Mrs.

Casselmans
Course Syllabus and Outline:
AP English Literature and Composition
Teacher: Bethany Casselman
Room: 213
Email: bcasselm@asu.edu
Telephone: (623) 986-0145
Office Hours:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Before School 7:30 a.m.
After school from 2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Course Description:
Welcome to our senior AP English Literature and Composition class! This course will be an
inquiry into humanitys quest for meaning, culture, order and progression as seen through forms of
religion, philosophy, governmental structures, art, music, and, of course, literature. This year you will find
that our course content and information will be closely linked to your AP history class. This is done to
provide extended topic knowledge and understanding to the students, as well as provide a broader frame
of reference for content relevancy. A majority of our class will be a student centered seminar in which
students are expected to teach and learn from each other, alongside the teacher, as we dive in to literary
works spanning from ancient Greece to the twentieth century. This course will be rigorous and engaging
and give students the opportunity to dive deeply into their own thoughts and questions. Students will have
the option of taking the Advanced Placement Exam in English Literature and Composition in May for
possible college credit.
Communication:
If you or your student needs to reach me at any time, there are a few ways:

By Phone: You can reach me at the number above during my office hours Monday, Wednesday
and Friday. However, feel free to call at any time and leave a message. All messages will be
answered by the next school day during office hours.

By E-mail: E-mail is the best way to reach me if you require an immediate response. E-mails will
generally get a response within an hour or two of receipt. However, on occasion, e-mails may not
be answered until office hours the following school day.
In Person: Parents and students are welcome in my class any time during office hours (listed
above). If you are a parent wanting to come in during office hours to meet. PLEASE e-mail or
call the day before and set up an appointment as I generally have students working in my class
during office hours and I want to be able to give you my undivided attention.
Special Appointment: If for any reason you need to meet in person on a day or time that I do not
have office hours, please do not hesitate to call or e-mail me and we will work together to
schedule a meeting at a time convenient for you.

Course Objectives:
The student will demonstrate the ability to:

Respond to a text by connecting to personal experiences and using critical analysis

Compose in a variety of modes by developing content knowledge
Employ specific forms and select language appropriate for a particular audience and purpose
Comprehend language by applying the conventions of Standard English in writing and speaking
Evaluate the content, organization and language use of texts
Pass the end of year AP exam (If they so choose)
Progress to college level English courses

Overview of Standards:
Reading:

Analysis of text

Distinguishing between literal and figurative text

Comparing themes and topics in different historical eras of Greek Literature

Determining an authors point of view or purpose

Writing:

Writing arguments to support claims using textual evidence

Producing clear and coherent writing appropriate to task, purpose, and audience

Writing routinely over extended time frames

Speaking and Listening:

Initiating and participating in collaborative discussions

Presenting information appropriate to purpose and audience

Language:

Demonstrating command of grammar and usage when writing or speaking

Understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meaning

For a full list of the 12th Grade Arizona College and Career Readiness Standards for the English
Language Arts, please feel free to visit http://www.azed.gov/azccrs/elastandards/9-12/
Course Materials:
A few materials will be required in class everyday.
Coming to class prepared is a part of your participation grade.

Loose-leaf paper
1 Composition Notebook
Black or blue pen
1 Folder
Set of four Highlighters

Course Texts:

Song of Solomon, Frankenstein, Hamlet, As You Like It, Oedipus the King, Antigone, Dantes
Inferno, Paradise Lost, The Stranger, Heart of Darkness, The Canterbury Tales, The Iliad, The
Rape of the Lock, The Scarlett Letter, The Crucible, Various Poetry Samples

*This class is made up of a total of 1,500 points. Each assignment counts

for a certain amount of points that are clumped together into three
categories:

Classwork

Includes all work begun and/or completed in class, warm-ups, class

585
discussions, group activities, reading journals, participation and other assigned pts.
tasks.

Homework

Includes all work completed outside of the class setting, including: readings
90
and/or related tasks, constructed responses, student journals, and other tasks, as
pts.
assigned.

Assessment (Oral
and Written)

Includes tests, quizzes, presentations, projects and quarterly or unit

assessments. Also includes final culminating project worth 120 points!

825
pts.

