Magical Lore: Student Handbook

[Aphra James]

Table of Contents
Scroll 1. Welcome
Scroll 2. Required Materials
Scroll 3. Classroom Expectations
Scroll 4. Level One Syllabus
Scroll 5. Level Two Syllabus
Scroll 6. Teaching Philosophy
Scroll 7. Desired Outcomes and Student Learning Contracts

[Aphra James]

Welcome

Dear Students,

Welcome to Magical Lore! I am very excited to begin sharing and exploring the wonderful and mysterious Wizard World with you all. Through the lens of folklore, ancient manuscripts, records of extinct covens and magical communities, ancient and mediaeval rituals and customs, and a library full of stories, songs, legends, myths and their realities, we will examine our world. This is important and invigorating work.

It can also be confusing and frustrating. I have spent my entire life working with ancient artefacts, precious manuscripts, and preserving sacred texts such that our knowledge of the world built by our ancestors does not go forgotten. This has been my life task, and now I hope to share this task with you! As an expert in my fields of study, I have answered many hundreds of thousands of questions, but I've also left unanswered many millions more: we can't know everything there is to know of our world, but we can protect and study those things which have already been uncovered for us. So, as I said, this is work that can be confusing and frustrating, and I am here working through it with you as well. We are a team.

I have designed this course in two levels based on the following criteria: (1) difficulty of the material, (2) experience of the student body, (3) amount of original research necessary, and (4) accessibility to field-related terminology. As such, all students will begin at Level One, and we will work together as a group of explorers across all seven years, teaching and learning from each other. I have donated my own personal library to the school and we will make use of it during our time together. As I said above, we are a team.

At the mid-term of the year, I will evaluate each student to see if he/she is ready to be promoted to Level Two. Results will be sent by owl to promoted students.

My final thoughts are of the greatness we will achieve together this year! This handbook will always be available to you for reference, and additions will be made to it as are deemed necessary. I am excited to get started and see all that we can do together!

Yours Affectionately,
Professor P. Aphra James X. A.

[Aphra James]

Required Materials

Materials will be made available at each lesson for students unable to acquire copies of their own.

Book List
Necessary for Level Ones
1: My Story In Stone: Anthology of Primary Sources of the L'Anse Aux Meadows Community, Sandros, Kyle and Xavier, Alberto (Maritime Press: Halifax, 2019)
2: The Woman Who Named God, Ferlini, Nikola (Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2006)
3: Norse Mythology , Gaimon, Neil (Penguin Classics: New York, 2016)
4: Mythology, Hamilton, Edith (Little, Brown & Co.: New York, 1942)
5: Folklore and Magica: A First Collection , Xavier-Arias, Perdita & Arias, Roger (Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2022)

[Aphra James]

Classroom Expectations

All the work that is done in this classroom is to be done in a manner that preserves the dignity and integrity of each student and their learning process. I consider you all a part of my team of expeditionists and explorers, and you will be treated likewise by me. Therefore, the following rules are basic but irrefutable. I have included the number of house points I will deduct should these rules be broken. I operate on a one-warning basis, and this is your only warning.

Classroom Behavior

• Listen respectfully when your peers are answering questions (+/- 3 points)
• Check out assumptions you are making regarding your peers' work (+/- 2 points)
• Ask questions that are appropriate to the topic being discussed (+/- 2 points)
• If you must debate a point with your peers, do so calmly and carefully, without vulgarity or disrespect (+/- 5 points)
• Only students that raise their hands will be allowed to answer questions and volunteer information (+/- 3 points)
• Arrive on time to class [In RP terms, this is up to you to decide if you were late or on time] (+/- 3 points)
• Commit to your work with peers and individually; take control of your own learning! (+/- 2 points)

As you will see, Classroom Behavior counts for 20 points total.

Homework Expectations

• Assignments are completed before the class-day they are assigned (+/- 5 points)
• Participation in discussions regarding homework assignments is required (+/- 5 points)
• Group work projects will feature equal participation from each member of the group (+/- 5 points)
• Students will submit authentic and original work on their assignments (+/- 5 points)

As you will see, Homework Expectations counts for 20 points total.

Classroom expectations carry a total of +/- 40 house points in this class. I reserve the right to add or deduct an additional 5 house points per category listed above, bringing the total potential points to 50 house points in this section. That is half of your total course marks. I cannot stress enough the importance of earning these points.

[Aphra James]

Level One Syllabus

The objective of Level One Magical Lore is to build up a toolkit of terminology, basic understanding of anthropological history and beginner's preservationist and researcher skills. We will be putting a lot of emphasis on learning and growing together so that our toolkits are full of similar knowledge and skill sets. As such, our two intensive lessons will challenge you to utilize your tools as well as your teammates to gain more knowledge and hone your skills to perfection.

The following is an outline of our Level One curriculum.

Part One: Knowledge
Lesson I:      Myths and Legends of the Greco-Roman World
Lesson II:     Greco-Roman Gods and Goddesses (And Where to Find Them)
Lesson III:    Greco-Roman Primary Texts*
Lesson IV:    Art and Architecture in the Greco-Roman World
Lesson V:    Exploring Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome

*This lesson will feature an introductory course in Latin and Greek

Part Two: Skills
Lesson VI:      Ancient Greek Language Study
Lesson VII:     Latin Language Study
Lesson VIII:    Cuneiform, Runes, and Ogham Writing Systems
Lesson IX:    Exploring and Decoding Texts of the Ancient World
Lesson X:        From Ancient to Classical: Measuring the Passage of Ages through Oral Tradition

Special Note: The lessons that have been bolded and italicized are the lessons which we will role play.