AP® English Literature and Composition

When you read, what do you wonder about? In this course, we will use the themes of identity, power, and "the other" to frame our inquiry into what authors can make us feel, think, and understand, how they create those emotions in us, and why. We will wonder together about texts from a wide variety of time periods and genres including short fiction, poetry, novels, and drama. 
 
The course will begin by studying short fiction, poetry, and then longer works of fiction that relate to the theme of identity. In addition to reading many short stories and poems, as well as materials from the ebook Literature and Composition: Reading, Writing, Thinking, students will explore Miller's play Death of a Salesman, either Adichie's Americanah, or Makai's The Great Believers, and Chopin's The Awakening. During the first third of the course, students will focus on understanding and developing the tools of literary analysis, such as character, setting, plot and conflict, speaker and point of view, and use of language. 
 
In the middle section of the course, students will consider how power impacts individuals and societies, again through the study of short fiction, poetry, and longer works. Our study of poetry will delve into sonnets and other poetic form, and students will read Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and study Shakespeare's Macbeth. In exploring the idea of power, we will think about who has power, how they get it, how they wield it, and how society assigns power. During this section of the course, we will focus more deeply on the author's craft and how authors create a meaning, message, and/or mood.
 
In the last part of the course, we will investigate the concept of "the other" through the various genres and forms of fiction. Students will read Never Let Me Go by Ishiguro and then compare excerpts from the epic poem Beowulf with a modern re-imagining of that story in Gardner's Grendel. We will consider how societies and power may impact and create "the other" and why groups might seek to make another group "other." 
 
Throughout the course students will write, discuss, and work collaboratively, focusing on developing thesis statements and supporting them with textual evidence. In addition to informal responses and formal literary essays, students will practice AP-style Free-Response Questions and multiple-choice questions throughout the class. 
 
This is a rigorous and fast-moving course, which will require students to develop and use strong organization and time management skills, in addition to strong critical thinking and writing skills. The Advanced Placement® English Literature and Composition course is the equivalent of a first semester college English course devoted a study of English literature from a range of time periods and genres. The rigor and pace of this course is consistent with entry-level English offerings at many colleges and universities and will prepare students for the Advanced Placement® Exam. Upon successful completion of the exam, students may receive college credit and will be well-prepared for additional advanced English coursework. 

Additional information from College Board can be found here: AP® English Literature and Composition Course Overview

Students will be expected to enroll in My AP Classroom through their VHS Learning AP course and will be guided to complete review work in My AP Classroom throughout the year. My AP Classroom resources include AP Daily Videos and unit-based Personal Progress Checks, which include AP-style multiple choice and free response questions.

Students enrolled in VHS Learning Advanced Placement courses with a passing grade are expected to take the AP Exam. Students register for AP exams through their local school or testing site as “Exam Only” students. AP exam scores will be reported to VHS Learning through My AP Classroom; exam results will not affect the student's VHS Learning grade or future enrollment in VHS Learning courses.

This AP® course has a required summer assignment. Students are expected to complete their summer assignment before the course begins and submit their work by the end of Week 1. Students who register on or after September 1st will receive an extension to complete the summer assignment by the end of Week 3. The summer assignment is intended to review crucial content associated with pre-requisite knowledge for the course, where applicable, as well as to allow students to better understand the rigor associated with the content.