three people she has in mind? If so, how, and are the responses different (morally speaking)?
Group 2:
In her essay “Reality in Chekhov’s Stories” (1989), Welty says that “It was not in Chekhov to deny any character in his stories the dignity and purity of singularity. He would have found it not only alien to his art but morally unjust to slur over a man–even a horse thief– as only an example of his class or sex or calling in life” (64).
Please discuss the following:
Do you find that Welty revealed each character to possess that dignity and purity of singularity to which she refers in her assessment of Chekhov?
Group 3:
At some point, Lee Roy is the watcher rather than the watched.
Please discuss the following:
What is that point in the story and what might it say about relative capacities?
Note: When considering "capacities," think in terms of the nature and character of both Steve and Little Lee Roy (and possibly Max in a more limited way) as regards their way of seeing the world around them, taking responsibility for matters which come under their influence, and making peace with wrongs they have suffered or perpetrated. While there are clues regarding these "capacities" throughout the story, look closely at the latter portion of the tale for some key revelations.
Group 4:
In an interview, asked if the ending signals a lack of communication, Welty answers: “Everybody is thinking about how he feels, Steve and Max and Little Lee Roy, to whom it happened. I just wanted to show how he felt by starting to tell the children. I think it was the children who are the ones that really knew the reality of it, that it was almost too terrible. They knew what it really was, what had happened to him, and they just don’t want to hear any more of it–it’s just too terrible. It was kind of a sign-off for the story, too. The whole thing was just too awful to contemplate."
Please discuss the following:
What is your take on the ending? Do you find it ambiguous? Is there a parallel between the storyteller at the end (Lee Roy) dealing with a reluctant audience and the difficulty Welty had getting this story published in 1940 (when two literary magazines rejected the story before a third one accepted it)?
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ANNOUNCEMENT/GROUP 3-SOCRATIC SEMINAR
FOR THOSE OF YOU ASSIGNED TO GROUP 3 FOR THE SOCRATIC SEMINAR, PLEASE SEE A "NOTE" THAT HAS BEEN ADDED TO YOUR QUESTION FOR POSSIBLE CLARIFICATION. IT IS LISTED ON THE ASSIGNMENT POSTED FOR 5/2.
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ANNOUNCEMENT/PLEASE READ ENTIRE POST
THREE MATTERS OF INTEREST:
1-I have re-curved the last multiple-choice exam (the one where some did fine and many did not so fine). In case you are wondering, I raised, not lowered, everyone's scores. It made a difference in the progress report grades for several students. This is a one-time deal.
2-Several students have missing assignments. They are reflected by either a 0 (which really does hurt your overall grade) or an N/A (which simply holds the place without you being penalized). Normally, for the last progress report, I simply enter a 0 for all missing assignments (so as to give you a realistic idea of where you stand approaching the semester grade); however, seeing how hectic this year seems to have become in terms of extra-curricular activities (and taking into account that amazing day on which so many of you were coincidentally simply unable to attend class-hope you all found a quick cure for what must have been a fast-moving...well, something), I have left many spots as NA for now. Please know that you must make up all NAs or 0s quickly if you hope to get any points for those assignments toward your semester grade. Absent the make-up work, all NAs will be converted to a 0 and all 0s will remain in place. If you make up an assignment, you must let me know via email so that I will be alerted to look for it.
3-PLEASE SEE IMMEDIATELY THE ASSIGNMENT POSTED FOR 4/30-SOCRATIC SEMINAR. GROUP TOPICS ARE PRESENTED. NOTE: YOU WILL HAVE CLASS TIME ON 4/26 TO WORK ON THIS PROJECT.
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Note re Make-up Work
Those of you who missed class on Monday, 4/15 and/or Wednesday, 4/17, must make up a timed-writing and a peer-editing re that timed-writing. The prompt and the text will be in the library, as will the lined paper on which you are to write your essay by hand. After you have submitted to the librarian the essay and prompt, we will work out the peer-editing part of the assignment. The essay must be written and submitted by Wednesday, 4/24, by the start of class.
**Return the prompt handout with your name at the top.
**Return the Essay with ONLY YOUR STUDENT ID AT THE TOP.
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NOTICE RE MAKE-UP WORK
1-Those who need to make up the exam that was given on 3/29 will find the materials in the library. The exam is NOT to be typewritten-it is to be handwritten on the lined paper attached to the test. (You may uncouple the lined paper from the test.) You need to submit both the exam and the answer sheet to the librarian upon completion; you have up to 90 minutes to finish. THIS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN THE LIBRARY BY 4/15.
2-Those who need to make up the work done in class on 4/9, please do the following:
Pull up your essay on Ethan Frome and review it closely. Then, according to the Rubric with which we have been working, give your paper both an AP score and a Gradebook score (0-30). In addition, write a paragraph similar to the ones written by AP scorers in terms of the reasoning behind your AP score. (See examples you have received as handouts or Google AP scorers' comments for The Mayor of Casterbridge (or some other AP-scored essay with scorers' commentary). Finally, submit this to Turnitin. THIS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO TURNITIN BY 4/17.
