English 3510: Teaching Young Adult Literature Fall 2015 August 31 (Monday) to December 11 (Friday) Online: canvas.usu.edu

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1 English 3510: Teaching Young Adult Literature Fall 2015 August 31 (Monday) to December 11 (Friday) Online: canvas.usu.edu David Van Biema said, Of all passages, coming of age, or reaching adolescence is the purest, in that it is the loneliest. In birth, one is not truly conscious; in marriage, one has a partner, even death is faced with a life s experience by one s side (Literature for Today s Young Adults, 1). Instructor: Dr. Kinkead, Professor of English RBW 309 joyce.kinkead@usu.edu Office Hours by appointment. Course Description: English 3510 is one of five courses for students in the English Teaching degree program. It is designed for upper division students who will then advance into the 4000 level English Education courses, which are then followed by entry into the STEP courses. As such, practice in teaching is developmental; in English 3510, two assignments focus on designing teaching plans while multiple opportunities for presentations are integrated in the schedule. We read a diverse set of books written specifically for a teen audience and learn how we can use these in a school setting. As one student put it, English 3510 makes you hip about YAL. IDEA Objectives Developing specific skills, competencies, and points of view needed by professionals in the field Learning to apply course materials Course Objectives Read, discuss, research, and write about texts and authors of YAL; Become familiar with a range of YAL authors and their work; Understand the definition of YAL and be able to locate works classified as YAL as book selection is an important role for teachers; Explore issues of adolescent development and culture as revealed in YAL; Explore issues of diversity, including ethnicity, gender, age, class, capability, globalism; Acquire the beginnings of a professional YAL library for prospective teachers and understand how to locate scholarly resources; Develop brief plans for teaching; Prepare and teach in the class to practice expressing oneself orally; Learn about censorship and challenges to books; Become comfortable with online environment for teaching and learning. (One objective is to ensure students feel comfortable with online learning as increasingly teaching careers may be found in these environments: the Utah Virtual Academy: and Utah Electronic High School: ) Locate works classified as YAL as book selection Acquire the beginnings of a professional YAL library for prospective teachers and understand how to locate scholarly resources; Develop brief plans for teaching; Prepare and teach in the class to practice expressing oneself orally. Developing skills in expressing oneself orally or in writing Acquiring skills in working with others as a member of a team Write consistently with feedback and revise Work in digital environments Work in teams of various sizes Begin developing a sense of being in a Professional Learning Community (PLC), which is part of Common Core State Standards. 1

2 Course Philosophy: In this class, students function in two roles: one is as participants of a university course studying young adult literature; the other is as future teachers in middle or high school classrooms. As a result, many of the methods will be applicable to a secondary school setting (e.g., bell ringers or rev ups; book talks; literature circles; book trailers; character day.) The purpose of the course is familiarization with the extensive number of titles in young adult literature. These are books that may not be taught regularly in the curriculum but which serve as students personal reading choices, and English teachers should be knowledgeable in YA literature in order to recommend titles to readers and to talk to them on a one-to-one basis about books. Course Organization: Most weeks, we do these activities: 1. Read a chapter in the textbook, 2. Complete a quiz on the chapter, 3. View PowerPoint or Prezi presentation on the current chapter taught by a student team, 4. Read a text (novel, nonfiction, poem) related to the genre in the textbook chapter, 5. Write a review of that text that is posted, 6. Respond to each others reviews, and 7. Discuss teaching applications. Presentation of textbook chapter relevant to the week s genre (due by 11:59 pm Saturday prior to lesson) Mondays: Tuesdays: Thursdays: 11:59) Quiz on textbook chapter (due by 11:59 pm) Book Reviews/Alternative Book Reports posted (due by 11:59 pm) Discussion Responses to Book Reviews; Teaching YAL discussions and activities (due by CLASS READING MATERIAL: In sum, reading material includes the textbook plus eight YAL books, a film, a poem, a play, and professional resources (web and print). The Textbook: Literature for Today s Young Adults (9 th edition) Nilsen et al. Table of Contents (figure to right). This is the standard reference book in the field. It is the first and best as it discusses not only a wealth of YA titles but also offers teaching suggestions. A YA Book (pre-1960): I have a classroom set of books for this unit, or you may find them at local libraries or through such sites as Project Gutenberg. We avoid classics as this is an opportunity to learn more about Junior Books. This book may be non-fiction or a novel. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. We begin with this realistic novel, which everyone reads. Please acquire a copy. [Note that this book has a brief scene on masturbation, which some readers may find offensive.] 2

