IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY College of Human Sciences Department of Curriculum & Instruction N131 Lagomarcino Ames, IA 50011

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1 IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY College of Human Sciences Department of Curriculum & Instruction N131 Lagomarcino Ames, IA CI 554: Reading & Responding to Literature for Children & Adolescents Summer 2015 (May 11 May 29) Monday Friday: 2:10 5:00 p.m Lagomarcino Instructor: Ke Huang, Ph.D. E mail: kehuang@iastate.edu Office: 1720A Lagomarcino Office Hrs: by appointment Course Description: Research and discussion of issues surrounding the classroom use of literature for children and young adults including censorship, diversity, selection, and the influences of technology. Prerequisites: Graduate Standing, Senior Status or Teaching License Knowledge Base(s): This graduate level course focuses on children's literature and its relationship to literacy development and improvement across the content areas in the prek 8 classroom. Course content is informed by relevant theories, research, and practice pertaining to reading and responding to literature for children and adolescents. This work is presented in light of national (e.g., IRA/NCTE) and state (e.g., Iowa Core Curriculum) standards relative to the preparation of classroom teachers and reading specialists. Primary goals include (a) expanding teacher candidates knowledge of children's literature across diverse genres (e.g., picture books, multicultural literature, historical fiction, realistic fiction, traditional literature, poetry), (b) enabling them to use a range of research based strategies and instructional technology when designing and delivering effective literature based instruction across the curriculum, selecting developmentally appropriate materials for learners at various stages of reading and writing development, and differentiating instruction for students with diverse socio cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and (c) preparing them to address issues of censorship and stereotyping in literature when planning and delivering instruction. Course Objectives: The above course goals are supported by the following objectives. Upon successful completion of this course, candidates will have an opportunity to: (a) Enhance one s understanding of major literacy theories, research, standards, and policies relative to the use of literature for children and adolescents. (b) Develop an ability to analyze and select high quality and developmentally appropriate literature for children, their authors, and illustrators in a range of genres and age levels from preschool to 8th grade. (c) Gain practical knowledge and experience in integrating literature across the curriculum with the goal of enhancing students learning and engagement. (d) Gain practical knowledge and experience in using a range of research based strategies for planning, implementing, and evaluating literacy instruction for diverse students. (e) Explore critical issues pertaining to the use of literature across the curriculum including censorship, stereotyping, and diversity. (f) Enhance one s understanding of the influences of information communication technologies on students reading and writing habits and practices.

2 Course Materials: The reading materials listed below provide a focus for the course and information useful for class discussions, activities, and presentations. Required Textbooks There is no required textbook for this course. All the readings will be posted on Blackboard Learn. Relevant research and practice oriented articles re: K 12 literature. Articles will be selected from the following journals (a) The Horn Book (b) The Reading Teacher (c) The Journal of Children s Literature (d) Language Arts (e) The Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy (f) Voices in the Middle (g) Reading Research Quarterly (h) Research in the Teaching of English Children s Books Smile by Raina Telgemeier Kira Kira by Cynthia Kadohata The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt Lost Girl Found by Leah Bassoff and Laura Deluca Brown girl dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang Anna s Heaven by Stian Hole Related Textbooks of Possible Interest Rosenblatt, L. M. (1938/1995). Literature as Exploration. New York: Modern Language Association. Rosenblatt, L. M. (1978). The reader, the text, the poem: The transactional theory of the literary work. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press. Course Requirements and Expectations: The following projects are designed to contribute in different, yet complementary, ways to the main objectives of this course. Here is a brief sketch of these projects. We will fill in the details in class together. 1. Class Attendance and Participation (100 points). Active class participation and engagement with timely completion of readings and related activities, discussion, and reflection are critical to the teaching learning process. Therefore, your active participation and engagement in in class discussions are valued and required. More than two absences, habitual tardiness and/or leaving early will lower your grade by one letter grade. If you must miss a session, you must make up the contents of the class session; you don t make up the absence. Then arrange to talk with me after the next class session about your absence and about your plans for keeping up with the course work. If you need to leave earlier, you need to fill out the log form to mark the exit time otherwise your early departure is considered to be one absence. Late assignments will also affect your final grade. If you need 2

