ENGL 4114 Adolescent Literature (CN 20368-1) 3.0 Semester credit hours Course Syllabus Spring 2016 Individuals with disabilities who need to request accommodations should contact the Disability Services Coordinator, Edgewater Hall 255, (678) 466-5445, disabilityservices@mail.clayton.edu. Instructor Dr. Amy Sanford Assistant Professor Department of English Instructor Contact Information Office: Arts and Sciences G-210M Phone: 678-466-4807 Fax: 678-466-4899 Email: AmySanford@mail.clayton.edu Internet: http://faculty.clayton.edu/asanford Office Hours My office hours are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:50 A.M. 9:50 A.M., 11:10 A.M. 12:40 P.M. and from 3:30 P.M. 4:00 P.M. Class Meetings Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:45 P.M. 2:00 P.M. in Room G229 Communication If you have questions, the best way to contact me is to email me. I will respond to your email within 24 hours, although that time frame may not always be possible on weekends. CHECK CSU E-MAIL DAILY FOR INFORMATION AND ANY NECESSARY SCHEDULE AND/ OR ASSIGNMENT CHANGES. Not checking your email is not an excuse for not knowing information I email to you. Please email me from your CSU account only; I will not reply to emails sent from outside accounts. Desire2Learn (D2L) has an email function, but I do not recommend that you email via that account because I do not check it as frequently as I do my CSU account and may not response as quickly. 1
Course Website On-line activity will take place in Desire2Learn, the virtual classroom for the course. You can gain access to Desire2Learn, by signing on to the SWAN portal and selecting: D2L on the top right side. If you experience any difficulties in Desire2Learn, please email or call The HUB at TheHub@mail.clayton.edu or (678) 466-HELP. You will need to provide the date and time of the problem, your SWAN username, the name of the course that you are attempting to access, and your instructor's name. If you need further assistance with the various aspects of D2L, I encourage you to visit the following sources: http://www.clayton.edu/hub/d2l#studenttraining http://www.clayton.edu/hub/d2l *Note that course work will continue on D2L in the event that we do not meet because classes have been canceled due to weather conditions. Course Introduction: Course Catalog Description: A thematic study of literature for adolescent and young adult audiences. This study will analyze a broad representation of materials, including those which focus on a variety of ethnic groups, cultural experiences, and historical periods. This course is required for all middle level teacher education students with a major concentration in language arts. Course Prerequisites: ENGL 1102 with a minimum grade of C and ENGL 2111 with a minimum grade of C or ENGL 2112, ENGL 2121, ENGL 2122, ENGL 2131, or ENGL 2132 with a minimum grade of C. Required Skills: Students enrolled in this course should possess the following technology skills: The ability to access information via the Internet The ability to use and associated tools, including discussion boards, online testing and assignment submission features The ability to use word processing software and to save in alternate formats The ability to send, receive, and include attachments using email The ability to demonstrate netiquette (appropriate online conduct) The ability to use the Windows TM operating system The ability to use Microsoft Word TM word processing The ability to send and receive e-mail using Outlook TM or Outlook Express TM The ability to create presentations using programs such as PowerPoint and/or Prezi. 2
The ability to save electronic work in places (e.g., thumb drive, cloud, Dropbox, external hard drive) other than a laptop hard drive. Texts for Spring 2015: The textbook and trade books listed below are required for this course and are available at the CSU bookstore. Textbook Nilsen, Allene P., Blasingame, James, Donelson, Kenneth L., and Nilsen, Don L. F. Literature for Today's Young Adults. 9th ed. New York: Pearson, 2013. Novels If you choose to obtain the following required books elsewhere, you do not have to use the exact editions I have listed below. Alexander, Kwame. The Crossover. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harbrace, 2014. Print. (ISBN#: 978-0544107717) Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1999. Print. (ISBN# 9780141310886) Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963: A Novel. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell for Young Readers, 1997. Print. (ISBN# 9780440228004) Green, John. The Fault in Our Stars. New York: Dutton Books, 2012. Print. (ISBN 0-525 47881-7) Hinton, S. E. The Outsiders. New York: Puffin, 1997. Print. (ISBN# 014240733X) Lowry, Lois. The Giver. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. Print. (ISBN# 0547577095) Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 1989. Print. (ISBN# 978-0-547-57709-8) Paulsen, Gary. Hatchet. New York: Simon Pulse, 2006. Print. (ISBN# 1416936475) Ryan, Pamela Munoz. Esperanza Rising. New York: Scholastic, 2000. Print. (ISBN# 043912042X) Journal Articles You will also be required to read articles from professional journals such as The Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Voices from the Middle, Reading Teacher, and English Journal. 3
