To Gain Exposure to Various Genres Within Children S Lit

English 355

Children’s Literature Attention: It is the student’s responsibility to disclose to Fall 2005 the teacher any special need Instructor: Dawn Anderson she or he may have (such as a medically documented Office: Smith 363 Phone: 496-1480 physical or learning disability) before the end of Office Hours 11:00 – 12:00 T. & Th. the first week of class.

Course Description: This course offers an introduction to the rich and exciting world of children’s literature. Our focus will be on exposure, comprehension, evaluation, and general application in the school and home settings. Required for Elementary Ed. Majors and recommended for all would-be teachers, parents, and anybody who was a kid once and savored the experience of reading a good book written for a young audience.

Course Objectives:  To gain exposure to various genres within children’s lit.  To learn classification and evaluation methods  To develop some general applications of children’s lit in the teaching situation  To foster an appreciation for children’s lit and an enthusiasm for sharing this appreciation with young readers.

Course Requirements:

Reading Cards (50 cards, 3 pts each) 150 Midterm book card check 10 Papers (Book reviews, 25 pts. each) 50 Author Research Project 30 In –class discussions/ assignments/quizzes 135 Midterm and Final Exams (50 pts. Each) 100 Total Points possible: 465 Note about text purchases: Typically, large, bulky textbooks are required purchases for literature courses. However, I thought it more helpful to have you spend your money on some quality children’s books so that you can start building your personal collection. You will not be able to sell these books back to the bookstore at the end of the semester. Hopefully, you won’t want to. You will have additional opportunities in this course to buy children’s literature at bargain prices. I hope you will continue to supplement this modest collection for your own homes & classrooms.

Required Texts* Goodnight Moon—Margaret Wise Brown A Wrinkle In Time—Madeleine L’Engle Color Zoo—Louis Ehlert Walk Two Moons—Sharon Creech The Giver—Lois Lowry Matilda—Roald Dahl A Single Shard—Linda Sue Parks Shipwreck at the Bottom— Jennifer Armstrong Crispin—Avi The Fortune Tellers—Lloyd Alexander

*You will also need to purchase the Student Packet that goes with this course for about $3.00.