3-Explicate the poem "Ozymandias" (Shelley) and be prepared to discuss. (See poem linked below.)
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NOTICE re SOCRATIC SEMINAR-NOT AN ASSIGNMENT
NOTE: SEMINAR SET FOR 4/19 (SEE POSTING)-ALL DESIGNATED FACILITATORS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE
Due to popular demand (actually, in the pursuit of cheap, easy points), we will be holding some Socratic Seminars. Linked below find a very basic primer re the bare bones of participation in such a seminar. Many of you are quite comfortable with some version of this activity, but we will likely adhere to a traditional approach. Below find the "facilitators" who will lead groups in your class.
Also, attached below is a very brief description of the role of a Leader in a Socratic Seminar.
Leaders/Facilitators:
Period 4: Maylis, Kai, Oona, Alex
Period 6: Jonathan Z., Jean, Amanda, Sarah U.
Groups:
Per. 4
Group 1: Students 1-9 on Aeries Gradebook, including Kai Detman (Leader)
Group 2: Students 10-19 (minus Alex G-M), including Oona Foley (Leader)
Group 3: Students 20-27 plus Alex G-M (Leader)
Group 4: Students 28-36, including Maylis Whetsel (Leader)
Per. 6
Group 1: Students 1-8 on Aeries Gradebook plus Amanda Estevez (Leader)
Group 2: Students 9-18 (minus Amanda), including Jean Lih (Leader)
Group 3: Students 19-26 plus Sarah Uriarte (Leader)
Group 4: Students 27-36 (minus Sarah Uriarte), including Jonathan Zhu (Leader)
Additionally, the following: Below find both a linked article regarding close reading and literary analysis and a link to a short story by Eudora Welty ("Keela the Outcast Indian Maiden" @pgs. 74-88). These two documents will, in conjunction, be the subject matter of the seminar.
https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.184787/page/n93-"Keela the Outcast Indian Maiden"-pg. 74 of document
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🔵🔴NOTE NEWER NEW DATE! THIS EXAM WILL BE GIVEN WITH THE OTHER EXAM SCHEDULED FOR 3/29. YOUR STUDY FOR THAT EXAM WILL HELP YOU ON THIS ONE.
EXAM/RESPONDING TO POETRY AND PROSE PROMPTS
SEE MATERIALS ATTACHED BELOW.
NOTICE: With respect to the exam, it would behoove you to take particular note of the actual samples of prompt analyses that are included in the posted study materials.
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EXAM ON CONTENTS OF CHAPTERS 4, 5, 6, 8 AND 9.
TEXTS ARE ATTACHED BELOW.
Suggestion: Study closely the analysis that is done of particular prose, poetry and multiple-choice examples.
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NOTICE: With respect to the upcoming exam (3/29), it would behoove you to take particular note of the actual samples of prompt analyses that are included in the posted study materials.
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NOTE NEW DATE
EXAM/LITERARY TERMS
SEE DOCUMENT ATTACHED BELOW
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NOTE NEW DATE
Read Ethan Frome (Edith Wharton) by this date.
NOTE: If you do not choose to purchase a copy of the novella or obtain one from a library, the full text is attached below.
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Make-Up of In-Class essay written on 3/7
The prompt and the lined paper are in the library. The lined-paper is for the essay-it is to be handwritten. You have 45 minutes. On your essay you are to put only your Student ID #-no name. On the prompt sheet, which is also to be submitted to the librarian, put your name.
The essay must be completed before the start of class on this date.
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INFORMATION-NOT AN ASSIGNMENT
I have entered grades for two recent assignments: the Hamlet Soliloquy essay and the Multiple-Choice exam. As a result, overall grade averages, in many cases, took a bit of a hit. Both of the assignments were graded judiciously, i.e., carefully, and with an eye toward a real-life AP grading approach. The multiple-choice exam was slightly curved, although many people did better than previously (thus making gift points less appropriate). I created a bottom score that no one dropped below and added points to everyone's scores in order to acknowledge some of the crazy formulation used by the AP College Board. The fact that many students did quite well shows that the test was doable. The essay was graded slightly more stringently than past essays-consistent with the discussions we have had recently about much closer adherence to the AP rubric that all of you were told would be the criteria against which you should measure your work. There are comments on each of your papers (see Turnitin). Those comments are meant to be focused, highlighting some of the considerations that are outlined in the rubric. An AP score was awarded-meant to be mostly consistent with the criteria for those scores outlined in the rubric. An Aeries score was entered that was in the range described on the rubric for your AP score. NOTE: There will be many further assessments this semester that will create an opportunity for point accumulation and grade-building. It's just that it is time to pay attention to that rubric, which reveals nothing different than we have been discussing all year-only now, as we get down to the wire, you need to practice living by its dictates. You absolutely can do it.
