Course Syllabus

Syllabus AP English Literature & Composition
second semester

Mizzou Academy

 Welcome

“It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”

--Ursula Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness, 1969

Welcome to the second half of your journey in AP English Literature and Composition! Looking toward the finish line, I hope that you envision yourself proud, with a full year of college-preparatory reading and writing skills mastered and ready to take with you confidently and purposefully into the world and into the College Board’s AP English Literature Exam. These are triumphs we look forward to celebrating with you! 

But as Le Guin reminds us, “it is the journey that matters,” and we have much exciting journeying before us in this spring semester of the year. 

During the fall semester of the course, we focused on classifying literature by type and deconstructing the core elements that define literature across all its genres: plot, point of view, character, setting, theme, and tone. In the spring semester, we will build on those core literary elements and tighten our focus on the interrogation of theme. As readers, we will explore the thematic complexities and nuances within varied literature selections that cross the boundaries of time, culture, and tradition. As writers, we will break down targeted strategies you can use as you continue to refine and polish your critical, academic voice. 

So let’s get started. A grand adventure awaits!

 Course Overview

Semester Framework: 

• AP Lit follows a set 16-week semester calendar. 
• Coursework for the spring term begins in January and closes in May. See the Course Calendar for more details.
• Expect to meet all class participation and assessment deadlines and to complete the course by the semester closing date. 

Lesson Structure: 

• The fall semester consists of 10 Lessons. Each lesson is a complete unit of study.
• Modules within each lesson break down the instructional commentary, reading selections, and essential concepts and skills practice that will help you build toward the lesson assessments.
• The suggested pacing guides that begin each lesson identify which modules are designed to be completed in one "sitting" or class period.

• The stated learning objectives of each lesson identify the skills that will be evaluated in that lesson's assessments.

Lesson Assessments: 

• You will submit three assessments in each lesson: 

• • one class discussion.
  • one quiz (multiple choice)
  • one writing assignment

Cumulative Assessments:

• You will complete one cumulative assessment midway through the semester and two cumulative assessments at the end of the semester.

• • midterm exam (proctored)—covers Lessons 1-5
  • final exam (proctored)—covers Lessons 6-10
  • semester project (unproctored)—covers Lessons 1-10

course expectations 

Engagement and communication will be key to your success in this course.

Expectations include:

• Check course announcements each Monday morning for important updates from your instructor.
• Check your email and Canvas inboxes regularly and respond promptly to communications from Mizzou Academy and from your instructor.
• Plan to devote about one hour to this class each weekday, just as you would if you were attending a class in your schoolbuilding. On average, allow one full week (5-6 clock hours) to complete all instructional modules within a lesson.
• Meet deadlines for all class discussions, writing assignments, project work, and exams.
• Review feedback and scoring comments on all graded assignments and exams. 
• Schedule exams in advance. 
• Ask questions! We are here to help.  

AP courses are demanding. Expect to devote consistent time and effort in order to make this course both personally and academically rewarding. But remember: You are not alone! Connect with your peers and your instructor in the spirit of conversation and collaboration. You are each other’s best resources for knowledge, skills support, and community. As we always say at Mizzou Academy: “Here, we are for each other.”

 Course Objectives

As an Advanced Placement® course, this class is designed to reflect the kinds of study you would find in a freshman or survey-level college course.

By the end of this course, you will be able to

1. use time management and pacing strategies to meet assignment and semester completion deadlines.
2. apply writing process strategies to develop initial ideas into polished final products.
3. use grading rubrics to self-assess the quality of your writing.  
4. engage in meaningful conversation about literary themes and techniques of writing craft.
5. demonstrate reading comprehension through objective (i.e. multiple choice) quizzes and exams.
6. write with purpose and precision for a variety of rhetorical situations, including narrative, reflective, and other kinds of informal writing; formal analysis and argument essays; and timed exams. 
7. express your original thoughts and conclusions with credibility, confidence, and clarity.
8. synthesize multiple information sources and perspectives to inform your own positions.
9. produce a comprehensive semester-project essay in response to a novel of your choice that demonstrates compelling original analysis and argumentation.
10. demonstrate mastery of course learning objectives on course exams and the College Board's AP English Literature and Composition Exam.

 PreRequisites

Students should have completed the fall semester of AP English Literature and Composition with Mizzou Academy or demonstrate proof of comparable transfer credit. 

Students should be able to read and comprehend college-level texts and apply the conventions of Standard Written English in their writing.

