Should you read over the break for AP Lit class? Entirely up to you. But you need to complete the book (see the list on the top left), lit. terms, and a final project that is coordinated with other classmates in about 2 1/2 weeks after the break--your time and your call. 

Should you write the AP ESSAY before the break or at the beginning of the break, rather than waiting until January 3rd? Absolutely. Remember, I will happily respond to queries about your thesis statement via email up until January 1st. Then not so much. Plan accordingly.

Have a safe, restful break. See you on the flip side. 

Be sure you are checking the blog at least ONCE A WEEK for updated links and assignment parameters!
The presentations over the sources of literary allusions were postponed to Friday. Most of the presentations will be able to be completed on that day. Be prepared to present. The order is random. 

Keep up with the reading!! Consult the reading schedule on the right side of this blog.

Don't let your ALLUSIONS SOURCE PROJECT fall off your "radar!"' You should begin reading stories in your selected topic area. Need help? Ask me in class or schedule a meeting. 

DUE ON MONDAY 11-9: Your last 10 quotes from Part 3 on the foreshadowing of the change in culture.

Coming up: In-class essay on FRIDAY, 11-13. Topics will be handed out and discussed in class on Monday. Topics are currently posted to the left of this reminder. Just sayin'.... 

UPCOMING DEADLINES (double check the calendar in class!)

Final "foreshadowing" quote check (Part 3) DUE 11-9
In-class essay on Things Fall Apart 11-13
Check out Oedipus Rex OR Medea on 11-13 and read it over the weekend/Monday 11-16.
Lit. terms (not yet assigned) DUE 11-20
Extra Credit DUE before or on Nov. 30
Allusions Source Presentations Dec. 2 & 4

On MONDAY, October 26, the rewrite of your Poisonwood Bible essay thesis is due. Please include your original thesis statement AND your new, re-written thesis on a separate sheet of paper. Do not return your essay to me. 

However, you MAY rewrite your essay for a new grade if you schedule a conference with me in the next two weeks. 

Don't forget we are going to be writing a short explication of Kipling's "The White Man's Burden" on Wednesday. 

Pick ONE aspect you think you want to focus on, such as the author's tone, as revealed by the language, or how the repetition affects the mood of the reader, or how the use of oppositional ideas (antithesis) affects the meaning of the work, etc. We will narrow the target on HOW you write explications on Wednesday. You can print a copy of the poem from the link at the left or wait for a copy in class on Wed.

Welcome to a new school year and a new adventure in literature!

 Please use this site as a "backup" when you need to check a handout or when you miss class.

This blog will be updated once a week, if not more often. Let me know if any link is broken or misdirects.
If you are viewing this blog on your phone, scroll to the bottom and click "WEB VIEW" to get all the links.

Just a quick reminder that you should be halfway through A Brave New World by Wednesday (chapter 9) and done with the book, chapter 18, by NEXT Wednesday, May 27th. 

Be sure you have read the handouts, watched the links, feel comfortable with your definition of dystopian literature and are read for discussion on Monday. If you missed class Thurs or Friday, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to make up the content. End the semester strong!

Best of luck to all of you taking the AP Literature exam tomorrow morning! Eat well and sleep! The rest will come to you---you've done the work. Be awesome! Much love to you all and I will see you on Thursday for "FOOD DAY" and new content. :)

Just a reminder that there is no specific reading schedule for Frankenstein. You must be DONE with the book on April 29th (there will be an in-class essay test on April 30th). You are welcome to finish early (I encourage it). 

There is not a "gotcha" reading test. 

You will write quote explications TWICE, as practice, then the final essay on one major literary influence and how it helped develop/affected the themes in Frankenstein on the 30th. 

Finally, be studying for the AP test independently. We will study format and old tests for the three days prior to the AP test, but you should familiarize yourself with the test. You know where to find the online/print resources. If you need help, ask. The AP Literature test is MAY 6th from 8-12. 

Jane Eyre Final Essay Prompt

Authors are products of their times, just as we all are. Charlotte Bronte was influenced by the artistic and philosophical ideas of her time (Romanticism), in reaction to the Enlightenment /Neo-Classical ideas that previously held sway in her society. Trace one major ideal from the Romantic movement (see short list below) through the novel Jane Eyre and explain how Bronte’s illustration of this ideal enhanced the reader’s understanding of, or sympathy for, the main character in the novel.

Romantic ideals you may focus on: elevation of the individual, the significance of the common man and/or childhood, awe of nature, sensibility and sensitivity/spiritedness, or the importance of imagination. PICK ONE.

2-4 pages, double-spaced and typed                                                      Due Friday, April 17

REMINDERS/UPCOMING DUE DATES:

Fire and Ice Motif essays were due today--if you were absent or ill please EMAIL me your essay ASAP.

Your Poetry EXPLICATION, which we worked on Monday and will again work on tomorrow (4-9), is due on Tuesday, April 14. You will explicate just ONE poem from the handouts of Blake's poetry and Wordsworth's poetry. 

Finally, you should have narrowed your focus in Jane Eyre down to ONE of the 5 Romantic ideals we are discussing. You need quotes from all sections of the book (at least 7 in total) to show how Jane Eyre illustrates that ideal and WHY IT MATTERS to us. Handout coming....start gathering quotes by Friday.
The FINAL ESSAY is due Friday, April 17. 
There will be an in-class written test over the novel on the 17th as well (not an essay). 

Upcoming due dates:
Act II quiz MONDAY, Mar. 9
4 Humors paper due THURS., Mar. 12

Due to family illness and lack of time to discuss the poetry, I am moving the DUE DATE for the Literary Terms #3 (short stories and poems) assignment to MONDAY, Feb. 23. I plan to be back for class on Friday. Check the postings for additional resources as you complete your project.

Want those extra points? One of the rarely appearing extra credit opportunities is rapidly approaching (see LEFT side for details). The Candide-based extra credit assignment is DUE Wed, Feb. 18 (no exceptions). Ask me if you need clarification.

Just a quick reminder that you need to bring a favorite POLITICAL CARTOON (from any time period, current or historical), printed, to class tomorrow (2-3). Pick a cartoon you are confident enough to explain to other people, and that you personally found apt or entertaining. 

Welcome to Semester 2 of AP Literature! 

We spent the first term delving more deeply into a few novels centered on one continent with overlapping themes and social issues. The second term will incorporate a wider variety of literature and other readings that force you to apply the skills you learned to an every widening body of "great literature." 

As always, the resources and handouts, as well as most assignments, will be posted on the LEFT side of this blog, with corresponding dates, for your convenience. This should be your first "stop" if you are absent or ill and miss class. If you still have questions, feel free to email me or stop by after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the library.