Vincent Massey High School
Course Outline: AP English Literature and Composition 40S/42S
September 2014 – May 2015
Mrs. Kyleigh Bromley
Course Description
This course will engage students in the close reading and critical analysis of English literature, studied in
chronological order from Homer’s Odyssey to Orwell’s 1984. Through close reading and engaged discussion of
selected texts, students will deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language, will learn how to
analyze these techniques and write about their analyses, will develop their own voice as a writer, and will come
to appreciate the intricate and clever beauty to be found in the canons of English literature.
Reading
The course will help students become skilled, analytical readers of poetry and prose written in a variety
of periods, disciplines, and genres. As supplement to the study of literary texts, students will also study some art,
music, and film. The reading in this course will come from a broad range of materials to prepare the students for
the AP Literature exam in May. The reading is extensive, and because of the large number of works studied,
students can expect to complete reading each night to keep up with the pace of the course. We will employ a
seminar approach with opportunity to discuss the literature in small and large group formats prior to writing
tasks. For this seminar format to work, it is crucial that all students complete the readings by the assigned date.
Analytical and Creative Writing
The majority of writing tasks will be analytical (that is, in the essay form that they will be required to
write for the AP exam), though students will often be asked to emulate the authors studied by writing more
creative pieces such as the sonnet or personal essay. The analytical writing in this course will most often be in
the form of essays which demonstrate their in-depth analysis of literary elements such as structure, style, tone,
and theme. Students will regularly have the opportunity to conference with the teacher and peers about their
writing. These conferences and workshops will give the student a chance to analyze and develop their personal
authorial voice and improve their language use (such as diction, syntax, figurative language), grammar,
organization, ideas and arguments, and the use of specific evidence as support of their argument. Students will
have the opportunity to edit and revise with the teacher’s help about half of the essays written; the remaining
half of essays will be timed, in-class essays based on questions used in previous exams.
Assessment
FIRST SEMESTER:
SECOND SEMESTER:
Coursework = 70% of final mark
Provincial Standards Test = 30% of final mark
Coursework = 90% of final mark
AP Practice Exam = 10% of final mark
Assessment of students’ understanding of texts will take place formally during Socratic Seminars – group
discussions for which the students come prepared. These seminars follow the teaching style of Socrates, and will
require students to not only read assigned pieces but also to prepare thoughtful questions which will generate
genuine discussion with their peers in order to gain a thorough, well-rounded understanding of the text.
Students in this course will write the required Provincial Standards Test in January of 2014, which will
account for 30% of their final mark for the first semester.
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Students will become familiar with the AP Literature rubric used consistently by Mrs. Bromley for
assessment of their essays, and they themselves will use it for self-evaluation to prepare for writing conferences.
Students can expect to write one to two essays every three weeks (either timed in-class or out-of-class). The
intent of having students write such a large amount of essays is to prepare them not only for the AP exam in
May, but also for the demands of their future university courses.
The AP English Literature and Composition exam will take place on Wednesday, May 6th, 2015. In
addition to genuine engagement in the course work and essay writing, students will prepare for the exam by
answering Multiple Choice questions from previous exams approximately every two weeks.
PLEASE NOTE: The score of the AP exam in May does not affect the student’s grade for the course. AP
Exam scores are released via the College Board website in July.
Main Texts
All texts in this course are available to students through our school library and students will be allowed
to sign out the texts and keep them until the AP Exam in May.
Odyssey by Homer (translation by Robert Fagles) (c. 750-650 BC)
Beowulf (selected chapters of translated text) (c. 700-1000 AD)
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (selected tales) (1500)
The Faerie Queen by Edmund Spenser (selected portions) (1590)
Hamlet by William Shakespeare (1601)
Paradise Lost by John Milton (selected books) (1667)
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818)
The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne (1850)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (1847)
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (1895)
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939)
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams (1947)
1984 by George Orwell (1948)
Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954)
Students will also read over the summer How to Read Literature Like a Professor by John C. Foster.