3 accommodations due to a documented learning disability, please discuss your needs with me early in the semester, well in advance of assignment due dates. Excused absences: All holidays or special events observed by organized religions will be honored for those students who show affiliation with that particular religion, Absences pre approved by the ISU Dean of Students (or Dean's designee) will be honored. To get the most out of this semester, be curious, questioning, and active in class and out. During class, this includes participating in discussions, demonstrations, curricular engagements, presentations, collaborative projects, and small group work. All class readings are to be completed by the dates listed on the schedule. You will be meeting in teams outside of class time and reading lots of children s books. Your participation also includes attending all class sessions and promptness (both essential teacher behaviors). It is required to bring the articles and books we are reading, and your literature journal to class. If an emergency arises and you must miss class, notify me ahead of time by phone or and have your responsibility partner turn in your assignments. Class meetings will consist of lectures, group discussions, and individual or group presentations. Class lectures will be focused on critical issues pertaining to children s literature and its uses in the classroom. Group discussions will focus on readings of children s books using various formats, including, but not limited to, literature circles, book clubs, and reciprocal teaching. **You must have a responsibility partner to collect handouts, turn in assignments, and take notes if you are absent. End Product & Evaluation Active and productive engagement in in class and on line discussion sessions, as well as completion of assigned readings with clear evidence of contribution to the class and to your own learning. The following criteria will be used to evaluate your class participation points = Low level of class participation and engagement in in class discussions points = Moderate level of class participation and engagement in in class discussions points = High level of class participation and engagement in in class discussions. 2. Web Search (50 points) DUE May 13. As an introduction to the field of children s literature, conduct a search on the World Wide Web. The purpose of this activity is to acquaint you with the types of resources available and topics related to children s literature. Find 3 quality web sites that deal with some aspect of this course (see schedule) or other issues in the field that interest you. The kinds of pages you may want to seek out include: Award winning books (Caldecott, Newbery, King, etc.) Children s literature newsletters Multicultural books/books depicting diverse ethnicities/books by authors of specific cultural groups or ethnicities Books that are grouped thematically Banned or challenged books Information about authors and illustrators Recommended books (by children, organizations, etc.) Genres of children s books (picture, science fiction, jokes, poetry, fantasy, folk tales, historical fiction, etc.) International children s books 3

4 Search Hints: Use Google or your favorite search engine. When you search, remember to try different groups of words (i.e. children s literature or children s books with science fiction ). Also, don t get stuck on the first page of your search results. I ve found some very interesting sites by going back three or four pages into the search results. For Class: Bring in the printouts of the 3 web sites you think are worthy of sharing with the class (Most of these will be multiple pages; bring in no more than the three best pages for each site). For each site write a short, critical review (a couple of paragraphs) including (a) a summary of the site and (b) what it s good for/what you like about it; how you would use it; what was surprising; and/or any other comments you have about the site including problems or questions. This is a great opportunity to gather resources for upcoming course assignments. Bring 9 copies of the 3 Websites you find to share with your group. Turn in one copy to me. You will discuss the resources you found with a small discussion group. 3. Reading Records (200 points) Due May 18 & May 28. Extensive and intensive reading of recent children s books is the primary focus of this course. Keep a reading record of the books you read. You can get suggestions for books to read from class sessions, the course text, or books from your school or library. This record should be in a format that you will find useful in your classroom. Your records will vary from brief annotations or categorizations to more extensive annotations and analysis of your reading. They will also vary by the books you read. Some books you may want to list while others will have more extensive annotations because these books are more significant for you. The major function of the record is for you to write down information you want for the future. You will need to decide what form your reading record will take notecards, looseleaf notebook, computer data base, etc. You might create your own form where you record the books you read and develop categories to classify or rate the books. You need to decide what kinds of information you want to include in your record. The kinds of information included about books should include: Picture book 1) bibliographic information on the book (author, title, illustrator, publisher, date, number of pages) 2) type of genre and a short summary of the main plot and themes in the book 3) a description of the illustrations in picture books 4) your response to the book (comments on connections, strengths, or concerns) Chapter book 1) bibliographic information on the book (author, title, publisher, date, number of pages) 2) type of genre and a short summary of the main plot and themes in the book 3) your response to the book (comments on connections, strengths, or concerns) Remember, you will be the person using this record in the classroom, so write down what you want to remember. You also need to decide if the record will be used only by you or also by students. Decide how you want the record organized. What system would be most helpful in quickly locating the books? You might organize by themes, authors, types of books (genre), or some other system. This course is based on continuous reading of children s literature and you will greatly decrease your learning and participation in this class if you are not reading regularly throughout the course. Include poetry books in your reading record since poetry is so often 4