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TIMED MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXAM
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Complete the reading of Hamlet/Free-Response Open Essay re Hamlet
**NOTE READING ASSIGNMENT DUE ON 3/5.**
Be sufficiently versed on this play such that you can write an essay in response to a Free-Response Open prompt (what they call "Question 3"). That means that this is a work that you will have chosen to master in anticipation of the Open Essay, i.e., a generic prompt that could be applicable to many works of classic literature (novel, play, lyric poem).
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Read and Annotate Hamlet/Act IV
Note: In class, you will be writing an AP Free-Response Essay in response to the following prompt:
Explain how Hamlet's soliloquy from Act IV, scene iv, lines 32-66 ("How all occasions do inform against me.......My thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth.") encompasses the larger themes in Hamlet and the universal truths that the play explores. (In that you have not completed reading the play, your response will be in terms of what you have learned through Act IV and what you reasonably believe are themes and truths that will prevail to the end.) Note: This is primarily an analysis piece you are composing, seeking to deeply explore the theme(s) you identify-do not become overly concerned with literary devices (although you should feel free to identify them and discuss their use where relevant and enriching). Of course, you may, and in fact should, provide supporting evidence from throughout the text (including up through the completion of the play if you have read that far).
Note: This essay will be submitted to Turnitin; analysis and the use of supporting text will be critical to assessing the merit of your work product.
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NOTICE: FOR PLANNING PURPOSES, PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
--MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXAM SET FOR 2/27
--EXAMS ON COMPOSITION/ANALYSIS SCHEDULED FOR 3/13, 3/19 AND 3/29
--READING ASSIGNMENTS DUE ON 3/5, 4/19 and 4/29
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Read and Annotate Hamlet/Act III; Submit to Turnitin a profound (or at least very, very interesting) question re that Act that would be worthy of class discussion (which you should be prepared to lead).
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BY POPULAR DEMAND: MORE OF THE MAYOR OF CASTERBRIDGE
In class we will be completing our response to the prompt we have been discussing. Every student need be prepared to contribute to the essay. You may be called upon to move the composition forward as it is evolving. You should have a general idea of where we left off and the direction in which we are headed; thus, finishing strong should be a piece of cake. We will then compare our essay with the one created by our sister AP Lit class. We will then submit both papers to an independent arbiter who will rank them. May the best team win.
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NOTICE: ANYONE WHO HAS NOT SUBMITTED A FINAL DRAFT/SELF-SCORED VERSION OF THE ESSAY RE THE MAYOR OF CASTERBRIDGE AND HAS ONLY SUBMITTED ONE TO THE FIRST SUBMISSION PORTAL ON TURNITIN HAS NOT COMPLETED THE ASSIGNMENT. YOU MUST SUBMIT TO THE FINAL DRAFT PORTAL AND NOTIFY ME THAT YOU HAVE DONE SO.
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Read, Annotate and Submit Thought Piece re Hamlet through Act II (Act 1, Scenes 4 and 5, and all of Act II)
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NOTICE: FOR PLANNING PURPOSES, PLEASE NOTE THE EXAMS SCHEDULED FOR 3/13 3/19 AND 4/11.
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Read and Annotate Hamlet through Act I, Scenes 1-3
-Submit Thought Piece to Turnitin
*Remember to submit your Thought Piece to Turnitin by the start of class.
Note: The specific instructions re the Thought Pieces can be found posted on the Homework Page for the date of 1/22. THE SUBMISSION SHOULD BE AS LONG AS IS NECESSARY TO SERIOUSLY ADDRESS THE ISSUE YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED. AND IT SHOULD BE IN PARAGRAPH FORMAT (NOT BULLET POINTS OR OUTLINE).
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HAMLET/"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
READ ENTIRE POST
I. Bring your copy of "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" to class this date. (If you don't have your copy, find the poem on the internet and print out a copy.)
II. MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU CHECK OUT A VERSION OF THE PLAY HAMLET FROM THE LIBRARY AND BRING YOUR COPY WITH YOU TO CLASS ON THIS DATE
YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO HAVE READ ANY OF IT!! (Yet.)
NOTE ABOUT SOME ASPECTS OF OUR WORK WITH THIS PLAY:
I. Re Annotating:
I need to be able to review your annotations. If you have your own copy of the play, you may, of course, make your annotations in the text. If you are using a library book, you may make annotations in the text if you use a pencil and are prepared to erase your markings when we are done working with the play. In either case, you may make your annotations on a separate word document and submit a hard copy.
