LMED 305/505 Children’s Literature

Syllabus Spring 2018

“A children’s story is the best art-form for something to say…a children’s story which is enjoyed only by children is a bad children’s story.” – C.S. Lewis

“We who make stories know that we tell lies for a living. But they are good lies that say true things, and we owe it to our readers to build them the best we can. Because someone out there needs that story. Someone who will grow up with a different landscape, who without that story will be a different person.” – Neil Gaiman

“There is more treasure in a book than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” – Walt Disney

“The more you read, the more you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss

“Read like a wolf eats.” – Gary Paulsen

Instructor: Rob ReidOffice: Centennial 3227 (enter through Education Studies office Centennial 3215)Office hours: Mondays 1:00-1:45 and 3:30-4:15pm

Tuesdays 9:30-10:30 amWednesdays 1:00-1:45 pmCall for appointment for other times.

UWEC phone: 836-5015; Email: reidra@uwec.edu

Course Outcomes: By the end of the course, students will be able to…

Identify notable children’s authors and illustrators and their works;Identify the various genres and categories in children’s literature;Identify the major children’s book awards and examine their influences;Utilize children’s literature selection resources and criteria;Identify the academic language associated with children’s literature;

LMED 305/505 Syllabus – Page 2 (course goals continued)

Develop and employ effective promotional/programming techniques to promote reading, such as storytelling, reader’s theater, choral reading;

Develop reader’s advisory skills to assist children in their pleasure reading and informational needs;

Identify and examine current issues and trends in children’s literature.

This course addresses the following goals for the baccalaureate degree at UW Eau Claire: An appreciation of a liberal education An appreciation of the University as a learning community An ability to inquire, think, analyze An ability to write, read, speak, listen An intercultural experience An appreciation of the arts An understanding of values An understanding of human behavior and human institutions

In addition to the Baccalaureate goals, this course addresses the Wisconsin Teacher Education Standards for students in education programs. Those standards are listed at the end of this syllabus.

Rental TextTunnell, Michael O., and James S. Jacobs. Children’s Literature, Briefly. 5th ed. Pearson, 2012.

Required Purchase BooksPolacio. Wonder. Knopf, 2012.Telgemeier. Smile. Scholastic/Graphix, 2010.

Overview of AssignmentsEach student will read Wonder and Smile and write a book analysis paper for each.The papers are worth 10 pts each for a total of 20 pts.

Each student will select, prepare, and present an oral folklore story. This project is worth 25 pts.

Each student will prepare an Illustrator Showcase PowerPoint and biography paper. Illustrators will be assigned to each student. There will also be a short oral presentation with this project. This project is worth 30 pts.

Each student will read selected chapters from the textbook and turn in questions and/or comments based on their reactions to the content. Each set will be worth 2 pts for a total of 20 pts.

There will be two written exams (midterm and final) based on information covered in lectures and text readings. The midterm exam is worth 45 points and the final exam is worth 25 pts.

Grading:A = (90-100%) 148-165 ptsB = (80-89%) 132-147 ptsC = (70-79%) 115-131 ptsD= (60-69%) 99-114 ptsF = 98 pts or below

Plus or minus grades may be given if someone’s grade is bumped up 1-2 pts, depending on the student’s disposition in class. See page 3 of this syllabus, “Class Participation/Disposition.” Bumping grades up only occurs if all work, including textbook posts, are completed.

LMED 305/505 Syllabus – Page 3

LMED 505 Graduate Students will create two extra 20 point projects (40 pts total); to be determined after meeting with the Instructor.

Attendance PolicyEach student is allowed one unexcused absence without affecting the final grade. Further unexcused absences may lower the final grade by ½ grade for each subsequent absence.Excused absences are 1) Participation in an approved field trip listed in the Catalogue as a requirement for the course in which the student is enrolled - a note is required; 2) Participation in an authorized extracurricular activity on the regularly approved calendar of university of events-notice from the Dean of Students required; or 3) Illness, injury, emergency of such severity as to prevent the student from being able to attend class – student must notify instructor immediately before or after class. More than two medical excuses requires a doctor’s note or the final grade may be lowered by ½ grade.

Late AssignmentsLate storytelling and illustrator showcase assignments will be deducted 3 pts.If you miss your storytelling audience session, your storytelling project is deducted 2 pts.Late book analysis papers will be deducted 2 pts each. Late textbook posts will not be accepted.No late work will be accepted two weeks past their respective due dates. Those assignments will be given a grade of 0 points unless arrangements have been made before the due date with the instructor.

Text Book PostsPost two paragraph-length comments on D2L in the Dropbox for each assigned chapter reading from the textbook. Put the two comments within one post and number them. To earn full credit, the postings must have some weight to your responses. If something surprised you, don’t merely tell us that. Go into reasons why. If you disagreed with something you read or were confused by it, go into details why. You should have enough detail to your responses to let the instructor know you read the chapter.

