BRUTON HIGH SCHOOL

Syllabus 2007-8

Instructor: Alex Layman                                                                        Telephone #:220-4050

E-Mail: Alayman@ycsd.york.va.us                                                         Voxmail #564-6683

Home Page: http://yorkcountyschools.org/teachers/alayman/laymanindex.html

Fees: AP literature and Composition Test (approx $85.00)

Course Title: Advanced Placement English 12/Literature, Composition, and Grammar 

Text(s): literature; Reading Fiction Poetry, and Drama, Writing About Literature, Heart of Darkness, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Grendel, Crime and Punishment, Othello, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and other supplementary materials.

Course Description: This is an advanced literature and composition course designed to prepare students for the Advanced Placement Exam. Emphasis is on the best authors from around the world. Summer assignments are required. Students taking this course are required to take the Advanced Placement Exam. Students who do not take the Advanced Placement Exam will not receive credit for the course.

Competencies: Upon completion of this course, you will be better able to do the following: write in all forms-Standard 5 Paragraph essay, MLA Research Paper, Persuasive, Narrative, Technical, Expository, as well as Creative (poetry, short stories, plays), read various forms of writing, as well as analyzing using different forms of literary criticisms, speak, as you will be responsible for various types of oral presentations on various topics.

Course Outline:

I. First Quarter-Introduction to Literary Analysis

A. Review Summer Reading Novels

B. Short Stories with Project

C. College Essay Project

II. Second Quarter- Critical Approaches to Literature

A. Poetry with Project

B. Drama/Shakespeare

C. Critical Analysis and Approaches

III. Third Quarter- Argument and Interpretation

A. Drama with Project

B. Critical Approaches

C. AP Practice testing

IV. Fourth Quarter-Research and Case Study

A. Review for AP Test

B. MLA Research Paper

C. Narrative Writing

Course Requirements:

Writing utensil.  I prefer pen but will accept pencil just as well.  If it is a pen, it must not be in an obnoxious color that hurts my eyes or else your grade will suffer.  Black or blue would be preferred.

Paper.  Can be loose leaf, or spiral bound.  I do not have a preference for college ruled or wide.

Brain.  You were smart enough to get here.  I expect to build on this intelligence.

Freewriting Journal.  We will be writing everyday on a prompt that will be provided.

Positive Attitude.  See Yoda’s immoral lines (Do or do not.  There is no try.)

If you are absent, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to get any work you missed!  Homework/Classwork will be attached to Layman’s Home Page.

Attendance Policy: To comply with Virginia Law, students are expected to attend school every day and to be on time unless there is illness or death in the immediate family.

Evaluation:  

Homework                                10%

Tests                                        40%

Class work/Quizzes                   25%

Projects                                    25%
Class Procedures:

I reserve the right to revoke eating and drinking privileges based on behavior.

Do not talk when I am talking.  I consider it to be EXTREMELY rude and disrespectful.  You expect me to listen to you.  I expect that same consideration; in fact, I will demand it.

Remain in your seat unless otherwise directed by me.

Hall passes will only be given during your work time.  If I am teaching, do not bother asking.  You are asking to be treated as adults, so control your bladder.  Do not drink 64 oz of Gatorade before class and expect to leave because of your bad decision. 

You will have one pass per week so use it wisely.  You will have to use YOUR OWN AGENDA.There will only be one student out at a time.

Late work can be accepted, as long as it is in the grading period.  Work cannot be turned in after the interim cut-off date or the quarterly cut-off date.  These dates are as follows; October 4th, November 2nd, December 6th, January 16th, February 28th, April 3rd, May 8th, and June 3rd.

Class Expectations:

You are expected to do your homework each night.

You are expected to read when assigned, or pay the price on the pop quiz.

You are expected to respect yourself, your school, your classmates, your teachers, your administrators, and anyone else who enters our building.

You are expected to come to class prepared each and every day.  This includes having a writing utensil, your notes, paper, and whatever text we are currently working with.  If you are using a pencil, please sharpen it before class.

You are expected to pass this class.  If you are having trouble, please come and see me.  Do not wait until the day before grades are due, or right before exams, because the grave is already dug.

If you are given a worksheet, essay question, etc, where a word is spelled correctly, it will be marked wrong if you misspell that word.

Listen to each other as well as the teacher.  You never know when I will write down an excellent question or answer to put on the test.

No rhetorical questions in essays.  You are instructing your audience, not informing them of their ignorance.  This will cost you points and grades.

Do not switch tenses in your formal essays.  I will take off 5 points per switch if you do it. 

Unless I say otherwise, assume all writing is formal.

You can sit on top of the desks when you have earned your own high school diploma.

Musicals are evil and unholy as they are neither drama nor opera.

You will learn not to ask either/or, neither/nor questions, and yes, my ancestor was the Cheshire Cat.

Do not play with my things.  This includes everything on my desk, person, etc.  You do not want me in your book bags, purses, lockers, cars, so give me the same privilege.

There may be some fun in this class.  May be.