English IV AP/GT Course Overview
Mr. McCardle, Room O-205

I. Course Description:

The purpose of Advanced Placement English is to provide the able, motivated senior an opportunity to do college-level work in high school.  Since these students will be petitioning, via the Advanced Literature and Composition Examination given each May, for college credit, the content and objectives of this course should continue to be closely aligned with freshman English course offerings in universities and colleges. 

Examinations of these courses show them to be, almost without exception, non-survey.  Their titles vary across the nation’s campuses, but their syllabi indicate goals of understanding and appreciation of literary works by major authors, with a humanities emphasis.  Hence, the inclusion of music and art, as they might enhance the understanding of particular works, is not infrequent. 

For the most part, students in AP English will not be concluding their reading of literature in high school.  Consequently, teachers should avoid most literary works whose value is primarily historical and confine themselves to those works whose value is primarily historical.  Rather, the goal is to address literature reflecting importance encompassing the literary as well as philosophy, psychology, anthropology, government, history, geography, and the fine arts.

II. Selection of Students:

A student’s academic disposition is the most important characteristic for enrollment and success in this class.  Students who possess most, or all, of the following characteristics should perform well in this course:

• The ability to read accurately and to have some awareness of what reading skills are required for a variety of genres

• The ability to discuss intelligently, having shown evidence of accurate listening through thoughtful comments

• The motivation to go beyond the assignment, beyond the superficial

• A sense of responsibility regarding reading and writing assignments (no Cliff’s Notes and no late papers)

• The maturity to accept criticism and to offer it constructively

• The willingness to wrestle with questions for which there may be no definite answers

• The possession of writing skills which show more than just some awareness of organization, diction and syntax, and mechanics.

III. Learning Objectives: Literature 

1. To devote the majority of time to works of major authors of poetry, plays, novels, short stories, and essays.

2. To study works which represent a balance between older and contemporary literature.

3. To read analytically prose and poetry, sharpening reading skills such as inference and learning to recognize independently key passages

4. To read critically, evaluating ideas as they relate to other works and to personal experience

5. To understand the uses of literal and figurative language usage, i.e. seeing the difference between clichés and striking metaphors, recognizing subtleties, visualizing imagery, understanding symbolism.

6. To understand how form relates to content, not only to the genre itself, but also such stylistic devices such as understatement and irony.

7. To draw conclusions about character and theme, basing them on close reading, related works, and independent thought.

8. To appreciate aesthetically the ‘value’ of work, both for the truth or reality it depicts and for its originality of expression.

IV. Learning Objectives – Writing 

1. To view writing as both a craft and an art which requires serious attention to collecting information, arriving at conclusions, and synthesizing from a variety of sources, not the least of which is other works studied; also attention to logical flow of sentences and paragraphs, sharply focused paragraphs, and theses and the necessity of revision.

2. To learn that writing is an essential part of discovery and clarification of ideas.

3. To produce valid responses to in-class essay question, organizing and focusing on all the major points which the question demands within a given time period.

4. To produce writing in which the purpose is both clearly evident and appropriate, i.e. interpretation, argument, persuasion

5. To demonstrate knowledge and control of tone through accurate sequencing of paragraphs, precise syntax and diction

6. To incorporate data from both primary and secondary sources, using (not over-using) it carefully and documenting accurately, and to employ paraphrasing, quoting, and summary.

7. To practice simulation of various styles and genres, such as lyric, dialogue, and description

8. To use standard written English with minimal errors

V. Grading Practices:

Major grades consist of in-class essays, edited essays, tests, and projects. These count 80% of the overall grade each six weeks. Daily grades consist of reading quizzes, vocabulary quizzes, reading logs, and other short assignments, usually completed in class. These constitute 20% of the six weeks grade.

The most practical method of scoring both in-class and out-of-class essays involves the use of the 1 though 9 scale.  Since AP examination essays are scored on this scale, sample scoring guides (recommended) and sample essays are available for study.

Teachers may wish to differentiate in marking the more “creative” writing (simulations), as well as in scoring comprehension quizzes and impromptu writing.

The teacher will use the AP 1 through 9 scale in addition to the percentage scale (i.e. 1 – 100%) when assessing tests, quizzes, papers, and projects.  A copy of the scale, breaking down the range of scores, has been given or will soon be given to each student in the AP course. 

VI. Reading List:

In planning the number of literary works to be studied, students should be aware that the emphasis in an AP class is on the quality of reading and writing rather than the quantity of titles “covered”.  Keeping in mind the amount of time necessary for the thorough reading of Waiting for Godot, for example, one should add time to include relevant art and/or music and to compare/contrast ideas or themes to those of prior readings. 

The average number of literary works one can expect to accomplish with a class, per semester, is somewhere between six and eight. The reading list will soon be given to the students, and the instructor will always have a copy of the reading list should the students or parents have any questions.  The students are expected to purchase their own copies of books so that they may make notes in the margins and highlight any        part of the text they wish.