3 The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie. N.B. Mr. Alexie is the featured Tanner Lecturer on the USU-Logan campus, October 29 (may be broadcast). [Required for students on the Logan campus.] Genre Selections: Students select titles subject to approval to match the chapters in our textbook. This helps build book selection skills. These should be books new to you, and all should be published after 1967 for a teen market. 1. Adventure, sports, mystery, or western 2. Fantasy, Science fiction, Supernatural, Utopian, Dystopian. For this assignment, team groups will adopt a series (e.g., Nicholas Flamel; Dustlands; The House of the Scorpion; City of Ember; Ship Breaker; Gemma Doyle; Percy Jackson; The Maze Runner; The Ellie Chronicles; Green Angel; Cinder) 3. Historical YA (For this assignment, students will work in pairs, each member choosing a title.) 4. Nonfiction book 5. A book written by an ethnic author (Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian) 6. A graphic book (FYI: graphic in the sense of illustrated) 7. A film using an adolescent as a primary character 8. Professional resources a. a website; b. one journal article or book chapter 9. Novio Boy, a play by Gary Soto (script provided) [Selection may be altered due to online course.] 10. Poetry contemporary poem suitable for a teen audience Locating Books to Read and Logging Them Dr. Kinkead s Lending Library: I ve purchased YAL titles and will gladly loan them. The list of over 200 books in my Lending Library is included on Canvas. Kindly ensure that books are returned so that future students can make use of them. (Box on Office Door for pick up and return.) Planning ahead can reduce costs. Other sources for books include local libraries. How do you find books that meet course criteria? There is my lending library, but students are not restricted to these titles. I highly recommend the American Library Association for locating award-winning books written for Young Adults. The Young Adult Literature Services Association (YALSA) is the particular site; there is even an I-phone APP that you can download. Specific lists include great graphic novels: Teens nominate their top ten books at this site, which is current for this year: The National Book Award recognizes annually five outstanding books for Young Adults. Other best lists come from sources such as School Library Journal and The Horn Book Magazine. Please make sure that the books are written specifically for and marketed to a teen audience, generally a range. Our textbook lists Honor Books, another good source (although books written for adults that teens read are included). Librarians are excellent sources, too. Log these books online on a first-come, first-served basis to avoid duplication of reports. The earlier you do this, the more likely you may have your choice of books. The minimum time for posting your choices is one week before the due date, but most students choose to make their selections early in the term and they can be changed. To post your selections, go to our online site, find the appropriate section/genre and note the author, title, and original publication date. Avoid duplication by using FIND (in the Browser, most usually under the EDIT menu) and inserting a word for your title, which will make the search easier. For instance, if you want to choose Fever 1793, you could enter Fever in Find, and if no returns are noted, then enter that as your selection. Some books may fit into multiple categories. Professional Organizations for English Teachers: 3