Most of our poetry and other short texts will come from the Norton Anthology of English Literature: The
Major Authors.
To guide their exam preparation, students will also sign out and use 5 Steps to a 5: AP English Literature,
which includes practice exams and sample essays. We will work with this textbook periodically in class, but it is
expected that students examine it cover to cover on their own time as well.
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SYLLABUS
Semester 1
UNIT 1: Introduction to the Course
This unit will build upon the close reading skills and scholarly writing skills students developed in their Grade 11
AP English Language course.
 The Odyssey Quiz – Students will write a brief quiz on their summer reading of The Odyssey, which will ask
them both objective and subjective questions. Next, we will discuss the various elements of the epic poem,
compare translation styles, and examine Keats’s poem “On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer”.
 Socratic Circle – Excerpts from How to Read like a Professor (Thomas C. Foster) that students read over the
summer will be discussed in a Socratic Circle (formative assessment), and these techniques will then be
applied to the students’ summer reading choice. This individual application of the techniques will be the
basis of a presentation of their books and their prose analysis essay, which they have already written in
draft form. The Socratic Circle will take place on Monday, September 8th. (formative assessment)
 Summer Reading Book Presentation – This presentation will be 1-3 minutes in length, and will include a
brief author bio, plot diagram, and analysis of literary elements or techniques used by the author to convey
a particular theme. Presentations will take place on Tuesday, September 9th.
 Prose Analysis Essay – Most of the first 5-7 classes will be spent examining essay standards using 5 Steps
to a 5, as well as in peer and teacher conferencing, editing, and revision of their essay drafts based on their
summer reading choice. Final copy of this essay is due Tuesday, September 16th. (45 marks)
 Literary Period Poster and Presentation – In small groups, students will complete some research on the
main literary periods, creating a poster for their period using visual rhetoric techniques learned in Grade
11. These posters will be briefly presented to the class, then placed on the wall to create a visual timeline
for reference as we begin our chronological study of literature. Due Friday, September 19th. (20 marks)
UNIT 2: The Medieval Period (455-1485)
The study of Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales, and The Faerie Queen will focus on the themes, style, and
symbolism of this period and its influences on modern literature.
 Socratic Circle – After some discussion on the context in which these texts were written and a close
reading of Beowulf, students will examine the epic poem style, how the author’s characters have become
archetypes, and the poem’s symbolism in a Socratic Circle, for which their participation will be graded. (20
marks)
 The Massey Tales – After reading together and discussing the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, The
Miller’s Tale, The Summoner’s Tale, and The Wife of Bath’s Tale, students will create their own pilgrim and
write both a Prologue (from the narrator’s POV) and a Tale (from their pilgrim’s POV) that satirizes
something in today’s society. The tales will be presented along the way as we travel to our hallowed
destination (i.e., the Vincent Massey foyer), pretending we are pilgrims fascinated by what we see around
us and by those with whom we are travelling, stopping from time to time to share our “tales”. When we
return to the classroom, students will write about the most likeable and least likeable pilgrims, supporting
their opinions. (35 marks)
UNIT 3: The Renaissance & Reformation (1485-1660)
The study of this literary period will centre on the study of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, Hamlet. We will
begin, however, with some examination of the sonnet as a poetic form, and will end with a brief look at Milton’s
Paradise Lost.
 After examining the structures of three sonnet forms – Petrarchan, Spenserian, and Shakespearean –
together, we will practice scansion and identification of sonnet elements using Spenser’s Sonnet 30 from
the Amoretti. Then, students will use guided questions to analyze a Shakespearean sonnet (by MacKay,
Heaney, or Donne) in small groups. These analyses will be shared with the class informally.
