AP L ITERATURE & C OMPOSITION

Course Requirements and Expectations

2008-09

Mrs. Tricia Ebarvia

ebarviat@tesd.net, room 290

Welcome to AP English Literature and Composition. Your enrollment in the course tells me that you are ready and willing
to undertake the rigors of a college-level course. Be ready for mature discussion of the complexities of literature. We will
read, analyze, and discuss works from different genres, time periods, and nations to broaden and deepen your knowledge of
literature and your critical and analytical thinking and writing skills.

Requirements, Policies, and Advice1:

1. You will need to store your notes and handouts—and there will be many—in some organized and permanently
retrievable fashion. I may need you to refer or reexamine something weeks or months after we first use it in class.
Decide on a system—separate folders for each major work or a three-ring binder—and stick to it.
2. Please keep a separate notebook (or section in a binder) to take notes during class. The course depends heavily on
class discussion, and you will need to take notes on a regular basis as a way to record the ideas, arguments, and
insights shared by your peers. Your notes will prove to be a valuable resource for you.
3. All formal written work should be typed and formatted using MLA style.
4. As always, prepared every day with whatever books, notebooks, journals, or handouts are needed for class.
5. AP Lit will be a significant amount of work, but I hope it will be enjoyably stimulating. Keys to success: faithfully
keep up with the reading and daily assignments, actively think about and react to the literature, and consciously
work on your writing skills by learning from your mistakes and successes.

Major Units You will be provided copies of all the texts. Marginal notes (in-text annotations) are highly
of Study encouraged, however, and as such, purchasing your own copy of some of the texts may be desirable.
If using school copies, detailed notes on a separate sheet of paper or in your notebooks will more
than suffice.

Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Ken Kesey
The House of Spirits – Isabelle Allende
Short Story Unit
Dubliners – James Joyce (Signet)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream – William Shakespeare (Signet)
Hamlet – William Shakespeare
The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
The Tempest – William Shakespeare (Folger)
Poetry Unit / Research Paper Work
Beloved
More Short Stories & Poems (tbd)

Assessments Assignments will vary, from nightly reading and short writing assignments, short informal writing
assignments (journals) to longer formal essays. Your class participation is critical. Expect daily class
discussions, panel presentations, and other student-directed activities. Most tests will be given in the
AP examination style (many will be actual AP test prompts): in-class essays and reading passages with
multiple-choice questions. Reading quizzes are inevitable.

1
adapted from AP English Course Requirements & Expectations, Steve Klinge
Outside Reading AP Lit & Comp is a course for readers of literature. Your outside reading will become the focus of a
research paper in the second semester. Because you will need to forge connections via these
novels/dramas, the more your read, the easier your task. Outside reading assignments will be due
on the following dates: 10/6, 11/3, 12/1, 1/6, 2/2. See separate handout for more detailed
information.

Absences According to school policy, a student has two days to make up work newly assigned on the day of an
excused absence. If you cut a class period, your marking period grade will be automatically reduced
by 10%. If you cut a class a second time, your marking period grade will be reduced to 50%. If you
are absent on the day a long-term project or essay is due or on a day when a test is given, be ready to
hand in the work or take the test upon your return. It is your responsibility to come to me if you
have been absent. Best to see me in advance if you will be absent from class. E-mail me or an
informed classmate to find out what work you need to do. Make up tests will be sent to the testing
center to eliminate the need for another class absence or we can make arrangements for after school.

Late Work Assignments must be handed in on time. I will not accept late, daily homework. Any long-term
assignment that is late will receive a 10% grade reduction per day late. Plan for Murphy’s Law—
computer glitches or printing problems are not acceptable reasons for lateness. When in doubt, pen
to paper is tried and true.

Academic Integrity Plagiarism is a serious academic problem. Plagiarized assignments—intentionally or unintentionally

plagiarized—will result in a grade of 0 for the assignment and will be referred to the school
administration. Plagiarism includes any form of assuming ownership over material or ideas that
are not your own. Since you have already learned how to document researched material, there is
no excuse for plagiarism. There are several resources available for your use if you have questions
about documentation, including those found in the library, from your teacher, or online.

Much of your learning during this course will come while you think through your homework,
whether while reading or while working on study questions or writing. Unless an assignment is
designated as a collaborative one, you are required to complete your work individually. Using Cliff’s
Notes, SparkNotes, and other summaries is a form of academic dishonesty, as is discussing any test
questions.

Turnitin.com You will be required to submit most writing assignments to www.turnitin.com. When submitting
assignments, you are responsible for verifying that the assignment was, in fact, turned in (you should
receive a receipt of submission). In other words, “I thought I sent it” is not a valid excuse.

Grades You grade will be calculated through total points per marking period. Preparation, effort,
participation, and improvement will factor into your grade. Please use the new Pinnacle Internet
Viewer to verify that your grades are correct. See me privately if you have questions or concerns.