Course Objectives:

            The objectives of this course include developing students’ understanding of the history and cultural progress of our country through literature conveying the perceptions and experiences of American authors.  Students will analyze and contextualize the evolution of literature reflective of American literary periods from the Puritan era through modern times by exploring the customs and norms of each period as revealed through unique perspectives from a variety of authors.  Students will also continue to improve their writing skills by understanding that form is related to function, that meaningful writing requires authors to choose the most effective voice and genre according to their purpose and audience.  Students will also express maturity in their writing through a variety of sentence structures and syntactical methods as well as through sophisticated vocabulary and diction.

Primary Learning Goals:

By the end of the course students will: 

• analyze, compare and evaluate various works of literature – read between the lines;
• understand that effective authors of fiction, nonfiction and poetry carefully consider their stylistic choices as they pertain to purpose and audience;
• discern and analyze the rhetorical strategies authors employ and consider applying some of these strategies to enhance their own writing when appropriate;
• demonstrate serious engagement with the readings through close reading and analytical writing;
• participate in active class analytical discussions / seminars;
• express analysis and practice writing skills through academic writing assignments and in-class essays;
• express themselves through creative writing and free writing;
• apply steps of the writing process as they write;
• apply spelling, proofreading, basic grammatical and editing skills to augment their writing;
• continue to develop sophisticated sentence structures and syntax – subordination and coordination:
• demonstrate a knowledge of the basic design and types of multi-paragraph essays;
• improve their vocabulary skills primarily in the context of the literature;
• develop and apply the study and research skills necessary for academic success;
• develop and apply oral and presentation skills;
• develop and apply listening skills;
• arrange writing conferences for individual instruction;
• demonstrate their comprehension of the material through regularly scheduled quizzes and tests.
• understand strategies necessary for Pre-AP, strategies applicable to the AP English Language and Composition as well as the AP Literature  and Composition courses.