5 overlooked in classrooms and libraries. Note that CI 554 students are expected to read a minimum of 30 books in a combination of picture books, poetry books, informational books, biographies and chapter books, reflecting a range of genres and age levels. A hard copy of each Reading Record will be handed in on May 18. The completed record will be due on May 28, Literature Reflection Journal (200 points 100 points each) Due May 18 & May 26. Reflection is an important element in learning and in this class. The function of the literature reflection journal is to provide a place for you to reflect upon the books you will be discussing in literature circles that you are reading and to dialogue with me and other class members about your responses to these books. The focus of the journal is on personal response to reading, reflections on your learning and thinking, and dialogue with others about these responses and reflections. The focus of the journal is not on writing a summary or a literary analysis of a book but responding to how the book connected to you personally. The purpose of these reflections is to give you a chance to think about the class sessions and your experiences with literature. In your reflections, write about what you are learning or thinking as well as questions and concerns. You will submit TWO copies of your journal entries. One is a hard copy to me and the other should be electronically submitted to Discussions on Blackboard Learn. Bring the journals to class (see the Class Schedule for journal due date). It should be 12 point and double spaced. 5. Book Talk Presentation (100 points). SIGN UP FOR A PRESENTATION DATE. You will present a themed book talk of related picture books and/or young adult novel to the class that would be appropriate for any grade level that you choose. This activity will serve as a means of honing your ability to speak in front of a large group and to present text to students. Before beginning your booktalk you should describe: (a) what age/grade the booktalk would be appropriate for; (b) what relevant features of the books make the books developmentally appropriate for the grade you have selected; (c) what concepts the books teach; (d) the genres you have selected; and (e) any other information you would like us to know. You should choose a minimum of 5 books to include in your booktalk. Your presentation should be about minutes. Instructions for how to conduct a booktalk can be found in Appendix A. 6. Book Circles (100 points 50 points each) DUE May 18 & May 26. Twice during the semester, bring three books to class that you feel are exemplary of the category of children s literature we are exploring for that week (one chapter book and two picture books). These should be books that you think may be new to other students in the class. Try for copyright dates after You will have the opportunity to join different Book Circles to browse, read, and record reflections and ideas. For each of the three books you bring into class, type a short Book Circle Handout that contains: (1) Reference notations (title, author, illustrator, publisher, copyright date, type of book easy picture, sophisticated picture, easy novel, non fiction, etc.) (2) An image of the book cover (3) A short synopsis (4) Insights (why you chose this books to share, what made it memorable, why is it exemplary of the category we are exploring) 5

