Semester 2 for English 9 started today in Mrs. Scales room with the start of a new unit on Magical Realism.  Every student received a personalized folder and the following information.

Participation points will start being given every week. The only thing you have to do not to lose your participation points is show up with everything on the following list, and actively participate in class.

You lose your participation points for the week if you show up without any of the above, or do not read for the entire independent reading time. This is non-negotiable and based completely on Mrs. Scales observation. The weekly participation points are 25 points. Over the semester that equates to 450 points. These are not points that you can make up once you have lost them.

Students were also told that they will probably need to add paper to your reading log. All of the texts and handouts for this unit should be kept in the folder, organized in a way that works for you. We will be rereading, and using the handouts more than once, so you must keep everything for the entire unit in this folder. I will ask for your folder at different points during the semester and grade the work that has been done. This means that I may have you annotate a text and not pick it up for grading the day you do it, but might grade the annotations the next time I pick up your folder. If you lose or allow your folder to be torn up, it will be your responsibility to replace it to receive any additional grades for the unit. Your reading log entries must be dated and can be used as a place to take notes and complete assignments.

Through the study of various fictional works and literary criticism, students read literary and informational texts to understand the style and characteristics of “magical realism” and the interconnectedness of texts over time and space. Students will express their understanding by examining how authors transform source material and how literature can reveal “real human truth” and be used as a vehicle for social commentary.

All of the bolded words or concepts were discusses and notes taken in students’ reading logs.

Vocabulary words that you will hear a great deal and need to understand during this unit include, but are not limited to

A-List Word Evaluate

Existentialism

Alienation

catalyst

metamorphosis

en medias reis

Novella

Myth

Magical Realism

Arachne

Pallas

Ovid

Franz Kafka

These are all words that will be used and defined for you as we move forward.

Finally, the Essential Question for this unit was presented. Each student was instructed to write the entire question out in their reading logs. At the end of the unit students will be assessed on their ability to write an essay answering this question.

Extras credit was offered prior to the Christmas break. Extra credit book recommendation posters were collected and students were instructed to make sure they had the Goodreads 2017 Challenge set up prior to their class start time tomorrow for that extra credit.