A Peek into AP Literature and Composition

It’s surprisingly chatty at 7:45 a.m. as students settle into their seats in their Advanced Placement Literature and Composition classroom. The grade 12 students discuss spring break, college swag, and the upcoming school dance. When BHHS principal Dr. Hartley is heard over the speakers, students quiet down, rise, and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. 

AP Literature focuses on preparing students to think critically about a variety of fiction texts as well as provides practice with the writing and revision process. Liza Lauter, English Language Arts Teacher and K-12 ELA Teacher Leader, stands at the front of the room and announces the topics for the day, sonnets and "Othello". Students are asked to bring out their notes from the last class as Mrs. Lauter walks around to each of the five tables, handing out slips of paper. “I have a little challenge for you,” Mrs. Lauter says before describing the activity. 

Each strip of paper has a line from an unfamiliar sonnet; in groups, students will organize the strips into a published sonnet, then analyze the poem, identifying whether it’s Italian or English. The groups of students refer to their notes, discover mistakes, reassemble the poems, and get hints from Mrs. Lauter who emphasizes key lessons. “Look at the rhyming couplets, the structure... what is its meaning?” Looks of confusion turn to expressions of understanding as the lines are explained. 

After the group activity, the class enjoys examples of pop songs transformed into sonnets. Mrs. Lauter presents a sample of lyrics reimagined in sonnet form. The students are eager to hear the song, and Mrs. Lauter obliges. As the song plays over the speaker, everyone is entertained by Mrs. Lauter dancing along. The class murmurs in recognition of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin’" and giggles at their teacher's dance moves.

Shifting gears, Mrs. Lauter asks the class if they remember "Romeo and Juliet", which they studied in ninth grade. This recall helps the students make connections to their next unit, Othello. Mrs. Lauter dives into a lecture on Shakespearean five-act play structure and an introduction to the setting and conflict of "Othello". It’s not long before she instructs, “Turn and talk at your table,” referring the students to consider different images of the play and predict possible themes of the play. This leads into another interactive activity. 

With a goal of becoming more comfortable with Shakespearean language, Mrs. Lauter hands each student a line from the play. After a short stretch break, she tells them to practice their line using inflection and emphasis. Next, they gather into a circle and each read their line aloud. Once they have gone around the circle twice, class is nearly over. As Brooke Sanders gathers her belongings she comments, “This class challenges me in a good way. I like how interactive [the class] is and activities like we did today.” Mrs. Lauter’s other students agree that their teacher brings fun and relatability to literature.