Class Participation/DispositionStudents are expected to fully volunteer/participate with discussion and in-class activities in each class session. No cell phone/social media activity allowed during class. If you need to nap, do it outside of class. Frequent tardiness may hurt your final grade as well.

Civility As members of this class, we are members of a larger learning community where excellence is achieved through civility. Our actions affect everyone in our community. Courtesy is reciprocated and extends beyond our local setting, whether in future jobs, classes, or communities. Civility is not learned individually, it is practiced as a community.

Accommodations: Any student who has a documented disability and is in need of classroom accommodations, please schedule an appointment to meet with me as soon as possible. Please bring your current VISA (Verification of Individual Services and Accommodations) to your appointment. For additional information about documentation of a disability, please contact the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office at (715) 836-4542 or visit the website at www.uwec.edu/ssd

Academic IntegrityI consider any academic misconduct in this course as a serious offense, and I will pursue the strongest possible academic penalties for such behavior. The disciplinary procedures and penalties for academic misconduct are described on the UW-Eau Claire Dean of Students web site (http://www.uwec.edu/dos/Codes/ch14.htm ) in Chapter UWS 14—Student Academic Disciplinary Procedures. 

LMED 305/505 Syllabus – Page 4

Book Analysis Papers (10 pts each)Papers are required for Wonder and Smile. Papers must be typed (1.5 spacing) in the outline format below. They should be minimum 2 pages in length. Number or label each section or you will lose a point. Papers with excessive typos will lose a point. 10 point papers are rare. They usually go into extraordinary detail. Papers that earn 9 points (A) have strong depth to their insight and multiple examples of evidence taken from the book. Papers that earn 8 points (B) have good points made about the book with nice examples. Papers that earn 7 points (C) or less are usually overly superficial with commentary and lack supportive evidence from the book to support the commentary, or they are lacking in other requirements.

For the Smile paper, discuss this book specifically and not graphic novels in general. As one element, you may discuss how the illustrations work with the text. Consider the artistic elements found in picture books.

Heading (Upper left corner)Your name. Author’s last name, first name. Title. Publisher, copyright date.

1. AnalysisThis should be the most important section of the paper and should be minimum one page in length. List two (and only two) literary element examples that work in the book. Be analytical in your examinations and avoid personal biases. Include selected literary elements for evaluating children’s fiction from Chapters 2 & 3 of the Tunnell textbook. Back up each of your statements with multiple examples in the form of quotes from the chapter book. For example, if you make a comment about a character’s dialogue, include more than one example of dialogue to support your observation. If you make an observation about the setting, include supportive evidence from the chapter book, etc. Go deep with your interpretation, don’t just report. Maintain a formal tone – avoid first-person intrusions, such as “I think the author was showing us….” Instead, write it as “The author was showing us…”

2. Significant passage. Select a short passage (a few lines or a paragraph) from the book that you deem significant; either a turning point, a passage that defines the main character(s), or a strong example of the author’s style. Include the passage (or a portion of the passage) in your reaction paper and explain why you chose it.

3. Audience. Identify a specific target audience – who the book is marketed to. Minimum/maximum age or grade level range required. You will lose points if your upper range is similar to “12 and up.” Older teens and adults are not the target audience, although they may be a potential audience.

Also address if the target audience will pick the book themselves or will they need adult guidance. Explain why.

4. Discussion questions. List two interpretative or personal-style discussion questions (no factual questions). Write these questions as if you are asking them of members of the target audience. The questions need to be specific to the book; not generic questions that may be applied to any book. Avoid generic questions in which the character’s name can be removed and the question applies to any book. Example of a generic question to avoid: “How do you think Jack changed over the course of the book?”

5. Your personal reaction to the book. You can take off your analytical hat now and write directly from the heart. Be honest. I’m mostly interested in how you feel the book will work with the target audience and not comments like, “Since I’m not the target audience…”

LMED 305/505 Syllabus – Page 5

Storytelling Assignment (25 pts)

Students will select, prepare and present a folk tale found in a children’s book.

You must choose a folktale that is new to you. It has to be available in a book format. You may not choose a folktale you previously knew growing up nor may you choose a folktale from the internet. The exception is that you may choose a folktale from an e-book. This is a children’s literature class and I want you to put your hands on these works. Most folktales are shelved in the 398 section of most libraries. Some can be found in the Easy (picture book) section. Check the CIP (cataloging info found in the book) to see if it is based on a folktale.

You may not choose one of the following popular folktales or versions/derivative versions of these folktales:

Chicken Little/Henny Penny Cinderella (Perrault version) The Enormous Turnip

Gingerbread Boy/Man Goldilocks & the Three Bears Jack & the Beanstalk

Little Red Hen Little Red Riding Hood The Mitten

Snow White & the Seven Dwarves Teeny Tiny Woman Stone Soup

The Three Billy Goats Gruff The Three Little Pigs

(If you are not sure if your story is a version of one of the above, check with the instructor.)