 Required Materials

• Speakers or a pair of headphones (headphones preferred)
• You will be required to procure copies of the following (any edition) from your local library, a retailer of your choosing, or your preferred eReader : 
  • Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller 
  • A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
  • one student-choice novel of literary merit, approved by instructor

 Technical Requirements

The most up-to-date requirements can be found here: 

•   Computer Requirements
•   Browser Requirements
•   Proctoring Requirements
• Microphone (external or internal)
• Webcam

Additional requirements for the course are below: 

• audio and video recording capabilities (e.g. smartphone, camera)

 Accessibility

If you anticipate barriers related to the format or requirements of this course, please let   Mizzou Academy know as soon as possible. If disability-related accommodations are necessary (for example, a scribe, reader, extended time on exams, captioning), please   contact Mizzou Academy.

 Class Participation

Participation in online discussions (e.g., discussion forums, chats, community projects, and/or instructor conferences) is expected and will factor into your overall course grade.

All online discussions described in course lesson pages are required unless your instructor notes otherwise. Your instructor may also arrange additional required chats or instructor conferences. Be sure to regularly check the course calendar and announcements from your instructor regarding upcoming discussions and requirements.

Your participation in required online discussions will be evaluated on criteria such as frequency, timeliness, thoughtfulness and effort, and overall contribution to the knowledge base and learning experience of your classmates. You are also expected to monitor and respond to posts on discussion threads that you have started or have previously contributed to; you should not simply make a post and consider the discussion “done,” because it should be an ongoing conversation with your peers and/or instructor.

Postings that begin new discussion forum threads will be reviewed based on their relevance, demonstrated understanding of course concepts, examples cited, and overall quality. Postings that respond to other students’ posts will be evaluated based on relevance, the degree to which they extend discussions, and tone.

In order to earn full credit for forum participation, you must (a) respond to the provided prompt and (b) if asked, post a relevant comment to at least two of your classmates’ posts. This may entail asking a question or comparing and/or contrasting your classmate’s post with your own.

In order to earn full credit for discussion forum participation, your posts and responses must be substantive. In other words, you will not earn credit for just replying "Good post" or "I agree" to a classmate.

 AP - Late Work and Absences

Work must be turned in on time for full credit. If you are unable to complete an assignment on time, contact your instructor immediately. Prior permission from the online course instructor must be obtained for special circumstances to receive credit for late work. These decisions will be made on an individual basis.

You must notify your instructor if you expect to be offline for more than 1 week.

Quizzes & Assignments

You should submit all assigned work in sequence (Lesson 1, then Lesson 2, etc.) Assignments for the course are listed at the bottom of this syllabus.

Quizzes

Quizzes are taken online. After you submit them, you’ll quickly receive a report on how you did. Unlike exams, you may use any assigned readings, your notes, and other course-related materials to complete graded quizzes and assignments.  Please note that graded quizzes cannot be retaken. 

Assignments

Assignments may require you to submit your completed work in the form of a file (such as a text document, image, audio or video recording, or multimedia presentation) or a hyperlink for grading. 

Reading and Using Feedback

After your work has been graded, you will receive a report that provides individualized feedback and comments on your work. Look carefully at what you missed and read any corresponding feedback. Then study the lesson materials to make certain that you can accomplish the associated learning objectives.

Each lesson provides step-by-step instructions on how to submit your work. Be sure to check submitted work carefully for errors (e.g. spelling, grammar, and punctuation) as they may result in points being deducted.

 Exams

You are required to take two proctored exams for this course.

See the "About Exams" in the policies section for additional information on exams at Mizzou Academy.

 AP - Exam Prep Through LearningExpress Library

In the next section, you will find "Getting Started Resources." Within the Library Material is LearningExpress Library, which contains AP practice exams and study material, in addition to what is on the AP website. 

Below we are providing you with a direct link to the College Prep Center of the LearningExpress Library. You can only launch it through this link. When you arrive, you should see "Mizzou Academy" on the left-hand side, showing that you are with our institution. You will want to create an account in order to save any work or test prep you do.  

Once you click the link below, select "Prepare for your AP Exam". Please create a help ticket (Help -> Report a problem) if you cannot find what you are looking for.

 Grades

Your final grade will be based on the number of points you earn on assignments and exams.

The following grading scale applies only to students who meet this standard:

After completing the course, unofficial transcripts will be available in the Tiger Portal. See this page for information on requesting official transcripts. 

 Canvas and Technical Support

Canvas will be used as the primary platform for accessing course materials and assignments for this class.

• Access Canvas through the Tiger Portal   https://mizzouacademy.missouri.edu/
• For assistance with Canvas, passwords, or other technical issues, submit a ticket by selecting Help from the Global Navigation menu on the left in Canvas. Additional information is provided in the following Canvas Guide:   How do I get help with Canvas as a student?
• For questions about enrollment, access to courses, exam proctoring, or billing, contact our Support Services Team at (855) 256-4975 or   mizzouacademy@missouri.edu.