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Children's Literature
Studies at EMU
|Department of English Language
and Literature|Pray-Harrold Hall|Ypsilanti, MI|48197|
Fall
2009 CHL455 Adolescent Literature
Professor: Dr. Annette Wannamaker
Class meets: Mondays
and Wednesdays 12:30-1:45 p.m.
Office Hours:
Mondays 5 - 6:30 p.m.
Wednesdays 10:30 – 12:30 a.m. and 3:15 – 4:45
p.m.
Students also are encouraged
to make appointments during other times and to email with
any questions: awannamak@emich.edu
Description: The
course will expose students to quality adolescent literature
available for reading and study in middle and high school
classes. It will examine issues relevant to the reading and
teaching of adolescent literature, among them current debates
about the appropriateness of adolescent literature in a rigorous
secondary curriculum; issues related to censorship of adolescent
literature and ways to address it before and during a crisis;
various approaches to reading adolescent literature, including
reader response criticism, close reading strategies, and contemporary
critical theories; the imagined reader(s) of young adult texts,
and, by extension, the recent history of the cultural construction
of the “teenager”; the application of cultural
theories to analyses of adolescent literature as not only
literary texts but also as cultural artifacts and mass-produced
products; issues of multiculturalism, globalism, and diverse
audiences and subject matter; the relation of adolescent literature
to "classic" adult literature; the role of adolescent
literature in interdisciplinary studies; and adolescent literature
as an incentive to extracurricular reading.
Course Rationale (Why
take a class in YA Lit?): Adolescent Literature (also
called Young Adult Literature) is often referred to disparagingly
as “problem novels,” and thought to consist mostly
of poorly written, melodramatic stories featuring fifteen-year-old
heroine addicts, anorexics, or gang members. This genre is
often derided as either lowbrow fluff not worthy of critical
attention, or as offensive, inflammatory material not suitable
for young people. Kay Vandergrift writes, “Young adult
literature is often thought of as a great abyss between the
wonderfully exciting and engaging materials for children and
those for adults--just as young adults are often ignored in
planning library facilities and services. There is, however,
a wealth of fiction created especially for teens that deals
with the possibilities and problems of contemporary life as
experienced by this age group.” There are, indeed, wonderfully
exciting, complex texts in this genre, which have increasingly
gained critical attention from literary and cultural critics.
A course in Adolescent Literature
will explore the history of, characteristics of, benefits
of, and problems surrounding this ambiguously defined genre—many
experts disagree about how to define Adolescent Literature,
how to distinguish it from children’s literature and
adult literature (for example, where do the Harry Potter books
fit when they are read and enjoyed by members of all three
age groups?). There is even disagreement about what to call
the literature (juvenile or adolescent or young adult). Furthermore,
how do we define the adolescent, and how do our definitions
of young people (what we believe them to be or what we believe
they should become) affect the literature we write for them?
Who defines the genre (scholars, teachers, publishers, readers?)
and what is at stake in the various definitions? For example,
some scholars claim that adolescent literature as a genre—and
even the use of the terms adolescent or teenager to refer
to a distinctly separate stage of life—is a recent invention
tied to contemporary capitalism and the construction of young
people as consumers. If this is the case, then is adolescent
literature necessarily a postmodern form? In its mass-marketed
forms it is often quite conventional, but the better works
of adolescent literature are often sites of experimentation
with subject matter and literary form that blur borders between
genres. For example, graphic novels, especially Japanese Manga,
are currently very popular with American teenagers, as are
novels in verse and hypertexts. What texts are the young people
in our communities currently reading? Which texts are chosen
for them by teachers, parents, and librarians, and which texts
do they choose for themselves? What tools can we use to better
understand these texts, their benefits, their drawbacks, and
their influence? How, when, and why should these texts be
taught to young people? This course provides a forum for intense
reading, discussion, and exploration of the texts and issues
associated with adolescent literature.
Course Outcomes:
Students who have successfully completed this course will
be able to:
-
Describe
the historical development of the genre, its characteristics,
and its specific connections to the publishing industry.
Know the historical/social context of adolescent texts,
relationships among texts, and the recent history of the
cultural construction of the “teenager” in texts.
-
Identify
and discuss current debates about the genre taking place
among literary and educational theorists, including issues
of literary merit, appropriateness, and censorship.
-
Understand
the current reading interests of adolescents and plan to
accommodate their needs and interests.
-
Identify,
select, and discuss a broad range of adolescent/YA texts
representing a variety of time periods, diverse cultures,
types of authors, and drawing from a variety of sub-genres
(e.g., poetry, lyrics, novels, hypertexts).
-
Apply
current critical theory, discussion strategies, and reading
strategies to the reading and teaching of adolescent/YA
texts.
Required novels and graphic novels:
Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders.
Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War.
Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. (only volume I)
Yang, Gene. American Born Chinese.
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time
Indian.
Myers, Walter Dean. Monster.
Meyers, Stephanie. Twilight.
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak.
Anderson, M.T. Feed.
