English 4077/5077: Adolescent Literature
Fall 2008
Instructor: Dr. Phyllis Thompson
Department of English, Office: 213 Burleson Hall
Office Hours: TR 9:45-11:15, 2:30-3:30, F 11-12noon, and by appointment
TEL: 423.439.5997;
FAX: 423.439.7193
Catalog Description:
Wide reading, evaluation, and selection of literature appropriate to persons
from the age of 12 to 18.
Course Description:
This course explores the exciting, multi-cultural field of literature written
for and about adolescents. Students
will read widely in YA literature; explore various genres and formats, including
realistic fiction, romance and adventure, science fiction/fantasy,
autobiography, poetry, graphic novels, and film; investigate a variety of
teaching resources; become familiar with current scholarship; and develop
curriculum for teaching adolescent literature.
Our primary and secondary reading will no doubt yield additional
discussions on topics such as literacy, multiculturalism, censorship, sexuality,
teaching and the test, and the use of film and other media in the literature
classroom. In short, we will explore
the value of adolescent literature for young adult readers and, hopefully, will
re-discover the pleasures found in reading young adult literature for ourselves.
We will begin by exploring our own literacy autobiographies, defining adolescent
literature, and investigating a variety of electronic and print resources in the
field. As we construct a definition of the literature of adolescents, we will
attempt to better understand adolescence and the role of young adult literature
in the reading development of adolescents. We will take into consideration the
history of books for young adults as well as how different groups (libraries,
teachers, booksellers, and kids) characterize adolescent literature and in what
ways their definitions are similar and/or different.
We will also consider the difference that culture, race, class, and
gender have made/make on texts and the ways in which we read texts.
We will critically assess not only our use of the terminology that has
been handed down to us, that is, adolescent literature, YA lit, juvenile novels,
tweener and teen novels, but also some of the arguments for and against the use
of adolescent literature in the classroom. As we read, discuss, enact, and share
adolescent literature with one another, we will increase our awareness of YA
authors, genres, and formats.
Additionally, we will familiarize ourselves with current scholarship in the
field and examine the ways in which it shapes our perspectives and approaches to
adolescent literatures and literacies.
During the semester, we will also practice a variety of teaching
techniques, including dramatizing scenes, interviewing "authors," composing exit
or reflection cards, creating triptychs, preparing lesson/unit plans, mounting
book displays, and/or participating in literature circles. At the end of the
semester, we will test our assumptions and our skills and reflect on the
validity our ideas and the strengths and weaknesses of our teaching strategies,
methods, and materials. This course provides ETSU students with the opportunity
to engage adolescent readings, interrogate the challenges, and discover the
value of teaching YA literature in middle and high school classrooms.
Learning Objectives:
Candidates will be able to examine their own literacy experiences and those of
others to understand more about how individuals acquire and develop literacy and
tastes for literature within social/cultural/familial contexts.
Candidates will be able to expand their exposure to adolescent literature, which
crosses lines of culture, race, ethnicity, religion, class, sexual orientation,
age, gender, and genre, and investigate resources to identify YA authors,
teaching tools, and current scholarship.
Candidates will be able to define adolescent literature, analyze the issues,
genres, and formats that characterize YA literature, and develop a personal
philosophy for teaching such literature.
Candidates will be able to understand the development of adolescents, the
diversity of student learner types, the relevance of cultural influences to
learning styles, and the roles of young adult literature in the reading
development of adolescents.
Candidates will be able to respond critically to YA literature and scholarship
on YA literature, reading, and teaching.
Candidates will be able to review YA books for their usefulness in the classroom
and present effective talks on these books.
Candidates will be able to learn about and practice strategies to involve
adolescents in reading and responding to literature and other methods that can
be used to teach course content through literature.
Candidates will be able to implement Standards, Competencies, and Objectives for
the English Language Arts curriculum through the use of adolescent literature.
Candidates will be able to design and demonstrate an effective lesson and unit
around adolescent literature that draws on a range of enrichment materials that
will engage student in active and authentic learning.
