It has come to my attention that many students were having a difficult time with annotating and analysis. Today we took a step back and focused on what Satrapi does to create her story. First we watched a video (on the Persepolis page), "How to Read A Graphic Novel" and noticed the importance of lines, background, and other elements. Second, we watched and discussed, "Comic Analysis". This short video gives great examples of how to analyze a graphic novel through discussion and interpenetration of the illustrations. 

Students read the next chapter in the novel (F-14 or The Jewel) and model their annotations on what they saw in the video. I'm so proud the the work I've seen form the students on this. The majority of the students were able to change the focus of their analysis from what they see and comment, to what Satrapi is doing on commenting on the effects of her work. Student's should be proud of their hard work. 

Grades close on Friday. Any late work must be turned in by tomorrow. I'm working hard on updating grades and posting work. I'll have it done by Monday. There will be time in class to discuss your grades. 

Have an amazing weekend and be proud of your work. 

Happy Reading,
​Mrs. A

Today was an excellent day for reading. Each class spent time reading the book and annotated the chapters. Thursday we will discuss the chapters. Here is a break down of the chapters we have read for each class.
Period 1, 2 & 3 Have all read:
- The Veil
-The Bicycle
- the Water Cell
- Persepolis
- The Letter
- The Heroes
-Moscow
-The Sheep
-The Trip
Please make sure that you have turned in any missing annotations for the above chapters by Thursday, April 28, 2016. To make up the chapters you can find them online or come in to class before school or after school.

Happy Reading,
Mrs. A

Today, we continued to read Persepolis, focusing on "The Letter", "The Party", and "The Heroes". Students began to look at elements of the coming of age story and how, Marjane's childhood can relate to our own lives. 

There is no homework for tonight. However, I have posted extra credit questions for the chapters we have read. This is due April 28, 2016. No late work will be accepted for this. 

If you missed class, be sure to look on line for the chapters (the page can be found under the more section). Read and annotate the chapters. Be sure to follow our annotation format. 

If you have missed the vocab quiz, be sure to take it by Friday. It is your responsibility to come in to class, before school, at lunch or after school. 

Have a wonderful day and 
Happy Reading,
​Mrs. A

Monday was an awesome day. We hit the ground running and really dived into the graphic novel. Students took turns reading the chapters out loud so the entire class can follow along and take part in the discussions. After reading, the students worked on their annotations and discussion questions. Finally, students discussed each chapter asking wonderful questions and taking discussions on very different areas. 

If you missed the vocab quiz, be sure to arrange a time to take it this week, before school, during lunch, or after school. If you do not take the quiz by Friday, you will get a 0. 

Looking forward to another great day of reading and discussion. 

Happy Reading
​Mrs. A

What are Graphic Novels?"Graphic Novel" is a format, not a genre. Graphic novels can be fiction, non-fiction, history, fantasy, or anything in-between. Graphic novels are similar to comic books because they use sequential art to tell a story. Unlike comic books, graphic novels are generally stand-alone stories with more complex plots. Collections of short stories that have been previously published as individual comic books are also considered graphic novels. (http://www.getgraphic.org/whatisagraphicnovel.php)

After learning about graphic vocabulary and visual rhetoric, we finally opened up the novel. Today we read The Introduction, The Veil, and The Bicycle. Each chapter was read out loud and annotations were written. The students were wonderful and worked very hard. 

If you missed the day, the chapters are posted along with the handout about how to annotate the chapters. Period 1 - Just read The Introduction and The Veil. Periods 2 & 3 read all. 

Please let me know if you have any questions. 
Happy Reading,
Mrs. A

As I prepare for the next unit, I can't help but to think back upon Behind the Beautiful Forevers. I love this book and love teaching it. It is so important for people to look into the windows of the world. Pushing back the curtains on Annawadi is very emotional. What I truly love about this novel is that despite the hardships faced by the people of Annawadi, there is such a feeling of hope. Life is about hope, with out hope what is there? I'm really proud of the students for their hard work. Their videos were amazing and a lot of fun to watch. The one thing I would change is the essay prompt. It would be much better for the students if they had a few prompt choices. This will enable them to determine what they want to write about and allow for clarity within their writing. 

The next unit - Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood. To say that I'm excited for this unit, would be an understatement. I was first drawn into Satrapi's story when I saw the movie. I soon discovered the graphic novel and was blow away with the illustrations. with. I can't wait to share the elements of a graphic novel and how the illustrations enhance the words to create an amazing reading experience. WARNING: Just because Persepolis is a graphic novel, does not mean that this unit is going to be easy. Instead of just analyzing the words and story, students now have an extra element to add to the mix, illustrations. 

Let's roll up our selves, open up a new novel, and see what it's like to grow up in revolution and war torn Iran. 

Happy Reading,
Mrs. A