Two Interviews with Satrapi

• NPR
• Powell's Books

Quarter 1, Week 5 Agenda

Monday
In Class: Last third of Persepolis.
Homework: None.

Day 2
In Class: Hand back and discuss Haroun essays.
Homework: Notebook Reflection: Noah be Shea said, “A fish cannot describe water until it has been pulled from the lake.” How do you interpret this? Also, given that every eye is a “blinking eye,” and thus has its blind spots, how should we approach a story like Persepolis? What blindnesses do we bring to the text? What challenges does it place upon the reader?

Day 3
In class: Report to library for Persepolis project into and work time.
Homework: Persepolis project. See assignment sheet for deadlines.

Friday
In class: Report to library for Persepolis project work time.
Homework: Persepolis project. See assignment sheet for deadlines.

Persepolis Connections

Two articles from the New York Times:

1. 30 Years on, Iran’s Hostage Takers Still Pose Threat — to the Regime
Many who first organized the siege of the American embassy in 1979 now find themselves under increasing suspicion by the authorities for their connections to the political opposition.

2. Behind the Veil

For American Muslims, Choosing to wear the veil poses challenges.

Persepolis Reinterpreted

Persepolis 2.0

Thanks to a former student for finding this and passing it along. According to him, Persepolis 2.0 "is a mini-graphic novel about the recent Iranian elections and uses original illustrations from Persepolis and I think Persepolis 2. Although it isn't written by Marjane Satrapi, it is still pretty cool. It is a prime example of one perspective on an increasingly controversial issue. It is also interesting how ... the illustrations ... still apply to modern events."

Why Graphic Novels are Relevant

New York Times Magazine: The Visual Language of Graphic Novels.

Quarter 1, Week 4 Agenda

Monday
In Class: Notes on effective discussions. Discuss Julia Alvarez's "An Autobiography of Scheherezade."
Homework: Persepolis, pp. 1-46. Annotate the following: 1) Words (people, places, events, etc.) you don’t know. 2) Juxtaposition of text and images, esp. as they relate to perspective. In other words, how do words and images work together (or undermine one another) to create nuanced understanding the story’s themes and perspectives?

Day 2
In Class: Finish Alvarez discussion. Begin discussing perspective in Persepolis.
Homework: Persepolis, pp. 47-102.

Day 3
In class: How context and form create meaning.
Homework: Persepolis, pp. pp. 103-153.

Friday
Legacy Day; no classes.

Opportunities for You & Your Parents

• One Book, One Blake (open to you and your parents)
  
• Lunch & Literature (open to your parents)

Quarter 1, Week 3

Monday
In Class: How does Arabian Nights and "What is a Myth" further our reading/understanding of Haroun?
Homework: Haroun ch. 6 & 7.

Day 2
In Class: Stories and power. Go over One Intelligent Page and Haroun Essay details, as well as Turn It In sign up.
Homework: Haroun ch. 8 & 9.

Day 3
In class: Small group work on ch. 8 & 9.
Homework: Read Julia Alvarez's "An Autobiography of Scheherezade."

Friday
In class: Essay prewriting.
Homework: Haroun essay due via Turn It In before class on Monday.

Censorship Controversy, New and Old

• New York Times: "U.S. Muslims Embarrassed, Indignant"
• Wall Street Journal: "You Still Can't Write About Muhammad" (op-ed) and its response: "I Didn't Kill 'The Jewel of Medina'"

Rushdie Resources

Here are a few links to web sites about Satanic Verses and why Muslims would respond so strongly to the title and its content. The information relates to both the Haroun and Islam units as we discussed them last week.

• Notes for Satanic Verses (This is a very long PDF—it's the first few pages about the "Rushdie Affair" that are most helpful.)
• The Satanic Verses
• Blashphemy Salman Rushdie

Quarter 1, Week 2 Agenda

Monday
Labor Day; no school.

Day 2
In Class: Why context matters. (Salman Rushdie background.) How does what we know about Rushdie and Satanic Verses further our reading and understanding of Haroun?
Homework: For Friday, Haroun ch. 4 & 5.

Day 3
In Class: Resource allocation simulation with Mrs. Helmbrecht-Wilson. (This will take both periods 4 & 5. Both classes report to H-W’s room at the beginning of period 4.)
Homework: Same as Day 2.

Friday
In Class: More on how context creates meaning.
Homework: Read and annotate Arabian Nights and "What is a Myth" handout. Be prepared to discuss how they further our reading/understanding of Haroun.

Umbrella on Film

YouTube film adaptations of Fernando Sorrentino's "There's a Man in the Habit of Hitting Me in the Head with an Umbrella."