Presentations should be approximately 3-6 minutes long. The story must be told without a script or notes. Do not hold the book during the presentation. Use the various techniques discussed in class. Set the mood with your voice, face and body. Don’t simply recite the lines – think what you’re saying. Enunciate. Don’t rush. Project to the back of the room. Costumes may not be used. It’s OK to use minimum props.

The class will be divided into three groups. Each student will tell the story to the members of their group and the members of one other group.

Grading will be based on selection (child appeal/is it a true folktale/book source), preparation (how well you know and rehearsed the story/added vocal and physical embellishments), and stage presence (projection, eye contact, vocal projection, vocal variety, pacing, expressions, and energy/enthusiasm).

Grading Scale:A+ (25 points). Professional presentation. Would pay money!A (23-24 pts): Outstanding presentation. The audience was completely captivated. B (20-22 pts): Good presentation. Lots of child appeal. With a little more work, will be

outstanding quality.C (18-19 pts): Fair presentation. May have child-appeal. Needs more rehearsal/polish.D (15-17 pts): Poor presentation. Didn’t prepare.F (0 pts): Did not participate in assignment.

LMED 305/505 Syllabus – Page 6

Illustrator Showcase (30 points)

Each student will be assigned a children’s book illustrator.

Students will create a PowerPoint presentation about their illustrator and his or her books, and a biographical paper.

Some illustrators have illustrated chapter books, board books, and easy readers. Do not use these formats. Use only their picture storybooks.

Explain how your illustrator employs the various artistic elements discussed in class and show examples for each observation made. Use a minimum of 3 books by your illustrator for the analysis slides (slides 3-5). Consult more picture books for the final slide. Include 3 specific illustrations that demonstrate the artistic elements discussed in class. Illustrations may be scanned or digital photos. Do not simply Google images; put your hands on the actual books.

For every example, write the following on the slide or accompanying slide:

1) Describe the illustration,

2) Describe where the element can be found in the illustration, and

3) Surmise why the illustrator chose to use the element the way she or he did.

Pick one element to analyze for each of the 3 analysis slides. Do not repeat elements.

1. Line 4. Value

2. Shape 5. Space

3. Color 6. Perspective

See the PowerPoint example for David Wiesner’s books for format and content help. Note that this example would earn a B grade. To get an A grade, go deeper with your insight.

Slide #1: Begin the PowerPoint with a slide that includes your name and your illustrator’s name. Slide #2: Add a slide that contains 4 interesting items about your illustrator from your biographical paper (something besides their awards and that they also write). Slides #3-5 are your interpretive slides. Slide #6: Add another slide that shows a fun visual aspect of your illustrator (consult with me if you would like help with this. See my example for David Wiesner on his PowerPoint). Your project should have a total of 6 slides (You can have more if you wish to separate the text portion of the slide from the illustration.)

Slides 3-5 are worth 5 points each; slides 1,2,6 are worth 5 points combined. Place the PowerPoint in the D2L Dropbox.

Biographical paper should be a minimum of 2 pages in length (1.5 line spacing). Use a minimum of 3 sources for your research. Start with Something About the Author and Teaching Books databases, available through McIntyre Library’s website. Make the biography come alive by combining anecdotes with the facts of your illustrator. Open with an attention-grabbing anecdote, fact, or quote. Keep a formal writing tone throughout (ie, don’t gush, don’t write in an informal “folksy” style). Don’t fill pages with lists of books/awards. Place the biography paper in a separate D2L Dropbox from the PowerPoint. The paper is worth 10 pts.

LMED 305/505 Syllabus – Page 7

Course Supplemental BibliographyAda, A.F. (03) A magical encounter: Latino children’s literature in the classroom. (2nd edition).

Boston: Allyn & Bacon.Association for Library Services to Children (14). The Newbery and Caldecott Awards: A Guide to medal

and honor books. 2014 edition. Chicago: ALA Editions.American Library Association, Office for Intellectual Freedom (05) Intellectual freedom manual

(7th edition.) Chicago: American Library Association.Bailey, A. (14) Building a core print collection for preschoolers. Chicago: ALA Editions. Bang, M. (00) Picture this: how pictures work. NY: SeaStar Books.Baring-Gould, W.S. & Baring-Gould, C. (62) The annotated mother goose: Nursery rhymes old

and new. NY: Bramhall House.Bettleheim, B. (76) The uses of enchantment. NY: Knopf.Campbell, J & Moyers, B. (88) The power of myth. NY: Doubleday.Codell, E. (03) How to get your child to love reading: For ravenous and reluctant readers alike.

