Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
English Literature Syllabus
Grammar
1. Students will demonstrate mastery in recognition of grammatical and
punctuation errors. Through selfediting and revision of essays and
research projects, students will demonstrate college level skills.
2. Students will practice choosing correct and sophisticated grammatical
constructions through study of literary models. Our study of major
English and American poets, as well as selected poets from different
ethnic groups, and of short stories, plays, and novels will focus on
linguistic analysis of grammatical constructions.
3. Students will choose appropriate and effective grammatical constructions
for collegelevel clarity, coherence, and parallelism in written work.
4. Students will manipulate grammatical constructions to improve creativity
and fluency in original pieces.
Composition
1. Students will write an effective college application essay suitable for a highly
competitive college.
2. Students will practice formal, semiformal, and personal writing through
purpose oriented compositions. The term will begin with students writing a
literacy autobiography, which recalls their journey to literacy in both reading
and writing. The autobiography will serve as an assessment tool as well as
a selfexploration and reflection for the students. In addition, the course
continually requires writing to understand: informal, exploratory writing to
help the students discover themselves in the writing process. For example,
students will illuminate their responses to Janie Crawford’s journey in Their
Eyes Were Watching God by keeping a journal of personal experience with
and reflections on the hypocrisy of the “porch sitters” in their own lives, their
own deviations from the norm in dress, and their acceptance or rejection of
Janie’s belief in the divine spark in each soul. Parts of the journal will be
shared with the class. Students will reflect on the contemporary nature of
the themes in A Doll House and relate them to modern day gender roles
and relationships. Additional assignments include annotations on Hamlet’s
treatment of Ophelia in the tragedy, with particular attention to the play
scene in Act III. Another Hamlet assignment will include an indepth
application of psychoanalytic theory and its elucidation of the meaning and
purpose of the play. Also, students will write a response/reaction to Ethan
Frome’s infatuation with his wife’s cousin and to his failed suicide attempt at
the novel’s climax. At least once every month, students will be given a
freewriting assignment to enhance writing comfort, creativity, and relevance.
Sharing these with the class will be encouraged but not demanded, and
they will not be graded for accuracy. Students are encouraged to keep a
journal that delineates new vocabulary and writing techniques along with
brainstorming on topics discussed in class or from personal experience as
an impetus for further writing both in and out of class.
3. Students will adapt the essay format introduction, body, and conclusion for
the purposes of each assignment and will use thesis/thematic statement,
topic sentence, clincher sentence, and transitional words effectively. Stress
will be placed on conclusion that hone in on the thesis while making a
strong, final statement that has universal, beyondthework application.
Topics will be mainly literary. Both short timed essays and longer formally
prepared essays will be stressed. Exemplary essays with a variety of styles
and techniques will be shared with the whole class with the end of learning
new strategies from other students.
4. The course includes frequent opportunities for students to write and rewrite
formal extended analyses and timed, inclass responses. Many of the
weekly essays are timed to fifty minutes in response to a former AP prose or
poetry prompt, while about one/third are devoted to analysis of works and
poems studied in class. The term paper requires a 1015 page study of a
major literary work, focusing on a variety of interpretations from critical
sources (at least twelve) and culminating in the student’s own argument
based on textual evidence. In both timed and home writing assignments,
students will evaluate the writing process and argue elements of the work’s
artistry and quality and its social and cultural values. Assignments done
outside of class will generally be longer and more fully developed and cited.
For example, students will explain the allegorical and cultural implications of
Hurston and Ibsen’s works and, in contrast, the pessimistic portrayal of the
human experience in the works of Wharton and Conrad.
5. Students will vary diction, syntax, and other stylistic devices to polish
sophistication of style. Examination of critical theory and literary models will
enhance student mastery of technique and development of an individual
style. Critical theories will include structuralism, biographical and
sociological background study, feminist theory, Marxist theory,
deconstruction, mythological/ archetypal theory, psychological theories of
Freud, Jung and Adler, and reader response.