6 (5) Ideas (a few specific ideas on how you might use the book in a classroom including related web sites) (6) Questions (issues, concerns, or possible problems with this book) NOTES: Don t forget to put your name and date somewhere on the brochure. Bring at least 10 copies of your handout to share, plus a copy to turn in to me. Use your literature journal to record books you want to use in the future. START LOOKING FOR & READING BOOK CIRCLE BOOKS EARLY 7. Literature Notebook (50 points). FINAL NOTEBOOK DUE May 28. Because of the wealth of valuable information and outstanding children s books we will be exploring during the semester, you will create a literature journal that you have in class every day. You should create the following tabs in the notebook: (1) books to use in the classroom, (2) curricular ideas, (3) reader response, (4) genre notes, (5) authors & illustrators, (6) literature circles, and (7) ideas. This will be a place to record your thoughts and ideas about: (1) Books that are presented in class that you can use in your classroom (2) Curricular ideas and strategies for presenting and using books, including the handouts from the literature circle connection presentations (3) Your reader response entries (see #4) (4) Notes from lectures and classroom lectures, including information on genres we study. (5) Listing of authors and illustrators that you especially like and any other relevant notes on them. (6) All activities from your literature circle groups (7) Other ideas that come up from class discussions, activities, etc. 8. Book talk/review podcast and Website (200 points). DUE MAY 29. As a culminating project in this class, you will use all that you have learned throughout the semester to create a book talk and review that you will publish as an enhanced podcast. Further, you will work with a group to create a children s literature Website with the purpose of reviewing a variety of children s literature and hosting your podcasts. Your site should be focused around a broad theme that highlights an interpersonal issue, social justice concern, or an issue that has a direct connection to the lives of students, families, or the community. You can also choose to focus on an author, illustrator or genre. You can do an author or illustrator if the author or illustrator has written or illustrated 20 or more books that are connected thematically. A genre study should focus on a specific genre of children s literature (poetry, historical fiction, etc.) Each group member will create his/her own podcast. You will present your Website to the class as your final exam. A rubric will be provided in class. GRADING POLICIES AND GUIDELINES: All written work should be typed (double spaced, 12 pt. font, One inch margins, & page numbered) and carefully proofread and edited. Use APA format. The guidelines for determining your final grade are outlined below. 6

7 Assignment Points Due dates 1. Class Participation 100 points ongoing 2. Web Search 50 points May Reading records 200 points May 18 &28 4. Literature reflection Journal 200 points May 18 &26 5. Book talk presentation 100 points date selected 6. Book circles 100 points May 18 &26 7. Literature notebook 50 points May Book talk/review podcast & website 200 points May 29 Total 100% 1000 points PERFORMANCE STANDARDS POINTS GRADE POINTS GRADE A C A C B D B D B D C+ below 60% F 7

8 TENTATIVE COURSE CALENDAR The following tentative course calendar is subject to change due to the nature of the course, which emphasizes wide reading, reflection, and critical inquiry. Specific agendas for each class session will be provided weekly as determined by progress made in accomplishing the main objectives of the course. Date Topics Readings/Activities Engagements May 11 Course Reading records Introduction Personal goals May 12 The value of children s literature Understanding young adults and their literature Reading and Literature (E) What is a good book? (B) Read alouds Literature Discussion Lit circles Who are we? What is this class about? Intro to lit circles Review syllabus & assignments Sign up for presentation dates Lit circle (LC) book: Smile Article on BB: When Bad Things Happen to Good Books (Serafini, 2011) The Importance of a Best Fit Book (Weaver, 2012) LC book: Smile Reader articles on BB Literacy memory map Bring two texts you read as a child and as a teen May 13 Reader Response Readings to be assigned Literature Response Strategies LC book: Kira Kira Web search due Reader response due for articles May 14 Picture Books Artists & Their Illustrations Articles on BB: Promoting Self Questioning Through Picture Book Illustrations (Lohfink, 2012) Reader Response due for articles For Young Children, 8

9 Pictures in Storybooks are Rarely Worth A Thousand Words (Schickedanz & Collins, 2012) Learning From Picture Books (Martens et al., 2012), LC book: Kira Kira May 15 Biography and informational books Article on BB: Teaching for Synthesis of Informational Texts with Read Alouds (Cummins & Stallmeyer Gerard, 2011) Reader response due for articles Additional readings to be assigned LC Book: Lost Girl Found May 18 Fantasy & Science Fiction Articles on BB: What some escape to, some escape : Why teenagers read genre fiction (November, 2004) Seeing beyond sameness: Using The Giver to challenge colorblind ideology (Lea, 2006) Group idea presentations for lit circle book Book circles for nonfiction books LC Book: Lost Girl Found May 19 Historical fiction Articles on BB: Writing backward: modern models in historical fiction ( MacLeod,1998) Authentication projects for historical fiction (McTigue, 2012) LC Book: The Wednesday 9