Grading Scale:

A= 90-100 B=80-89 C= 70-79 D= 60-69

Class Assignment Breakdown:

Bell Work (150 points) 5 points/week

o Each day of the week students will begin class by answering a prompt that will be displayed on
the board.
Socratic Seminar (135 points) 15 points each
o A Socratic Seminar or class discussion will be held at the end of each unit over the coarse of the
year. Students will be graded on participation and preparation.
Group Projects (60 points) 30 points each
o Over the course of the semester students will participate in two group projects. One in the epic
unit, and one in the theater and drama unit. Instructions will be given at the time of the projects.
Reading Journals (150 points) 5 points/week
o Students will be responsible to keep a weekly reading journal in which they analyze the text they
are reading that week. Prompts will be given every week on Mondays, and the journals will be due
by the beginning of the period on Fridays.
Class Participation (90 points) 10 points/unit
o At the end of each unit students will receive a unit participation grade. To obtain all 10 points
students will be prepared for class, engaged, present, and respectful of their peers.
Homework/Worksheets (90 points) 10 points/unit
o Also at the end of each unit students will be given a homework/worksheet grade. In this class,
students will be given class time for all assigned work. At any time that students do not finish in
class, it then becomes homework. If homework is turned in the next day, students will receive full
points for this section in the unit.
Unit Tests (180 points) 20 points/unit
o Students will complete a test at the end of each unit that covers all content addressed over the
course of the unit. Worth 20 points.
Weekly Quizzes (300 points) 10 points/week
o Each week a quiz will be given covering the topic of that week. Quiz could be formatted as:
multiple choice, essay prompt, worksheet, mini inquiry, artistic representation, verbal presentation
or collaborative project.
o Quiz grades make up the largest chunk of points available and must be made up if missed.
Presentations/Projects (225 points) 25 points/unit
o Each unit will incorporate some sort of project or class presentation that students will do
individually. This project will center on the focus of that unit, and will incorporate multiple forms
of presenting. Specific instructions will be given at the time of the projects.
Inquiry Based Culminating Project (120 points)
o In the last week of school students will be completing an inquiry based culminating project to
encompass all of the knowledge they have acquired throughout the year.
o Students will be working in conjunction with the topics being covered in their AP history class all
year long.
o Using this integration of content, students will create a multi-genre brochure for a town or city
they select from any of the works read throughout the year.

o
o
o

Students will incorporate at least ten different genres into their brochure which must also
include: title page, table of contents, glossary, photos, text and integration of knowledge gained
from their AP history class.
Students will be responsible for integrating at least three genres found in their history class and
relate their fictional city or town to a real historical event or town.
Specific instructions and rubric will be available two weeks prior to the beginning of the project in
order for students to prepare.

Teachers expectations:

Respect your teacher, classmates and yourself.

Follow the classroom rules and procedures that have been set in place.
Come to class with a positive attitude and a willingness to learn.
Participate in activities as directed.

Rules and Classroom Procedures:

Complete and submit all classwork and homework assignments on time

Be prepared daily: on time; have pen, textbook, and paper
No electronic devices unless told otherwise by the teacher
Always follow proper discussion etiquette
If you dont have anything nice to say, dont say anything at all

Curriculum Outline:

Weeks One-Four:
o

Weeks Five-Eight:
o Elements of Rhetoric
o Elements of Literature {Taken from the AP list} (Drama, Poetry, Fiction)
Weeks Nine-Twelve:
o

The Novel

Weeks Seventeen-Twenty:
o

The Epic

Weeks Thirteen-Sixteen:
o

The Golden Age of Greece (Drama, Poetry, Philosophy, Religion, Culture)

The Novel (Cont.)

Weeks Twenty One-Twenty Four:

o The Poem

Weeks Twenty Five-Twenty Eight:

o Drama & Theater
Weeks Twenty Nine-Thirty Two:
o Music, Art & Film as Literature or as a Compliment to Literature
Weeks Thirty Three-Thirty Six:
o Inquiry Based Culminating Project

Holidays & Days Off:

First Day of School: August 4th

Labor Day: September 7th
Fall Break: October 5th-9th
Veterans Day: November 11th
Thanksgiving: November 25th-27th
Winter Break: December 21st-January1st
Martin Luther King Day: January 18th
Presidents Day: February 15th
Spring Break: March 7th-11th
Last Day of School: May 19th

Course Policies:

Homework: Students will always be given class time to work on assignments, if not completed
in the given time it is then the students responsibility to finish it at home for homework.
Late Work: Late work will be accepted with no penalty if a day late, after one day 5% of the
grade will be deducted until assignment is turned in. No late work will be accepted past a week
late.
Make-Up Work: Make-up work will only be given in cases of absences. Students will have one
day of makeup time for every one day that they missed.
Extra Help: Extra help is always available. Students can come in on office hours or visit the
tutoring center.
Alternate Assignments: In this class students are encouraged to explore their own interests and
thoughts. If at any time an assignment is not of interest to you, or is not making you feel
challenged or invested, the students may come to the teacher and an alternate assignment can be
negotiated together.

*Please sign and date below and return to class by the end of the week
one.
Parent or Guardian Signature:

Student Signature:
Date: