Assignments

The expectations I will have for this class are as follows:

You will need to complete all assigned readings and evaluations. You will also be required to read, every quarter, one book of your own choosing, which you will then evaluate for class in the form of a two page response. See the response outline below for more specifics.

 The class as a whole will be assigned one book per month. The students will then be required to find one modern day remix of that story, no two students will have the same book, and then give a presentation to the class about the similarities and differences they found between the stories and how that impacted their interpretation of each body of work. They will be required to incorporate in their presentation aspects of what has been discussed in class. Students will be given a list of suggested books to chose from but will be able to pick their own book if they so desire, it will just need to be pre-approved to fit the criteria by me.

For example:

Required: Romeo and Juliet
Suggested Companions:
                                     Scribbler of Dreams
                                     Juliet
                                     Romeo & Juliet & Vampires
                                     Romiette and Julio
                                     Juliet Immortal
                                     Falling for Romeo
                                     The Juliet Club
                                     Romeo's Ex: Rosaline's Story
                                     Romeo and Juliet Together
                                     Saving Juliet
                                     Son of the Mob
                                     Perfect Chemistry

Required: Jane Eyre
Suggested Companions:
                                      Becoming Jane Eyre
                                      Jane Rochester
                                      Jane Eyre's Husband
                                      Rochester
                                      The Memoirs of Edward Rochester
                                      I am Jane Eyre: The Untold Story
                                      Jane Eyre's Rival: The Real Mrs. Rochester
                                      A Breath of Eyre
                                       Jane

                          
Required: 1984
Suggested Companions:
                                      The Hunger Games
                                      Matched
                                      Uglies
                                      Divergent
                                      The City of Ember
                                      Outside
                                      The Giver
                                      Tomorrow Land
                         
The purpose of this lesson is to give students more flexibility in their learning experience so they can explore their own interests while remaining an active participant in the classroom. It is also to give more than one perspective on how a story can be told, on how different writers operate and what it means to have a unique voice.

The book response needs to touch on multiple things. First a student must explain why they picked the book and why, honest reasoning, whether that be because it was short, because the cover was pretty, etc. I want the honest to goodness truth. I want them to tell me what they expected going into the book. Did it meet their expectations? Why or why not? Do they think they would read something by this author again? Why or why not? Could this be used in the classroom, or is it more for recreational reading? Did you see elements taught in class, such as figurative language, used in the story? Do you think they were effective? Why or why not? Please provide examples. Finally I want to know if you would recommend this book to one of your peers just as a fun read outside of school?