4 The professional organization for English teachers is the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), which publishes the helpful secondary level English Journal for high school English teachers. (URL: Within NCTE is the Assembly for Literature of Adolescents of NCTE, which is abbreviated ALAN. Student membership is only $10 and very worthwhile. Members received a regular e-newsletter as well as a terrific journal, the ALAN Review, which includes professional articles as well as clip reviews of YA titles. The Utah Council of Teachers of English (UCTE) is a state member of NCTE. GRADING: Reading Autobiography Writing assignments other than reviews (each assignment) Book reviews for genre-based reading lists (each assignment); Book rationale Glogster (individual assignment) Book Trailers (team assignment) Group Presentations (e.g., teaching textbook chapters; Interdisciplinary teaching unit) 10 points 10 pts 20 pts 10 pts 20 pts 10 pts Book Talks and other Teaching Practice Quizzes (open book) 5 points each 5 points each Class participation based on your contributions to discussions and postings. Canvas provides statistical information. Final essay exam: summary, reflection, and evaluation 50 points 10 points Grading Philosophy: In general, I read student work when it s posted and typically offer suggestions for revision. If work is posted prior to the due date, then revisions can be made based on these suggestions before grading. All assignments are to be posted on Canvas for grading. Compose in WORD, spell check, and engage a friend/family member in proofreading before posting. Essays posted can be revised by clicking on the EDIT button ( gear * icon in upper right hand corner of the post). In terms of teaching writing, an important principle is that students writing improves when they revise before evaluation; extensive comments on graded essays, according to research, do not have an effect on most students writing. Generic Grading Rubric: Percentage % Characteristics of submissions for the writing assignments (e.g., book reviews, summaries) (Assignments count either 10 or 20 points) % This is an excellent piece, thoughtful and well written that includes few, if any grammatical errors. It is engaging and interesting for readers. It also includes additional resources such as an author s website or a sample of critical reviews. It draws on the terminology used in literary criticism. (See Appendix A; also archetypes ) References the textbook on the particular genre. It includes specific aspects of individual assignments (e.g., graphic novel also includes description & analysis of artwork; web resource also includes information about the source, navigation tools, etc.) 80-89% This is a very good submission but is diminished by distracting errors or missing information % This is a mediocre submission diminished by incomplete details and distracting errors. 4

5 60-69% This submission is missing crucial information and is characterized by multiple errors. The same errors appear in submission after submission even when noted earlier. 0 Submitted after deadline Plagiarized from another source; no attribution Does not meet the criteria of the assignment: Was written before 1967 Was not written specifically for a teen audience Duplicates a selection already chosen Does not fit the genre ASSIGNMENTS: Detailed instructions about assignments, complete with samples, are on our CANVAS site. Writing Book Reviews: In general, each Book Review has 1) bibliographic information as header (author, title, publication information, date, # of pages); 2) summary; 3) analysis; and 4) suggestions for teaching applications. Writing Alternative Book Reports: An article from NCTE s English Journal on Fifty Alternatives to the Book Report is included on our Canvas site. For at least one response (although most students prefer these to traditional reports), select one of these alternative approaches. Please label it as such with a reference to the number (e.g., #24) of the list as well as its type (e.g., acrostic); Include the regular bibliographic information on publication. Offer a brief summary for the book to provide context for readers before launching into the alternative report. The alternative book report will also function as the basis for a Glogster entry, which is designed to improve digital literacy. (This draws on NCTE s Frameworks for 21 st Century Curriculum and Assessment: Writing about Literature: Use literary present tense; Use last names of authors (Twain is not referred to as Mark); The term novel refers to fiction. Use gender-neutral language. (To read the NCTE policy on Guidelines for Gender-Fair use of Language, go to this website: Use first or third person point of view as opposed to second person point of view (you), which generally does not add any substance. For each genre, I ve posted an example that I ve written*. It s a good idea to read my example before you write your own. Find under Resources on Canvas a checklist of Common Errors to Avoid *The following are included in my EXAMPLES: Seventeenth Summer (pre-1966); May Out West with Earth Your Dancing Place (poetry) by USU alum May Swenson ( ; USU 34); I am the Messenger and Something Rotten 5

