Week 1

Tuesday 9/7: Intro to class and to one another.

Thursday 9/9: Assignment on Persepolis.

Assignment: Please pick ONE of the following pages from Persepolis.

1. Type out the actual words on the page.

2. Then, translate the page into prose.

***By prose, I mean the language used in an ordinary book.

*** Don’t worry about sticking to the order and content of the panels. Put yourself in the narrator’s shoes and think about what might be going on inside her head.

Word count: 300 words (but more are fine), not including words that are already on your page.

Pages to choose from: 29, 43, 61, 77, 89, 102, 103, 128, 142 (but you can pick your own if you prefer).

Format: Please bring a paper copy of this assignment in AND email it to me at julie@college-prep.org

Friday 9/10:

  • Peruse course website. Make sure you read "syllabus," “response guidelines,” “extra credit,” and "links to related sites." Bring in any questions you have.

  • Write a 350-400 word double-spaced typed letter (can be longer if you wish) to me that addresses the following questions (not necessarily in this order):

  • 1. Please tell me about yourself as a student. What kind of learning environment works best for you? Are you, for example, a visual learner, the kind of person who works better if you see graphs and charts and writing on the board? Another example: are you the kind of student who prefers small group work or pair work?

  • 2. What are your strengths as an English student?

  • 3. In what areas would you like to improve as a student? The more specific you are, the more I can address these areas during the semester. For example, instead of saying you'd like to improve your writing, say, "teachers have told me I have good ideas but don't always support them well with quotations from the reading."

  • 4. Would you call yourself more of a talker or a listener in class? If a talker, suggest what you could do—and how I can help you—to improve your listening skills. If a listener, suggest would you could do—and how I can help you—to improve your talking skills.

  • 5. Finally, introduce yourself to me as a person--what would you like me to know about you. For example, tell me an accomplishment you’re proud of or something unique or quirky about you.