Topics
in Literature
Ms. Fichera
Summer 2017
Overview:
Welcome
to what I hope will be a great new opportunity to explore literature in a way
that you’ve never quite before. I am so
excited to get started! As you know,
this class is not going to function in the same way that your previous three
years of high school English have. Not
only is it taking place over the summer, it’s also on any topic that you want. How
cool is that? Very, I know. Each of you will be working relatively
independently (with my support, of course) and online over the first six weeks
of the summer. The idea is this: you will choose a particular area of literary
interest to study. Once you have
developed a plan, you will pursue this area of interest until the end of the
summer, reading daily and posting to a blog.
You will complete an awesome, and completely individual, final project
at the end of the course.
Requirements:
1. Read
and write about your area of study approximately five days a week. This should total approximately 80-100 pages
of reading and three pages of writing per week.
2. Keep
a composition book. In it, log the pages
of your reading, take notes (this should be done in your own way, perhaps with thinking routines or
quotations but should not only be facts, though I imagine that there will be
some), and, once a week, record and define at least ten new vocabulary
words.
3. Keep
a blog for class and post to it. One
entry each week will be short and factual, with only page numbers and a list of
new vocabulary and definitions. The
other two entries each week should be approximately 500 words each. One should be more personal, somewhat like a
Quote Book entry (I will explain this if you have not been in my class
before.), and one should be more intellectual, choosing a symbol, motif,
essential question, etc. and analyzing what you have read each week. We will do
a lot of the blogging when we meet together each Tuesday, but you will need to
work on some of it on your own. I’m
hoping, however, that your blog is something that you will be really proud of,
so make it interesting! Add pictures,
links, music, etc. Make it informative, but most importantly make it your own. J
4. Be
passionate and independent.
Final Thoughts:
If
this seems like a lot, remember two things:
the topic is one that you have chosen yourself, so reading and writing
about it should not feel like work, and you will also be expected to use
“class” time (three hours per week) in addition doing “homework” (about thirty
minutes per day). That’s a lot of
minutes learning about something that you care about, and I’m sure the time
will fly by. Also, you are getting an entire semester’s English credit for six
weeks of work in the summer, so…it’s kind of a no brainer why this is a good
deal.
I have had a great time every time
I’ve taught this class. My students are
always passionate and involved, they/ve came up with super interesting topics,
they really evolved in their skills with the blogs, and they read a ton! Obviously, this is the first year of teaching
it in the summer, so there will be some adjustments, but I’ve described my
vision for its success above. Please
remember that I am always available over e-mail and that we will meet as a
group and then one on one over the course of the three hours each Tuesday. I am genuinely excited about this opportunity,
and I hope that you are already thinking of topics and are ready to get
started. I look forward to reading about
your projects and helping you become literary connoisseurs! J
"One
person with passion is better than forty people merely interested."
—
E. M. Forster
No comments:
Post a Comment