Candidates will use technology to enhance instruction.
Candidates will identify philosophical beliefs that underscore pedagogical
practices.
Candidates will examine issues of censorship in relation to YA literature and
relevant to theoretical issues and professional conduct when working with
students, parents, colleagues, and administrators.
Candidates will test their assumptions and skills through teaching
demonstrations and reflect in writing on the strengths and weaknesses as well as
validity/lack of validity and effectiveness/ineffectiveness of those assumptions
and those skills.
Candidates will reflect on the effectiveness of their individual lesson plans
and overall field guides (taking into consideration issues including, but not
limited to, assessment and evaluation, diversity, student learner types, and
classroom management) and make suggestions about ways in which lessons and/or
guides could be improved.
Course Requirements and
Grading:
Discussion Starter
10%
Teaching Demonstration and Reflection
15%
Short Assignments & Reflection Cards
20%
Mid-Term Project: Text Set/Annotated Bibliography
25%
Semester Project: Unit Plan/Field Guide/WebQuest/Conference Paper
30%
Note to all students: To pass this course, all major assignments must be
completed and turned in to the instructor.
Grading Scale:
A- - A (3.75-4.00) = 93-100
B- - B+ (2.75-3.74) = 85-92
C- - C+ (1.75-2.74) = 75-84
D- - D+ (0.75-1.74) = 65-74
F (Below .75) = 00-64
YA Lit:
Adichie, Chimamanda.
Purple Hibiscus: A Novel.
Anchor, 2004
1400076943
Anderson, Laurie Halse.
Speak. Puffin,
2001
014131088X
Crowe, Chris.
Getting Away with Murder.
Dial, 2003 (OPT)
0803728042
Crowe, Chris.
Farmer, Nancy.
The House of the Scorpion.
Simon Pulse, 2004
0689852231
Fleischman, Paul.
Big Talk: Poems for Four Voices (OPT)
0763606367
Fletcher, Ralph.
Poetry Matters: Writing Poetry from The Inside Out (OPT). Harper,
2002
0380797038
Janeczko, Paul. Seeing the Blue Between:
Advice & Inspiration for Young Poets.Candlewick, 2006076362909X
Miller, Frank.
Batman: The Dark Knight
Returns. DC Comics, 1997
1563893428
Nelson, Marilyn.
A Wreath for Emmett Till.
Houghton, 2005 (OPT)
0618397523
Satrapi Marjane.
Sanchez, Alex.
Rainbow Boys. Simon
Pulse, 2003
0689857705
Spinelli, Jerry.
Stargirl.
Knopf, 2002
037582233X
Textbook:
Bushman and Haas.
Using Young Adult Literature in the English Classroom.
4th ed. Pearson,
2006. 0131862081
Films:
The Dark Knight.
Dir. Christopher Nolan.
Perf. Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, and Maggie Gyllenhall.
Warner Brothers, 2008.
Speak.
Dir. Jessica Sharzer. Perf.
Elizabeth Perkins,
“The Raven.”
The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror.
Dir. David Silverman. With
James Earl Jones. Twentieth
Course Check Sheet
English 4077/5077. Adolescent
Literature
Dr. Phyllis Thompson
Note: Use this form to keep track
of your progress on assignments as well as your grades this semester.
At the end of the semester, you will then have a record of all grades,
from which you will be able to calculate your course grade.
