November 26, 2012 Dear parents and guardians, Your scholar has been studying the rise of Islam

during the Medieval Era. They have had the opportunity to learn about the geography of the Arabian Peninsula, the story of Muhammad, and the five pillars of the faith of Islam. Before the holiday break, students participated in a symposium over the Crusades. Students took on the roles of figures in history during this period, as well as historians asking questions about their experience. As we finish up our unit on Islam in the Medieval Era, we will conclude our studies by reading a novel together as a class. We will be reading Paulo Coelhos The Alchemist and completing daily reading assignments in their Reading Journal. The importance of completing reading and journal assignments is crucial to your students grade over the next three weeks. Students will have daily reading assignments that must be completed before the next day in order to participate in daily literature discussions. Students may have an opportunity to complete some of the reading in class, but their reading and journal entries are homework if they are not completed in class. The grading policy for this project is: Comprehension quiz/written response- daily @ 5 pts. each Reading Journals entries- daily @ 5 pts. each Literature Group Discussion Participation/Cooperation- Weekly 5 pts. Final Comprehension Test- 25 pts.

The approximate total points for this Project is 200 points Please be sure to check Power School weekly to be sure your student is keeping up with their reading. Getting behind on this will seriously affect their grade. Also, if your student has difficulty with reading, they may listen to the book on tape or have the book read to them, but they MUST complete the journal entries independently. If your child is absent during this project, they will need to keep up with the reading via our website or by calling the school. They will be unable to make up Group Discussion Participation/Cooperation points. If you have any questions regarding this assignment, please check the website first for information on reading schedules and due dates, and as always, you may contact Ms. Slater or Ms. DeVore directly. Thank you, Ms. DeVore and Ms. Slater rslater@newlosangeles.org gdevore@newlosangeles.org