• Hello and welcome to my website.  This year your son or daughter will be actively using Canvas for multiple avenues of learning, communication and interaction.  The Canvas system is integrated school-wide this year and is an important part of their success in my class this year.  On this site you will only see a portion of my course syllabus; any other information you need please create an account on Canvas. If you have any questions at any time, please email me at kelly.simon@dvusd.org

    Thanks,
    Mrs. Simon
     
     
     
    ELA 5-6-SR AP Literature and Composition-AP Research and Yearbook

     ELA 5-6

    Course Description 

    This course is primarily an American Literature course that includes fiction and emphasizes the non-fictional genres: essay, letter, pamphlet, speech/sermon, journal, autobiography/biography, etc. It is aligned with district and state standards and incorporates common core components. It also supports the school wide efforts in increasing student achievement. 

    AP English Literature & Composition Course Description & Course Objectives/Goals:

    Course Description: 

    The AP® English Literature and Composition course is designed and taught thematically with an emphasis on  core readings along with modern and contemporary selections that illuminate and expand upon a variety of  themes. AP English Literature and Composition closely follows the requirements described in the AP English  Literature and Composition Course and Exam Description (CED), including the fundamentals of literary  analysis and introductory college composition. Each week, students discuss and engage in a variety of writing activities focusing on argumentation, interpretation, analysis, rhetorical strategies, exposition, structure, and  style. Students read and study a variety of novels, plays, poems, and short stories from the 16th century to the present. The course focuses on the experience of literature, the interpretation of literature, the evaluation of literature, and writing to develop stylistic maturity and sophistication. Students practice their writing via numerous timed essays, which are revised several times, as well as longer essays that require outside research and MLA formatting. Students also practice oral communication skills, through poetry presentations, regular  classroom discussions and acting as discussion facilitators.(College Board AP)

     

    Course Objectives 

    This course requires students to read for both meaning and pleasure as they critically examine world literature of a variety of genres, authors, and time-periods, and to increase their understanding of the world around them  and their place in it through these texts. 

     

    Revision will include: the use of a wide ranging vocabulary used appropriately and effectively; the incorporation of a variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of subordination and coordination; the use of logical organization, enhanced by specific techniques to increase coherence, such as repetition, transitions, and emphasis; a balance of generalization and specific illustrative detail; the demonstration of an effective use of rhetoric, including control of tone, establishing and maintaining voice, and achieving appropriate diction and sentence structure.

     

    AP English engages students in the careful reading and critical analysis of works of literary merit. Authors are chosen from the AP English Course Description for the English Literature and Composition Exam or from those appearing on previous AP Literature and Composition Exams. Through the close reading of selected texts, students will appreciate the depth and dimension of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers. As they read, students consider a work’s structure, style, and themes, as well as rhetorical elements such as the figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone.