Aristotle's Essentials of Tragedy

Common Application Essay Website

Here is the link I showed you in class.

Common Application Essay Advice

Movie Comments

Source: http://2.bp.blogspot.com

After viewing the first half of the movie, what do you notice about how it illuminates things in the book that weren't as clear before? What does it leave out that you feel is significant? What do you think the film does to enhance the book? What does it do that takes away from the book? Use specific examples. A brief paragraph should do just fine...5-7 sentences.

Incorporating Quotes into Essays

Here are the notes from class on Thursday.

Bad Example:

The Sawtelle farm breeds its own unique type of dog. "A person communicates by giving as well as taking, by expressing what is inside” (43). Forte is not a Sawtelle dog, but he is important to the story.

In the above example, the quote is just dropped in there. As you can see, it just doesn't make sense, because it is not introduced and it is not explained. Remember: Make a sandwich.

Bad Example:

Edgar communicates through give and take, and he does a good job of expressing his inner thoughts. "A person communicates by giving as well as taking, by expressing what is inside” (43).

In this example, the quote simply restates what the sentence before it says. Make sure if you use a quote that it is adding new information to your support.

Good Example:

The fact that Edgar Sawtelle cannot speak does not hamper his ability to connect with the dogs. "A person communicates by giving as well as taking, by expressing what is inside” (43). Because Edgar is able to create his own sign language, he can easily use those signs to train the dogs, a method of training that is used by most trainers working with dogs.

Now that's a solid sandwich.

Good Example: 

Edgar’s missing voice is not as important as it may seem, as the narrator reminds us that communication is achieved by both “giving as well as taking, by expressing what is inside” (43). Edgar certainly demonstrates his ability to do both of these things when he is working with the dogs.

Notice how only the part of the quote I needed is weaved into the sentence. This way of integrating quotes shows mature writing ability.

Notes for Essays

Source: http://annawrites.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/revisions-calendar.jpg

Avoid “The reader”

Avoid Generalizations: Most people…everybody…nobody…

Make sure you are answering the prompt in each and every paragraph.

Avoid summarizing the story.

Avoid using questions…this is a big boy paper…you are the authority here…be the answer man, not the question man

For title…use italics for the title of a novel, don’t underline

Use only as much of the quote as you need to make your point…and if the exact words aren’t especially important – like anyone could have said them (as opposed to the way this author wrote it was amazing) – then just paraphrase.

I believe…I think…etc…, lose those phrases…your name is on the paper…the reader already knows you think or believe these things…you wrote them!

Avoid using you…not like the plague, but use it sparingly if at all. These are academic papers.

Use specific support from the novel, not vague, general support.

Seems…kind of…sort of…these are wishy-washy phrases. 

Don’t use quotation marks to emphasize words: Ex. When Oskar went on his “mission” to find out where the key was from…Trust your reader to emphasize what they feel is important. Unless it is a unique word or a direct quote, avoid using quotation marks.

Here is the syllabus, as promised...though a little late. In addition, please note that the grading is broken down in this manner:
Homework: 15%
Quizzes: 15%
Tests: 25%
Writing (Reports): 25%
Projects: 20%

I couldn't attach the document, so I copied and pasted it...which is why this post is so long...and why the formatting may be off. If you have questions, let me know. I will also try to email it to the class this week...after I figure that out with your new addresses.

 AP English Literature

Course Guidelines and Syllabus

Text: Roberts, Edgar, and Henry Jacobs. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001.

Overview: This course is designed to prepare students for successful entry into college English courses and to prepare them for the AP English Literature Exam. The skills focused on in this course are the skills that students are expected to develop and use in college classrooms. This is a literature-based program that challenges students to read, interpret, and provide literary criticism of the classic works that we encounter. In addition to this, students will study grammatical structure and advanced vocabulary. Writing is a major component of this class, and students will be expected to develop and refine their writing skills. This class will develop the students’ critical thinking skills, critical writing skills, and overall communication skills. No set of skills will serve them more frequently than these as they enter college and, eventually, the work force.