10 Wars May 20 Realistic Fiction Articles on BB: The Green Movement (Grose, 2013) Gritty, tough, edgy, and Controversial: YA authors who tackle forbidden subjects and why they do it (Hill, 2010) Reader response due for articles LC Book: The Wednesday Wars May 21 Poetry and plays Readings to be assigned LC Book: brown girl dreaming Group idea presentations for lit circle book May 22 Multicultural & International Children s Literature Readings to be assigned LC book: brown girl dreaming Group idea presentations for lit circle book Cultural Authenticity May 25 May 26 No Class Motivation and engagement Articles on BB: Sustaining Strategic Readers in the Secondary Classroom (Ellery & Rosenboom, 2012) Motivating Boys to Read: Inquiry, Modeling, & Choice Matter (Fisher & Frey, 2012) Book circles for multicultural & international books Additional readings to be 10

11 assigned May 27 Censorship Tough Topics/Issues LC book: American Born Chinese Articles on BB: Transitional Chapter Books: Representations of African American Girlhood (McNair & Brooks, 2012) Reader response due for articles Reading Culturally Relevant Literature Aloud to Urban Youths (Verden, 2012) Can We Fly Across Cultural Gaps on the Wings of Imagination: Ethnicity, Experience and Cultural Authenticity (Cai, 1995) LC book: Anna s Heaven May 28 Literature in the Curriculum Articles on BB: New Teachers as Literacy Leaders (Turner, Applegate & Applegate, 2011) Open Up the Ceiling on the Common Core State Standards (Valentino Drew, 2013) May 29 Final Presentations Additional readings to be assigned Appendix A: Booktalk Guidelines 11

12 The purposes of a booktalk are to "sell" a book or books and to introduce readers to books that they probably wouldn t find on their own. You want to give enough of the plot to interest the listeners but you are not giving a summary of the book. You don't want to give away the important parts of the book. You certainly never want to give away the ending. You want to highlight the interesting points. You may want to read certain passages to your listeners. The main purpose of a booktalk is to grab the audience's interest and make them want to read the book. It's always a good idea to end the booktalk with a cliffhanger. Audience The best audiences for booktalks are above the primary grades: older children, teenagers, and adults. For young children, I like storytelling or reading aloud better. But by the time they're in middle school, you want to entice children to read longer books novels, biographies, and assorted nonfiction. You need to tell them just enough to whet their appetites, and set them free to explore on their own. Booktalking works: Joni Bodart's research has shown that booktalking is an effective way to get high school students to read selected titles. And it's worth doing: Stephen Krashen, in The Power of Reading, demonstrates that the more students read for pleasure, the better their reading skills become. Even if what they choose to read is comic books, their reading improves. Message: Choosing materials to talk about What kinds of materials should you booktalk? Materials your students might not find on their own, but will probably enjoy once discovered. You don't have to booktalk the most popular stuff, because they're already reading it; if you include one or two of those titles in your talk, do it because 1) you like them, 2) you can reasonably expect them to help you create rapport with your students, and 3) you can use them as an introduction to other, less known titles your students will enjoy. One of the worst booktalks I've ever seen featured an out of date series about the 50 states, not worth trying to sell (even if you could) because they were assigned reading already. A mix of materials. Pick some books that will challenge the good readers in your class, and others that won't intimidate the slowest; some that will appeal to girls and others to boys; possibly a video or two, or magazines, or comics or graphic novels, among the books. The most important rule: Don't booktalk anything unless you've read and enjoyed it yourself. Message: Organizing your talk Choose titles; choose a theme; and decide if you want to use a novel approach or gimmick for all or any of your titles. The traditional pattern is to talk about 3 to 5 featured books for maybe 4 or 5 minutes each, and to mention a few others in snappy one liners. It's also traditional to connect the books you're talking about with a theme. For example, you can link classics and popular fiction by connecting them to a broad theme like "love" or "danger." This approach is flexible, and allows you to include 12

