Schedule | Assignments | Tronclass
BEN52701 Contemporary Trends in Children’s Literature
Thursdays 1:10-3:00, Room R0402
Texts
- The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman
- El Deafo, by Cece Bell
- Keesha’s House, by Helen Frost
- Other readings to be downloaded from the class website
- Familiarity with around 20 pictures books including those students have written about in their reading logs.
- Picture books presented in class.
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 Spring Semester Class
- This semester long class looks at current trends in English language children’s literature. What issues are facing children’s literature in the 21st century? How are these similar to and different from the past? What issues are particularly relevant to parents and teachers as well as scholars of literature? Issues such as diversity, feminism, and methods of analyzing texts will be considered. In addition, there will be an emphasis on picture books and their design.
Class Schedule and Policies
- See the class website for specific week by week schedule of readings, topics, and assignments.
- See Tronclass for supplementary reading, class PPTs, and student presentation PPTs.
- Make sure you complete all the reading in English before class each week.
- Assignments
- Picture book reading log with 10 or more picture books (each from a different author/illustrator)
- Two presentations given in small groups: A High Quality Picture Book & Compare ChLit with Adult Lit
- One 2-3 page Term Paper (around 1,000 words) comparing a similar topic in two or more books.
- Three 1-page book response papers
- Plagiarism. Any paper with ideas or quoted words that come from another source must be cited or that paper will receive a zero. (You then have the chance to redo the assignment for half credit.)
- Timeliness: Late attendance, absences, and late assignments are not represented in the grading scheme below but they do affect your grade. Students who miss many classes invariably perform poorly in presentations, quizzes, and written papers. 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. Please feel free to talk with me about anything you don’t understand.
- Quizzes: These happen at the beginning of most classes and it is not possible to make up quizzes you miss. They will cover information from the previous lecture and reading for that day. The following are some reasons for giving frequent quizzes.
- Encourage students to do the reading and review class notes.
- Check for student understanding of reading material and class concepts
- Reinforce information and ideas that are important to know.
- Encourage students to arrive on time
Grading
| Term Paper | 25% | One written paper comparing a similar topic in two books (4-6 pages). |
| Quizzes | 25% | Quizzes cover the reading for the week and information from the previous class. |
| Book responses | 20% | 3 short papers giving your personal response to three of the four class books |
| Participation | 10% | Involvement in class, picture book reading log, punctuality, etc. |
| Presentations | 20% | Picture Book & Final Presentation (Made individually to a group of three other students) |
| 100% |
Note: The official schedule is posted on the website and is subject to change. Be sure you check it regularly.