Task Completed
Task Description
Grade
Percentage of
Course Grade
_____
Discussion Starter
_____
10%
_____
Teaching Demonstration and Reflection
_____
15%
_____
Short Assignments & Reflection Cards
_____
20%
_____
Lit Autobiography
_____
_____
Defining YA Lit:
_____
_____
RC1:
_____
_____
RC2:
_____
_____
RC3:
_____
_____
RC4:
_____
_____
RC5:
_____
_____
RC6:
_____
_____
RC7:
_____
_____
Capstone:
_____
_____
Mid-Term Project: Text Set/Annotated Bib _____
25%
_____
Semester Project: FG/WQ/UP/CP
_____
30%
Action Research w/Presentation: Teaching Methods that Work (grad only)
Overall Grading Scale:
A- - A (3.75-4.00) =
93-100
B- - B+ (2.75-3.74) =
85-92
C- - C+ (1.75-2.74) =
75-84
D- - D+ (0.75-1.74) =
65-74
F (Below .75) = 00-64
Breakdown of Grading Scale:
A
96-100
A-
93-95
B+
91-92
B
87-90
B-
85-86
C+
82-84
C
78-81
C-
75-77
D+
72-74
D
68-71
D-
65-67
F
64 and below
Resources—Electronic Sources:
The ALAN Review—the journal for The Assembly
on Literature for Adolescents of the National Council of Teachers of English
(NCTE) covers YA literature, teaching, trends and current research.
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/ (see list of articles and go to
“findarticles.com” for articles from 2005-2007)
The Journal of Adolescent &
Adult Literacy
is the only literacy journal published exclusively for teachers of older
learners. Each issue offers practical, classroom-tested ideas grounded in
research and theory. Whether you work with new, struggling, or skilled, readers,
you’ll find something of interest in JAAL.
http://www.reading.org/publications/journals/jaal/index.html
Literature Resource Center (LRC)
provides access to biographies, bibliographies, and critical analyses of more
than 120,000 authors from every age and literary discipline.
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/?&u=tel_a_etsul&p=LitRC&v=2.1&authCount=1
Pedagogy—
Pedagogy
is an innovative journal that aims to build a new discourse around teaching in
English studies. Reversing the long history of marginalization of teaching and
the scholarship produced around it, it offers a forum for critical reflection
and spirited debate. The journal publishes articles by senior scholars as well
as more junior members of the profession, featuring voices from many
subdisciplines and institutions. Pedagogy
promises to stimulate new and exciting developments for undergraduate and
graduate instruction in English studies.
(available through Project Muse)
Reading Online—a journal of K-12 practice
and research published by the International Reading Association.
http://www.readingonline.org/
Tennessee Department of
Education—English Language Arts Content
Standards.
http://www.tennessee.gov/education/ci/cistandards2001/la/cilaprog912.htm
VOYA—Voice of Youth Advocates or
VOYA is the library magazine serving those who serve young adults, and I
recommend that you check it out, especially for its neat book
reviewing code.
This
bimonthly journal addresses librarians, educators, and other professionals who
work with young adults and is the only magazine devoted exclusively to the
informational needs of teenagers.
VOYA’s mission is "to identify the
social myths that keep us from serving young people and replace them with
knowledge." http://www.voya.com/
YALSA—Young Adult Library Services
Association, which archives their booklists for Best YA fiction, Best YA fiction
for reluctant readers, Best YA graphic novels, and more.
http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/quickpicks/
Related Sites:
PET (Project for
Effective Teaching) Resources: bibliography of pedagogy resources aimed to
help the new teacher in his or her craft. Maintained by
50 Alternatives to Lecture
suggestive list of instructional options; from Teaching, Learning and Technology
at SUNY
Teaching Goals Inventory
The Center for Teaching at The University of Iowa is pleased to bring the
Teaching Goals Inventory to you online.
Teaching
Bibliography from the Center for Teaching and Learning at
Electronic Archive
for teaching the American Literatures The Electronic Archives are created
and maintained by the Center for Electronic Projects in American Culture Studies
(CEPACS) at
NCTE homepage National Council of Teachers of
English
Teaching Literature
Bibliography Linked from the syllabus of a (far more structured) Teaching
Literature class by Prof. Byron Hawk at
Teaching Temperaments:
On learning Styles: From
the Georgia State Master Teacher Program, this site offers information on how
temperaments inform different learning styles and strategies for adopting
teaching methods to meet these different styles.
Jungian Typology test:
an online test from a site entitled Humanmetrics.
Kiersey Temperament Sorter: Commercial website
that provides updates Kiersey's Please Understand Me, including "A Modern Guide
to Temperaments."