6. Students will practice composition and selfediting skills in timed and
untimed environments. The timed essays will be generated from AP
questions and from the major works studied. Students will write about one
essay per week. Most weekly inclass compositions will be followed by a
rewrite allowing a more thorough analysis and polishing of the student’s
writing style. Student papers will be shared as models of effective literary
analysis and will be used to generate lively discussion focusing on
constructive criticism. Students write at least one timed writing every one to
two weeks, followed by a revised essay, and at least two longer essays
every six weeks requiring preparation at home. All essays emphasize
textual evidence as the basis for analysis.
7. Students will write interpretations of literature based on careful observation
of the work’s textual details, considering structure, style, and themes.
Students will bring to class the first day a study guide on Metamorphosis
and Their Eyes Were Watching God. The teacher will use student
responses as a model for incorporation of textual evidence into an essay.
Students will be asked to find additional quotes to support the goals of the
study guide and to practice analyzing and applying them effectively to the
targeted concept in small groups. Students will also work in groups on oral
and written reports covering at least four aspects of each major work
studied during the year in prose, drama, and longer poems including
structure, setting, character, themes, and style. After presentation of the
reports, students will write an inclass essay on one of the topics. Use of
quotations from the texts is required and must be combined with analysis. A
short story boot camp including a study of at least eight different short
stories starting the third week of school will allow students to generate
several short essays focusing on indepth analysis and insightful choice of
quotations targeted to each individual piece. The research paper in January
requires a student to combine critical analyses of one literary work with
his/her own examination of the text to present varied interpretations and to
argue a valid interpretation based on the author’s background, word choice,
syntax, and imagery.
8. Students will write an interpretation of pieces of literature based on a careful
observation of the work’s textual details, considering the social and
historical values it reflects and embodies. Part of the summer reading
assignment requires a sociological and biographical overview of the author’s
milieu and fictional setting. Class discussion on the social/political/personal
forces affecting Zora Neale Hurston’s work will be followed by student
taught reports on Henrik Ibsen and the Victorian climate pictured in A Doll
House. Students will also explore Edith Wharton’s life experiences and
philosophy as reflected in Ethan Frome and the myriad social, intellectual,
and philosophical issues impacting Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of
Darkness. Following the discussion of each major literary work, students
will use textual evidence to argue incorporation of social and historical
forces in an essay on each work. Library research on the authors’ literary
periods, reports on at least two critical essays per major work, and the
student’s own textual investigation are expected. The research paper also
will include relevant social and historical data pertinent to interpretation.
9. Students will write interpretations of literature based on careful observation
of the work’s textual details, considering such elements as the use of
figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone. The course will open
with a study of short stories by such writers as Raymond Carver, Alice
Walker, Flannery O’Connor, Katherine Anne Porter, Tim O’Brien, Tillie
Olsen, and James Joyce. Through lecture, class discussion, and
worksheets focusing on use of imagery and symbolism and their relation to
tone in prose, the students will hone their analytical skills. Most of the
weekly inclass or out of class compositions requires sophisticated
analysis of these literary devices as part of the assignment. The Poetry Unit
in the winter will extend these creative concepts to narrative, lyric, and
dramatic poetry from the English and American canon, as well to poetry
from different ethnic and modern perspectives. Each student will be
assigned two poems to explicate to the class, culminating in several essays
from the AP testing material and from the class assignments that require
extensive analysis of imagery, symbolism, diction, and tone.
10. Students will be guided through the writing process. At the beginning of the
course, and as needed as the class progresses, the teacher will preface
each assignment with a discussion of expectations, a grading rubric, and
suggestions for preparation, which may include guided brainstorming.
Every graded paper (excluding most freewriting assignments) will offer
extensive feedback on analytical, organizational, and style successes and
concerns. Usually, a successful student response will be shared with the
class culminating in an assessment of the paper’s strengths. The teacher
will stress the need to balance generalization and insight with specific,
illustrative detail mainly through class examinations of timed essays in
response to AP prompts but also in student ledexplications and group
reports. Although rewrites are required for any essay given an AP score of
6 or below, students will always be offered a rewrite opportunity for any
essay. The term paper also requires that students use textual evidence as
the basis for any generalizations or insights.
