Please note
that two readings have been deleted from the book order and a
brand-new text added. Whether you buy books online or locally, get
the following editions so we can refer to specific page numbers.
Additional readings may be found online as indicated in the course
schedule.
• (new;
order online) Laurie David and Cambria Gordon, The
Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming (Orchard/Scholastic,
available September 2007)
• Rachel Field,
Hitty, Her First Hundred Years (orig. 1929; Aladdin
paperback, 1998)
• Kate
DiCamillo, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
(Candlewick, 2006)
• Langston
Hughes, The Dream Keeper (orig. 1932; Knopf pb., 1994, illus.
by Brian Pinkney)
• Christopher
Paul Curtis, Bud, Not Buddy (1999; Yearling pb., 2002)
• Eric
Schlosser and Charles Wilson, Chew on This! Everything You Don’t
Want to Know about Fast Food (2006; Houghton Mifflin pb., 2007)
• Carl Hiassen,
Hoot (2002; Knopf pb., 2004)
• Siena Cherson
Siegel and Mark Siegel, To Dance: A Ballerina’s Graphic Novel
(Atheneum/Richard Jackson, 2006)
• Brian
Selznick, The Invention of Hugo Cabret (Scholastic, 2007)
Requirements
Readings: Follow the course schedule and
finish assigned readings before class.
Materials: Everyone should get a
three-hole punch and a small, lightweight three-ring folder
to organize course material. Please find a flat paper folder
rather than a bulky plastic one, so we can handle materials
efficiently and avoid creating plastic trash.
In
addition, sign up for free delivery of Publishers Weekly
magazine’s newsletter, Children’s Bookshelf. This
e-newsletter keeps you up to date on new books and events relevant
to children’s publishing. Simply go to
www.publishersweekly.com, click on “Free
Newsletter Subscriptions” in the upper right corner, and follow the
directions to sign up. This is one of many online publications
dedicated to contemporary children’s literature. Later this
semester, we can explore other book-trade and literary sites.
Weekly
clip file: Every week, find at least one
fresh, compelling article about a young person or young people who
are making news. Read the piece, think about it, and place
it in your folder. These clips may become the foundations for a
publishing project, so find articles that genuinely spark your
interest.
Free-writes: On Tuesdays, I will hand out
a writing prompt based on the week’s assigned reading. Be sure to
come prepared to write and share ideas. Take notes and add to the
free-write as we discuss the material. From time to time, you may be
asked to exchange these spontaneous writings with partners or
groups, so consider your audience.
There will be
10 free-writes during the semester. The first eight of these will
serve as possible first drafts for developed essays. The final two
free-writes will be handed in on the day they are given. You must be
present in class on the day of the free-write to use it as the basis
for an essay or to turn it in for credit.
Three
developed essays: Choose one of the
designated free-writes and transcribe it, revising your quickly
jotted sentences and paragraphs with reflections and opinions
generated in class. Use specific examples from the assigned books,
essays, and class discussion. Quote accurately and note page numbers
when you quote from published material.
These essays
are brief, and they have a speedy turnaround time. Nevertheless,
they must be composed with seriousness and close attention. I have
placed them early in the semester so you can complete them promptly.
The requirements for finished pieces are as follows:
name, date, and
word count on page one;
1000 words
minimum (I go by word count, not the amount of paper you use);
excellent
spelling, grammar, and syntax;
an accurate
bibliography following MLA format.
On the
deadline day, hand in your folder, which should contain your clip
file, free-writes, and developed essay. Send a backup email copy of
your essay to
dbop@ilstu.edu. I will check all clips and
free-writes, and I will give the essay a letter grade. Essays that
fail to meet the above requirements are unacceptable, and I will
dock materials by one letter grade if I have to return them for
completion. Prior to the first assignment, we will look at my
grading rubric and my system for providing comments.
Publishing project: In late September, we
will begin an ongoing project based on the creation of children’s
literature in the contemporary publishing industry. This hands-on
project will help us reflect on the production and reception of
children’s literature and media. Our work will be based on creative,
critical, and professional writing; editing tasks; book design;
marketing strategies; oral reports; and book reviewing.
We will devote
at least 30 minutes of weekly class time to project planning, and
you should expect to have responsibilities for project preparation
outside class. Each person will be evaluated individually and as
part of a collaborative group. I will give details of the assignment
later in the semester, once drop/add is finished and the course is
well under way.
Grading
Class
participation (10 percent of final grade)
Get involved in our conversations! This will add to everyone’s
learning experience and increase your comfort with public speaking.
Make comments, give opinions, ask questions. Remain conscious of
others too. If you are outspoken, listen sometimes. If you tend to
be quiet, make an effort to express yourself.
It goes without
saying that you need to attend class in order to participate. I do
check attendance. For each missed class, up to seven missed classes,
you lose 5 percent of your participation grade. That is, if you miss
two meetings but are active in class otherwise, you still can have
an A (90%) in participation. Students who miss eight or more
class meetings automatically fail the course.
Just as
participation makes your presence known, late arrivals, early
departures, napping, studying for other courses, doing unassigned
reading, and texting in class count against you. Be physically and
intellectually present during class. If you have extenuating
circumstances, let me know ahead of time, but otherwise do not
distract your peers or schedule appointments during your most
important class, English 272.
Free-writes and weekly clip file (10
percent)
Scoring system:
Check-plus /
100 percent (excellent responses; specific details and reasoned
opinions)
Check / 85 percent (good responses; give examples from the readings
and explain how you arrived at your ideas)
Check-minus / 60 percent (you are having trouble; demonstrate your
knowledge of the assigned text and explore your ideas more fully)
Null set (missing material)
Three
short written pieces (10 percent each, for
a total of 30 percent)
These pieces
receive an exact letter grade: 100-90/A, 89-80/B, 79-70/C, 69-60/D,
and 59-lower/F.
Publishing project to be assigned Sept. 27
(30 percent)
Critical review at the end of the term (10
percent)
Short-answer final exam on readings and
course content. Each section gets a different exam. (10 percent)
Academic honesty (priceless)
Given the
revision basis of the course and my belief in your commitment to
education and literature, I trust that plagiarism will not be an
issue. If you copy another person’s work without attribution,
passing it off as your own; if you buy, borrow, or steal another
person’s work; if you use work in this class that you have done for
another course; or if you cheat in another manner regarding your
progress and grade, you will fail this course and I will report the
problem.
The ISU Student
Code of Conduct (http://www.policy.ilstu.edu/archives/student_code_of_conduct.htm)
explains these points. I genuinely anticipate your best work, but I
need to make my expectations clear.
Questions
and concerns
Please email
me, visit me in my office hours, or make an appointment to discuss
anything related to the course. I will not read and grade essays
ahead of time, but I am happy to answer questions, talk about your
ideas, help with revision, and recommend campus resources.