Fine Arts Appreciation 101 Alongside our rigorous exploration of prose and poetry, I will attempt to infuse my curriculum with short tutorials on famous paintings, musical pieces and architectural creations throughout history, with a specific focus on the people and the techniques they refined in creating them. I believe you will find these sessions especially useful in gaining a deeper understanding of the selections we study throughout the year. I have planned a number of field trips in the pursuit of this end. Keep your eyes and ears open for additional details concerning an after-school visit to the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk and the day-long expedition to the National Portrait Gallery and Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. Guernica, Pablo Picasso Wednesday Afternoon Movie Club Supplementary to the Fine Arts mini-lessons I have integrated into the AP Literature curriculum, I will play one of an eclectic array of movies at 2:10 pm each Wednesday in Room 410. I have selected a diverse and intriguing collection of films that will expose you to cutting-edge cinematic techniques, philosphical discussions, and masterful storytelling. Time permitting, we will discuss our interpretations in the form of a Socratic dialogue immediately following each screening. I have taken every effort to match specific films with literary works and thematic constructs we are digesting in class. In this sense, you could actually say that watching movies is educational! Click here for a detailed movie calendar. Stock Photo, Corbis Digital Portfolio Interview Project Last year, I subjected my Academy honors sophomores to a heinous ordeal: I bombarded them with extremely challenging, university-level assignments, collected their final drafts on a CD-ROM, and then distributed their work to members of the Virginia Beach professional community. At the end of the year, my students defended their bodies of work and reflected on their intellectual growth in a formal 40-minute interview which served as part of their final exam. This year, I have integrated the same approach to the AP Literature & Composition curriculum. Instead of business leaders, however, you will meet with English professors from surrounding universities in defense of your year's work. Have fun with that. Branches, Geffrey Gardner