Vocabulary
1. Students will focus on vocabulary building by using literary texts for
inspiration. Sophistication and effect of vocabulary choice will be
expected in compositions, class discussion, and oral reports.
2. Students will practice appropriate use of a thesaurus in homework
assignments.
3. Students will continually review vocabulary related to literary elements,
style, and tone with the goal of gaining proficiency in applying this
vocabulary to the analysis of literary works.
SAT and AP Preparation
1. Students will practice Verbal Sections of the new SAT to enhance
proficiency on sentence completion and grammatical aspects of the writing
and critical reading areas.
2. Students will use the A.P. multiple choice workbook to prepare for the
single and paired critical reading sections. Released tests from the
College Board 1987, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2004 will be given in both
informal and formal settings. Strategies and skills will be individualized for
each student via conferences with the teacher.
3. APstyle multiple choice questions based on literary pieces under study
will be used to review AP exam strategies while also serving as a vehicle
for indepth analysis of the targeted work.
4. Students will practice timed writings for the essay section of the SAT
based on questions from previous years.
5. APstyle essay prompts will be created based on the focus of our analysis
of select literary pieces.
Reading Comprehension and Analysis
1. Students will explore the background and trends in world literature from
the Renaissance to the present, emphasizing English and American works
and including ethnic literature.
2. Students will recognize purpose, character, plot, tone, theme, and style in
prose literature studied and be able to express these concepts in a critical
manner using literary terminology.
3. Students will recognize structure, style, persona, theme, and other literary
devices in poetry studied, with an emphasis on changes in poetic theory
and practice from the classical age to the modern age.
4. Various strategies for literary analysis, such as SOAPS and TPCASTT
will be applied to increase comprehension and critical thinking skills.
5. Students will practice written literary analysis in an independent fashion
and according to different modes of literary criticism with an emphasis on
textual (structural) criticism.
6. Students will tackle increasingly difficult prompts from previous A.P. tests
to enhance evaluation of a variety of genres and styles. Focus will be on
determining meaning and style in single prompts and comparison and
contrast prompts.
7. Students will apply comprehension skills to both multiple choice and essay
questions based on previous A.P. tests.
Creative Writing
1. Students will create poetry both individually at home and from inspirational
exercises in class. Some will be shared orally with the class. Some
poems will be free form while others must conform to certain types, such
as the sonnet, sestina, or villanelle.
2. Students will submit creative work to the school literary magazine and to
contests and publications. Students will organize the literary magazine,
accept editorial duties, and create the final product using InDesign.
3. Students will freewrite in their journals using prompts developed from the
literature and/or historical and cultural time period being studied in class.
4. Students will be given various strategies and techniques to incorporate
into their creative writing endeavors, such as showing rather than telling
and developing comprehensive characterizations based on sociological,
physiological, emotional, and cultural characteristics.
5. Students will model creative pieces based on the literary styles of
renowned authors and poets.
Research Skills
1. Students will research and compose a scholarly 1015page
research/literary analysis investigating a least two critical approaches to a
major literary work. The paper will conclude with the student’s
interpretation of key critical areas based on textual analysis. This
assignment stresses the balance of generalization with textual evidence.
At least 12 sources and the use of collegelevel research tools and
libraries will be required. Students will be given access to Old Dominion
University Library for use of their reference materials.
2. Students will review assessment of research material, with an emphasis
on collegelevel sources and controversial arguments. Use of scholarly
and reputable sources will be demanded.
3. Students will effectively use and cite quoted and paraphrased material.
Instruction will be given in the MLA, APA, and footnotes formats.
4. Students will search background material on authors, literary periods, and
works independently.
5. A class website (Wikispace) and pathfinder will be set up for students to
facilitate research endeavors and disseminate useful tips in the research
process.
6. In addition to the large research paper, students will complete several
shorter research assignments to enhance comprehension and
appreciation of literary works studied in class. For example, students will
research Ibsen’s life and times as a vehicle to further comprehension of
his play A Doll House.
