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.