Goals:

1) Students will acquire an appreciation for and demonstrated knowledge of the development of British Literature, World Literature, and American Literature.

2) Students will develop the skills necessary for mature critical responses -- both written and oral -- to literary selections.

3) Students will acquire mastery in various forms of writing, including formal essays, research papers, critiques, and college application essays.

4) Students will develop an enhanced vocabulary for both academic and personal use.

5) Students will develop the time management skills and study skills required for successful studies.

6) Students will acquire the skills necessary to perform well on the AP English Literature exam.

Curriculum:

Reading: We will be using Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing (Roberts and Jacobs) as a resource text for surveying a wide array of British, American, and World Literature. In addition to this, we will be reading at least eight major works (novels, plays, memoirs), biographical sketches of major writers, professional journal articles, magazine articles, newspaper articles, and online resources. You will also be provided with reading that will serve as an addendum to the lessons we have in class. Self-selected independent reading will also be required in this course.

Writing: We will cover major forms of expository writing in this class. Critical essays on the literature we read will be required, as well as a formal research paper. We will be writing journal entries and completing reading logs, and each student will be required to develop a writing portfolio to highlight their best work. We will be writing several processed essays during each term, in addition to in-class response writing (2-3 paragraphs each, usually) and brief reading responses on a blog. Students will also take several practice AP essay tests per term that will cover fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and novels.

Writing Lab – Three days a week, approximately half of our class time will be devoted to writing. During this time, students will receive detailed instruction on writing skills, and students will meet with the instructor individually for conferencing.

Writing Instruction -- In addition to those essay types indicated in the detailed syllabus, students will receive specific instruction on analytical and argumentative essays, as well as instruction in the following areas during our Writing Lab time:

• Choosing and using specific details from a text to support and explain statements about an author’s artistic choices, the quality of a work(s), and the social and cultural values of a specific work(s). The use of specific textual references to support assertions in an essay is an essential part of any academic paper, and this skill will be revisited many times. Students must master this skill to do well in this class.

• Using a controlling tone; developing and maintaining voice; using appropriate diction and sentence structure based on the given assignment (for example,  journal vs. formal essay).

• Maintaining an acceptable balance between the use of generalizations and specifics in an essay; proper and effective use of details to illustrate and support a thesis statement and/or topic sentence.

• Using logical organization in an essay; effective use of repetition, transitions, emphasis, and other writing techniques in order to enhance an essay.

In addition to the instruction the class will receive during the Writing Lab, time will also be spent in individual conferencing. The purpose of these conferences is to assist with the prewriting, writing, and rewriting of individual essays. Feedback will be given to students concerning their use of the bulleted skills above, as well as other areas in which they can improve their writing. Time will also be spent on reviewing other areas a student is struggling with once they have received their initial and final assessment on each assigned essay. Students may set up a time with the instructor for more individual conferencing before or after school. Writing is a process, and that process does not end once an essay is evaluated for a grade. Students are to use the Writing Lab time to continually improve themselves as writers.

Vocabulary: Enhancement of personal and content-specific vocabulary is another aim of this course. Vocabulary will be handled in the context of the literature we encounter, as well as through lists provided for each unit. Each student will learn the meaning and use of literary terms in order to write analytical papers more precisely. Assessments will be given over these terms, and vocabulary work will be a part of our novel studies.

Grammar: Students will practice advanced grammar skills within the context of their own writing and as it appears in the works we are covering.  Instruction will occur in these contexts, as well.

Semester One

First Quarter

9/3 – 10/31

9/3-13:

Reading Check test over summer reading of Extremely Loud &Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer, and The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski  – 9/3

• Summer paper rewrites – Papers returned with comments: 9/9

• Review and discussion of blog commentary on summer reading

• Vocabulary Unit 1 – Basic Prose Literary Terms

Instruction on Writing: Supporting your thesis and using quotations properly and effectively in an essay.

