1. Warm-up: WELCOME BACK! To get your mind prepared for the intense semester that we will have, answer these very complex questions: 1. On a scale of 1-10, how was your winter break and why? 2. What is one event or activity that you enjoyed the most over winter break? 3. Since it is a new year, what is your New Year’s academic resolution that will ensure your departure from this building in June?

2.  Period 1: Warm-ups?  If you are a newbie, see me after class ( important !)  A few reminders about the forgotten syllabus…  Always write in ink (blue/black)  You’ve been awesome so far… but no heads on desks!  Coming to class late causes you to lose points that cannot be made up  If you are absent, see me AS SOON AS YOU GET BACK from your absence (or consult my website)  See me after class/after school (never before/during)  If you are absent, essays that you knew about before your absence are still due the same day.  I do not write locker passes.

3. PERSIAN AND ARABIC LITERATURE Since this semester will require a great deal more individual work than first semester, we will start off with research presentations on our next major literary region: Persia and Arabia.

4. PERSIAN AND ARABIC LITERATURE Research presentation information:  Your group must contain 3-4 members (of your own choosing).  Choose your members wisely so you will not get stuck with all of the work.  Presentations must be done via PowerPoint.  We’ll conduct library research this week.  Every member of your group must research and/or work at the library or your group will lose participation points for inefficiency.

5. STANDARDS Reading 3.7: Relate literary works and authors to the major themes and issues of their eras.

6. PERSIAN AND ARABIC LITERATURE Research presentation information:  PowerPoints must be done and either sent to my e- mail or dropped in my drop box by Sunday at 3:00.  Save your PowerPoint with all your group members’ first names.  If e-mailing over the weekend, check for a confirmation e- mail before Monday morning from me  15% will be dropped from your group’s grade if your presentation is not ready on Monday.  On Monday (presentation day), you must provide me with a printed handout of your PowerPoint presentation that I can keep for grading purposes.

7. RESEARCH PRESENTATION Research presentation guidelines:  Your group presentation must be 5-8 minutes long.  Your presentation must be 6-8 slides of information.  Your research must include at least 3 trustworthy, sources of information (no Wikipedia).  Your presentation MUST include a WORKS CITED slide on which you properly cite your sources of information (according to MLA format).  Visit “The Owl at Purdue” website for assistance.

8. RESEARCH PRESENTATION Research presentation guidelines:  Mandatory slides NOT included in the 6-8 slides of information:  Introduction slide with the title of your presentation, the first and last names of all your group members.  Works Cited slide (or more than one, if necessary)

9. RESEARCH PRESENTATION Research presentation guidelines:  Optional Slides: Each group will choose one category. You must have the following categories in the 6-8 slides of information:  Major historical events  Major historical figures  Religious Traditions  Historical places  Lifestyle  Women in Society  Social Classes/ People and society

10. RESEARCH PRESENTATION Research presentation guidelines:  Good presentations will not only include informative, accurate, detailed information, but will also be visually appealing. Make sure to…  Include pictures, or visual clips in roughly half of your slides  Not include too much information in any slide  Make your information clearly readable for your audience

11. RESEARCH PRESENTATION Research presentation rubric:  You will be graded on the following:  Depth of information  Quality of information  Following the guidelines  Preparedness  Professionalism (no sitting, leaning, cursing; be audible, speak properly, make eye contact)  Presentation of information (not READING slides, but presenting information so that it’s easy to understand)  Visual appeal of PowerPoint  Subject knowledge(group may be subject to questioning) Note: PowerPoints will not be graded without properly cited information