CALENDAR for AP Literature & Composition:  Tri. 2, term 3, 2009       Gardner

RWFL refers to your textbook, Reading and Writing from Literature (Schwiebert). The calendar may change from day to day, depending upon multiple uncontrollable issues, so be sure to check the course web-site for updates, eliminations, date changes or assignment changes. I am always overly optimistic; the unexpected happens and this will have some changes, but not major ones, I hope!!

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Nov. 9-10 (Mon-Tu):  Introduction to course with handouts on class policy, goals for the course (describes course and its objectives, reading requirements), and plagiarism policy (sign and return). Handout of textbooks as needed.  Survey of student progress, needs, concerns. First reading assignment, Death Knocks, by Woody Allen, p. 586.Please have this read by Wednesday of this week.

Nov. 11: Discussion of comedy elements; handout describing skit criteria.

Nov. 12: Rehearsals

Nov. 13: Performing and critiquing a comedy sketch. Read calendar ahead for the assigned readings for next week. FIND outside novel!

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Nov. 16: Reviewing skits and reading Andre’s Mother, p. 311-313. Assigned reading for today: Susan Glaspell’s Trifles, p. 300.  Background reading to be done by Thursday of this week: 178-182 in RWFL. Over past weekend, you should have chosen a title from AP approved lists for an outside reading of a novel or play. Refer to your Goals for Course sheet or see www.homepage.mac.com/mseffie/AP/APtitles.html

Nov. 17:  Discuss Trifles.  Tone Clusters (Oates), p. 407 and The Cuban Swimmer if time permits (Scott), p. 430. Literary terms review.

Nov. 18: Discuss the plays assigned yesterday. If time permits, take “practice AP test” over drama and then “grade” yourselves in class.

Nov. 19: Reading Time for next assigned play: The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, on p. 708, RWFL. Try to finish Act I, scenes i and ii (708-717). You will need to annotate this act in the same way you have practiced annotation before—keep track of plot events, to be sure, but also raise questions, look up unfamiliar words, re-read and react to the text, look for repetitions and strands, anomalies and ironies, possible themes/motifs.

If we view this part of the film, read the text carefully to see what was omitted, re-arranged, emphasized. You may be quizzed on the first two scenes--take note. 

Nov. 23:   Othello, continued. Scene 3 to end of Act I. (outside essay over novel you are reading assignment given) AP practice test over scene from Richard III due.

Nov. 24:   Act II (p. 729), scenes I and ii.

Nov. 25:  Finish Act II, discussion and written responses collected.

Nov. 26-27: Thanksgiving Break

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 Nov. 30:  Othello: Have read scenes i and ii on your own; read scenes iii and iv in class; finish rest on your own

Dec. 14: Shakespeare: do you have your thesis developed? OUTSIDE ESSAY on novel you are reading is due in two days..

Dec. 15:  Othelllo peer edit

NOTICE TO STUDENTS: THIS CALENDAR CAN CHANGE ON A DAILY BASIS DEPENDING UPON MANY FACTORS--illness, weather and delay of school, progress of a particular class or group, availability of labs, directions unplanned but needed, etc. I like a calendar because it helps direct us, but I hate calendars because it's impossible to stick to them exactly--there is something organic about the classroom experience that makes it hard to stick to a planned schedule. THEREFORE, what follows is an account of what we ACTUALLY got done and need to do, on a more or less daily basis. Please consult it for all updates.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Tuesday, Nov. 17:  Today we rehearsed and then saw three comedy skits. Students should be reviewing the literary terms on p. 178-182 of the Reading and Writing From Literature textbook. In addition, they are to have read 3 short plays in the book: Andre's Mother, Tone Clusters, and Trifles by Thursday, and have at least started on Fences--p.911+--(due on Monday, Nov 23). Students can look forward to a quiz over literary terms and a writing on these plays next week, at the end of which we will start Othello. All students have now committed to an OUTSIDE READING novel; we will have an in-class essay on it before the end of the term. Take notes now! (see first 8 chapters RWFL)

OTHELLO Writing Assignment # 3                   AP Literature and Composition

Quickly find a prompt you like. (Don’t agonize—they are all designed to help you respond to this particular play.)

CHOOSE ONE, take about 10-15 minutes to draft/outline, make notes, search notes--then write a working thesis. Stop occasionally to see if you are supporting your thesis with details. Make sure you offer a conclusion which points to the significance/larger meaning. Revise thesis as needed once you’ve written the analysis.

 PROMPTS

1. Discuss the contrast between outer manner (appearance) and inner nature (reality) in a character in the play. Explain how verbal and dramatic irony created by this contrast contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.

 2. Authors are often concerned with issues related to the conflict between emotion and reason. Show how this conflict functions in the play to create high stakes drama and significant meaning. Examine this through the playwright’s use/construction of character, symbols, and/or irony. What relation does this conflict have to the meaning of the play as a whole?

