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only as they appear in the works studied, but also as they apply to students' own lives. Students
will work with five genres: novels, drama, poetry, short fiction, and essays—and students are
encouraged to formulate their own questions as a means of exploring more deeply the
complexity of human thought and existence. Students will respond in the form of literary
journals, essays, class presentations, dramatic presentations, and class discussion, which is
central to the course. Students will work toward becoming independent makers of meaning. All
AP students are required to take the AP exam in May.
Major texts may include: Hamlet, Twelfth Night, The Rape of Lucrece, Mrs. Dalloway, Heart of
Darkness, Beloved, Disgrace, In the Lake of the Woods, Let the Great World Spin, The
Importance of Being Earnest, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Never Let Me Go, The Namesake,
Dubliners, Falling Man, Frankenstein, 1984, as well as classical and contemporary short stories
and poems.
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
● identify the literary techniques that contribute to the meaning of a work
● move from literal to inferential meaning through the language of a work
● define the style of a work
● understand how the structure of a work serves its content
● analyze sophisticated and complex poetry, fiction and drama
● write analytical essays in response to literature
● participate in discussions of literature in a college seminar environment
● answer the multiple choice questions from the AP Exam
● write the three types of essays on the AP Exam
● write literary research papers using primary and secondary sources, revising and editing
drafts
● think critically about and respond to literature using a social networking forum
● write with precise language
● write creatively and imaginatively
● identify and understand the context of a piece of literature
● identify and understand the author‘s tone
● compare and contrast pieces of literature
● identify and understand literary devices and strategies
● successfully present a memorized scene from Shakespeare and/or other dramatic literature
● identify and use different types of critical approaches in literary analysis
Contemporary Literature Semester 3 credits
(1611) Honors
(1580) College Prep
In this course, students will read literature dealing with current social issues that affect us all.
The role of women, the nature of prejudice, the effects of war, the future of our planet, and the
delightful complexity of human relationships are among the topics examined. With each text,
students will forge real-life connections among their own lives, the characters‘ experiences and
those of people in contemporary society. Reading and discussing these texts will help students
recognize their responsibility to address these and other issues, and encourage empathy with
those who confront these and similar challenges.
Major texts may include: House of Sand and Fog, In the Lake of the Woods, Snow Falling on
Cedars, Like Water for Chocolate, Never Let Me Go, Doubt, Let the Great World Spin, Olive
Kitteridge, selected short stories, selected poems, and selected non-fiction