Schedule | Assignments | Tronclass
BEN52601 Traditions in Children’s Literature
Th 10:10-12:00, Rm R0402
Texts
Full text (available in the school bookstore)
- Charlotte’s Web, by E. B. White
- Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume
- Folktales handout (download and print out from Tronclass)
Online (selections from)
- Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
- The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling
- Winnie the Pooh, by A. A. Milne
- Pippi Longstocking, by Astrid Lindgren
Class Goals
- To become critical readers.
- To be able to converse and write critically about children’s literature.
- To articulate and modify your own ideas about children’s literature and culture.
This semester long class investigates children’s literature from a traditional perspective. This includes, but is not limited to the history of children’s literature in English, folk literature, and historical development of childhood issues. Students will read folk and fairy tales, early novels focused on child readers, as well as modern texts that incorporate traditional elements. Emphasis is placed on defining the genre, understanding its formulation, and noting the development of children’s literature over time.
Since this is a literature class, we will be reading, thinking, discussing, and writing about the books we read from a critical literary perspective. We will investigate the messages communicated in the literature and how the messages are conveyed. It is important to continually challenge yourself to ask provoking questions and see the texts from fresh perspectives. As we question the assumptions of the authors, cultures, and consumers involved in the production of the texts we read, it is also important to analyze our own assumptions about life, literature, and childhood. We’ll glimpse the wide range of genres encompassed within children’s literature and pay attention to their separate and overlapping conventions.
This class combines lecture, small group work, and large group discussion. This is your class and much of the responsibility for making the class meaningful is yours. It is supremely important to say what you think while respecting and considering contrary viewpoints. The most engaging classes are those where students participate actively and share a wide variety of ideas. Additionally, I encourage you to bring in or refer to additional books, newspaper/magazine articles, movies, or any other information that may be relevant to what we are discussing in class.
Class Function
- Basic expectation: Complete all the reading in English before class each week.
- Study groups (4-6 students) for the semester will be formed in the second week of class.
- Evaluated work: Several quizzes, two presentations within small groups, three book responses, one term paper
- Use Tronclass for supplementary reading, class PPTs, and student presentation PPTs.
Class Schedule and Policies
- Class policies, reading schedule, assignments, homework, class topics, and exam times are shown on the class website.
- Make sure you complete all reading in English before class each week.
- Timeliness: Late attendance, absences, and late assignments will affect your grade. You are always responsible to know the schedule, arrive on time, and complete all assignments on time. Check the website and discussion group members for any information you may have missed. Talk with me about anything you don’t understand.
- Tiredness: If you cannot stay awake and attentive in class, please excuse yourself from the class.
Grading
| Participation | 10% | Attendance, Discussion, Groupwork, etc. |
| Quizzes | 20% | Quizzes will cover the reading for the week as well as information from previous lectures. Missed quizzes cannot be made up. |
| Book Responses | 25% | Three brief written responses to your choice of the seven class texts after the folk tales |
| Term Paper | 30% | One essay (2-3 pages) comparing a character’s childhood with your own childhood. |
| Presentations | 15% | Two presentations. Folk Tale presentation and What did I learn? |
Note: The official schedule is posted on the website and is subject to change. Be sure you check it regularly.