Dr. Mary Magoulick                                                Dr. Maggie Philbin,                                Dr. Kathryn Powell

Office: A&S 3-21                                                      Klptr 151                                                                                               

Phone: 445-3177                                                        445-1243

E-mail: mmagouli@gcsu.edu                                mphilbin@gcsu.edu                                 powellk@alltel.net

“Bear in mind that the wonderful things you learn in your schools are the work of many generations, produced by enthusiastic effort and infinite labor in every country of the world. All this is put into your hands as your inheritance in order that you may receive it, honor it, add to it, and one day faithfully hand it on to your children.”                                (Albert Einstein, 1934)

 Textbooks (available at the bookstore):

These are required texts to be discussed in class. You will also be given a list of suggested and supplemental reading, and you will be required to find some books (as in the picture book category) of your own to share with the class.

 Angelou, Maya, Jean Michel Basquiat (Illustrator), SaraJane Boyers, Jean Michael Basquiat (Photographer) Life Doesn't Frighten Me. Stewart Tabori & Chang, 1998; ISBN: 1556702884

Baum, Frank L. & John R. Neill (Illustrator) Ozma of  Oz. Dover, 1984. ISBN: 0486247791

Brown & Tomlinson. Essentials of Children’s Literature, Allyn & Bacon, 1998. [New] July 2001 4^th edition, hardcover: ISBN: 0205335934

Carroll, Lewis & John Tenniel (Illustrator). Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. and Through the Looking-Glass : And What Alice Found There. Reissue edition (December 12, 2000) Signet Classic; ISBN: 0451527747

Dahl, Roald. &  Quentin Blake (Illustrator) The BFG. Puffin, 1998; ISBN: 0141301058 

Erdrich, Louise. The Birchbark House. Hyperion Press, 1999, ISBN: 0786803002 

Erdrich, Louise & Jim Lamarche (Illustrator).  Grandmother's Pigeon. Hyperion Press, 1999; ISBN: 0786812044

 Koch, Kenneth & Kate Farrell. Talking to the Sun : An Illustrated Anthology of Poems for Young People. Henry Holt & Company, Inc., 1995; ISBN: 0805001441

 L’Engle, Madeleine, A Wind in the Door. Yearling Books, 1974; ISBN: 0440487617

 Rowling, J.K. and Mary Grandpre (illus.). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book I)  Scholastic Trade, 1999.  ISBN: 059035342X

Sandburg, Carl, Maud Petersham, Miska Petersham & Michael Hague (Illustrator). Rootabaga Stories (Odyssey Classic). Harcourt Brace, 1990/1922; ISBN: 0152690654

Sherman, Josepha and David Boston (Illustrator). Trickster Tales : Forty Fold Stories from Around the World (Paper). August House Pub, 1996; ISBN: 0874834503

White, E. B. & Fred Marcellino (Illustrator). The Trumpet of the Swan. HarperTrophy, 2000; ISBN: 0064408671

Zipes, Jack, ed. The Great Fairy Tale Tradition: From Straparola and Basile to the Brothers Grimm (Norton Critical Editions). New York: WW Norton & Company, 2000.

Description

What defines “quality literature” for children (now and in the past)? What is its value? With more than 100,000 books for boys and girls now in print, how do adults navigate this vast landscape? How do adults choose materials to challenge, read aloud, use for instructional purposes or inspire a pleasure in reading? This course will provide students with an introduction to carefully selected major works and significant, substantial, contemporary examples of “quality” children’s literature. We will read examples of and critical essays about children’s literature in order to try to establish and understand criteria for evaluating children’s literature. As we examine how and why people ascribe value to this literature we will discover that the measures, insights, aesthetics, and messages of great children’s literature are consistent with those of great literature more generally. We shall also consider the effects of children’s literature on our culture more generally (as with classics stories like European folktales, Native American trickster tales, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, or more recently the Harry Potter books).

Objectives

Œ            To understand and appreciate the multiplicity children’s literature throughout time and space

Œ            To read, discuss and ponder various examples of children’s literature and illustration

Œ            To establish and understand frameworks for evaluating children’s literature

Œ            Select literature that will provide a meaningful context for appropriate language / literacy (and that addresses various linguistic and cultural differences of children)

Œ            Formulate various approaches for engaging children at home, in the classroom, or in the community in activities that utilize a variety of text (i.e., oral, print, or visual)

Œ            Plan activities with children for a variety of purposes and at least two stages of reading (e.g., emergent reading stage and fluency stage) to document knowledge construction in P-5 students.

Œ            Engage project designed to elicit a variety of student responses to a number of selected pieces of literature with documentation of learning in P-%

Œ            Become familiar with various technological and informational resources and inclusive technologies (e.g. libraries, databases, computer networks, video, film) to gather, synthesize, construct and communicate knowledge.

Œ            To realize some of the complexities, key issues, and rewards of studying art, culture, folklore, and literature even at a very young age

Œ            To appreciate such human expressions as windows into the human experience

 

Requirements

All coursework must be completed on time to receive full credit. Late and make-up work will only be accepted with express permission from the teachers (you must explain in advance and document why something will be late). All late assignments, if accepted, will be automatically graded down by one full letter grade per calendar day. Legitimate excuses, as in documented medical, extreme family emergency, or official school activity required to make up exam without penalty. Your grade in this class will reflect your overall participation and enthusiasm, as well as your performance on specific tasks outlined below. Consistency and improvement are considered. 

Critical response to readings (3 required, 4^th optional)....……….20%

Examination (concepts, short answer and essay)……………….......20%

Presentation / Project (in group)..............………………………................20%

Critical Essay (analysis of a work of children’s literature)........30%

Participation...............................................................................................10%

 <          Three short critical responses (not summaries) to assigned readings (1-2 pages each). These will be your individual responses to selected texts. You do not have to do any research or additional reading, but merely write (critically and rigorously) about your ideas of the text.

<          The examination (given just after the midterm period) will involve short answers and essay questions requiring you to demonstrate your familiarity with and appreciation of the texts read for class, and to discuss connections between them and general issues related to children’s literature.

<          A presentation (group work). You will work in a group to explain and discuss one of the works from the supplemental reading list. You should come prepared with background or critical information about the work and the author [& illustrator]. Your group should demonstrate how the work you are presenting fits into the other categories, works and ideas already presented in class. You may also incorporate in your presentation a model lesson or ideas for how this work could be used in a classroom.

<          One long critical essay (minimum 8 pages), explicating a specific text of children’s literature in terms of the issues and ideas raised in this class. You must discuss your topic with the instructors in advance.

<          Regular, active attendance and participation. Be prepared to ask and answer questions, and to raise and discuss issues of significance to this class on a daily basis.

Notes

f            This syllabus is a guide and as such is subject to revision. It is your responsibility as a student to attend class faithfully, note any changes in the syllabus, and to complete all work on time. If you miss a class, contact one of the professors for any changes in readings or assignments.

f            We require you to communicate with us about any concerns, problems, or questions you may have during the semester. We will answer all e-mails and be happy to see students during office hours or by appointment.

f            Plagiarism and cheating are unethical and unacceptable. If you have any doubt as to what constitutes plagiarism and/or cheating, see a professor or consult your student handbook (see the honor code). Doing your own work conscientiously is the best way to learn and grow as a human being, and it makes the best use of your college tuition.

f            Faithful, punctual attendance is mandatory. If you must be absent and have a documented excuse (legitimate excuses include documented medical problems, extreme family emergency, or official school activity), be sure to inform us of your absence, show us your documentation, and contact us regarding work or assignments you have missed. More than three absences (including excused absences) in one semester will adversely affect your grade in this course. Note that classroom activities, lectures, and discussions require enormous time and preparation and cannot be repeated or re-created for one individual student at a later time or date. You may borrow notes from fellow students, but these rarely communicate the full experience of a class.

f            Active, respectful participation is required of all students. Respectful participation means listening to others’ opinions, presentations, and ideas even if your initial reaction is to disagree. Critical thinking (the basis of all college education and higher reasoning) requires you to attend to various sides of issues. You should learn to evaluate, compare, and judge information based on reason and logic rather than emotion. Active participation involves listening attentively and respectfully as much as it involves speaking. Aggressive and rude behavior will not be tolerated.

f            Any student requiring modifications due to a documented disability should make an appointment to meet with the instructors as soon as possible. An official letter from GC&SU documenting the disability will be required in order to receive accommodation.