Speech
1. Students will improve effectiveness of oral presentation in group projects
focusing on major novels, plays, and poetry studied in class.
2. Students will improve effectiveness and comfort level of individual oral
presentation in formal, extemporaneous, and impromptu speeches.,
including one defending their term paper thesis.
3. Students will orally present creative poems and select creative pieces
from their journals.
4. Students will organize and teach lessons in preparation for the open
question on the A.P. Literature Exam. These lessons must include insight
based on specific textual evidence.
Evaluation and Assessment:
Teachers develop a plan for evaluation and assessment in the following ways:
1. Class discussion (informal and formal assessment of student
preparation and contribution)
2. Student oral performance on group and individual reports
focusing on the major works studied
3. Student competency on timed writings on prose and poetry
prompts
4. Student competency on multiple choice questions from previous
A.P. tests, teachercreated APstyle multiple choice questions,
studentcreated APstyle multiple choice questions, and from
workbooks
5. Acceptable completion of the term paper steps and creation of a
final product (requirement for graduation)
6. Student performance on outofclass essays and rewrites of
varying purposes and length. Essays will cover tone, purpose,
point of view, shifts, structure, and other language issues in
poetry, prose, and drama. Other compositions will focus on
writing for a purpose descriptive, argumentative, editorial, etc
7. Student mastery of a sophisticated, correct, and individual style of
writing.
8. Student ability to pair generalization with concrete and specific
textual evidence
Resources:
College Board
Media Center Staff and Library facilities
Technology Staff
Local college libraries
Textbooks:
The Official SAT Study Guide College Board
th
Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing, 5 edition ( includes Hamlet and A Doll
House and poetry from the Renaissance to modern times)
Multiple Choice Questions in Preparation for the A.P. English Literature
Examination
A Guide to MLA Documentation
Critical Encounters in High School English, Appleman
Paperbacks:
Metamorphosis
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Ethan Frome
Heart of Darkness
A Prayer for Owen Meany
Poetry:
Shakespeare, Milton, Donne, Gray, Shelley, Byron, Wordsworth, Keats,
Browning, Arnold, Tennyson, Hardy, Hopkins, Yeats, Auden, Heaney,
Dickinson, Poe, Whitman, Sandburg, Frost, Williams, Brooks, Rich,
L. Hughes, Angelou, Plath, Giovanni
Short Stories:
Joyce, Hemingway, Wright, O”Brien, O’Connor, Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Walker,
Marquez, Steinbeck, Kincaid, Lawrence, Tan
Drama:
Hamlet
A Doll House
Reference Sources:
th
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 5
edition
Poetry Speaks
Barron’s How to Prepare for the A.P. English Literature Exam
Cliff’s AP English Literature and Composition Preparation Guide
Literature and Its Times
Beacham’s Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction
Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor
1982, 1987, 1991, 1994, 1998, and 2004 A.P. Literature Exams
A.P.Guides from Prentice Hall: Hamlet, A Doll’s House, Their Eyes Were
Watching God, Ethan Frome
College Board A.P. English Literature Teacher Guide and Student Guide
College Board A.P. English Literature Focus on Poetry
Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
Diogenes & Moneyhun Crafting Fiction
nd
Tyson’s Critical Theory Today: A User Friendly Guide 2 Edition
th
Barron’s The Art of Styling Sentences 4 Edition
Videos:
Films for the Humanities and Sciences: Alice Walker, John Irving
Apocalypse Now, Hamlet, Henrik Ibsen
Projects:
Research/analysis project
Studentcreated APstyle questions
Short Story Boot Camp
Philosopher Report
Original short story in style of author studied during the year
Creative packet, villanelle or sonnet and one choice poem
Creative piece in the style of O’Brien’s The Things We Carried
Spectrum literary magazine
Web Sites and Online Databases
ProQuest
GaleNetBiography Resource Center, Literature Resource Center,
Opposing Viewpoints
ABCCLIO
World Book Online Reference Center
Grolier Online
University and college websites
www.collegeboard.com
Questia.com
Wikispaces.com (class website and specific sites created based on class
projects and essays)
www.blogger.com – for class discussions.