Outside Reading Selection Choice Due: 9/10

In-class essay test over summer reading: 9/11

The final draft of summer essay is due 9/13.

9/16-27:

Literature Assignment: The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, by William Shakespeare

Vocabulary Unit 2 – Drama Literary Terms

Poetry Focus:  Sonnets – Francis Petrarch, John Milton, William Shakespeare, and Edmund Spenser.

Elements of Literature Focus: Rhythm and Meter; Scansion (apply to work of poets listed above)

Instruction on Writing: Revision as Re-Vision

Writing the College Application Essay

Processed Essay: Comparison Paper – The Story of Edgar Sawtelle/The Tragedy of Hamlet: Rough Draft Due 9/23, Final Draft Due 9/27

Final Assessment The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark 9/26

9/30- 10/11:

Literature Assignment: The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde

Vocabulary Unit 3: Literary Terms of Drama (cont’d)

Poetry Focus: Kenneth Koch, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Robert Creeley

Elements of Literature Focus: Tone, Choice, and Response (p. 808)

• Apply to selected poems of poets above

Outside Reading Project Due: 10/10

In-Class Essay on The Importance of Being Earnest 10/11

Instruction on Writing: MLA Formatting and Works Cited

Begin Work on Research Paper

Topic Choice for Research Paper due 10/9

10/14-25:

Literature Assignment: Selections from Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur

Vocabulary Unit 4: Intermediate Prose Literary Terms

Poetry Focus: Lord Alfred Tennyson, from Idylls of the King: Passing of Arthur

Elements of Literature Focus: The Romantic/Chivalric Code

• Apply to Le Morte D’Arthur

Instruction on Writing: Incorporating direct quotations into text seamlessly

Research Paper Notes Due 10/14

Research Paper Outline Due 10/17

Research Paper Rough Draft Due 10/23

Final Test on Le Morte D’Arthur 10/25

10/28 – 10/31: Review/End of Quarter Test

Second Quarter

11/4 -- 1/22

11/4 – 11/15

Literature Assignment: Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad 

Vocabulary Unit 5 – Intermediate Prose Literary Terms (cont’d)

Poetry Focus: “The Hollow Men” by T.S. Eliot

Elements of Literature Focus: Point of View (p. 58-60; 240-249)

“Paul’s Case” by Willa Cather (p. 177)

“I’m a Fool” by Sherwood Anderson (p. 250)

“The Song of Songs” by Ellen Gilchrist (p. 264)

 “How to Become a Writer” by Lorrie Moore (p. 274)

Instruction on Writing: Citation of Sources -- When, Why, and How

Outside Reading Selection Choice Due: 11/5

Final Draft Research Paper Due 11/4

Processed Essay: Analysis -- Literary allusions to Heart of Darkness in the poem “The Hollow Men”: Rough Draft Due 11/11, Final Draft Due 11/15

Final Test Heart of Darkness 11/14

11/18 – 12/6:

Literature Assignment: Angela’s Ashes, by Frank McCourt

Vocabulary Unit 6: Basic Poetry Terms

Poetry Focus: Robert Burns, Seamus Heaney

Elements of Literature Focus: Style

- “Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway (p. 348)

- “The Found Boat” by Alice Munro (p. 353)

- “First Confession” by Frank O’Connor (p. 360)

- “A & P” by John Updike (p. 369)

Instruction in Writing: Finding your voice

Poetry Explication Essay Rough Draft Due 12/2

Poetry Explication Essay Final Draft Due 12/5

In-Class AP Essay test over Angela’s Ashes on 12/6

12/9 – 1/22:

Literature Assignment: Shipping News, by Annie Proulx

Vocabulary Unit 7: Intermediate Poetry Terms

Poetry Focus: Elizabeth Bishop, Anne Sexton, Denise Levertov

Elements of Literature Focus: Characters and Characterization 

- “Barn Burning” by William Faulkner (p. 190)

- “Shopping” by Joyce Carol Oates (p. 202)

- “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan (p. 226)