6 (adventure/mystery); NCTE.org (YAL Resources); The King in the Window and Monster Blood Tattoo (fantasy/science fiction); Hitler Youth and Girl Sleuth (nonfiction); Incantation (global/ethnic); American Born Chinese and The Invention of Hugo Cabret (graphic); The Man in the Moon (film). Please don t use these titles for your reviews. Grammar and Style Instruction: Because this is a course in the English Teaching program, I integrate writing lessons for most of the book reviews as a model for how you can teach writing skills within a literature course. In most units, you will be asked to focus on a specific stylistic or grammatical principle. English teachers are held to high standards. Quizzes Quizzes on the textbook chapters should be completed before the unit. Quizzes correlate to our reading assignment in Nilsen, et al and are designed to test your reading. The timing is scheduled so that ideally the textbook chapter is read before the book that corresponds to the unit is read so that your reading of the book is more informed. Thus, read the chapter on historical YAL before reading the YAL book you ve chosen. And, each chapter is filled with suggestions for titles. Each is worth 5 points, and generally there are 4-5 questions for each quiz. There is a quiz bank of questions so students do not get the same questions. Student Groups/Teams Expect to be a member of three different teams for various projects. 1. The primary set of groups focuses on Book Trailers and some other activities such as Literature Circles. Teams names are Bella, Ender, Katniss, Octavian, Persepolis, and Ponyboy. 2. A second set of teams will be responsible for teaching chapters from Literature for Today s Young Adults. 3. A third set of teams will be partners (dyads) who focus on a work of historical fiction. HONORS: If you are an Honors student, then it is feasible to do a contract in this course. 6

7 English 3510: Units and Schedule Schedule Topic Reading Assignment Quiz Week One Orientation Chapter 1 Introductions --Syllabus August 30 Appendix A Reading Autobiography --Grammar September 4 Claim pre-1960 YA Book --Chapter 1 Week Two Labor Day Holiday September 7-11 Week Three September Week Four September Week Five September 28- October 2 Monday Holiday History of YAL; modeling chapter presentation Professional Resources Chapter 2 Appendices B & C Pre-1960 YA Book Individual URL and article Realistic YAL Chapter 4 The Chocolate War Censorship Banned Books Week Written review of pre-1960 YA book Chapter Teams begin work on presentations (to be posted Saturday at midnight week prior to the lesson) Written review of YAL web resource Written review of print resource Chapter Presentation (by Chap 4 group-posted 9.19) Review of The Chocolate War Literature Circles Teaching Technique Teams Choose a Series for Week Seven Chapter 12 Chapter Presentation (by Chapter 12 group-posted 9-26) Avoiding Challenges to Books writing assignment (choose one of 5 options) --Chapter 2 --Literary Terms Chapter 4 Chapter 12 Week Six October 5-9 Week Seven October Fall Break (Friday) Week Eight October Week Nine October Week Ten November 2-6 Week Eleven November 9-13 Adventure, westerns, mysteries, sports, supernatural Fantasy, Supernatural, Science Fiction, Utopias, and Dystopias Nonfiction: Information, Literary Nonfiction, Biographies, and Self-Help Books Ethnic genre; Teaching YAL Historical YAL (fiction & nonfiction) Graphic Books Chapter 7 Novel Chapter 5 Novel from a series Chapter 9 Nonfiction book Chapters 3 and 10 The Absolutely True Diary Chapter 8 Historical novel + nonfiction Chapter 3 (review) Graphic Chapter Presentation (by Chap 7 group-posted 10.3) Book Review Character/Author Day Chapter Presentation (by Chap 5 group-posted 10.10) Book review Book Trailer Teams Begin Work Chapter Presentation (by Chap 9 group-posted 10.15) Book Review Historical YA team work in progress (Dyads: one English teacher; one social studies teacher due week after next) Chapter Presentations (by 3 & 10 groups-posted 10.24) Book Rationale for ethnic genre title. (This departs from our usual review/summary and builds on the censorship work done previously.) Sherman Alexie Presentation, Thursday, October 29 Chapter Presentation (by Chap 8 group-posted 10.31) Teaching Lesson (English & Social Studies Teachers) written and oral presentations Book Review Speed Book Talks Glog due Chapter 7 Chapter 5 Chapter 9 Chapter 3; Chapter 10 Chapter 8 7

8 Week Twelve November Week Thirteen November Thanksgiving Week Fourteen November 30- December 4 book Film Chapter 11 Chapter Presentation (by Chap 11 groupposted11.14) Film Review Glogster Review and Reflection Book Trailers Book Trailers (posted by midnight) Voting on Oscars of Book Trailers Holiday Poetry Chapter 6 Chapter Presentation (by Chap 6 group-posted by 11.28) Poetry Assignment YA and Classic Literature Complementary Works Lesson Plan & Prezi Presentation Chapter 11 Chapter 6 Week Fifteen December 7-11 Drama, Reflections Chapter 6 Script Novio Boy by Gary Soto (or alternative) Final Reflection Essay December Final Exam Week 8

