Ms. Coelho AP English Literature Room 304 Email: Richetta.coelho@pgcps.org Class Website: Mzcoelho.edublogs.org

Becoming a Connoisseur of Gourmet Literature In order to prepare for the AP exam and college level English courses, a wide variety of time periods, writing styles, genres, and writers will be covered throughout the year. Poetry and short stories will be examined as well to teach key concepts about the genres and analyzing literature. Prepare yourself to read gourmet works in this course and to savor their complicated goodness. Major works to be studied will include, but not be limited to, selections from the following:

Prospective Novel/Drama List for 2012-2013 - Purchase the texts indicated with a *Fences Wuthering Heights Hamlet *Song of Solomon Crime and Punishment Antigone

*Hedda Gabler *A Doll’s House Heart of Darkness Things Fall Apart *Frankenstein

Summer Supplementary Reading Recommendations:

• Foster, Thomas C. How to Read Literature Like a Professor. New York: Harper-Collier, 2003.

• Bulfinch, Thomas. Mythology. New York: Dell Publishing, 1959. –or- • Hamilton. Edith. Mythology. • Any classic novel that has been featured on a previous AP test.

Becoming a Top Chef of Gourmet Literature Writing Expectations: You can expect to write one or two student essays a week based on previous exam questions. The majority of assignments will require extensive writing, revision and feedback throughout the year. Feedback on your writing will be given in multiple ways. Some of the methods used will be:

• Teacher/student conferences • Peer editing • Sample student essays used as model papers • Rubrics that offer extensive commentary to add context to the benchmarks • Periodic revision opportunities after teacher has graded and commented

Discussion Expectations: You need to read the material in a timely manner in order to give it time to marinate on your brain so our class discussions will be delicious. Active participation is reflected in your grade. Good discussions require spicy thinking. You will be expected to lead at least one class discussion.

Homework Expectations: Homework will include daily reading assignments, essays, revisions, projects and weekly poem analysis. Each week we will discuss, annotate, analyze and write about a different poem for homework, it is called The Weekly Poem. This will provide you with plenty of practice in examining poetry (a large part of the exam) as you develop your close reading skills.

Ms. Coelho AP English Literature Room 304 Email: Richetta.coelho@pgcps.org Class Website: Mzcoelho.edublogs.org

Secrets to Success in AP English Literature

Secret #1: You should really like love to read literature. Close reading is embedded into every assignment and you will be expected to look below the surface of a text. That means that you will be reading, annotating and analyzing each piece of literature at least 2-3 times. Students who are successful in this course and on the exam are willing to push themselves in terms of developing their close reading skills.

Secret #2: You must love to write. This is not an option. We will be writing every class period. You will work on improving your writing skills from day one.

Secret #3: Practice annotating novels (like Frankenstein) over the summer so that it feels natural when class begins in August. This can be in the form of writing your notes, ideas and questions in the margins of the text or via post-it notes. You must use more than just a highlighter.

Secret #4: Understand that this is a college-level course. If you are not dedicated to working hard the ENTIRE year, Advanced Placement English may not be for you. You will have many hours of homework that will require extensive reading (not SparkNotes- we’re talking about the actual novels and plays) and writing. This course requires a deep and serious commitment.

Secret #5: Brush up / Learn your literary terms and build your personal vocabulary. This course requires academic language and writing. You need to have an understanding of the terminology used in discussing literature. Also, one of the biggest obstacles students face on the test is a small vocabulary. Keep a running vocabulary list in a journal.

Literary Terms Students Should Know Before Entering AP English Literature: There will be frequent quizzes on the following terms.

Diction Detail Syntax Pacing Tone Shift Imagery Connotation Figurative Language Denotation Point of View Theme Allegory Allusion Alliteration Ambiguity Antagonist Apostrophe Analogy Anecdote Aside Assonance Atmosphere Attitude Bildungsroman

Cacophony Caesura Characterization Climax Colloquialism Conceit Conflict Consonance Enjambment Epiphany Euphony Flashback Foil Foreshadowing Genre Hyperbole Irony Juxtaposition Litotes Metaphor Metonymy Mood Motif Objective Onomatopoeia

Omniscient Oxymoron Parallelism Parody Paradox Personification Plot Elements Point of View Protagonist Reliability Repetition Sarcasm Satire Scansion Setting Simile Stereotype Subjective Symbol Synaesthesia Synecdoche Style Turning Point Understatement Verse Forms