Doctorow, Cory. Little Brother. (also available
free on-line)
Schedule for Reading and due dates
for assignments:
Sept 9: First Day of Class: Introduction
to course
Characteristics of the genre.
Sept 14: Introduction to course cont.
History the American teen and of Y.A. Lit
Read handout with three articles and rationale on syllabus
Write one-paragraph response
Sept 16: The Outsiders (pages
1-99)
Sept 21: finish reading The Outsiders
Sept 23: The Chocolate War (pages
1-106)
Sept 28: finish reading The Chocolate
War
Sept 30: Read Keeling essay on The
Chocolate War
Writing Assignment No. 1 (summary of Keeling essay) due
Discuss research and writing project
Oct 5: Persepolis (pages 1-79)
Oct 7: finish reading Persepolis
Oct 12: Read American Born Chinese
Oct 14: Diary (pages 1-75)
Writing Assignment No. 2 (summary) due
Oct 19: Diary (pages 76-151)
Oct 21: finish reading Diary
Oct 26: Read Monster
Writing Assignment No. 3 (summary) due
Oct 28: Twilight (pages 1-151)
Nov 2: Twilight (pages 152-347)
Nov 4: finish reading Twilight
Nov 9: episode: Buffy the Vampire
Slayer
Nov 11: film (Heathers?)
Nov 16: film (Heathers?)
Writing Assignment No. 4 (proposal and bibliography) due
Nov 18: Speak (Pages 1-46)
Nov 23: finish reading Speak
Nov 25: No Class: T-Day
Nov 30: Feed (pages 1-72)
Dec 2: finish reading Feed
Writing Assignment No. 5 (researched essay) due
Dec 7: Little Brother (pages
1-198)
Dec 9: finish reading Little Brother
Dec 14: Final Exam 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Grading and Assignments:
250 points: Participation Grade:
550 points: Research and Writing Project
200 points: Final comprehensive exam
=1000 total possible points
Grading Scale: 1000-940=A; 939-900=A-;
899-870=B+; 869-830=B; 829-800=B-; etc.
Assignments:
250 points: Participation Grade:
• Writing prompts or quizzes based on the reading
due for the day and active participation in group work and
in class discussions (100 points)
• Attendance (100 points)
• Tardiness (50 points)
Writing
prompts, quizzes, and discussion (100 points):
This grade will be an average of the percentage you earn
on various quizzes, writing prompts, and in-class discussions
and group work. Students are expected to complete all assigned
reading before coming to class. This grade will assess whether
students have completed and comprehended the reading, and
are able to engage with the material in classroom discussions.
Attendance
(100 points):
Perfect attendance + 10 points
One absence 0 points
Two absences -10 points
Three absences -25 points
Four absences -50 points
Five absences or more -100 points
Tardiness (50 points)
Always on time to class +10 points
Late one time 0 points
Late twice -10 points
Late three times -25 points
Late four or more times -50 points
550 points: Research and Writing Project: CHL455Project
200 points: Final comprehensive exam:
Monday, Dec. 14 11:30 - 1 pm
Some General Policies:
Official Attendance Policy: The official
English Department policy is that students who miss two
weeks worth of a class (four classes in a section that meets
twice a week) should expect to fail that course and should
withdraw. Students who have missed three classes will receive
a written warning. Students who miss four classes will be
encouraged to withdraw from the course.
Politeness Policies: Part of my job as
a professor is to create a learning environment where students
feel safe, respected, and able to get the most out of their
learning experiences. I promise to treat all students with
respect, but also must work to maintain a structured learning
environment where student learning is the top priority.
This means that I must limit behaviors that are disruptive
to the learning environment.
Be on time. When you come to class late,
it is disruptive to everyone around you. If you cannot make
it to class on time (11 a.m., not 11:02) please drop the
course.
Turn off your cell phone. It is not okay
for your cell phone to ring in class. It is not okay to
text message during class. If you are expecting a very important
call (your wife is about to have a baby, for instance) you
can talk to me and to your classmates before class to let
us know that your cell phone will be on. Otherwise, please
turn it off and put it away.
No laptops. Some students take notes on
laptops, but too many students use their laptops to poke
one another on Facebook, to check email, or to play World
of Warcraft during class. Only students with a documented
learning disability are allowed to use laptops during class.
Be respectful of the instructor and your fellow
students. These are examples of behaviors that
are not respectful. When students exhibit the following
behaviors, I assume they do not want to be in class and
will ask if they prefer to leave:
• doing your math homework or reading the newspaper
during a lecture.
• coming to class unprepared. We cannot have a discussion
about a text if students have not done the assigned reading.
Since my classes are based on the assumption that students
have read the assigned material, most often, you will not
get a lot out of our discussions if you didn’t do
the reading.
• text messaging a friend on your cell phone or blackberry;
playing a game on your cell phone.
• putting your books into your backpack 5 minutes
before class is over.
• interrupting other students when they are speaking,
telling a fellow student to “shut up,” telling
a fellow student his/her beliefs are stupid, immoral, wrong,
silly, etc.
• Walking in and out of the classroom during class
(unless, of course, there is an emergency).