Readings of Your Choice You will have other required readings that will be your choice. Some will be additional adolescent novels, and the other will be a book-length work of adolescent nonfiction. I will explain more about these options as we progress through the semester. Course Objectives/Learning Outcomes: Teacher Education Policy: The content of this course syllabus correlates to education standards established by national and state education governing agencies, accrediting agencies and learned society/ professional education associations. Please refer to the course correlation matrices located at the following web site: http://a-s.clayton.edu/teachered/standards%20and%20outcomes.htm Conceptual Framework: The mission of the Teacher Education Unit is to prepare professional educators who engage in reflective practice and who are competent, caring, committed, collaborative, culturally responsive, and prepared to teach diverse learners in an ever-changing society. For the complete CSU Teacher Education Unit Conceptual Framework, follow the link below. Teacher Education Outcomes: In ENGL 4114 the teacher education candidates plan for student learning of literature in late elementary and secondary grades. demonstrate appropriate knowledge of reading and literature content for pre-adolescents and adolescents in late elementary and secondary grades. learn how to foster student well-being to support learning. 4
demonstrate the professional demeanor required to be a successful collaborative and reflective teacher. English Outcomes: In ENGL 4114, the student will Analyze and evaluate texts that reflect diverse genres, time periods, and cultures. Analyze the ways in which language and literature are related to class, culture, ethnicity, gender, histories, race, and sexuality. Conduct effective research and writing as it relates to the field of English studies, by using a variety of technological and information sources. Course Learning Outcomes: In ENGL 4114, the student will 1. Demonstrate knowledge of adolescent literature, including novels, nonfiction, short stories and poetry selections that represent a variety of themes, genres, and topics of interest to preadolescents, adolescents, and young adults. 2. Analyze thematic connections of texts representing a variety of genres of adolescent literature. 3. Reflect on adolescent literature texts in response to the characteristics of young adult literature, personal response, literary theory, and relevance to adolescents lives and English language arts courses. 4. Research the body of work, writing style, themes, and life of an author of adolescent/young adult literature. 5. Enter as both listener and participant into the ongoing professional conversation about adolescent literature and its role in English language arts. 6. Locate and use available resources to evaluate and recommend appropriate adolescent literature for adolescents. 7. Analyze adolescent literature in terms of literary elements related to character (e.g., protagonist, antagonist, stereotypes, archetypes, characterization), structure (e.g., plot elements), craft (e.g., style), and language (e.g., metaphor, simile, analogy, allusion). 8. Understand the history of adolescent and young adult literature and its censorship as well as the current implications of censorship of adolescent and young adult literature. 9. Explore how adolescent literature can enrich content knowledge. Course Assignments/Assessments: Below are the major assignments and grading categories for this course. You will receive detailed explanations and rubrics. Daily Activities: (15%) Because this course is reading intensive, students reading of the required materials is essential. Students should be fully prepared for every class by reading all materials assigned and expect to participate in daily work to assess and put into practice knowledge gained from reading. Most daily activities will be pass/fail. Many in-class activities cannot be made up, particularly partner and group activities. Daily activities may include a variety of experiences/formative assessments including discussion protocols, in-class activities, quizzes, presentations, etc. 5
Author Study: (20%) The Author Study is an in- depth investigation and presentation an author of adolescent/ya literature. You will choose an author from the list below to investigate. Based on your investigation, you will develop an Author Sheet that must include the following: a brief biography, a selected bibliography of the author s works, key quotations from or about the author, a photo, media access (e.g., blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc.), and other pertinent information. See the Author Study sub- module in week 1 s content in D2L for the assignment sheet, rubric, and list of author options. These documents are also available in the Resources and Assistance section of our D2L homepage. Literature Circles/Book Groups: (10%) You will participate in two literature circles, one