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SYLLABUS
ILS 300L
(Summer 2005: Session A - May 30-July 1)
REQUIRED TEXT
Butler, F. (1989). Sharing Literature with Children (reissue of 1977.). Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press. ISBN: 0-88133-463-4
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is offered in Summer Session A . The course runs from May 30-July 1 (Summer Session A). This is the same course that is offered during the Fall and Spring semester, it is just compressed. It is very important to keep up with the reading and writing schedule. The course moves quickly and students who keep up with the schedule have been very successful whether the course is taken in the Fall or Spring (15 weeks) or Summer (5 weeks).
This course is a critical study of literature for children and includes the study of folklore, poetry, fiction and non-fiction. This course includes a discussion of child development as it relates to literature, and the child as reader.
This course fulfills one of the GE requirements for SCSU in the L-course category.
Enrollment in this course is limited to 20 students.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The student will be able to:
- Define the various genres of children's literature
- Evaluate children's books critically
- Select appropriate materials for various age groups
- Discuss the historical development of children's literature
- Critique current issues
- Demonstrate an ability to tell or read-aloud stories
- Compare print and non-print materials for children
READING SCHEDULE
[For Writing Schedule SEE Course Home]
- Unit 1 Tuesday May 31
- Read in Butler (the required text for this course) all of the following:
pp. 1-4;
at least one of the three essays found on pp. 70-84;
at least two of each type of folk rhyme (riddles, toungue twisters, counting-out, acting out, and jump-rope) found on pp. 5-7;
the folk play "Punch and Judy" found on pp. 15-22
- Unit 2 Wednesday June 1
- Read in Butler at least one fantasy found on pp. 23-55
- Unit 3 Thursday June 2
- Read in Butler at least two fiction stories found on pp. 56-62
- Unit 4 Friday June 3
- Read in Butler at least five poems found on pp. 63-69
- Unit 5 Monday June 6
- Read in Butler each of the following:
pp. 91-94;
both essays found on pp. 153-160;
the myth "The Golden Touch" found on pp. 95-102;
the fable "The Man, The Boy, and the Donkey" found on pp. 105-106;
the four folk rhymes found on pp. 105-106
- Unit 6 Tuesday June 7
- Read in Butler the two literary folktales found on pp. 127-134 and the fiction story found on pp. 135-141
- Unit 7 Wednesday June 8
- Read in Butler the drama "Busu" found on pp. 142-145
- Unit 8 Thursday June 9
- Read in Butler the seven poems found on pp. 146-149 and the three rhymes found on pp. 150-152
- Unit 9 Friday June 10
- Read in Butler the two essays "The Uses of Enchantment" and "The Ethics of Elfland" found on pp. 463-477. Return in Butler to Section I. Toys and Games and read any essays, fantasy, and fiction not read previously
- Unit 10 Monday June 13
- Read in Butler all of the following:
pp. 167-170;
the three essays found on pp. 245-256;
the myth "Perseus" found on pp. 171-176;
the four folktales found on pp. 177-188;
the fantasy found on pp. 189-191
- Unit 11 Tuesday June 14
- Read in Butler the fable "The Dog and the Shadow" found on pp. 192 and the eight folk rhymes found on pp. 193-194
- Unit 12 Wednesday June 15
- Read in Butler the four folktales found on pp. 195-207 and the literary folktale found on pp. 208-214
- Unit 13 Thursday June 16
- Read in Butler the four fantasies found on pp. 215-233 and the biography found on pp. 234-238
- Unit 14 Friday June 17
- Read in Butler the twelve poems found on pp. 239-244 and the essay "A Meditation on Children and Their Literature" found on pp. 477-483
- Unit 15 Monday June 20
- Read in Butler all of the following:
pp. 265-268;
the six essays found on pp. 328-347;
the myth "Atalanta" found on pp. 269-272
- Unit 16 Tuesday June 21
- Read in Butler the four folktales found on pp. 273-292 and the literary folktale found on pp. 293-295
- Unit 17 Wednesday June 22
- Read in Butler the four fiction stories found on pp. 296-318 and the biography found on pp. 319-325
- Unit 18 Thursday June 23
- Read in Butler the three poems found on pp. 326-327 and the essay "Tree and Leaf" found on pp. 483-489
- Unit 19 Friday June 24
- Read in Butler all of the following:
pp. 355-357;
the two essays found on pp. 442-449;
the two myths found on pp. 358-366;
the biblical writings found on p. 367
- Unit 20 Monday June 25
- Read in Butler the two folk songs found on pp 368-369, the folk play found on pp. 370-372, the three folktales found on pp. 373- 382, and the literary folktale found on pp. 383-386
- Unit 21 Tuesday June 26
- Read in Butler the fantasies found on pp. 397-397 and the fiction story found on pp. 398-410
- Unit 22 Wednesday June 29
- Read in Butler the poetic fiction found on pp. 411-430, the fourteen poems found on pp. 431-439, and the rhyme found on pp.440-441
- Unit 23 Thursday June 30
- [no reading assignment]
- Unit 24 Friday July 1
- [no reading assignment]
GENERAL POLICIES
Each student will
- assume responsibility for your learning
- use the provided learning guides and resources; conduct data
searches when necessary
- manage your time effectively (plan a schedule and practice
time management)
- ask for assistance when you need it; avoid unnecessary frustration
and confusion
- remain active in the Message Center, Email, threaded discussions and
other activities
- prepare all work at upper undergraduate (junior/senior) performance levels
- follow good online etiquette
The instructor will
- provide assistance/knowledge in facilitating understanding of the
course content
- guide students through the course
- facilitate discussion through questioning, probing, examples, etc.