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Socratic Circle – After learning about allegory and reading excerpts of Spenser’s Faerie Queen, students
will prepare detailed responses to pre-assigned questions for a Socratic Circle. (20 marks)
Together, using 5 Steps to a 5, we will complete Multiple Choice questions as a class based on two sonnets
by Keats and Wordsworth (using PPT “Mastering Multiple Choice!”). (formative assessment)
We will also learn about the Poetry Analysis Essay question on the AP exam; we will read and discuss three
sample essays and the scores they received and why. Students will then write their own Poetry Analysis
Essay based on one of the sonnets studied at the beginning of the unit. (45 marks)
Fever Chart – Our reading of Hamlet as a class will be punctuated with assigned readings to be completed
outside of class. A close reading of the play will allow students to complete a fever chart in which they
track Hamlet’s psychological state through the course of the play, using their own created Sanity-Insanity
scale as the Y-axis and quotes from the play as the X-axis. (30 marks)
Scene Lesson Plan – In small groups, students will choose a scene to “teach” to the class in order to enable
them to more fully understand the text. Students will create and submit a comprehensive lesson plan, a
copy of the assignment and answer key, and a self-evaluation paragraph which discusses the reception of
the lesson plan by the class and indicate whether they were successful or not in teaching the content of
the scene to their classmates. (20 marks)
Prose Analysis Timed Essay – Based on a comparison/contrast of Hamlet and Laertes. For this second
timed essay, students will have the essay prompt the day before but will not be allowed to bring in any
notes. (20 marks)
After an introduction to Paradise Lost by John Milton, students will examine and discuss the section in
Book 1 that includes Satan’s primal poetic elegy (lines 242-55), focusing on the following questions: What
purpose(s) does it serve? What resolution or statement does this elegy lead Satan to make?
Socratic Circle – After reading a section of Book Four of Paradise Lost, focusing on Satan’s soliloquy,
students will prepare questions to discuss in a Socratic Circle. (20 marks)
In groups, students will read together and practice their annotation and analysis skills on Milton’s sonnet
“On Shakespeare”, focusing specifically on how it is a representation of the style of the English Renaissance
literary period.
UNIT 4: The Romantic Period (1798-1870)
An exploration of some of this period’s prose and poetry will lead into an in depth, student-led study on the
poetry of the Romantic Period.
 Romantic Poet Research Project – This project will be completed following an introduction to the
Romantic Period. Students will research the important life details of their chosen poet and identify
commonalities between themselves and the poet (labelling them either Trivial or Significant). They will
then design a handout that will communicate the key biographical details for the larger classroom group,
as well as a poetic activity that teaches an analysis of one of her or his poems. 20-30 minute presentation.
Class members will evaluate each other’s presentations. (50 marks)
 Personal Essay – Following a reading and discussion on Charles Lamb’s personal essay “Old China”,
students will write their own personal essay on a subject of their choice. (40 marks)
UNIT 5: Gothic Literature (c. 1790-1890)
Gothic writings, which overlap with the Romantic and Victorian periods, are the precursor to horror novels.
Students will examine some of Poe’s works, and take part in a lit circle on their choice of two Gothic novels.
 Short Film Assignment – After reading a few of Poe’s short stories and poems, students will choose their
favourite to turn into a short art film (possibly in collaboration with Mr. Beckwith’s class). The purpose of
this assignment is to visually emphasize the main symbols, and to effectively convey the story’s mood. (30
marks)
 Frankenstein OR Scarlet Letter Lit Circles – Students will read and discuss their choice of either Shelley’s or
Hawthorne’s novel in informal student-led sessions.
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Prose Analysis Essay – Students will write an essay on the following prompt: Read “Rime of the Ancient
Mariner”. In a well-organized essay, explain the symbolism of the albatross in the poem, then explain who
or what you believe is Dr. Frankenstein’s/Hester’s albatross. (40 marks)
ELA Provincial Standards Test – January ______, 2014
During this week, students will write the required Provincial Standards Test. Their score will account for 30% of
their final grade for the first semester. In the week before Christmas Break, students will prepare for the exam
by reviewing previous exams and sample responses.