9 University Policies and Notices The URL for the University's academic freedom policy is The policy is in sections , , and , while procedures for students to follow for an accommodation request are in section Academic Freedom 2.2 Freedom and Course Requirements: Students are expected to take courses that will challenge them intellectually and personally. Students must understand and be able to articulate the ideas and theories that are important to the discourse within and among academic disciplines. Personal disagreement with these ideas and theories or their implications is not sufficient grounds for requesting an alternative course requirement. Alternative requirements requested on such grounds will not necessarily be granted. The University recognizes that students' sincerely held core beliefs may make it difficult for students to fulfill some requirements of some courses or majors. The University assumes no obligation to ensure that all students will be able to complete any course or major PROCEDURES FOR ALTERNATIVE COURSE REQUIREMENTS DUE TO CONFLICTS WITH SINCERELY HELD CORE BELIEFS: It is the student's obligation to determine, before the last day to submit a petition for late course drop without penalty, when course requirements conflict with the student's sincerely held core beliefs. The class should be dropped if a conflict exists. A student who finds this solution impractical may request an alternative requirement from the instructor. Though the University provides, through this policy, a process by which a student may make such a request, the policy does not oblige the instructor to grant the request, except in those cases when a denial would be arbitrary and capricious or illegal. A request for an alternative requirement must be made to the instructor in writing, and the student must deliver a copy of the request to the office of the department head. The request must articulate the burden the requirement would place on the student's sincerely held core beliefs. [The procedures continue from here. Check the policy for the complete process.] Academic Integrity Policy: The department is committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct and academic excellence. Any student found guilty of plagiarism, fabrication, cheating on exams or purchasing of papers or other assignments will receive a failing grade in the course. USU Plagiarism Policy: Plagiarism includes knowingly representing, by paraphrase or direct quotation, the published or unpublished work of another person as one s own in any academic exercise or activity without full and clear acknowledgement. It also includes the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic materials (Code of Policies and Procedures for Students, Article V, Section 3A.1). The penalties for plagiarism are severe. They include #1) warning or reprimand and #2) grade adjustment (see: Article VI, Section 1A): Other penalties may also be imposed at the Dean s discretion. These include probation, suspension, expulsion, withholding of transcripts, denial or revocation of degrees. Grievance Process (Student Code) Students who feel they have been unfairly treated [in matters other than (i) discipline or (ii) admission, residency, employment, traffic, and parking - which are addressed by procedures separate and independent from the Student Code] may file a grievance through the channels and procedures described in the Student Code: (Article VII. Grievances, pages 25-30). Selected Policies and Procedures Sexual Harassment Sexual harassment is defined by the Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as any "unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature." If you feel you are a victim of sexual harassment, you may talk to or file a complaint with the Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Office located in Military Science or call the AA/EEO Office at Students with Disabilities Students with ADA-documented impairments may be eligible for reasonable accommodations. Veterans may also be eligible for services. Accommodations are coordinated through DRC in Room 101 of the University Inn, voice, TTY, or toll free at Please contact DRC as early as possible. Alternate format materials (Braille, large print or digital) are available with advance notice. Withdrawal Policy and "I" Grade Policy Students are required to complete all courses for which they are registered by the end of the semester. In some cases, a student may be unable to complete all of the coursework because of extenuating circumstances, but not due to poor performance or to retain financial aid. The term 'extenuating circumstances includes: (1) incapacitating illness which prevents a student from attending classes for a minimum period of two weeks, (2) a death in the immediate family, (3) financial responsibilities requiring a student to alter a work schedule to secure employment, (4) change in work schedule as required by an employer, or (5) other emergencies deemed appropriate by the instructor. Grading Scale A100-94% A % B+89-87% B 86-83% B % C+79-77% C 76-73% C % D 69-60% F 59%and below 9