3.  Frequently in literature, a novel or play focuses around a pair of counterparts, characters who seem inseparably bound by situation or by fate. This mutual involvement, which may range from the acute interdependence of soul-mates to the polar hostility of rivals, is often used to further the work’s larger literary purpose. Choose such a pair of counterparts from Othello.  Using your knowledge of the work, clarify the nature of the characters’ relationship and indicate in what way their mutual involvement makes an important contribution to the meaning of the work as a whole.

4. Both luck and skill are often required for unlikely events to lead to seemingly unlikely but tragic ends. Explain how luck and skill function to create the conclusion of the play. In your discussion, show how Shakespeare’s understanding of plot (exposition, rising action, crises, and resolution) and characterization create significant meaning in this play.

5. Some critics think that Iago is easily the most malicious, evil character in all of literature. Explain how his motivation (consider examining any of the major themes relating to jealousy, anger, hatred, revenge, for example); the construction of character; symbolism, and/or the structure of plot events lead you to agree with this assessment. Consider how such evil contributes to the meaning of the play as a whole.[NOTE: You will need to NARROW this prompt to focus on a topic you can cover fully in the time you have to write]

6. Sometimes, goodness can aid in the production of suffering. Show how this paradox functions to affect the ultimate fates of at least one character in the play (Othello and/or  Desdemona, but also Cassio and/or Emilia may be considered for this topic). How does such a paradox contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole?  

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--. Write a persuasive analysis of how the novelist reveals the values of one or more of his characters and what these values imply about the nature of the society to which that character belongs.

-- Many novels use contrasting places (for example, two countries, two cities, two houses, the land and the sea) to represent opposed forces or ideas that are central to the meaning of the work. Choose one such contrast. Write an essay explaining how the places differ, what each place represents, and how their contrast contributes to the meaning of the work. 

--  Explain how a character who appears only briefly in the novel is a significant presence. How does this character affect action, theme, or another character’s development?

Summarized, Typical AP RUBRIC for Literary Analysis (of novel)

FIRST TIER PAPERS (8-9)

l. The selected topic fits the prompt’s call for discussion and analysis in an interesting (non-obvious) way. The thesis is well-conceived and the analysis it or its forecast promises will likely intrigue the intended audience.

2. The relationship between form and meaning as suggested by the prompt is clearly defined and discussed.

3. The analysis is persuasive; that is, it is well-developed by evidence which is particularly apt and/or appropriate. References to the text are frequent and accurate.

4. The parts of the paper are extremely well-synthesized through appropriate and helpful transitions and logical orders of development. Their fluency is impressive.

5. The paper demonstrates mature control over the elements of composition and expression throughout. They may sparkle with wit or unusual expressiveness.

6. Plot summary accompanying analysis is useful but as minimal as possible.

SECOND TIER PAPERS (7-6) 

1. These papers select an appropriate topic but are less adept at responding to the question, perhaps because of a less successful articulation of the relationship between form and meaning or perhaps because the topic selected may be less demanding but still calling for analysis.

2. These papers are less fluent, less developed and less cogent than the first tier papers, though they are still reasonably persuasive.

3. While these papers may read too much in or leave too much out, they use plot primarily to aid analysis and stick to only the necessary re-telling; their recall is reasonably accurate.

THIRD TIER PAPERS (5)

1. These papers respond to the topic of the prompt but may be superficial, formulaic, inconsistent or insufficiently supported.

2. These papers may rely primarily on paraphrase but still convey an implicit understanding of the prompt’s task.

3. These are written in a satisfactory manner with occasional errors which do not impede the reader’s understanding.  Overall, however, they lack the organization, persuasiveness, and development of the 6-9 papers. 

FOURTH TIER (3-4)

l. These essays suggest an incomplete or overly simplistic understanding of the prompt, as well as an inability to select an appropriate character or topic. Inadequate support and insufficient control over elements of composition are apparent and interfere with communication. 

2. The paper may exhibit acute problems in organization, clarity, fluency, development.

3. The paper may consist largely of paraphrase.

FIFTH TIER (1-2)

1.These papers compound the errors of the 3-4 papers; serious and distracting errors in grammar and mechanics are so egregious that there can be no successful response to the prompt.

2. These papers are severely limited by deficiencies in organization, clarity, fluency, development.

LAST TIER (0)

These papers are blank or totally off-topic.

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WEDNESDAY, Dec. 16:  Today we looked at your thesis statement/forecasting statements and your readers judged them according to the criteria on the board, summarized from your handouts. You were encouraged to tweak your thesis as needed once you had these discussions; all OTHELLO paper + revisions are due on FRIDAY, Dec. 18.

December 17, Thursday: Bring your novel and we'll go to the lab and write about them; these drafts will be collected at the end of the period--we will do some more work with them on Friday in class. These in-class essays are NOT 100 point essays; usually I give them somewhere between 40 and 60 points. Again, see sample prompts on the Monday entries on the webpage if you are curious about the in-class writing AP experience.

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HERE IS A REVIEW OF THE THINGS YOU NEED TO ANSWER ABOUT ANY THESIS TO AN ANALYTICAL ESSAY ABOUT LITERATURE:

l. Did the writer make an arguable and specific claim about the play; can you imagine an opposing viewpoint (tests whether you have something to say that is non-obvious)?