It is insufficient to merely highlight (or underline in pencil if you are using a library book) dialogue or passages (although you can certainly do that if it helps you to quickly identify key moments in the play); you must make notes by any means that works for you re literary elements or techniques (as well as difficult language or plot developments) that warrant particular attention. This doesn't mean that you are required to constantly interrupt your reading to make annotations, but you do need to show that you are doing "close" reading.
You are invited to revisit the postings on the Homework Page (as well as handouts) re Annotating and Close Reading (as well as the Reader-Response Log and Guided-Discussion Worksheet) for annotation suggestions.
II. Re Thought Pieces:
"Thought Pieces" are short writings of a page or two that help to clarify thoughts prior to discussion. These efforts will be assessed based upon the degree to which they meet a standard of scholarly workmanship (really, just serious thinking). There are multiple starting points for a thought piece. You might begin by taking some theme or event in the work--or even a word or a line--and using it as a jumping off point to write about subjects or sticking points that it raises. No thesis or big conclusion is expected or even desirable. Just think through some interesting issues.
- You must write your Thought Piece on text that we have not yet discussed in class. That's the idea: You are doing the thinking before we do the discussing. (You may reference past reading/discussion, but the primary focus is on what we have not yet covered.)
- You will submit your Thought Piece to Turnitin prior to the class for which it is assigned.
- You will be the leader of the class discussion involving your Thought Piece.
So, this: While reading (and annotating), you will discover something that is worth "thinking about." You will then WRITE about it, submit that effort to Turnitin, and, ultimately, be prepared to lead a brief (but literary-wise sophisticated) class discussion.
III. Re Character Adoption:
Once we get started and have entered a bit into the play, you will be "adopting" one of the characters as your own. From that point forward, you will be responsible for speaking for the character you have chosen. As we work through the acts, if your character is involved in a scene being covered that day, you will be expected to inform the class re your character's significance in that scene. You are certainly free to use notes that you have prepared for yourself. Remember, you will be speaking about your character from that character's perspective/point of view. (It is quite likely that a different student (character) in that scene will be viewing things differently.)
NOTE: Being out of the scene, or even dead, does not let you off the hook. You may be called upon to share with the class your best guess as to where your character might be and what he/she might be thinking. (If you're dead, your exact location is, well, less important than your omniscient point of view.)
Therefore, this: Just dig in and own this play. Not a lot of heavy lifting is required so long as you get in the spirit of "...the thing*."
*Clue: The thing is more specifically identified at the very end of Act II, Scene 2.
We will discuss all of this in detail in class.
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Literary Passage/Prompt-READ ENTIRE POST
DUE BY START OF CLASS THIS DATE
SEE POSTING OF 1/9 FOR ASSIGNMENT DETAILS
NOTE: Consider employing some of the following Literary Devices/Elements* in the literary passage you are creating:
-Voice
-Mood
-Tone
-Point of View
-Characterization
-Setting
-Detail
-Diction
-Imagery
-Figurative Language, e.g., simile, metaphor, personification
-Foreshadowing
-Allusion
-Symbolism
-Syntax
-Structure
-Style
-Rhetorical Devices**, e.g., hyperbole, repetition, understatement, alliteration, anaphora, antithesis
*Discussion of each of these devices/elements can be found in the materials attached to the first Homework posting of the year.
**Rhetorical Devices are most closely associated with an effort to persuade, while Literary Devices are generally associated with the telling of a story. However, an author may choose to use rhetoric as part of his/her storytelling.
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AP Prose Passage and Prompt
**Submit literary passage and appendices as one document to Turnitin AND a hard copy of same in class by the start of class on 1/15**
The classes during this week (1/9 and 1/11) will be devoted to the following assignment:
You will compose an AP Free Response Question literary passage that will be modeled on passages you have dealt with both with respect to essay responses and multiple-choice exams. You will utilize literary elements in your composition that have been studied in this course. (Refer to classroom analyses of literature, Reader-Response Logs, Guided-Discussion Worksheets and any other source materials that discuss literary elements/devices attached to the first Homework page posting.) You will also compose an AP Free Response Prompt that addresses the passage you have created. You will submit to Turnitin, on one document, the following:
A) Your literary passage;
B) A list of literary elements you have employed with a brief description of their application to your story; and
C) Your AP-quality prompt** that will direct the reader re an essay about your passage.
**See the the attached compilation of AP Literature Prose Essay Prompts (1970-2012) for guidance.
After submission of your work, you may be asked to present your passage to the class and lead a discussion re a quality response to your invented prompt.
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Assignment
FINAL EXAM
PER. 4-12/20; PER 6-12/21
The Final will consist of two parts; to wit:
I. An AP Multiple-Choice exam.
II. An AP Free-Response “essay” that will have 2 segments:
1. The opening paragraph to your response to a given prompt; and
2. An outline* of your proposed discussion in the body of your essay responding to the given prompt, i.e., your analysis of the text in relation to the demands of the prompt, as well as the supporting evidence you would employ from the text.
This part (II) of the exam will be submitted to Turnitin as one Word document.
*There is flexibility regarding the format of your “outline”; however, you must make certain that it is clear as to what connections there are to be made between components of your composition, e.g., is X offered from the text to support point Y? Is Z an argument that is meant to flow from point Y?
Note: You will have the entire session (2 hours) to complete the test and may allot time as you see fit.
SUGGESTION: It is highly recommended that you a) study previous multiple-choice exams (and correct answers) in order to sharpen your sense of how best to understand and respond to the questions, b) review provided documents illustrating means of deconstructing prompts (something we have discussed ad nauseam (look it up)) and review sample answers and scorer's comments to refresh yourselves re the factors that comprise a well-written AP Free-Response essay.
Due:
Assignment
READ ENTIRE POST
NOTE; IF YOU HAVE ANY "N/A" DESIGNATIONS IN AERIES FOR ASSIGNMENTS THAT ARE MISSING, THOSE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BECOME A ZERO (0) IF THE WORK IS NOT SUBMITTED BY 12/18.
Due:
Assignment
Read and Annotate Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street (Herman Melville)*.
READ ENTIRE POST.
*See link below for PDF version of the text.
Note: Your annotations (which are to be done on a separate document and submitted to Turnitin by this date) need to reflect one supporting portion of the text as evidence of each of the following "prompts":
1-The intended purpose of the opening paragraph (What you learn. How the paragraph employs lawyerly language.)
2-The "character" of Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut
3-A foreshadowing of Bartleby's end
4-The first indication of Bartleby's "passive resistance" impacting the lawyer-narrator and how his "preferences" become part of the culture of the law office
5-A point at which the lawyer-narrator's responses to Bartleby (internal as well as external), and philosophy that "the easiest way of life is the best," change throughout the story
6-A point of humor in the story that work as either commentary or characterization
7-A suggestion that working in The Dead Letter Office impacted Bartleby's attitude toward life
8-The truth of who Bartleby is
Your annotations should include the numeral identifying the above-listed item that is being addressed, the full text you are offering and the page on which it is located. (Note: Make certain that your selected passages are responsive to the call of the "prompt.")
Due:
Assignment
BRING HARD COPY OF PEER-EDITING WORKSHEET TO CLASS.
Due:
Assignment
NOTE NEW DATE
READ/THE METAMORPHOSIS BY FRANZ KAFKA*
-VIEW ENTIRE POST
*A TEXT OF THE NOVELLA IS LINKED BELOW
RESPOND TO EACH OF THE BELOW 7 "PROMPTS" AND SUBMIT THOSE RESPONSES TO TURNITIN BY THIS DATE. Note: You may use the numeral preceding each "prompt" for the purpose of identifying it on your submission to Turnitin.
1-The point, after the novella's opening ("When Gregor Samsa awoke in his bed one morning from unquiet dreams, he found himself transformed into an enormous insect") at which you found yourself realizing the serious intent of the story.
2-A point at which Gregor's family treats him the same as before his metamorphosis and a point at which they treat him differently.
3-A detail of Gregor's working life that could be considered contributory to his metamorphosis (think in terms of alienation and isolation).
4-A point at which 2 character's reaction to Gregor's metamorphosis help flesh out their individual character (one point for each of the 2 characters).
5-A point at which you find that humor is employed by Kafka to further themes that he is developing.
6-A point at which 2 characters other than Gregor undergo transformation (one point for each of 2 characters).
7-A point of noteworthy "poignancy" (the quality of evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret).
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Assignment
BRING HARD COPY OF YOUR "THE CENTURY QUILT" ESSAY. REMEMBER, IT IS TO ONLY HAVE YOUR STUDENT ID # (NO NAME).
Note: Below find the following:
1) The worksheet to be used for the editing feedback and submitted to Turnitin;
2) The prompt (Question #1) to which the essay was responding; and
3) The AP rubric for this prompt, sample student essays and scorer's commentary on 3 of those essays.
Due:
Assignment
NOTE: TODAY YOU WILL BE, IN CLASS, EXPLICATING A POEM: "THE LOVE SONG OF J. ALFRED PRUFROCK" (ELIOT)*. You will submit your notes to Turnitin at the end of class; they may be in the format of bullet points, an outline, a graphic organizer...or any other means that works for you. You will not be alone in the world if you consult outside resources to get a handle on this work. The objective is for you to become literate re this poem. Next class (12/14) you will be working in groups to share your findings and come to some consensus re what the poem is saying. Your notes, as submitted this date, will be reviewed. For the group work to be done on 12/14 (see below), you will submit the group consensus explication of the poem to Turnitin. NOTE: Do not submit some generalized summary of this poem-to explicate is to, in essence, break down every word, phrase, allusion and figure of speech, as well as grasp the meaning of all that is being said (as best you are able).
