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Requirements
and Assignments 
Attendance: Attendance at all classes is required. In case of emergency please notify me before the class time. Five points will be dropped from the attendance score for each day missed -- in addition to any other points for participation depending upon the day's activities. Bodily presence is not enough by itself, you should be actively engaged in the discussions and activities and should have completed the assigned readings prior to attending class. More than four absenses will result in failure of the course. (25 pts)
Children's Literature Binder: The Binder will include all materials collected and/or written for the course. Your binder should be brought to every class. They will occasionally be shared in small groups and your peers will have an opportunity to react to your work. Binders will be collected again on the final day of class.
I. Book Responses:
22 picture book responses: (4 also read by or to a P-6 student):
All written responses should include author, title, illustrator, copyright date, and publisher
·
1
review of a new picturebook using the format of
School Library Journal (approx. 150 words)
·
2
Caldecott winners -- discuss what it takes to win the Caldecott and why/how
these books might be used with young readers with reference to the books you
have read (min. 3 paragraphs)
·
2
wordless picturebooks -- discuss the potentials of
using wordless picturebooks with young readers with
reference to the books you have read (min. 3 paragraphs)
·
2
picturebooks related to a genre (connected to
genre study) (min. 3 paragraphs)
·
2
international picture books: what about the book is culturally specific
and what might be more "universal"; why do you think this particular
book was republished in the US; how might international books be used in the
classroom
·
1
picture book related to environmental stewardship; short reflection on group
project pertaining to the book and how it might be used with children.
·
3
picturebooks connected by theme: an environmental
theme, or first day of school,
music, trains, dinosaurs, bullying... (min. 4 paragraphs)
·
3
picture books variants of a folktale (Cinderella, Snow White, Goldilocks...)
(min. 4 paragraphs)
·
2
picture books connected to the inventory of a classroom library (connected to culturally
rich inventory project)
·
1
digital picture book / animated book. How does reading the digital/multimedia
book compare to reading a handheld book? What might be the benefits of
including some digital books? (min. 2 paragraphs)
· 3 picture books illustrated by the same artist -- (connect to illustrator study) Discuss the technique(s) of a particular illustrator and the possibilities of having young readers look at multiple texts by a single artist. (min. 4 paragraphs)
· 4 of these books need to also be read with a child. You must discuss how you chose books for the individual child, how you prepared for the reading, how the book was read (did you each read the book seperately and then talk about it, did you read out loud to the child...) In terms of the child's response you could observe and write about how the child responded or the child could write or draw their own response, depending on the age group. (min. 2 paragraphs each)
1
book of poetry:
Discuss your response to the book. What you like about the author's
craft, what you thought about the book as a teacher, issues that arise, how
language is used in ways that differs from prose and expository writing?
1 nonfiction tradebook: Discuss your response to the book. What you like about the theme, and the author's craft, how are text features incorporated, how might the book connect ot the new Common Core?
1 life story/biographical book:
Discuss your response to the book. You might explore your
thoughts as you are reading. What you like about the author's craft, what
you thought about the book as a teacher, how might the book connect ot the new Common Core
**
You may include several older books but at least 15 of the books
to which you respond must have been published within the past 7 years
(10 pts for each book, 300 pts)
12 novels:
1. I Am Jack: Reflect on how this book might contribute to an antibullying program at your school. Are there other benefits to using the novel. Are their any benefits or drawbacks due to the book being from another country? 3 paragraphs min (15 pts)
2. Endangered: While reading the novel create a list of at least four questions that you would like to ask the author, Eliot Schrefer, about the book. Then you can either find the answers to your questions when the author is on campus (by asking him), or you can write an essay about the significance of at least two of your questions. 2 paragraphs min. (15 pts)
3. Illustrated Novel: Style (1 book from the list) For this assignment you should discuss the literary element of style in one of the transitional novels read. Of course in an illustrated novel on the the most interesting features of style is the interaction between graphics and words. Why are illustrations included? What purposes do they serve? What else is significant stylistically about the novel that you read. 2 paragraphs min. (15 pts)
4. Graphic Novel (1 book from the list): Discuss how narrative is told through the combination of sequential art and words. Who will this sort of literature appeal to? What are the benefits and limitations of using graphic novels in the classroom?. 2 paragraphs min. (15 pts)
5. Historical Fiction: Context (1 book from the list) Examine the characters especially in light of the historical context of the novel. How does the author create convincing characters from a past time? Can children relate to these characters despite the time differences? Are they historically authentic? How do they pull contemporary readers into another era? 2 paragraphs min. (15 pts )
6. Historical Fiction: Teaching Ideas (1 book) For the WWII historical fiction we are creating a classroom museum. Bring in three artifacts that reflect the era and context of the novel you are reading. These artifacts can be realia or they can be created by you (model airplanes, posters from WWII, diary entries from soldiers, maps of Europe during the 1940s...). At least one of these artifacts has to be a potential product of a language arts activity. Explain how these artifacts relate to the novel? 2 paragraphs min. (15 pts )
7. Fantasy novel: Setting (1 book) Write a short
description of three of the key settings in your novel before class.
