Your class syllabus will always be available online. Should you forget an assignment, the web log is the place to go. It would be impossible to include everything that we do in class on a website, and so you'll still have to be sure that all assignments are met by speaking with me, but this is the first place to go to assure that you're making the grade. Oh, the picture of Lincoln? I don't know what it means either, but isn't that what we do in life, search for meaning?

Course Syllabus:

Welcome to AP11, the magnified APple. All work missed while absent is your responsibility. You have five days to make up work. Over the next 20 weeks we will read four assigned novels, several short stories, one play, an American Historical Narrative and survey American Poetry from Walt Whitman to Sylvia Plath. Remember, AP courses are a privilege and a great responsibility. This is going to be fun, but it is going to be hard.

Daily Required Class Materials: Pen, Pencil, Composition Book (Black and White Books)

The class will follow these routines on a weekly and at times a daily basis:

1. “Quotation”/Poetry: Analyze a relevant quote chosen by Mr. Stowell, or submit a quotation of your own choosing. When selected for discussion as relevant, you will receive 5 bonus points. Poetry 180. We will read and analyze 20 to 30 poems from this collection.

2. Cultural Literacy: Cultural Literacy is how we see, hear and understand our world; those words, phrases and expectations we have when conversing with others. Each of our lessons will be jam packed with ways to understand our culture and the cultures of others better.

3. Grammar/Vocabulary: We will review basic grammar, discuss grammar as it is relevant to our topic (novel, Cultural Literacy, poetry...) and increase our vocabulary by improving reading skills and reinforcing our knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes. This will also be the arena in which we do a significant amount of journal writing.

4. Poem: Each day we will read, listen to or create poetry. As with the Quotation, students are invited to find relevant and meaningful poems to share with the class. These may include appropriate lyrics to popular music. Five bonus points will again be awarded.

5. Journal: In addition to the writing assignments given in class, you will keep a journal that when finished will amount to 900 minutes of writing. Sound like a lot? Reality, that’s 10 minutes per class day. Both in class and out of class assignments are to be kept in your journals. Journals are worth the equivalent of two test grades, and represent the most important aspect of what we do in here.

6. Have Fun. This is a class rule! And it should be both fun and a valuable experience, but again don’t be fooled, this will be hard work, and a lot of it.

Agenda

Week of January 7th : Class introduction, including rules and expectations; establish routines; discuss and understand Cultural Literacy. Begin The Great Gatsby.

Week of January 12th: Continue The Great Gatsby. Propaganda Lesson. Begin on your own the reading of The Age of Innocence. Intro through Chapter 5.

Week of January 19th: Continue Gatsby and The Age of Innocence (Ch. 6 – 11). Apocalyptic Poetry. Quiz on Gatsby/Innocence. PowerPoint Project on the Power of Advertising/Propaganda/Influence of Media and “Newspeak.” Quiz, Gatsby, Innocence.

Week of January 26th: Finish Gatsby. The Age of Innocence, (Ch. 11 – 14). Test on Gatsby. Journals due.

Week of February 2nd: PowerPoint Presentations due. Begin The Aspern Papers. The Age of Innocence (Ch. 14 – 18)

Week of February 9th: Continue The Aspern Papers. The Age of Innocence (Ch. 19 – 22). Quiz, The Aspern Papers, The Age of Innocence. Begin survey of American Poetry (Whitman).

Week of February 16th: Finish The Aspern Papers. Continue Poetry Survey. The Age of Innocence (Ch. 23 – 26). Test, The Aspern Papers, Poetry.

Week of February 26th: The Age of Innocence (Ch. 27 – 31) Quiz on The Age of Innocence. Pearl Harbor Role-Play/Journal begins. Continue Poetry Survey.

Week of March 1st: Continue the Pearl Harbor Project. Poetry PowerPoint Presentation. Begin Short Story Project. Journals due. Finish The Age of Innocence. Test, The Age of Innocence.

Week of March 15th: Complete the Short Story Project. MIDTERM.

Week of March 22nd: Spring Break.

Week of March 29th: Establish Short Story Roles, create plays from selected short works. Poetry PowerPoints Presentations due.

Week of April 5th: Begin Hamlet. Resume Poetry Survey.

Week of April 12th: Continue Hamlet. Hamlet Quiz. Poetry Survey.
Begin Common Sense.
Week of April 19th: Finish Hamlet. Hamlet/Poetry/Common Sense Test.
Journals Due. Continue Common Sense.

Week of April 26th: Begin Anthem. Poetry Survey. Finish Common Sense.

Week of May 4th: Continue Anthem. Quiz on Anthem.

Week of May 11th: Finish Anthem. Test on Anthem/Poetry/Common Sense.

Week of May 18th : Finish Up. Review. FINAL (Week of May 24th).