AICE Literature and Composition Syllabus Mr.

Price

This college-level course is designed to make you a considerably more confident and discerning
reader across a wide range of fictional literary genres, someone who grasps both the gist and the nuances
of what an author is trying to say through the voices of narrators and characters. Identifying literary
devices in a poem or story will only comprise a small part of what is known as analyzing a text. The
more important and frankly much more interesting task is to explain why that particular metaphor or
image was chosen, and how it serves to create meaning, set a tone, and evoke emotion. To have you
prepared for the AS-level Papers 3 and 4 and the A-level Papers 5 and 6, we will closely read this year
the following: the 21st-century novels The Namesake and Americanah; the Charles Dickens novel Great
Expectations; the Shakespeare comedies Twelfth Night and Measure for Measure; the 1959 Tennessee
Williams play Sweet Bird of Youth; a score of poems by both the American Robert Frost and the
Irishman W.B. Yeats. This class will also sharpen your writing, making it livelier, bolder, and clearer.
You will be expected to use a wider vocabulary, to undergird your conclusions with textual support, and
to bring to light subtleties that generally escape casual readers. You will be also expected to contribute
to oral discussions of what we read, of which there will be many. There will also be periodic lessons on
vocabulary, grammar, and linguistics.

Class Policy
~Always carry loose-leaf paper, blue or black ink pens, a pencil, and any material we are currently
reading.
~I.D.s always need to be worn around your neck.
~Cellphones need to be put away for the duration of the class.
~Homework should be neatly typed, conscientious, and on time. A late assignment will not be
considered for acceptance unless accompanied by a note explaining why it was not turned in on time,
and it still may be subject to penalty points.
~Cheating is an offense taken very seriously by me, whether its copying homework or copying answers
on a test. It will result in a zero, and will jeopardize your standing in AICE, the National Honor Society,
and my class.

Attendance and Tardy Policy

Attendance is compulsory, and critical to success. If you are absent for whatever reason, you are
responsible on the day you return for knowing what the homework was and where you need to be in our
reading, all of which can be steadfastly found at www.mrpricesmhs.weebly.com. (Always assume there
will be homework.) If you are absent for more than four classes during a quarter, including field trips,
your parent will be notified and a conference scheduled. The same holds for tardies: more than four per
quarter will trigger an intervention. You or your parents may e-mail me at prices2@duvalschools.org. I
can also be reached at 534-3911.

Grading Policy
This is a rigorous, challenging course, but its also pretty straightforward. If you make it to class, stay
focused for ninety minutes, carve out some time for homework every other night, and actually study for
tests, youll earn a good grade, i.e., an A or B. If you find that you have a weakness in, say, grammar or
retaining what you read, please ask for extra help. I am available after school on most days.