Pencils/pens
Dedicated notebook
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1st novel)
Animal Farm by George Orwell (2nd novel)
The Stranger by Albert Camus (3rd novel)

The novels we will read in this class will sometimes contain mature themes that some learners may find challenging and/or emotional. The purpose of the course is to develop literacy, thinking, analysis and discussion skills, deepen historical understanding of the world in context, and increase exposure to great literature from around the world which continues to remain relevant and important today. However, I want to address how unsolicited and potentially emotional expressions are handled in my class and how I intend to respond to students regarding complex and challenging themes. 

1. Set the stage and develop classroom norms collaboratively with students:
*Students are expected to be engaged, collaborative, and respectful to one another at all times 
*Students are encouraged to read assigned passages through a lens of compassion, empathy, respect, historical context and objectivity
*Students are expected to focus on what the text says rather than subjective interpretations or opinions. Focusing on textual evidence effectively eliminates most potential occurrences for unsolicited response and expression 
*Students always have the opportunity to opt out of a particular discussion if they feel the material is too taxing emotionally
*If it is noted that a student appears struggling with the material being presented or discussed, I will inform the parent about the concern immediately.  Further, please contact me with any questions or concerns you may have about this class. 

2. Encourage students to research material on their own using reliable sources in order to gain a fuller understanding of the material

3. Focus the discussion, encourage reflection, and make connections to lived experience. Giving the students a framework for the day's reading discussion up front aligns and focuses conversation on the ideas and thoughts presented in specific passages

4. Confront the idea, not the individual. Be the paragon of effective, purposeful, and respectful dialog

5. Facilitate actively by rewording questions posed by students, correcting misinformation, making reference to relevant reading materials or course content, asking for clarification, and reviewing main points

Please contact me directly if you have concerns or questions regarding the content of this class or visit (https://www.commonsensemedia.org) for parent reviews and comments about the novels.