during each half of the semester. You will choose a novel to read from a list I will provide; others who choose that novel will participate with you in a literature circle. Information about literature circles can be found in the Literature Circle sub-module in week 2 s content and in the Resources and Assistance section of our D2L homepage. Each literature circle will meet two times. During week 3, we will meet in our circles to determine what we will read for each literature circle meeting and what role each member will take. Literature circles require everyone s participation in order to be effective. Work for each literature circle role must be submitted via D2L before class in order for students to receive credit. Students who are absent may receive half credit for submitting role work online but may not make up the other half of the credit because of no participation in the actual literature circle. Rationale: (5%) You will write a rationale for the reading and/or teaching of an adolescent/ya novel of your choosing. The rationale will follow the NCTE guidelines for how to write a rationale. (See NCTE How to Write a Rationale in D2L.) Be sure you use an original rationale. Media Comparison: (10%) For this assignment students will compare the print version of a work we have read this semester to a media representation of the text. Examples of media representations might include a film or play. Students will submit a 3-5 page paper comparing and contrasting the texts. Reading Responses: (15%) For each novel we read together and the nonfiction text you select, you will be required to respond. You may opt out of one during the semester. The week before a novel and your response to it are due, you will be given options of ways to respond. These responses will be due the day we discuss the novel in class. You must upload responses into D2L before class AND bring a stapled hard copy to class. At the top of each response, be sure to include your name, the novel to which you are responding, and the date the response was written. All written responses should be double-spaced, including the heading. During the class for which a reading and a response are due, your responses will be shared and discussed. 6
Thematic Literary Analysis Paper: (15%) For this formal, 4-5 page paper you will analyze two thematically related texts and explore the similarities and differences in the way each addresses the theme. Final Exam: (10%) Grading I use a 10-point grading scale: 90-100=A; 80-89=B; 70-79=C; 60-69=D; below 60=F. Missed work: Without a valid excuse, a grade of zero points will be assigned for missed work that can be made up. Valid excusable absences include those that can be documented (doctor s visit or court date, for example). Discussions and other collaborative work such as literature circles simply cannot be made up since they focus on your active engagement with others ideas at the time of the reading. If you miss these, you will earn a 0. If a valid excuse is provided, you have two days to complete a missed assignment. Some daily formative assessments, particularly collaborative work, may not be made up if missed. Please discuss your options with me if you have extenuating circumstances, a severe illness, etc., that may prevent you from successfully completing the course. The instructor should always be notified in advance of an impending excused absence. Presenting the written excuse is the responsibility of the student upon return to class. Late work: Bearing this in mind, I accept late major assignments (i.e., Inquiry Research Project, Author Study, and Thematic Connections Paper) within four days of their being due with a lettergrade-a-day penalty. Do not email me your late work. If you are submitting it within the four-day window and want me to grade it, upload it into its D2L Dropbox as you normally would and let me know you have done so. Mid-term Progress Report: The mid-term grade in this course, which will be issued on February 25 reflects approximately 20% of the entire course grade. Based on this grade, students may choose to withdraw from the course and receive a grade of "W." Students pursuing this option must fill out an official withdrawal form, available in the Office of the Registrar, or withdraw on-line using the Swan by mid-term, which occurs on March 4. Instructions for withdrawing are provided at this link. The last day to withdraw without academic accountability is Friday, March 4, 2016. 7