13 something for everybody in the group. Using the theme in transition passages between one featured book and the next also makes it easier to avoid ending your descriptions with that old standby, "If you want to know what happened next, you'll have to read the book." You can leave an audience hanging without coming right out and telling them you're leaving them hanging. Some booktalkers use elaborate costumes and props. Some use overhead transparencies or PowerPoint. Others simply look the audience in the eye and talk. Remember that adolescents, especially, have a developmental need for participation. Sometimes it's fun to invent new participatory formats for booktalking. A wheel of fortune format? A Trivial Pursuits format? A talk show? Let your imagination run wild. Message: What to say about each title No matter what your organization is, it's important to do justice to each title you talk about. There are some familiar formulas that make it easier to do the first draft of your booktalk things like "This is a really great book," or "If you want to know what happened next, you'll have to read the book." But these get stale quickly, and I recommend not using them or at least not using any of them more than once in a single booktalk, no matter how many books you cover. Also avoid telling the whole plot (or everything but the end) in a blow by blow narration. Time is limited, so you have to be selective. Tell one episode, or adopt the accent and mannerisms of a character in the book while describing one of the other characters through his or her eyes; or evoke a mood ("Have you ever felt as if somebody is watching you, even though there's nobody there but you?"). But whatever aspect of the book you select, make sure it's representative of the book don't retell the only funny episode in a heart rending story, or get everybody in the mood for horror when you're offering a pleasant family chronicle. Booktalking nonfiction: Nonfiction and fiction often complement each other; consider using both if they fit your theme. When you're booktalking nonfiction, you may not be able to organize your talk around a plot or a main character. Use your imagination. Your booktalk on magic books could begin with a flourish and a trick, performed in silence before you say a word (at least, maybe yours could mine couldn't, because I would botch the trick). Message: Practice and delivery A lot of thought goes into a successful booktalk. You can: Write it all down the individual booktalks and the artful introduction, transitions, and conclusion, too or just outline it. Memorize the basic gist of it or rely on written notes. A trick for maintaining eye contact if you have to use written notes is to tape them on the backs of books you'll be holding up as props. 13

14 Practice on your family, your dog, the car ahead of you at the stop light... Or tape yourself and listen to how it sounds. Do this until you become comfortable with the pattern of book talks. You ll be giving these a lot as a teacher! Yeseven if you end up teaching middle school or high school. Some general rules of booktalking: Maintain eye contact with your audience Pace your talk don't rush it or drag it, but keep it short enough to maintain interest Never booktalk a book you haven't read or don't like Never mislead your audience about what a book is like Always respect your audience Rubric for Book Talk Presentation Booktalks should: Possible points Score Sell books and introduce readers to books that they probably wouldn t find on their own. How did you do? Give enough of the plot to interest the listeners but not a summary of the book. You don't want to give away the important parts of the book. You certainly never want to give away the ending. How did you do? Highlight the interesting points. You may want to read certain passages to your listeners. How did you do? Be appropriate for the intended audience. How did you do? Include a mix of materials. Pick some books that will challenge the good readers in your class, and others that won't intimidate the slowest; some that will appeal to girls and others to boys; possibly a video or two, or magazines, or comics or graphic novels, among the books. How did you do? Be focused on a theme that is 7 9= You did it! 4 6= You did it, but may want to consider a few changes 0 3= You re not there yet 14

15 interesting to the audience. How did you do? Employ an effective delivery method (rather with video, powerpoint, props, or just talking). How did you do? Be well paced and presented with good eye contact. How did you do? In our class, you should do this before the booktalk: Describe what age/grade the booktalk would be appropriate for. Describe what relevant features of the books make the books developmentally appropriate for the grade you have selected. Describe what concepts the books teach. Describe the genres you have selected and other relevant information TOTAL 15