23 January 2017

Today we discussed "Reinforcing the Stereotypic Binaries," defining key terms, then assessing the evidence used in the essay to develop an "Orientalist" reading of The Kite Runner. We then went back through the novel to consider the ways the narrative depicts Afghanistan and Afghan culture, identifying positive and negative representations that might be used to complicate the assessment put forward in the essay.

At the end of class, students received two assignments, both due next time they see me; the first is an essay by Salman Rushdie entitled "Imaginary Homelands," which students should read with the intention of finding similarities between Rushdie's experiences as a displaced writer and Hosseini's similar circumstances; and the second is a set of statements requiring students to take a stand, then use evidence from the novel to support their point of view for each claim. We will use both pieces during our last session before final exams as part of our culminating discussion. Students should be prepared to discuss them then.

19/20 January 2017

Today students completed their character posters and made presentations.

Students wrote in response to the following freewrite prompt:  In what ways might we consider Afghanistan to be a character in the novel? What are its traits, qualities, values, strengths, challenges? In what ways does it change over the course of the narrative? How do we learn about these qualities?

At the end of class, students received the essay "Reinforcing the Stereotypic Binaries: Orientalist Reading of Hosseini's The Kite Runner" by V.K. Chitra Rekha. For next time, students should read the essay, identifying the thesis statement and evaluating the evidence, considering to what extent they accept or agree with the writer's claims. We will begin our next session with discussion of the essay.

10/18 January 2017

Today students were introduced to the Pashtunwali, the code of conduct that prevails in Afghan society, along with the obligations and prohibitions of Islam. Students worked in small groups to evaluate how individual characters in the novel uphold or reject these cultural values, and the roles each character plays in the novel. They will make presentations based on their evaluations during the next class.

5 January 2017

Today students took a reading test, then had some time for SSR. We spent time watching the BBC documentary program Dispatches episode "Behind the Taliban Mask," noticing the contrast between representations of the Taliban in the documentary and the novel. Afterward, we had a discussion about how the documentary contributed to our thinking about the book.

3 January 2017

Today students wrote reflections about the synthesis essays they completed at the end of the Football unit, then turned their essays in. After SSR, we discussed the central characters in the novel, then began discussing some of the motifs Hosseini uses to develop the novel's central themes. We used a motif tracking chart to begin recording patterns we recognized in the book.

12 December 2016

Today students checked out The Kite Runner and began reading the novel. (Some students, who have already read The Kite Runner, checked out A Thousand Splendid Suns.) Reading calendars are here. Students should expect a reading test at the end of the first week back after the winter break.

In class, we completed the My Plan essay, a district graduation requirement. Students submitted their essays to me, and once they were approved, they uploaded their approved essays to Naviance. The essay can be used as a portion of the personal statement for the OSAC scholarships. Students should complete the scholarship application before 15 February in order to take advantage of additional "early-bird" funds.