Chapel Hill, N.C.: Algonquin. Dresang, E.T. (99) Radical change: Books for youth in a digital age. NY: H.W. Wilson.Forte, D. (14) Popular picks for young readers. Chicago: ALA Editions. Hopkins, L.B. (98) Pass the poetry, please. NY: Harper & Row.Horning, K.T. (97) From cover to cover: Evaluating and reviewing children’s books. NY:

Harpercollins.Horning, K.T. et al. (06) CCBC choices 2006. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin-Madison.Lima, C. (10). A to zoo: Subject access to children’s picture books. (8th edition.) Westport, CT:

Greenwood Publishing Group. Lurie, A. (90) Don’t tell the grown-ups: Subversive children’s literature. Boston: Little, Brown.MacDonald, M.R. (86) Twenty tellable tales: Audience participation folktales for the beginning

storyteller. NY: H.W.Wilson.Marantz, S. & Marantz, K. (04) Multicultural picturebooks: Art for illuminating our world. (2nd

edition.) Landham, MD: Scarecrow Press.Phelps, A. (14) Coretta Scott King Award books discussion guide: Pathways to democracy.

Chicago: ALA Editions.Reid, R. (15) Animal Shenanigans: 14 Creative, Interactive Story Programs for Preschoolers.

Chicago: ALA Editions.Reid, R. (99) Family Storytime. Chicago: ALA Editions. Reid, R. (17) Reaching Reluctant Young Readers. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield. Reid, R. (09). Reid’s Read Alouds. Chicago: ALA Editions.Reid, R. (10). Reid’s Read-Alouds 2: Modern Day Classics from C.S.Lewis to Lemony Snicket.

Chicago: ALA Editions.Reid, R. (13). Silly Stories to Read Aloud to Children. Chicago: Huron Street Press.Reid, R. (03). Something Funny Happened at the Library: Chicago: ALA Editions.Reid, R. (12). What’s Black and White and Reid All Over? Chicago: ALA Editions.Rochman, H. (93) Against borders: Promoting books for a multicultural world. Chicago:

American Library Association.Scales, P. (15) Books under fire: A hit list of banned and challenged children’s books.

Chicago: ALA Editions.Silvey, A. (04) 100 Best books for children. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.Silvey, A. (95) Children’s books and their creators. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.Silvey, A. (02) The essential guide to children’s books and their creators. Boston:

Houghton Mifflin.Stan,S. (14) Global voices: Picture books from around the world. Chicago: ALA Editions. Sullivan, M. (03) Connecting boys with books: What libraries can do. Chicago:

American Library Association.Sullivan, M. (14) Raising boy readers. Chicago: ALA Editions. Trelease, J. (06) The Read-aloud handbook. (6th edition.) NY: Penguin.

LMED 305/505 Syllabus – Page 8

Recommended Web Sites:Aaron Shepard’s Home Page (Reader’s Theatre/Storytelling)

www.aaronshep.com Association of Library Services to Children.

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/index.cfmCarol Hurst’s Children’s Literature Site

www.carolhurst.com The Children’s Book Council

www.cbcbooks.org The Cooperative Children’s Book Center

http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc The International Reading Association

www.reading.org Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota

http://special.lib.umn.edu/clrc/kerlan/index.php The National Council of Teachers of English

www.ncte.org ReadWriteThink

http://www.readwritethink.org The Wisconsin Library Association: Children’s Book Award Committee

http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/yss/cba

LMED 305/505 Syllabus – Page 9

This course addresses the following Liberal Education Learning goals for the baccalaureate degree at UW Eau Claire:

Knowledge of human culture and the natural world Creative and critical thinking Effective communication Individual and cultural responsibility Respect for diversity among people

In addition to the above goals, this course’s goals address all ten of the Wisconsin Teacher Education Standards for students in education programs.

All students in education programs must meet the Wisconsin Teacher Education Standards:

Standard 1: The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the disciplines(s) he or she teaches --- and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for pupils

Standard 2: The teacher understands how children with broad ranges of ability learn and provides instruction that supports their intellectual, social, and personal development.

Standard 3: The teacher understands how pupils differ in their approaches to learning and the barriers that impede learning and can adapt instruction to meet the diverse needs of pupils, including those with disabilities and exceptionalities.

Standard 4: The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies, including the use of technology, to encourage children’s development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.

Standard 5: The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

Standard 6: the teacher uses effective verbal and nonverbal communication techniques as well as instructional media and technology to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

Standard 7: The teacher organizes and plans systematic instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, pupils, the community, and curriculum goals.

Standard 8: The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the pupil.

Standard 9: The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effect of his or her choices and actions on pupils, parents, professionals in the learning community and others and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.

Standard 10: The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support pupil learning and well being and the teacher acts with integrity, fairness and in an ethical manner.