After class discussion write about how setting is used
in the novel and how the setting impacts the reader. min
2 paragraph. (15 pts)
8. Science Fiction: Creative Writing (1 book) For this assignment you will write creatively within the fictional world of the science fiction novel. Write a new ending to the book, an extension, a letter or diary entry from one of the characters to another. (15 pts)
9. Horror:
Censorship (1 book) Horror has a
very faithful fandom and is often a genre that attracts reluctant readers, at
the same time there are many parents who object to horror being used in the
classroom and it is one of the least likely genres to be taught. Where might
these books and especially your book fit in? If you feel strongely
about having a book available in your classroom or in the media center how
would you deal with book challenges? min 2 paragraphs
(15 pts)
10. Realistic Fiction: International novel: Blog (1 book): Create
an engaging dialogue on the blog to entice others to discuss your novel.
You should raise critical issues and/or respond to what others have written
about the novel. Min 3 posts (15pts)
11. Contemporary
Realistic Fiction: Theme (1 book) Why do so
many teachers and critics argue that CRF is one of the most popular genres of
fiction? What sorts of themes appear in your novel and why would
children/tweens be interested in these topics? min 2
paragraphs (15 pts)
12. Green
Earth Book Award: Voice (1 book) Each of these books connects to the theme of voice in
a different way. Whose voice(s) are we hearing in the text? What young readers
will be able to connect with this voice? How is the case for stewardship
developed in the book? What questions might you raise with the author if they
come to the the GEBA? min
2 paragraphs (15 pts)
(15 pts for each book, 180 pts)
Alternate
Project: Especially
for those of you in the Early Childhood Program you have the options to replace
any three genre text sets (from the following 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 --
fantasy is not included in this option) with an alternate assignment.
For each of these genre sets you will read five picturebooks,
or two illustrated books that fit the genre. They MUST be
preapproved by the instructor and they must not overlap with other picturebooks you are already reading nor
with your genre presentation. You will then write an essay of at least 250
words about these books and the genre and what could be accomplished using
these books with young children in the classroom.
II. Booktalks (2 books) A booktalk is a way of introducing a book in such a way that others will become interested in reading it -- like a commercial. Usually you will say something about what makes the book interesting and then read a excerpt from the book. Do not give away too much! Sign up to present the booktalk on the day the book will be discussed. The second booktalk should be in a digital format: podcast, audacity, voki, vlog... be creative. (15 pts each = 30 pts) Presented in class
III. Reader Autobiography: Each student will keep an informal journal that chronicles the reader's growth during the course of the semester. The journal will include reader attitudes, insights, growth and development. The journal will not be collected but will be used by the student to develop a typewritten essay that illustrates the reader's changes from the beginning to the end of the course. The report should be at least two pages typed double-spaced. (30 pts)
IV. Illustrator Study: Each student will write a study of a picturebook illustrator which includes a short biography, and a write up of at least three of the illustrator's works. A handout should be prepared for distribution in class, and the project will be presented -- brief discussion of the illustrator and the chosen books. Include sources -- websites, reviews, articles, interviews. (20 pts)
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Online assignments:
This is submitted via Livetext but you should also include a hard copy in your binder
V. Inquiry field project: Culturally rich inventory: Action research involves finding a problem or issue relevent to your classroom; researching what has been written about the issue; and then changing the situation in your classroom in a way that might be beneficial. In this mini research we will look at the issue of cultural representations in literature and how this might impact children. We will look at some of the theory in class. Then you will examine a classroom library during your methods visitations. Create a graph of at least 10 variables, at least 5 of which should be related to culture and ethnicity (f.ex. Euro-American characters; color-me-brown characters; non-human characters; African American characters; Latino characters; authors of color; white authors...). After creating the graph look to see where the gaps are in terms of cultural representations. If there are gaps look for two age appropriate books with rich cultural detail to help fill those gaps. If the collection does not seem to have gaps choose two books that are found in the classroom library and reflect on how these benefit the educational environment of the classroom. (30 pts)
VI. Professional Development Event: Each student will attend, and respond to four of the following events that occur outside of regular class time: Susanne Gervay (Feb 7 at 4:30 PM); Bryan Collier (Feb 17 at 5 PM) Rial Speaker; Children's Literature Festival events (April 4-6); Grace Lin (April 21 morning; April 22 evening). You will write a short reflection on each speaker. Those unable to attend four events can speak with the professor about alternatives. (10 pts each: 40 pts)
Additional projects:
VII. Each student will help lead a discussion over one of the genres. Each student who signs up for a genre will choose a textbook to read for information on that genre. Students will then get together as a group to create a definition of the genre and decide how to present the material. Each group member will find two picture books which fit the group's definition. The presentation should include a definition(s), examples of the genre, selection criteria, key authors (illustrators), and other interesting information. (20 pts)
VIII. Posterboard presentation for the Read Green Conference. In groups you will create a posterboard addressing environmental literature and the use of this literature with children. The focus might be on an activity actually carried out with children; on a thematic lesson plan or unit plan; an interdiciplinary approach to a book(s)... Common core standards should be integrated into the display. Posters after being refeered by faculty will be included in the April 6th conference at SU. (25 pts)
Grades are crude assessment tools but since you
have to be assigned a grade here is the breakdown:
700-675 pts. A
674-630 pts. B
629-590 pts. C
589-550 pts. D
