English 380: Children’s Literature

Session: Fall 2006

Instructor: Dr. Chris McGee Office: Grainger 206, #395-2163 Office Hours: MW 1-3

e-mail: mcgeecw@longwood.edu course website: www.longwood.edu/staff/mcgeecw

Catalog Description: A survey of poetry, prose, and other media appropriate for elementary students. (3 credits)

Course Objectives:

In this course we’ll examine a number of representative texts in the field of Children’s Literature. We’ll discuss a wide range of media, including picture books, short chapter books, novels, poetry, films, and television shows. We’ll considering the complex and sometimes contradictory ways adults depict children in the texts they create for them. The overall course objectives are:

• To become a more adept and critical reader of children’s texts by developing and asking thoughtful interpretive questions of them.
• To identify important issues and themes in children’s texts, looking for what they tell us about their readers, their authors, their publishers, and our culture.

It is very important to note, therefore, that this is not a class in which you learn how to explicitly teach these books. English 380, instead, is a more literary-based course; by that I mean we will approach these texts as pieces of literature, worthy of careful and thoughtful attention. For the moment we will set aside questions of what children understand or like, and we’ll instead focus our attention on how these books work, how they create meaning, and how we can begin to respond to them. It is my goal to help you:

· Think about children’s texts in new ways

· Expand your familiarity with what is being written for children

Therefore if you approach the class open-mindedly and are prepared to share your insights into what you have read, we’ll have a lot to learn from each other.

Required Texts:

Matilda, by Roald Dahl

Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak

The Watertower, by Gary Crew and Steven Woolman

Tangerine, by Edward Bloor

The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963, by Christopher Paul Curtis

Meet Addy, an American Girl Book

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor

The Giver, by Lois Lowry

Coraline,by Neil Gaiman

The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairy Stupid Tales, by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith

The Bad Beginning: A Series of Unfortunate Events Book One, by Lemony Snicket

Bridge to Terebithia, by Katherine Paterson

Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets, by Dav Pilkey

Pippi Longstocking, by Astrid Lindgren

Grade Distribution:

Engagement – 25% 3 responses – 30%

Tickets In – 15% Final – 20%

Midterm – 10%

Assignment Descriptions

more complete assignment descriptions on webpage; due dates on course schedule

“Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do not learn much just sitting in classes listening to teachers, memorizing prepackaged assignments, and spitting out answers. They must talk about what they are learning, write reflectively about it, relate it to past experiences, and apply it to their daily lives. They must make what they learn part of themselves” (Chickering & Gamson, 1987).

- Engagement Grade:

I believe deeply in the ideas found in the quotation above. In order to be a valuable member of this class you have to be engaged in your own education. This means thinking carefully before we meet and engaging others while we are in class. This is a part of your grade but it is also a part of being an intellectual in a university setting. Our job is to produce new knowledge and wrestle with ideas. I take this very seriously and I hope you do too.

You are expected to come prepared for every meeting to discuss the material and respond to your classmates. You have an obligation to help make the class lively, thoughtful, and rigorous. Excellent students contribute every period. They demonstrate that they have been thinking complexly about the material we have covered.  The things they say open up possibilities, make connections, encourage others, and deepen our learning. Therefore, you will receive a grade based upon the degree to which you engage the material daily.

- Tickets In:

I will pose a series of questions to consider as you read each new text. You will come to class with a short response to these questions and be prepared to discuss your response.

- 3 Analyses of Outside Texts:

Each reading response asks you to apply different course concepts to outside material and present your ideas to the class.

- In Class Midterm:

In groups of 3, I will give you two random picture books of my choice. As a group you will create a series of notes that apply course concepts to one or both of the books.

- Take Home Final: I will give each of you a general theme in Children’s Literature (such as death, fantasy, animals, etc.) and, using Amazon.com, you will be asked to investigate what sorts of children’s books are written around these responses, how they are advertised, how the public responds to them, and what conclusions can be made.

Ø Please Note: In the end these are the things I am always thinking about: did you contribute to our discussions? did it seem like you were thinking carefully about the material? did you read all the texts carefully? did you come to class prepared to engage with your classmates? how interesting was your written work? was the class better because you were in it?

Ø In order to be considered for a passing grade in the class you must complete all of the assignments and be a regular member of our discussions. Reading all assignments prior to our meetings and coming to class prepared to discuss ideas for the entire period are the basic requirements of being a member of the class.

General Policies:

- Decorum: ENGL 380 is highly student driven, meaning that a lot is expected of you. Students are required to engage the course with a high level of maturity and to produce quality, college-level, intellectual work. I consider the classroom an intellectual space in which to wrestle with complex ideas. Be prepared to think deeply and closely about the books we read. Be prepared to have your ideas pushed. In general, it is important to be highly self-motivated if you are to succeed in and benefit from not only from this class, but from the college experience.

- Attendance: I expect you to be here and I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences. An absence is an absence, and they all affect your grade. You are generally allowed a week’s worth of absences to do with as you please – you do not have to tell me when you will be gone or why, however you will miss important material. After one week of absences your Engagement grade, as well as your overall grade, will be reduced noticeably. After missing 25% of classes, or a little over three weeks, you will fail the course, regardless of other work completed.

- Late Work: We have a tight schedule, so late work cannot be accepted. We cover particular material at particular moments, so work is due when it is due. Due dates missed because of an absence cannot be made up.

- Plagiarism: Intellectual dishonesty is a serious matter, as Longwood’s Honor Code attests. I will pursue all matters of intellectual dishonesty. You should especially acquaint yourself with proper citation of other’s work.

- Materials: You are expected to purchase or have access to all required texts for the class – failing to do so is n o excuse for being unprepared. You are expected to have access to the internet, e-mail, and word processing programs. All work should be typed. I also expect that students will have access to Cable Television, Longwood’s Library, and the ability to rent movies if need be.

- Assistance: Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability should contact Dr. Sally Scott privately. If you have not already done so, please contact the Office for Disability Services (103 Graham Building, 395-2391) to register for services.

- Politeness: All students are expected to be civil, polite, and accommodating to differences of opinion. The Student Handbook describes policies for removing students who fail to provide a comfortable learning atmosphere for others. I won’t hesitate to ask someone to leave.

Your continued attendance indicates by default that you agree to these policies and will be held accountable to them. Please ask me at any point if you have questions about anything. And keep a close eye on the course webpage; check it regularly for announcements and information.