2. What literary themes, devices, concepts will be explored to prove the claim?  Do assertions about these concepts (which may be "assigned" by the prompt) provide a logical way to structure the various pieces of evidence the writer provides? (If you read the entire paper, is the promise of the "imaginary road map to a new city" fulfilled by thediscussion  offered in the body?)

PEER EDITING and SELF-REFLECTION Exercise

Dec. 18, 2009

Read the Outside Novel/Play Essay checklist below . Share your paper with others in an editing reading group and carefully consider their feedback. Then use the checklist and self-reflection to analyze your own writing. Fill this out (you need no more than a  few sentences in the self-reflection part) and turn it in with your final and first draft versions of the outside reading essay analysis.

l.  Yes____Not sure._____Have I identified my thesis (brackets or underlining) and does it meet the criteria from my worksheets on the literary thesis?

Self-reflection: What might I still do to make the thesis (which may be two or three sentences long with the forecast) stronger, clearer, if anything? If satisfied with the thesis, say why here:

2. Yes_____Not sure_____Does my textual analysis fulfill the promise made in the thesis/forecast?

Self-reflection:  When I discuss relevant summarized or paraphrased passages from my novel or play, or when I quote directly from these passages (using correct format), do I avoid “parking” my material? In other words, do I consider all the subtleties of the imagery or ideas expressed there or do I simply cite them and leave the reader to explicate? Have I assessed how something is said—the word choice (diction), the order of ideas, the sentence structure (syntax)? Or do I assume my audience will see the passage exactly as I do?   Do I explain what the passage means, tying my analysis of this part of the text to the significance of the text as a whole? Could I identify my transition words and sentences that tie my ideas together, if asked to do so?

3. Yes_____Not sure_____Does the order of my argument make sense? Have I used a pattern of least to most important, for example? Cause and effect?  Comparison /contrast? Can I identify the guiding (topic) sentence for each major paragraph?

Self-reflection:

4. Yes_____Not sure_____Do I follow the conventions of literary analysis by using the literary present tense when discussing what happens in the text? Have I underlined titles, used quotation punctuation correctly, cited in MLA style where necessary? Have I avoided passive voice construction? Eliminated wherever possible weak verb constructions? Have you eliminated “I feel” or the presumptuous “The reader feels, sees, knows” constructions? Have you avoided addressing your audience personally (i.e., not addressed the reader as “you”)?  Have I or my readers caught and corrected any MUGS errors?

Self-reflection:

5.Yes______Not sure_____Does my paper just stop or have I driven home how my analysis leads to a deeper understanding/fuller appreciation of the text? Do I show my audience how the world of experience created in/claimed by the text also creates value or certain specific aesthetic, cultural, or political responses from me, the reader constructing meaning from the text?

Self-reflection:

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OTHELLO Writing Assignment # 3                   AP Literature and Composition/ Gardner 2009/10

Quickly find a prompt you like. (Don’t agonize—they are all designed to help you respond to this particular play.)

CHOOSE ONE, take about 10-15 minutes to draft/outline, make notes, search notes--then write a working thesis. Stop occasionally to see if you are supporting your thesis with details. Make sure you offer a conclusion which points to the significance/larger meaning. Revise thesis as needed once you’ve written the analysis.

PROMPTS

1. Discuss the contrast between outer manner (appearance) and inner nature (reality) in a character in the play. Explain how verbal and dramatic irony created by this contrast contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.

2. Authors are often concerned with issues related to the conflict between emotion and reason. Show how this conflict functions in the play to create high stakes drama and significant meaning. Examine this through the playwright’s use/construction of character, symbols, and/or irony.

3.  Frequently in literature, a novel or play focuses around a pair of counterparts, characters who seem inseparably bound by situation or by fate. This mutual involvement, which may range from the acute interdependence of soul-mates to the polar hostility of rivals, is often used to further the work’s larger literary purpose. Choose such a pair of counterparts from Othello.  Using your knowledge of the work, clarify the nature of the characters’ relationship and indicate in what way their mutual involvement makes an important contribution to the meaning of the work as a whole.

4. Both luck and skill are often required for unlikely events to lead to seemingly unlikely but tragic ends. Explain how luck and skill function to create the conclusion of the play. In your discussion, show how Shakespeare’s understanding of plot (exposition, rising action, crises, and resolution) and characterization create significant meaning in this play.

5. Some critics think that Iago is easily the most malicious, evil character in all of literature. Explain how his motivation (consider examining any of the major themes relating to jealousy, anger, hatred, revenge, for example); the construction of character; symbolism, and/or the structure of plot events lead you to agree with this assessment. Consider how such evil contributes to the meaning of the play as a whole.[NOTE: You will need to NARROW this prompt to focus on a topic you can cover fully in the time you have to write] 

6. Sometimes, goodness can aid in the production of suffering. Show how this paradox functions to affect the ultimate fates of at least one character in the play (Othello and/or  Desdemona, but also Cassio and/or Emilia may be considered for this topic). How does such a paradox contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole?