English Literature and Composition
Kris Tully: University High School, Tucson, AZ
Email: kristully@msn.com
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An English teacher for over thirty years, Kris Tully has taught Advanced Placement* English for nineteen years at University High School, a magnet school for gifted students in Tucson, Arizona. She scored the AP* English Literature and Composition Exam from 1995-2007, working as a Table Leader 2001-07. Since 1993, she has conducted College Board workshops in Pre-AP* English, AP* English Literature, English Vertical Teams and Building Success. Kris received her B.A. degree in English Language and Literature from Boston University and her M.Ed. in Foundations of Education from the University of Arizona. She has been named a Teacher of Excellence by the NCTE (2001) and a Distinguished Teacher by the U. S. Department of Education (1999 and 2001). Her teaching emphasizes critical reading and analytical writing skills that help high school students succeed at college-level work.
Course Overview
Emphasis in this schedule will vary in response to the needs and interests of participants.
Monday
Morning: Review the 2009 AP* English Literature and Composition Exam within the context of past AP* exams. Discuss the structure of the AP* Literature exam, suggestions for developing an AP* course, methods of teaching AP* skills, and practical issues, including the AP* audit and equity. Begin discussion of participants’ syllabi for the coming year.
Afternoon: Discuss methods of teaching poetry at the AP* level, with attention to the skills that students need to develop. Read and discuss the poetry question from the 2009 exam. Answer and score a poetry excerpt from the multiple choice section of the AP* English Literature exam and discuss its structure and implications for teaching.
Tuesday
Morning: Discuss the sample papers for the poetry question from the 2009 AP* English Literature exam. Revisit methods of teaching poetry and structuring an AP* poetry unit, with hands-on examples.
Afternoon: Begin discussion of teaching fiction, with reference to Camus’ The Plague. Read and discuss the prose question from the 2009 exam. Working from past AP* Literature Exam prose questions, explore ways of teaching fiction and literary analysis in the classroom, including methods preparing students to write for the AP* English Literature questions on prose.
Wednesday
Morning: Review the prose question from the 2009 AP* English Literature exam and its sample papers. Answer and score a prose excerpt from the multiple choice section of the AP* English Literature exam and discuss its structure and implications for teaching.
Afternoon: Begin discussion of Shakespeare’s King Lear and techniques of involving students in this text. Demonstrate student-centered approaches to studying Shakespearean tragedy. Read the open question from the 2009 exam, discussing works of literature appropriate for this question and methods of approaching the question successfully. Review materials for King Lear, considering the richness of this text for AP open questions.
Thursday
Morning: Read the scoring guide from Question 3 of the 2009 exam and sample papers from the scoring sessions. Review materials for Shaw’s Pygmalion, considering the application of this text for AP open questions. Address methods of teaching critical reading and writing for comedy as well as appropriate comic works for an AP course. Discuss past AP prose prompts which ask students to analyze comic techniques and share approaches which help students learn to analyze comedy.
Afternoon: Compare the essay questions on the exam with the multiple choice section, considering both prose and poetry selections and the types of questions asked. Conclude study of the multiple choice section of the exam. Examine materials and explore methods of preparing students for this portion of the exam. Revisit participants’ syllabi, discussing the balance of poetry, prose and drama in an AP* course syllabus. Discuss techniques of reviewing for the AP* exam. Complete an evaluation of the session.