- provide feedback
- maintain records
- mark exams/assignments and maintain records
- respond to messages
GRADING POLICIES
L-courses require a minimum of 5000 words (approximately 20-25 double-space printed pages) of writing. and work on improving writing content and style. Each student will write a series of short papers over the semester. The Type 1-2 writings (graded 1/0 for completed/missing) count 25% of your course grade. The Type 3-4 papers count 25% of your course grade (graded by focus corrections). The final Type 5 paper counts 25% of your course grade.
A short 5 question quiz will be giving at the end of each daily lecture. The quizzes are timed for a maximum of 10 minutes. All questions are multiple choice or true/false. Some questions require the student to apply what is learned from the lecture. Other questions ask the student to recall specific material from the lecture. There are a total of 110 questions at 1 point for each correct answer. To determine your overall quiz grade for the course, divide the total number of points (out of 110) by 25. [A+=4.2-4.4; A=4.0-4.1; A-=3.7-3.9; B+=3.3=3.6; B=3.0-3.2; B-=2.7-2.9; C+=2.3=2.6; C=2.0-2.2; C-=1.7-1.9;
D+=1.3=1.6; D=1.0-1.2; D-=0.7-0.9; any average below 2.0 (C) is below expected level of performance.] Quizzes count 25% of your course grade.
Each student may prepare one story or book for reading aloud and one story for telling and present these to groups of children, such as at a daycare faciltiy or library. Students will then write about each experience. Each student who submits an acceptable read aloud or storytelling experience will receive extra credit for up to one extra credit unit. Acceptable presentations will raise the final grade average by one step. That is, if your final grade average is a "B+" and you have one acceptable presentation, your final grade will become an "A-". The instructor reserves the right to increase the extra credit to a maximum of two units for each student; that is, raising the final grade up to two steps for one acceptable read aloud/storytellig presentation and one acceptable paper on the graphic novel (see The Graphic Novel below).
The graphic novel (or comic book) is making a comeback in importance in children's literature. Whether a parent, child care worker, teacher, librarian, or reader of children's literature, you should understand the value and significance of this literary form. A recent book (published in 2004) for school librarians is also good reading/information for teachers, child care workers, parents, and others interested in children's literature.
Read pp 1-31 and as many additional pages as interest you in Allyson A. W. Lyga (with Barry Lyga)'s Graphic Novels in you Media Center: A Definitive Guide. Copyright 2004. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. ISBN 1-59158-142-7. With the knowledge gained, visit a comic book store or local library and read a few graphic novels, noting the grade or reading level of the comic, if available. Write a short paper beginning with Why the graphic novel and What is a graphic novel and then discussing the specific graphic novels you read and the value and significance you feel they have in children's literature. This is an opinion paper. The purpose of an opinion paper is to express and argue a point of view about a topic. Your goal is to make your point of view known and convincing. Suggestions for a more engaging paper: Open with an attention grabbing introduction (sentence); State your opinion clearly in a thesis statement; Back rationales with examples (observations from comics, statements in the Lyga's book); Close with a compelling summary or conclusion (you may want to restate your opinion/thesis and give a new example). Generally, write with nouns and verbs and choose strong (precise) verbs to represent your ideas. Aim for a succinct but complete coverage of your opinion. The paper should be two-three pages (when double-spaced). Each student who submits an acceptable paper on the graphic novel will receive extra credit for up to one extra credit unit. Acceptable papers will raise the final grade average by one step. That is, if your final grade average is a "B+" and you have one acceptable presentation, your final grade will become an "A-". The instructor reserves the right to increase the extra credit to a maximum of two units for each student; that is, raising the final grade up to two steps for one acceptable read aloud/storytellig presentation (see Reading Aloud and Storytelling above) and one acceptable paper on the graphic novel.
Attendance is automatically monitored and recorded by the WebCT courseware. While it is expected that every student will
participate regularly, there may be times when illness, official university activities, etc., force a student to miss a day(s) of online activity. Final course grades may be lowered for each unexcused absence from online activity. Attendance for the purpose of this course is defined as a combination of frequency and duration of activity in any given week. A student who does not participate--or participates only marginally--in any one week can expect to have their final grade lowered by 10% for each week of "absence" from the course. For example, a student does not participate for a week and has not received written permission from the instructor for the absence; if the student's grade would otherwise be an "A" (4.0), it is now a B+ (3.6) and if the student's grade would otherwise be an "A-" (3.7), it is now a B+ (3.3). [A=4.0; A-=3.7-3.9; B+=3.3=3.6; B=3.0-3.2; any average below 3.0 (B) is below expected level of performance.]
Any student with long term or short term special needs should contact Dr. Brown, brownm6@southernct.edu, and give specific instructions on adaptions or accommodations needed.
FACULTY BIO
Professor Brown received the Ph.D. in Information Studies from Drexel University. Her major area of concentration is information systems including course work in social systems sciences (Wharton, University of Pennsylvania) and additional work in cognitive psychology, intelligent tutoring systems and statistics (Princeton University). She also holds a ALA-accredited Master of Science in Library and Information Science (Drexel University) and a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education (West Chester University). She is published in leading journals in psychology and in information science, has been a presenter at conferences and workshops, and is a successful grantwriter. She has a new book that will appear on the fall booklist and is currently working on a series that is based on her research.
On this class site, every effort has been made to acknowledge the work of others. Any omission is unintentional. If anyone finds an oversight, please contact me at brown@southernct.edu immediately so that any error can be corrected.
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