Computer/Technology/Materials Requirements: Computer Requirement: Each CSU student is required to have ready access throughout the semester to a notebook computer that meets faculty-approved hardware and software requirements for the student's academic program. Students will sign a statement attesting to such access. For further information on CSU's Official Notebook Computer Policy, please go to http://www.clayton.edu/hub/itpchoice/notebookcomputerpolicy. Software Requirement To properly access content on D2L you will need to download the following free software: Adobe Reader (needed to access files in PDF format): http://get.adobe.com/reader/ Adobe Flash (needed to access video content): http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ Other Required Materials A CSU student email account that you check daily for changes, handouts, and announcements; a laptop computer (with the CSU standard software package installed, including Microsoft Office 2010 with Web Expressions). For further information on CSU's Official Notebook Computer Policy, please go to http://itpchoice.clayton.edu/policy.htm. Daily, reliable Internet access for Desire2Learn. Course Policies General Policy Students must abide by policies in the Clayton State University Student Handbook, and the Basic Undergraduate Student Responsibilities. The Student Handbook is part of the Academic Catalog and Student Handbook, which begins on page 6. University Attendance Policy Students are expected to attend and participate in every class meeting. Instructors establish specific policies relating to absences in their courses and communicate these policies to the students through the course syllabi. Individual instructors, based upon the nature of the course, determine what effect excused and unexcused absences have in determining grades and upon students ability to remain enrolled in their courses. The university reserves the right to determine that excessive absences, whether justified or not, are sufficient cause for institutional withdrawals or failing grades. 8
Course Attendance Policy I record attendance and tardies for each class meeting and expect you to be present for each class meeting. Because of the cumulative nature of the course material, if you miss 5 classes before the midpoint, you should consider withdrawing. I reserve the right to request that you be administratively removed from class if you miss more than 20% of the class. If you are more than five minutes late, I will mark you absent. I consider tardies to disruptive and will treat chronic tardies as class disruptions. Please discuss your options with me if you have extenuating circumstances, a severe illness, etc., that may prevent you from successfully completing the course. Excusable absences include those that can be documented (doctor s visit or court date for example). I should always be notified in advance of an impending excused absence. Presenting the written excuse is the responsibility of the student upon return to class and does not guarantee completion of missed work. A student who has not attended a class through January 21 st will be turned in as a no show and will be administratively dropped from the course. Academic Dishonesty Any type of activity that is considered dishonest by reasonable standards may constitute academic misconduct. The most common forms of academic misconduct are cheating and plagiarism. All instances of academic dishonesty will result in a grade of zero for the work involved. All instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Office of Community Standards. Judicial procedures are described beginning on page 19 in the section of the Academic Catalog and Student Handbook titled, Procedures for Adjudicating Alleged Academic Conduct Infractions. Plagiarism Detection Software Students agree that by taking this course all required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. You should submit your papers in such a way that no identifying information about you is included. Disruption of the Learning Environment Behavior which disrupts the teaching learning process during class activities will not be tolerated. While a variety of behaviors can be disruptive in a classroom setting, more serious examples include belligerent, abusive, profane, and/or threatening behavior. A student who fails to respond to reasonable faculty direction regarding classroom behavior and/or behavior while participating in classroom activities may be dismissed from class. A student who is dismissed is entitled to due process and will be afforded such rights as soon as possible following dismissal. If found in violation, a student may be administratively withdrawn and may receive a grade of WF. More detailed descriptions of examples of disruptive behavior are provided in the Clayton State University Academic Catalog and Student Handbook starting on page 14. 9
*Per Clayton State Policy, it is not appropriate to bring children to class. In-Class Use of Notebook Computers and Electronic Devices: Unless we are all using laptops for a specific class-based activity, laptops must be closed. Student notebook computers will sometimes be used to compose in class, access course materials, create presentations, and communicate with your instructor. All other electronic devices must be silent and put away. If you have an emergency situation that necessitates your needing access to your phone during class, please let me know before class begins. Using computers and other electronic devices for purposes not related to the work we are doing in class (e.g., shopping online, accessing social media, doing work for other classes) will be considered a class disruption. Writing Assistance The goal of the Writers Studio is to give rise to better writers, not just to better writing. People who love to write, people who struggle