Instruction in Writing: Sentence Structure Variation

Outside Reading Project Due: 1/7

Characterization Paper Rough Draft Due 1/9

Characterization Final Draft Due 1/15

Final Test over Shipping News – 1/10

Final Exam Review – 1/16-17

Final Exams for Semester 1 – 1/21-22

Semester 2

Third Quarter

1/23 – 3/28

1/23 – 2/14

Literature Assignment: Black Boy, by Richard Wright

Vocabulary Unit 8: Advanced Poetry Terms

Poetry Focus: Gwendolyn Brooks, Lucille Clifton, Rita Dove

Elements of Literature Focus: Tone – The Creation of Attitude

- Apply to selected poems of the poets above

Instruction in Writing: Supporting your thesis

Outside Reading Selection Choice Due: 1/28

Tracking the Creation of Tone in a Poem Essay Rough Due 2/7

Tracking the Creation of Tone in a Poem Essay Final Due 2/13

In-Class AP Essay Test over Black Boy on 2/15

2/17 – 3/7:

Literature Assignment: selections from Long Walk to Freedom, by Nelson Mandela

Vocabulary Unit 9: College Vocabulary

Poetry Focus: Robert Hayden, Langston Hughes, Amiri Baraka

Elements of Literature Focus: Theme – The Meaning and Message

- “The Lesson” Toni Cade Bambara (p. 470)

- “Araby” by James Joyce (p. 495)

- “The Horse Dealer’s Daughter” by D.H. Lawrence (p. 499)

Instruction in Writing: Choosing Your Support

In-Class AP Poetry Test 2/27

Exploring Theme in a Short Story Essay Rough Due 2/26

Exploring Theme in a Short Story Essay Final Due 3/6

3/10 – 3/28:

Literature Assignment: Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte

Vocabulary Units 10: College Vocabulary

Poetry Focus: John Donne, Sir Walter Raleigh, Christopher Marlowe

Elements of Literature Focus: Setting – Background of Place, Objects, and Culture in Stories

- “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros (p. 290)

- “And Sarah Laughed” by Joanne Greenberg (p. 322)

- “The Shawl” by Cynthia Ozick (p. 331)

Instruction in Writing: Syntax and diction

Outside Reading Project Due: 3/19

In-Class AP Poetry Test 3/25

Effect of Setting in Wuthering Heights Essay Rough Due 3/26

Quarter Review: 3/26-27

Final Test for Quarter 3: 3/28

Fourth Quarter

3/31 – 5/22

3/31 – 4/18:

Literature Assignment: A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving

Vocabulary Unit 11: College Vocabulary

Poetry Focus: James Wright, Thomas Hardy, Robert Lowell

Elements of Literature Focus: Allusion

- Apply to Irving’s novel

Note: The following deadline dates and due dates are the final day to get the paper in or the test taken. You must take the test and turn in your paper prior to these dates if you are planning to leave early for spring break. You may not take the test or turn in the paper for full credit after spring break. Plan ahead!!! That is your responsibility, not mine.

Outside Reading Selection Choice Due: 4/1

Effect of Allusion Essay Rough Due 4/10

Effect of Allusion Essay Final Due 4/17

In-Class AP Essay on Poetry 4/15

Final Test on A Prayer for Owen Meany 4/17

4/28 – 5/16

Literature Assignment: Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens

Vocabulary Units 12: College Vocabulary

Poetry Focus: William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Keats

Elements of Literature Focus: Prosody – Sound, Rhythm, and Rhyme

- Apply to selected poems of poets above

Instruction in Writing: Connotation and Word Choice

Final Test on Great Expectations 5/15

Outside Reading Project Due: 5/6

Effect of Prosody Essay Rough Due 5/7

Effect of Prosody Essay Final Due 5/14

Review for Final Exam – 5/16, 5/19

Final Exams – 5/20 Hours 6,7; 5/21 Hours 3,4,5; 5/22 Hours 1,2

This syllabus is subject to change by the instructor. Changes will be given to students orally and in writing.