| Professor Christine Doyle
319 Willard Hall 832-2764 doylec@ccsu.edu |
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FALL 2001: 10 a.m., 12 noon, EW 312
Office Hours: MWF 11-12, MW 2-3
AND BY APPOINTMENT
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Balanced selection of the best
literature available to children. Traditional forms of fables, legends,
myths, epics, fairy tales, and folk tales of the world; examination of
how these represent the needs and aspirations of cultures. Major
authors and illustrators included. Pre-requisite: English 110.
NOTE: THIS COURSE DOES NOT FULFILL ANY GEN. ED. REQUIREMENTS.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Literature for Children, 4th
ed. (Russell)
Folk and Fairy Tales (Hallett
and Karasek)
Arrow to the Sun (McDermott)
Alice in Wonderland (Carroll;
illus. Tenniel)
The Watsons Go to Birmingham,
1963 (Curtis)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's
Stone (Rowling)
Maniac Magee (Spinelli)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
(Baum)
The Westing Game (Raskin)
****NOTES: All texts except
the Russell and Hallett and Karasek are generally available in libraries,
if you prefer borrowing them to buying them. However, they are all
worthy additions to your library! We will be using all these texts.
No text required for Into the Woods. We will be viewing a video presentation
of the play in class.
COURSE OBJECTIVES/EXPECTATIONS:
The
objectives of this course are that you will obtain a solid foundation in
the history and present state of children's literature; that you will develop
critical tools with which to select, evaluate, and analyze literature for
children; and that you will be exposed to as much literature as is possible
within our time frame. Every student should plan to participate fully
in class in order to achieve these goals.
In
order to do this, I expect you to be in class. In addition to your
physical presence, "being in class" also means keeping up with the reading
and being both willing and able to participate in class discussions.
More than three absences (one week of class) will result in a half grade
drop; more than five will result in a full grade drop. Coming to
class late or unprepared may be considered as half an absence. You
are responsible for getting notes on missed lectures from other students
in the class; I am happy to answer questions but I do NOT repeat my lectures
during office hours. ****PLEASE make EVERY EFFORT to be in class
the week of Nov. 26, as it will be very difficult to make up this segment
of the course.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1. Written Assignments
and Visit 20%
2. First essay
15%
3. Second Essay
20%
4. Midterm Exam
20%
5. Final Exam
25%
Written Assignments:
LATE ASSIGNMENTS; FULL
GRADE DROP FOR EACH UNEXCUSED DAY LATE. PRIOR PERMISSION AND DOCUMENTATION
REQUIRED. COMMUNICATE!!! Essays and annotations must be typewritten.
Keep in mind that this is an English course; form and content are both
important in written assignments. Proper documentation is required
for any outside sources used. I am happy to look at drafts of papers
and to make suggestions for revision.
Assignments: (NOTE:
This list is subject to change. You are responsible for apprising
yourself of ANY changes announced in your absence) These will be
graded on a 10-point scale, then averaged to produce an "assignment grade."
1. Abstract picture with
narrative Due Sept. 19
2. Poetry handout
Due Sept. 21
3. Annotations:
Fantasy NOVEL Due Oct. 17
Realistic
NOVEL Due Dec. 15
4. Critique of critical
essay from H&K Due Nov. 5
5. Handout: Non-European
tales (groups) Due Nov. 12
6. Response to Into the
Woods
Due Dec. 3
7. Critique of Web Site
Due with final paper
8. *Visit
NOTE: ONE of the novels in #3 above MUST be a work written BEFORE 1960. The other may be classic OR contemporary.
*Pairs of students will visit
the Human Resources Agency of New Britain once during the semester to present
books of their choosing to the children there and report back to the class
on the experience. A brief, informal written account of the experience
(what books did you bring, how did you present them, how did it go?) should
also be submitted by the team.
Annotations: Please choose NOVELS of high literary quality for these assignments. Use the end-of-chapter or award-winning books listed in the text, or, if you have ANY doubts, please consult with me on your choice of book. Please type all annotations and make a CLASS SET for distribution on the date due.
Annotation format:
1. Bibliographic information:
Author, Illustrator, Title, Publisher, Date. Also, appropriate grade
level(s) for this book.
2. Summary: a SHORT paragraph.
A summary should clearly indicate to which genre/s the book belongs.