mightily with it, and people who fall anywhere else on the spectrum can find a place at The Writers Studio a place for students to come for writing guidance and feedback. Each student may receive up to 90 minutes of assistance per day and 3 hours per week. Furthermore, both appointments and walk-ins are welcome. Here s The Writers Studio s contact information: Location: Arts & Sciences Building, Room G-224 Phone: 678.466.4728 Email: ws224@clayton.edu Website: http://clayton.edu/writersstudio Visit The Writers Studio at http://clayton.edu/writersstudio or schedule your appointment online at http://clayton.mywconline.com (Note: first-time users need to complete a one-time registration prior to using the online appointment website). Operation Study At Clayton State University, we expect and support high motivation and academic achievement. Look for Operation Study activities and programs this semester that are designed to enhance your academic success such as study sessions, study breaks, workshops, and opportunities to earn Study Bucks (for use in the University Bookstore) and other items. See the following site for details: http://www.clayton.edu/operation-study 10
Course Schedule The following is the tentative course schedule for this semester s work. I will make changes as I see fit to meet our outcomes and needs. There is a predictable rhythm that I hope will help you stay on schedule: Our shared novel reading will always be on Tuesdays so that you will have more time to read and respond to it, and textbook and/or article reading will be on Thursdays. I will add articles in relation to needs I see. In addition to establishing a predictable rhythm, I have also built in a great deal of choice in times to submit work and in the readings beyond our shared ones. Author studies of the author and book you choose are not on the course schedule but will occur throughout the semester; you will choose and sign up for a time slot during the 2 nd week of classes. The deadline for the Media Comparison assignment is April 26 th, but you may submit it any time between spring break and the deadline. All written work should use MLA formatting. 11
This day s work is about For this day you should read and complete Week 1: Jan. 12 th Jan. 14 th Week 2: Jan. 19 th Syllabus and Expectations What Counts as Adolescent Literature History of Adolescent Literature READ: Chapter 1, Young Adults and Their Reading Nilsen, Allene P., Blasingame, James, Donelson, Kenneth L., and Nilsen, Don L. F. READ: Ch. 2, Nilsen, Allene P. et al. Jan. 21 st Week 3: Jan. 26 th Jan. 28 th Week 4: Feb. 2 nd Responding to Adolescent Literature Realistic Fiction and the Problem Novel READ: Bushman, John and Kay Parks Haas. Using Reading Response to Begin. Using Young Adult Literature in the English Classroom. 4 th ed. Upper Saddle Valley, NJ: Pearson, 2006. SELECT Authors for Author Study READ: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton READ: Ch. 4, Nilsen, Allene P. et al. READ: Reid, Suzanne and Sharon Stringer. Ethical Dilemmas in Teaching Problem Novels: The Psychological Impact of Troubling YA Literature on Adolescent Readers in the Classroom. The ALAN Review 24.2 (1997): 16-18. SELECT Books for Literature Circles READ: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson Feb. 4 th Nonfiction 12 READ: Ch. 9, ( Nilsen, Allene P., Blasingame, James, Donelson, Kenneth L., and Nilsen, Don L. F)
Week 5: Feb. 9 th Feb. 11 th Week 6: Feb. 16 th Feb. 18 th Historical Fiction YA Literature in the Classroom Literature Circle 1, Meeting 1 READ: Ch. 8, Nilsen, Allene P. et al. READ: The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis READ Ch. 11, Nilsen, Allene P. et al. Week 7: Feb. 23 rd MEET with Literature Circle 1, Meeting 2 Feb. 25 th Week 8: Mar. 1 st Mar. 3 rd Last Day to Withdraw and Receive W grade: March 4 th Spring Break: March 7 th - 12 Week 9: Mar. 15 th Mar. 17 th Fantasy, Supernatural, Science Fiction, Uptopia, and Dystopia Poetry, Short Stories and Poetry READ Esperanza Rising by Pam Nunoz Ryan SHARE Literature Circle Books READ Number the Stars (Lowry) READ Ch. 5, Nilsen, Allene P. et al. SELECT Literature Circle 2 Books Nothing It s spring break! READ The Giver (Lowry) READ Ch. 6, Nilsen, Allene P. et al. 13
Week 10: Mar. 22 nd Mar. 24 th Week 11: Mar. 29 th Mar. 31 st Week 12: Apr. 5 th Apr. 7 th Week 13: Apr. 12 th Apr. 14 th Week 14: Apr. 19 th Evaluating and Selecting Adolescent Literature YA Literature and the classics Media and New Literacies Novel/Movie Comparisons Censorship READ The Crossover by Kwame Alexander MEET with Literature Circle 2, Meeting 1 READ The Fault in Our Stars by John Green Literature Circle 2, Meeting 2 READ: Hatchet (Paulsen) Chs. 3 and 6, Nilsen, Allene P. et al. Literature Circle 2, Meeting 3 Ch. 12, Nilsen, Allene P. et al. READ Non-fiction choice Apr. 21 st Week 15: Apr. 26 th Apr. 28 th Literature Circle Presentation Workshop DUE Rationale DUE Thematic Literary Analysis Paper DEADLINE for Media Comparisons Literature Circle 2 Presentations Note: Final Exam date and time will be posted by the university on the university Spring Semester 2016 Final Exam Calendar. 14