So, on this date you will do your own work on the poem (to be submitted to Turnitin), on the 14th you will work in groups to arrive at a consensus explication (to be submitted to Turnitin-one submission per group by your notetaker, with each group member's name on the document) and on the 18th you will either write about the poem (in response to a prompt) or, as a group, respond to questions regarding the poem that will be drawn from a hat.
*The poem is attached below. And a copy will be provided in class.
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Assignment
ATTENTION EVERYONE: DISREGARD THIS ASSIGNMENT! BRING COPIES OF HAMLET TO CLASS ON TUESDAY, 11/6. WE NEED TO RETURN THEM TO THE LIBRARY; ANOTHER CLASS HAD A PREVIOUS CLAIM TO THE TEXTS. SEE THE NEW ASSIGNMENT POSTED FOR 11/12.
HAMLET
READ ENTIRE POST
Read and Annotate Hamlet through Act I, Scenes 1-3; Submit Thought Piece # 1 to Turnitin*
*Remember to submit your Thought Piece to Turnitin by the start of class.
Note: The specific instructions re the Thought Pieces can be found below (II). THE SUBMISSION SHOULD BE AS LONG AS IS NECESSARY TO SERIOUSLY ADDRESS THE ISSUE YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED. AND IT SHOULD BE IN PARAGRAPH FORMAT (NOT BULLET POINTS OR OUTLINE).
NOTE ABOUT SOME ASPECTS OF OUR WORK WITH THIS PLAY:
I. Re Annotating:
I need to be able to review your annotations. If you have your own copy of the play, you may, of course, make your annotations in the text. If you are using a library book, you may make annotations in the text if you use a pencil and are prepared to erase your markings when we are done working with the play. In either case, you may make your annotations on a separate word document and submit a hard copy.
It is insufficient to merely highlight (or underline in pencil if you are using a library book) dialogue or passages (although you can certainly do that if it helps you to quickly identify key moments in the play); you must make notes by any means that works for you re literary elements or techniques (as well as difficult language or plot developments) that warrant particular attention. This doesn't mean that you are required to constantly interrupt your reading to make annotations, but you do need to show that you are doing "close" reading.
You are invited to revisit the postings on the Homework Page (as well as handouts) re Annotating and Close Reading (as well as the Reader-Response Log and Guided-Discussion Worksheet) for annotation suggestions.
II. Re Thought Pieces:
"Thought Pieces" are short writings of a page or two that help to clarify thoughts prior to discussion. These efforts will be assessed based upon the degree to which they meet a standard of scholarly workmanship (really, just serious thinking). There are multiple starting points for a thought piece. You might begin by taking some theme or event in the work--or even a word or a line--and using it as a jumping off point to write about subjects or sticking points that it raises. No thesis or big conclusion is expected or even desirable. Just think through some interesting issues.
- You must write your Thought Piece on text that we have not yet discussed in class. That's the idea: You are doing the thinking before we do the discussing. (You may reference past reading/discussion, but the primary focus is on what we have not yet covered.)
- You will submit your Thought Piece to Turnitin prior to the class for which it is assigned.
- You need to be prepared to lead a class discussion involving your Thought Piece.
So, this: While reading (and annotating), you will discover something that is worth "thinking about." You will then WRITE about it, submit that effort to Turnitin, and, ultimately, be prepared to lead a brief (but literary-wise sophisticated) class discussion.
III. Re Character Adoption:
Once we get started and have entered a bit into the play, you will be "adopting" one of the characters as your own. From that point forward, you will be responsible for speaking for the character you have chosen. As we work through the acts, if your character is involved in a scene being covered that day, you will be expected to inform the class re your character's significance in that scene. You are certainly free to use notes that you have prepared for yourself. Remember, you will be speaking about your character from that character's perspective/point of view. (It is quite likely that a different student (character) in that scene will be viewing things differently.)
NOTE: Being out of the scene, or even dead, does not let you off the hook. You may be called upon to share with the class your best guess as to where your character might be and what he/she might be thinking. (If you're dead, your exact location is, well, less important than your omniscient point of view.)
Therefore, this: Just dig in and own this play. Not a lot of heavy lifting is required so long as you get in the spirit of "...the thing*."
*Clue: The thing is more specifically identified at the very end of Act II, Scene 2.
We will discuss all of this in detail in class.
Due:
Assignment
ATTENTION: BRING FRANKENSTEIN (THE NOVEL, NOT THE DOCTOR) TO CLASS. (THIS IS NOT A CLUE THAT THERE WILL BE A WRITING ASSIGNMENT THIS DATE.) THE FENCES PRESENTATIONS WILL BE MADE ON FRIDAY.
NOTE: NOTETAKERS FROM FENCES GROUP WORK SUBMIT NOTES TO TURNITIN.
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Assignment
Read, annotate and be prepared to write about the play Fences (linked below).