3. Your critical evaluation
of the book; please focus on its LITERARY merits and/or shortcomings.
4. (Optional) One
teaching idea for the book that deals with its literary aspects.
Sample Annotation:
Sarah, Plain and Tall (Patricia MacLachlan;
Harper, 1985)
Grade Level: 2-4
SUMMARY: The late nineteenth-century
American prairie is the setting for MacLachlan's simply written yet moving tale
of building a family. Two motherless children, Anna and Caleb, are delighted
when their father's advertisement for a mail-order bride brings Sarah from Maine
to their home on the prairie for a one-month trial visit. Sarah brings
joy to their home, but because life there is so different from Maine, the children
fear that Sarah will not want to stay. Gradually, the characters begin
to find ways to bring the sea and the prairie--and their family--together.
CRITIQUE: The relatively
basic reading level of this short novel is deceptive. MacLachlan's rich
use of language allows for a deep and rather complex experience of the simple
story. It is told as a first-person narrative through the eyes of ten-year-old
Anna, even though its focus is on the adult woman, Sarah. This makes it
more appealing to a child audience, but also limits its perspective in interesting
ways. MacLachlan uses not only concrete symbols such as seashells and
haystacks, but also language (Sarah's Maine dialect) and colors, first to suggest
the differences between the prairie and the sea, and then to show the reader
how they can come together as the family itself begins to come together.
She also uses music ("Ask her if she sings." "Tell them I sing.") as a
recurring reminder of the progress of the story. The novel encourages
the reader to consider the work involved in building a family or a nation, the
broad definition of family, and the richness and value of both independence
and community.
TEACHING: This brief
novel can lend itself to much discussion and extension. Students will
need some basic knowledge of both mail-order brides and geography of the prairie
and the New England coast, in order to grasp fully MacLachlan's story and her
use of symbols. Students can trace the progress of the story by defining
things associated with Maine and things associated with the prairie, then noting
places where the two seem to be coming together. They can consider how
the story might be different if told from another character's point of view.
Writing: have students look at the different letters Sarah writes to Anna,
Caleb, and Jacob, and discuss how communication changes to fit the audience.
They could write letters back to Maine in Sarah's voice when she has just arrived,
then later in the story. Extension activities: see the film version
of Sarah and discuss it in comparison to the book. Consider the landscape
of your own community or your home. What colors and objects or words (dialect)
most represent that home or community?
First Paper: 3-5 typewritten
pages. This essay will focus on how illustrators use art to make
meaning in children's books. (Due Oct. 6)
Second Paper (Term Project):
Approximately 5+ pages, depending on the topic. Criteria: In
addition to a thoughtful approach to the particular topic, the project
should demonstrate knowledge of resource materials in the field, ability
to communicate effectively in writing, and appropriate documentation.
You will investigate and critique a children's literature web site in preparation
for this paper, whether or not you actually use the material in your paper.
Topics MUST be cleared with me no later than Nov. 20 (Due: by 2 p.m.
on Dec. 8)
More detailed information concerning these essays will be handed out during the second week of class.
Exams: about 1/3 objective, 2/3 essay. Further information will be forthcoming prior to the exams.
Quizzes: unannounced reading quizzes may be given on assigned materials. Quizzes missed due to absence may NOT be made up unless the absence is excused. Grades will be considered as part of the "assignments" grade.
SOME GENERAL REFERENCES YOU SHOULD
KNOW:
1. Children's Literature:
A Guide to the Criticism (Hendrickson) -- annotated bibliography through 1985;
emphasis on twentieth-century works (now on the Web)
2. Dictionary of Literary Biography
and Something About the Author -- lengthy entries about authors and their work.
3. Children's Literature in the
Elementary School (Huck, Hepler, Hickman) and Through the Eyes of
a Child (Norton) -- texts with extensive coverage of genres, books lists; NO
literature.
4. Children's Literature Review
-- collected reviews of books from when they first appeared; multi-volume.
5. Newbery and Caldecott Medal
Books -- published by Horn Book every ten years, these books contain Newbery
and Caldecott acceptance speeches and articles about the authors and illustrators.
A great resource!
6. See also the attached list
of electronic resources
SCHEDULE:
(NOTE: You are responsible for changes in the schedule announced in your absence. Assignments are to be completed BEFORE class meets on the designated day.)
