MRS. LIMA AP Literature & Composition

What are AP Courses? Provide the opportunity for academically prepared and motivated students to complete meaningful elements of college- level studies in high school and then proceed to advanced courses, with appropriate credit, in participating colleges  Courses modeled upon a comparable college course and must align with college-level standards  Teachers help students develop and apply the skills, abilities and content knowledge they will need later in college Culminate in college-level assessments which allow students to “... demonstrate their mastery of college-level course work” in attempts to gain college credit  More than 90% of 4 year colleges and universities grant students credit, placement or both on the basis of successful AP scores.  Research has shown that “students who score a 3 or higher typically experience greater academic success in college and improved graduation rates than their non-AP peers.”

What are AP Exams? Consist of two parts:  Reading  Include dozens of multiple choice questions which are scored by machine  Writing  Free response questions scored by AP readers (college faculty and expert AP teachers).

AP Scores Scores are then combined and weighted raw scores are created AP ScoreQualificationCollege Grade Equivalent 5Extremely well qualified A 4Well qualifiedA-  B 3QualifiedB-  C 2Possibly qualifiedn/a 1No recommendation n/a

AP English Many American colleges begin with a course in expository writing, followed by a course in introductory readings in literature Students then go on to take more advanced courses in language, rhetoric and expository writing OR in literature  This is the difference between AP Lang and AP Lit Those who elect advanced courses in Language focused classes focus on the disciplines of science and the arts NON-FICTION Those who elect advanced courses in Literature focus on major authors, periods, genres or themes POETRY, FICTION and DRAMA

AP Literature & Composition Engages students in careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature Requires students to read texts closely in order to deepen their understanding of the way writers use language to provide meaning and pleasure to their readers Students must also consider a work’s structure, style and themes, as well as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism and tone

AP Literature: Reading Reading in this course builds upon the reading done in previous English courses, so that students are exposed to works from several genres and periods (16 th -21 st century). Focus on “getting to know a few works well”  CLOSE READING – careful and deliberate observations of textual detail  ACTIVE READING- establish connections among observations to draw inferences from and draw a series of inferences to create and interpretative conclusion about the meaning and value of a piece of writing

AP Literature: Close Reading Close Reading – careful and deliberate  Experience of literature Pre-critical impressions and emotional responses  Interpretation Read deliberately and thoroughly to understand a work’s complexity Analyze works to arrive at an understanding of multiple meanings  Evaluation Assessment of the quality and artistic achievement of literary works Reflect on historical, social and cultural values the work reflects and embodies

AP Literature: Writing Writing to understand a literary work may involve:  Writing responses and reaction papers  Annotations  Freewrites  Reading Journal Writing to explain a literary work involves:  Analysis and interpretation  Brief, focused analyses on aspects of language and structure Writing to evaluate a literary work involves:  Making and explaining judgments about a work’s artistry  Exploring the work’s underlying social and cultural values through analysis, interpretation and argument

AP Literature: Writing Critical analysis makes up the bulk of student writing for the course Well-constructed creative writing is also included to provide students the opportunity to see “from the inside how literature is written”.  Students will reflect on all works read through a variety of activities Goals of both types are:  Increase student’s ability to explain clearly, convincingly and elegantly what they understand about literary works and why they interpret them as they do  WRITING IS MEANT TO REINFORCE READING

AP Literature: Writing Writing goals of course:  Helping students develop “stylistic maturity”  A wide-ranging vocabulary used with accuracy  A variety of sentence structures  A logical organization, enhanced by repetition, transitions and emphasis  A balance of generalization with specific illustrative detail  An effective use of rhetoric including: Controlling tone Consistent voice Emphasis through parallelism and antithesis

AP Literature: The Exam 3 hours 60 minutes for multiple choice questions  45% of total score  Test student’s critical reading of selected passages  Scores are based on the number of questions answered correctly  Points aren’t deducted for wrong answers  No points awarded for unanswered questions 120 minutes for free-response questions  55% of total score (each essay worth roughly 18%)  Direct measure of students’ ability to read and interpret literature  3 free responses (one poem, one passage, one free response)

Resources All information taken from College Board’s English Literature and Composition Course Description (Effective Fall 2010)