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Assignment
Fences-Group Work
This assignment is primarily one concerning literary analysis (including effective utilization of literary devices). You will work in your groups today to prepare for the in-class presentations (which will be on 10/24). When preparing, attend to the following:
1-Respond to every element of your assigned prompt;
2-Ensure that each group member contributes to the response, (and that there is no repetition);
3-Ensure that the your discussion includes evidence from the text to support your analysis; and
4-Be prepared to take questions re both your analysis and the writing itself.
NOTE: THE PROMPTS ARE ATTACHED BELOW
*NOTE: SEE THE ATTACHED RUBRIC. MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOUR GROUP IS PREPARED TO MAKE A SMOOTH PRESENTATION, SATISFYING THE CRITERIA.
Due:
Assignment
NOT AN ASSIGNMENT-AN OFFER OF A DEFENSE
In Defense of an Answer
My defense of Answer D (as opposed to Answer A, the apparent class preference) for Question 8 on the Multiple-Choice exam (based upon a passage from “Civil Peace” by Chinua Achebe), is as follows:
The Question:
The people in the passage are characterized chiefly by description of their
- A) clothes and belongings
- B) thoughts
- C) dialogue with each other
- D) actions
- E) dreams and hopes
Nothing in the 1st paragraph seems to apply to either A or D. In the 2nd paragraph, although there was much description of the soldier’s clothing, it was typical and thus not revealing of anything unique about the soldier’s character. On the other hand, Jonathan’s decision to offer a bribe (ACTION), based upon his observation of the soldier’s “lack of grip and firmness in his manner,” reveals Jonathan’s nature-one who stays focused in difficult circumstances and is always ready to exploit an opportunity. He is shown to be a sharp judge of character; by retrieving the money he was going to use for income-production, he succeeded in keeping his bicycle. He is shown not only to be smart about people, but also someone who knows how to prioritize. He then buried (ACTION) his bike, not only to preserve it for better days (revealing that he is someone who, in a situation that some would find hopeless, is optimistic, or confident, or filled with faith, or all of these things, and practical and strong enough to be willing to face the burial spot of his son in order utilize the best hiding spot for his bike (also more likely to remember, when things are all over, where the bike is to be found). In the 3d paragraph he uses the bike as a taxi (ACTION) to ferry “camp officials” to a destination, thus showing that he is entrepreneurial (as well as cheeky given the rate he charged). In the 4thparagraph, Jonathan first beats his neighbors to the resources lying around in order to reinforce his house (ACTION) AND secures the services of a carpenter to do the repairs (ACTION), indicating a very resilient, focused personality. In addition, he moved his family back into the house (ACTION). In the 5thparagraph we see his entire family launch into action to restart their lives (his wife, kids and himself (using his bike to gather the goods to open a bar)), giving us some insight into all of them. In the final paragraph, we see Jonathan searching out news of the current status of things, ultimately running his “palm-wine” bar. Thus, overall, we learn, through his actions, that he is clearly made of sterner stuff.
NOTE: I realize that the question references “people,” i.e., not just Jonathan-but Jonathan is the main character and the focus really is primarily on him.
Am I overselling? Your disagreement with my position is welcome; please feel free to chime in.
Due:
Assignment
NOTE NEW DATE
Read/Annotate/Reader-Response Log*
-"Babylon Revisited" (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
-"The Dead" (James Joyce)
*The Reader-Response Log (attached below) should address both "Babylon Revisited" and "The Dead" and be submitted to Turnitin. (Use the first 8 categories for "Babylon Revisited" and the remaining 4 categories (plus 3) for "The Dead," thus employing 15 distinct categories between the two pieces.)
Note: The two short stories are linked below.
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Assignment
READ ENTIRE POSTING
Notice: You may have until THE START OF CLASS today (Friday) to submit your "Frankenstein" essay. Prompts are in the library.
All Students: Bring your copy of Frankenstein to class.
Due:
Assignment
Vocabulary Exam
NOTE: BRING YOUR COPIES OF FRANKENSTEIN TO CLASS
Know, and be able to use properly, the words listed in sections III, VIII, XI, and XIV on the Vocabulary document attached below. Note: While the definitions offered on that document are valid, it would behoove you (be appropriate or suitable) to make certain that you have a sense as to how those words are actually used. (So, if it's a close call, explore examples of usage.)
Due:
Assignment
NOTICE: TO ALL WHO MISSED THE IN-CLASS ESSAY WRITTEN ON 10/4, THERE ARE COPIES OF THE PROMPT IN THE LIBRARY. YOU MUST COMPLETE THIS ASSIGNMENT NO LATER THAN TUESDAY, 10/9, IN THE LIBRARY. YOU WILL HAVE 70 MINUTES TO MAKE PREWRITING NOTES ON THE PROMPT SHEET AND COMPLETE THE ESSAY. RETURN THE PROMPT SHEET TO THE LIBRARIAN AND SUBMIT THE ESSAY TO TURNITIN.