There are numerous
resources available, but the list above will get you started.
Now, go out and explore!
THE POLICY PAGE: EXECTATIONS,
ADVICE, & GENERAL ACADEMIC ETIQUETTE
Please Note: I encourage you to open
yourself to new ideas, read all materials assigned for this course, and
participate actively in class discussions; however, some texts may contain
potentially offensive language, images, and/or ideas.
If, at any time, you become uncomfortable and feel you need to excuse
yourself, you may do so.
Attendance: My attendance policy is
simple: you have two absences, which you may take at any time; however, for each
absence over the second one, your daily grade will be dropped one letter
grade. If you are tardy, please
note that it is your responsibility to see that I have marked you present for
that class period. Do this
immediately after the class period.
I will not make corrections to my roster after I leave the classroom. If
tardiness becomes habitual, I reserve the right to refuse changing my roster.
Bear in mind that class attendance affects the quality of one’s work in a
course and, ultimately, the quality of one’s college degree.
The English Department does not distinguish between “excused” and
“unexcused” absences and, therefore, has established a maximum allowable number
of absences: no more than six
absences on MW and TR schedule.
Students exceeding this limit will receive an F or a W if within
the University policy on dropping a course.
Project Guidelines:
Unless otherwise noted, all assignments (homework and essays) should be
computer-printed, titled, paginated, and stapled/paper clipped.
The font should be Arial, Courier, or Times New Roman, 10 or 12-point;
text should be double-spaced. Final
drafts should be proofread thoroughly.
Projects are due at the beginning of class on the designated date unless
otherwise stipulated. Printer
problems and other technical difficulties are not acceptable excuses for failure
to hand in a paper on time. To avoid such common problems, print out and
proofread the final draft of your paper well before the time the paper is due.
Absence on the day a paper is due is not an acceptable excuse; however, if you
have a legitimate reason for being unable to turn in a paper on the due date,
please raise your concerns in advance
of that date.
I will consider making accommodations for students whose requests come in a week
prior to a scheduled deadline. After
that time, the deadline is not negotiable.
Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and proper MLA documentation all count.
I will provide handouts on the specific requirements of each assignment
during class.
Late Work:
If you must be absent from class, please obtain class notes/assignments from
another student before the next class.
Absence is not an excuse for late work.
Late homework (i.e., short writing assignments, discussion
starters, and reflection cards) is not accepted for a grade.
If you must be absent and want credit for your homework, be sure that I
have the actual assignment in my hands before class begins.
I will accept homework directly from you, via e-submission, or delivered
by a friend as long as I have it in my hands before the class period begins.
In-class graded assignments, workshops, and group work cannot be made up.
If you are absent, you will receive a 0 for those assignments.
Major projects (teaching demonstrations, annotated bibliographies,
and field guides) will be taken up at the beginning of the class period on which
they are due. Projects that come in
after that time will be considered late and docked one letter grade per class
day.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism will not be tolerated and its
consequences are serious. Proven
willful plagiarism will result in failure in the course and may include
dismissal from the university. The
MLA Handbook defines plagiarism as repeating “as your own someone
else's sentences, more or less verbatim. . . .
Other forms of plagiarism include repeating someone else's particularly
apt phrase without appropriate acknowledgment, paraphrasing another person's
argument as your own, and presenting another's line of thinking . . . as though
it were your own” (MLA Handbook
597-600). We will discuss plagiarism
during class. If you have additional
questions, please see me, refer to your
Harbrace Handbook (597-600), The MLA
Handbook, and/or consult with the WCC. If you use someone else’s ideas, be
sure to cite your sources accurately and distinguish his or her thoughts from
your own. If you use someone else’s words, be sure to place them in quotation
marks and cite your sources. See the most recent edition of the
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers for guidance on citing
sources and other technical matters.
Office of Disability Services:
Conferencing:
Working directly with me is an important part of this course.
I encourage you to drop by to discuss your ideas, your reading, your
writing, or even the day's weather.
My door is open.