ADVANCE PLACEMENT WORLD LITERATURE CURRICULUM FOR PIUS X HIGH SCHOOL

RATIONALE

This course is targeted for the top English students in the school. Its focus is to challenge students in the areas of literary criticism, analytical writing and oral discussion by studying literature that is thought-provoking and demanding. This course prepares the student for the rigors of college research and writing by requiring a research paper, comparative and responsive essays, and test essay questions.

OBJECTIVES

1. Students will read the literature assigned.

2. Students will study the literary techniques utilized by various classical writers, focusing on style, language, and theme.

3. Students will prepare and discuss assigned questions.

4. Students will complete various writing assignments pertaining to the literature studied.

5. Students will participate in class discussions.

6. Students will discuss and evaluate the writer's theme and its relevance to today's readers.

7. Students will discuss the writer's identity and the society that impacted that identity in respect to the writer's work.

READINGS

Selections from Edith Hamilton's Mythology

The Odyssey (Homer)

Oedipus the King and Antigone (Sophocles)

The Three Sisters (Chekhov)

"Yardstick" and "How Much Land Does a Man Need?" (Tolstoy)

A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)

Othello (Shakespeare)

The Inferno (Dante)

The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)

No Exit (Sartre)

(Literary works may be added or deleted as time allows.)

ASSESSMENT

1. QUIZZES. There will be quizzes over selected readings to determine a student's understanding of the work and his completion of assignments.

2. WRITTEN WORK. This is the most important evaluating tool in AP World Literature. Students are expected to mature in their writing through the semester in terms of syntax, diction, organization, and depth of thought.

3. TESTS. Students will be given tests over selected works. Each test includes at least one essay question.

4. SEMESTER EXAM. The students will complete a semester exam consisting of written responses to various concepts, literature and writers studied in the semester.

This course is for seniors only. Students are invited to register for this course based on their academic record in their English classes, their GPA, and their vocabulary and reading scores on the PSAT's. A student may petition to get into the class.Students in this class are encouraged to participate in educational opportunities outside of the classroom. Visits to the Sheldon Art Museum, viewing various theatrical events at the University and the Lied, and traveling to the Renaissance Festival are examples of "field trips" offered to the students. This encouragement allows the students to receive a more humanities-based education and promotes a broader view of the world and literature; it also allows for interesting discussions!