Due:
Assignment
Read/Annotate
SEE NOTE BELOW
-Read and annotate to conclusion of Frankenstein (Shelley) and be prepared to write re the novel. BRING YOUR COPY OF THE TEXT TO CLASS.
Note: Your annotations are not to be in the Reader-Response Log format; they are regular annotations that you would make for your benefit in accomplishing a close reading of the text. For annotation suggestions, see the guide attached to the first posting on the Homework Page.
Due:
Assignment
NOTICE: FOR PLANNING PURPOSES, NOTE THE ASSIGNMENT POSTED FOR 10/22.
Due:
Assignment
Read/Annotate "The Bistro Styx" (Dove) and "The Pomegranate" (Boland) and be prepared to write an essay comparing and contrasting the two poems*.
*Please make certain to
a) review the "Compare and Contrast" document attached to 8/17 posting, and
b) do a bit of research on the mythological allusion central to both poems.
See poems attached below.
Due:
Assignment
Read/Annotate/Reader-Response Log-Due this date
Read through Chapter 8 of Frankenstein (Shelley), maintaining a Reader-Response Log*. Be prepared to respond to this portion of the text.
*The Reader-Response Log should address all of the first 8 chapters of Frankenstein and be submitted to Turnitin. (See the below-posted guide to the Reader-Response Log.) TO CLARIFY: There should be a total of 15 entries covering those 8 chapters (not 15 entries per chapter).
Note: A full version of the novel is available online. (And we have copies in the library.)
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Assignment
Read and Annotate "Transformations"* (Hardy)
Note comments below
A poem's tone, in common definition, reveals the writer's attitude toward a subject (sarcasm, irony, awe, dread, anger, etc.) For example, John Donne, in "The Canonization," manifests anger in the opening line: "For Godsake hold your tongue and let me love!" Good poetry makes tone (and shifts in tone) ascertainable (discoverable with certainty). In "Transformations," Hardy, via his speaker, presents rich tone. Note the tone(s) by walking in the shoes of the narrator and "feeling" his frame of mind as he contemplates the yew tree, thought by thought.
Annotate the poem in terms of tone and submit your "take" re that literary element in the form of evidence-based commentary to Turnitin.
*See the poem attached below.
And note: Feel free to take a look at the discussion of Tone in the "Literary Elements..." handout. (A hint: the author of the example offered in the handout (part of an essay about Africa) might be said to be presenting a sardonic tone (grimly mocking or cynical)...or not.)
Due:
Assignment
Read and respond to "We Are Seven" (Wordsworth)
Below find attachments:
-Poem ("We Are Seven")
-Prompts*
*Respond to each of the prompts and submit to Turnitin. Responses need only be long enough to fully cover the demands of the prompt. Use evidence from the text to support your assertions.
Due:
Assignment
Submit Dialectic Journal/Read Essay
Turnitin Access Codes
I. Submit Summer Reading Dialectical Journal to Turnitin
NOTE: TURNITIN ACCESS CODES:
Period 4
Class ID: 18336938
Key ID: 1234
Period 6
Class ID: 18336949
Key ID: 1234
II. Read the essay "How Does a Poem Mean?" by John Ciardi*.
*See link to the essay below.
Due:
Assignment
NOT AN ASSIGNMENT
RESOURCES
HELLO AND WELCOME. IT IS GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON BOARD.
NOTE: ATTACHED ARE RESOURCES THAT WILL BE OF GENERAL INTEREST AND/OR RELEVANT TO UPCOMING WORK. OTHER THAN THE SYLLABUS, THERE IS NO NEED TO REVIEW ANY OF THE ATTACHMENTS UNTIL NOTIFIED; I JUST WANT THEM EASILY ACCESSIBLE WHEN NEEDED.
- APLit.Notes:Potpourri.docx
- AP-LITCOMPARE AND CONTRAST ESSAY WRITING.docx
- ARISTOTLE'S ELEMENTS OF TRAGEDY.docx
- APlitAnnotating PoetryandProse-CloseReading.docx
- AP #3Syllabus-STUDENTVERSION-Literature-2018-2019.docx
- APLIT-GUIDEDDISCUSSION:Modified.docx
- Aristotle's Poetics.docx
- APlitreaderresponse#2-annotationguide-2 copy-11.docx
- AP-LITNON-NEGOTIABLES.docx
- APPeer-EditingWorksheet-Example#2.pdf
- APPeer-EditingWorksheet-4.docx
- ap-lit-SomeLiteraryDevices.docx
- apliteratureTERMS_and_composition_literary_terms_list.doc
- VOCABULARY.pdf
- LITERARY ELEMENTS-COMMENTARY.pdf
- APPeer-EditingWorksheet:Example #1.pdf
- ap-litRUBRIC OF ALL RUBRICS:revisedpeeredit.docx