SEPT. 5 Introduction
7 History of Children's Literature; Russell, Ch. 1
10 Children's Literature as Literature; Russell, Ch. 4, 5
12 Picture Books; Russell, 95-107, Ch. 7; H&K, 244-262
14 Picture Books, cont.; H&K, "Hansel and Gretel" (100)
17 Begin Poetry; Russell, Ch. 9; Looking-Glass, Ch. 6
19 ABSTRACTS DUE; Poetry in Wonderland
21 Poetry alive; Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
24 Alice
26 Begin mythology; Russell, Ch. 2; Russell 148-50, 154-57 and handout
28 Mythology, cont.
OCT. 1 Arrow to the Sun; **Illustration paper DUE**
3 Modern Fantasy: Harry Potter; Russell, Ch. 10
5 Reading Day
8 Harry Potter
10 The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963; Russell Ch. 3 & 11
12 Watsons
15 Maniac Magee
17 Maniac Magee; ***Fantasy annotation due***
19 Review for exam
22 MIDTERM EXAM
24 Research in children's literature: meet in Curriculum Lab, 3rd floor, Burritt Library; set folklore groups
26 Traditional Tales: Russell, Ch. 8; H&K, Intro. (12-20) and Zipes essay, 370-392
29 Traditional Tales: "Loss of Innocence," H&K, 21-33; set critique groups in class
31 "Cinderella" H&K, 51-65
NOV. 2 RESEARCH DAY; read "Rapunzel" (73), "Jack and the Beanstalk" (106), "The Brave Little Tailor" (79), and "Beauty and the Beast" (All in H&K), and "Molly Whuppie" handout
5 The critics and fairy tales; **Critique due**
7 The literary fairy tale: Hans Christian Andersen; read H&K, 148-51, and "The Tinderbox" (157), "The Ugly Duckling" (164), "The Steafast Tin Soldier" (187), "The Emperor's New Clothes" (191)
9 Andersen, cont.
12 Folklore Panels
14 Folklore Panels
16 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: An American Fairy Tale
19 Oz
21-23 HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
26 Into the Woods
28 Into the Woods
30 Into the Woods
DEC. 3 Woods responses
5 Westing Game and Handout
7 Westing Game; PAPERS DUE
11 Westing Game
13 Alphabet Books (Russell 108-12); bring one to class
15 Summaries and reconsiderations; ***Realistic annotation due
FINAL EXAM: Wed.,
Dec. 19 10 a.m. class, 8-10 a.m.
12 noon class, 11-1 p.m.
Guidelines for Abstract Assignment (Due Sept. 19)
This assignment requires you to experiment with the principles of composition by producing (a) your own ABSTRACT picture that captures the mood of a particular moment in a children's story, and (b) a NARRATIVE about your picture. The mood you seek to communicate may be joyful, solemn, frightening, etc., but your picture will tend to be more successful if you have thought carefully about (a) the MOOD and (b) a specific MOMENT in the story. This is analogous to a writing assignment in which you are most successful when you have a clear thesis you wish to communicate (the mood) and a specific example (the moment) that substantiates your thesis.
"The Rules":
Picture--
1. Use a maximum
of FOUR colors (INCLUDING background)
2. Focus on a particular
moment in a story that has emotional impact to you. DO NOT refer to book
illustrations; create the scene in your own imagination.
3. Use only ABSTRACT
shapes (circles, squares, triangles,etc.); do NOT attempt to be representational.
4. Using what you have
learned about the principles of picture book composition, use all the strategies
at your disposal--color, shape, size, position on the page, etc.--to get
your picture to communicate, as clearly as possible, the emotional impact
of the particular moment in your story.
5. Construction paper
is suggested for this exercise, because it allows you to experiment most
easily with shapes, sizes, and positions. You can glue it down once
you find the most effective way to communicate the chosen emotion.
Narrative--
Your narrative should explain
what you tried to do with the picture. It should include considerations
of size, shape, and positioning as well as color, and it should indicate that
you have experimented with the project. That is, what else did you try
before coming up with the present masterpiece, and why were the other versions
not as effective? Probably should take about 2 pages, typed.
If you need course adaptations or accommodations
because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share
with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated,
please make an appointment with me as soon as possible. See office location
and hours above.