Semester 2
UNIT 6: The Victorian Period (1837-1910)
This unit will begin with a study of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, and will conclude with a close reading of Oscar
Wilde’s hilarious satire, The Importance of Being Earnest, which bridges the Victorian and Modern Periods. (If
time, we will also read Kate Chopin’s The Awakening and write a critical lens essay on it.)
 While reading Jane Eyre mostly on their own time, students will annotate the novel, noting especially any
dichotomies (such as fire and ice), certain characters as symbols of religious styles, and any other motifs
present throughout the novel. We will together revisit the veil-ripping scene and discuss the author’s
techniques that make the scene so thrilling.
 “The Open Question” Essay – Using 5 Steps to a 5, we will examine sample essays in response to the third
essay question on the AP exam. Students will write an essay based on Jane Eyre responding to an old AP
exam question, with lots of peer and teacher conferencing. (45 marks)
 Symbol Analysis Visual Representation – Students’ analyses of the symbols used by Hawthorne and the
connections between them will be demonstrated through a visual representation (in whatever format they
choose, and rough is fine). Students will present these visual representations to the class, and these
presentations will lead to a class discussion of how these symbols convey a main theme.
 Critical Lens Essay Outline – After learning about the social context in which Kate Chopin wrote The
Awakening, We will read most of the novel as a class, keeping a collective record of motifs such as bird and
sea imagery. Students will learn about the various critical lenses and how they are used. Together, we will
apply the Feminist Lens to The Awakening, and students will create an essay outline using this particular
lens.
 Critical Lens Essay – Students will read a few selected short stories by Chopin, and will apply a lens of their
choice to analyze and write a Prose Analysis Essay, focusing specifically on the significance of the novel’s
ending. (45 marks)
 The Importance of Being Witty while Criticizing Social Issues – Students will choose two of their favourite
aphorisms from Wilde’s play and identify the Victorian social norm that is being satirized. Students will
then find a modern example of satire that targets a specific issue in today’s world, and will share with the
class. We will discuss how satire is used today as an effective way to bring to light serious social issues.
After analyzing the techniques used by the author and comparing them to Wilde’s, students will employ
such techniques in creating their own piece of satire in a form of their choice, of an issue or social norm of
their choice. (25 marks)
 Victorian Tea – Students will choose their favourite Victorian writer and dress up as them for our Victorian
Tea potluck, where they will introduce themselves to our guest, Queen Victoria, and recite for her a
selected poem (or excerpt) and a mini-analysis of the poem. (15 marks)
UNIT 6: Modernism (1910-c.1945)
In this unit, students will engage in close reading of both John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath and William
Golding’s Lord of the Flies, focusing on the contrast between their respective themes.
 The Joads’ Journey – As we read Grapes of Wrath, students will highlight the route taken by the Joads on
the road map of the United States provided as they migrate to California, noting the location of significant
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events along the way, then creating visual symbols to represent each event, using a key (legend) to explain
each. These maps will be shared and discussed in an informal discussion about how journeys are used in
literature (reviewing Chapter 1 of Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor). (25 marks)
Timed Essay – Students will analyze the “humanity” of a specific character in the novel and use a graphic
organizer to choose passages that develop this aspect of the character. Using these passages, they will
write an in class essay on why this character could fit in today’s context. (20 marks)
Press Conference: Hotseat and Inner Hotseat – Students will find a partner who wrote about the same
character, and in pairs, one will play the role of the chosen character and answer questions from the rest
of the class as if at a press conference, while the other student, standing behind the character, will respond
as the “inner self” of the character telling what that character might be really thinking, feeling, and
wanting to say. The main focus of the questions and responses should be the humanity of the character.