These are examples of behaviors that are fine, and even
expected:
• You can always raise your hand to interrupt me (even
in mid lecture) to ask a question or ask for clarification.
• As you will soon learn, children’s/adolescent
literature is a controversial field of study (people have
a lot invested in the texts young people read, in what they
think children should or shouldn’t read, etc.). It
is okay to disagree with me or with your fellow students,
but you must engage in intellectual debates in ways that
are polite and you must keep your mind open to a variety
of viewpoints.
• Is it okay to dislike a text we are reading or to
openly disagree with an interpretation of a text taught
in class (in discussion or in writing), however, you must
complete all of the required reading.
Plagiarism Policy: Plagiarism is a complicated
thing: sometimes students plagiarize material because they
simply do not know they are doing so (forgetting to cite
paraphrased ideas, for example). Other times, students intentionally
plagiarize by downloading an entire paper from the Internet,
“borrowing” a paper from a friend, or by copying
from a book or cutting and pasting text from the Internet.
Plagiarism will be handled on a case-by-case basis. I can
usually tell if it is accidental or purposeful. If it is
an accident, the student will be allowed to rewrite the
paper, if it is done on purpose, the student will receive
a 0 on the plagiarized assignment and may fail the course.
We will go over this issue in detail in class when we discuss
the essay assignments.
Language, Literature, and Writing Majors taking CHL455
will need to report to Livetext that the following NCTE
standards have been achieved. The English Department is
working to develop assessments for these standards, and
student input in the process is vital.
NCTE standards, content covered on syllabus,
and assessment tools measuring successful completion standards:
3.3.1: Students will demonstrate their ability to read
and respond to a range of texts of varying complexity and
difficulty.
Students will read and respond to a variety of texts ranging
from graphic novels written for older children and more
complex, dense, and ambiguous texts written for teenaged
readers and often read by adults. Assessment: Quizzes, final
exam, and Research and Writing Project.
3.3.2: Students will learn to draw upon their past experiences,
sociocultural backgrounds, interests, capabilities and understandings
to make meaning of texts.
Students will participate in class discussions and will
practice reading and writing strageties that will help them
to make meaning of texts. Assessment: Quizzes, final exam,
and Research and Writing Project.
3.3.3: Students will learn a wide variety of strategies
to interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts
Students will read works of literature and works of literary
criticism, participate in class discussions, present an
evaluation of a work of literature, and will practice evaluating
and interpreting texts in written assignments. Assessment:
Quizzes, final exam, and Research and Writing Project.
3.5.1: Students will demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of
works representing a broad historical and contemporary spectrum
of United States, British, and world, including non-Western
literature.
Students will be asked to put a contemporary text or texts
into dialogue with a classic text or texts. Discussions
of The Outsiders and The Chocolate War will focus on allusions
to texts by Shakespeare, Frost, and Elliot. Texts included
in the course range from the mid-twentieth century to 2009
and are written by authors from Britain, the U.S., and Iran.
Assessment: Quizzes, final exam, and Research and Writing
Project.
3.5.2: Students will demonstrate knowledge of works from
a wide variety of genres and cultures, works by female authors,
and works by authors of color.
Genres: Novels (realism, fantasy, science fiction, social
realism, magical realism, and postmodern fiction), poetry,
graphic novels, novels with photographs and illustrations,
television shows, films, and electronic texts. Cultures:
African-American, Native-American, Chinese-American, Anglo-American,
GBLT, Iranian, and lower, middle and upper-class. Texts
by female authors: The Outsiders, Speak, Persepolis, and
Twilight. Texts by authors of color: American Born Chinese,
Monster. Persepolis and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time
Indian. Assessment: Quizzes, final exam, and Research and
Writing Project.
3.5.3: Students will demonstrate knowledge of numerous works
specifically written for older children and younger adults.
Every text in course is a work written specifically for
older children and younger adults. Assessment: Quizzes,
final exam, and Research and Writing Project.
3.5.4: Students will demonstrate knowledge of a range of
works of literary theory and criticism and an understanding
of their effect on reading and interpretive approaches.
Students assigned to read several critical essays from academic
journals covering a variety of approaches and theories.
Assessment: Final exam and Research and Writing Project.
3.6.1: Students will understand media's influence on culture
and people's actions and communication
Cultural studies-based class lectures and assigned reading
on the influence of media and other cultural artifacts on
culture and vice versa. Assessment: Final exam.
3.6.2: Students will learn to construct meaning from media
and nonprint texts.
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer," YA film, electronic
texts and class discussions on television and film as texts,
and on the influence of technology on genre, form, and content.
Assessment: Final exam.
3.6.3: Students will learn to repond to film, video, graphic,
photographic, audio, and multimedia texts
Film and video texts: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer,"
YA film, Little Brother; Texts that combine language and
images: American Born Chinese, Monster, Persepolis, and
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Course
also includes essays and class lectures on graphic novels,
film, hypertexts, and multimedia and the ways that both
technology and capitalism shape both the form and content
of literature. Assessment: Final Exam.
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