The study of Golding’s novel will focus on its themes and symbolism, as well as stylistic choices made by
Golding to set a particular tone. After some discussion of the period in which this novel was written and
Golding’s mindset at the time of writing, we will focus on Golding’s idea that “evil is amongst us”
(contrasted to Steinbeck’s notion of the innate goodness of humanity).
Multiple Choice Practice – After reading Chapter 2, students will be timed while answering multiple choice
questions based on a passage from Chapter 2. Before marking, students will write a few words of
justification for each of their answers. After marking, we will discuss why the correct answers are indeed
correct. (14 marks)
Monologue – In pairs, students will discuss the effects and symbolism of speech and silence in the novel.
Afterward, students will write and present a monologue from one of the characters exposing an implicit
element of character or plot to explicitly clarify a moment of speech or silence in the novel. (25 marks)
Open Question Essay – Students will have three open essay prompts to choose from, but must write about
Lord of the Flies. For this essay, peer conferencing and self-evaluation will be the focus of the writing
process, with teacher conferencing available as needed. (40 marks)
UNIT 7: Postmodernism (c.1945 onward)
This unit will focus on the poetry of the late 20th century, including the Beat Generation and how poetry can be
used for social change. (If time, we will also study 1984.)
 Together, we will listen to an audio recording of the first time Ginsberg read “Howl” to an audience,
focusing on the auditory rhetorical techniques he employs as well as the poetic elements characteristic of
Postmodernism. An in-depth, line by line study of “Howl” will lead students to identify the allusions to
social issues found in the poem.
 A study of poetry by poets such as Anne Sexton, Marge Piercey, Lucille Clifton, Adrienne Rich, and Sylvia
Plath will help students hone their poetry analysis skills by focusing on the effects of the poetic techniques
used.
 Timed Essay – Students will write their final timed essay using a Poetry Analysis Essay question from a
previous AP exam. (20 marks)
 Poetry Coffeehouse – Students will participate in a poetry reading where they will demonstrate the impact
of auditory rhetoric while reading their own poetry written on a social issue (past or present) that is
important to them. (30 marks)
UNIT 8: AP Exam Preparation
 In the time remaining, students will identify areas of the AP exam that they would like to focus on,
reviewing their 5 Steps to a 5 textbook in groups based on focus areas identified.
 We will also review terminology, periods of literature, and literary elements and techniques.
 Finally, students will write an out of class, 3-hour practice exam; once this exam is graded we will go over it
as a class, analysing the correct answers in Multiple Choice section and reviewing exemplary essays from
the Free-Response section.
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MRS. BROMLEY’S POLICIES
Assignments are due by 3:45 on the date given on the assignment sheet. As per
BSD policy, a penalty of -25% will be applied to late assignments. Assignments will be
given a mark of zero if not handed in by the end of the unit. That said, I consider myself
to be a reasonable person! I realize that sometimes there are legitimate issues that
prohibit you from handing in assignments on the due date; we can arrange an extension
on occasion, but not if it is requested on the day before something is due. Time
management and adherence to deadlines are important skills to learn as well.
Absences are sometimes unavoidable; however, you are required to catch up on
missed material from either other students or myself. This is YOUR responsibility.
Parents may excuse a student’s absence by calling the school office.
Punctuality is required. It is expected that you are in your seat when the bell
rings; if you are late, the door will be closed and you will knock and wait outside until I
let you in. At this stage of your life, you should be capable of a simple – but important –
skill like punctuality.
As you know from last year, AP English is both demanding and intellectually
stimulating. It requires your best effort consistently. I hope each of you is committed
and will accept the challenge of giving this new course the time and effort it deserves.
While your success in this course depends solely on your effort, my job and my desire
as your teacher is to help you; if you are struggling with an assignment or concept,
please make an appointment to meet with me. I am available in my room from 8:308:55am (or earlier by appointment), during my prep (Period 3), or after school (by
appointment only). I can be easily reached by email at [email protected] .
I’m very excited about working with you this year!
- Mrs. Bromley
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