Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Summer 2021 - ENGL 487W D100

Topics in Children's Literature (4)

Class Number: 2616

Delivery Method: Remote

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    May 12 – Aug 9, 2021: Tue, Thu, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    ENGL 387 or EDUC 465. Reserved for English honours, major, joint major and minor students.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Advanced seminar in children's literature. May be organized by author, genre, or critical approach. Students with credit for ENGL 487 may not take this course for further credit. Writing.

COURSE DETAILS:

Books to Remember and Reread

Because this is the final time Engl 487 will be offered (big curriculum changes coming in the Fall!), I’m going to indulge myself by teaching A) books that I loved as a child/teen and come back to still and B) books for young readers I’ve read as an adult and now love and admire. This means there will be a lot of fantasy/science fiction and humour, because that’s the way I read and roll.

I don’t expect everyone who takes this course to love every book I put on the reading list! Part of my design is for you to explore what made you a reader, when and how (and to what extent) that happened, and what children’s and YA literature does for you now. You will have the option to focus your research paper on a text for young readers that means a lot to you but is not on my reading list.

This is a Writing-Intensive course, so we will be doing a major research paper in stages, with peer review and revision.

Those who wish to do the course entirely asynchronously have the option to do so through a reading journal (marked mainly qualitatively), while those who desire to and are able to participate synchronously can attend weekly online discussion sessions, probably Tues/Thurs 2:30-3:30 (marked mainly quantitatively). My plan is to work on the texts more or less chronologically. I regret the fact that we can’t be learning together in person for the final iteration of this course, but our health and safety and that of those we know and love comes first. It may not end up with the feel of a seminar, exactly, but we will do our best.

I am considering turning the personal essay assignment into a published collection through the library’s Public Knowledge Project. Students would have the opportunity to revise/polish the assignment for publication after it is marked.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

  • To examine what it means to read, how reading shapes who we are, how who we are shapes what and how we read
  • To analyse and challenge assumptions about young people and literature written by adults for young readers
  • To develop existing research skills and write a formal academic research paper

Grading

  • Personal essay on becoming a reader 10%
  • Proposal and bibliography for research essay 15%
  • Peer reviews (2) on drafts of research essay 15%
  • Revised research essay, incorporating suggested improvements 35%
  • Storytelling, live or recorded, 5 minutes of reading from a favourite text for young readers and 5 minutes of discussion/answering questions about it 10%
  • Either participation in live online discussion sessions or a reading journal on course texts 15%

NOTES:

Details on the course requirements will be in Canvas.

Late papers will get a 1% per day penalty…unless you choose to bring a draft of the written assignment to an online meeting with me to go over it, after which I will waive the late penalties.

Rewrites are allowed on assignments which receive a grade of C or lower before late penalties.

I will work with you to accommodate your special/circumstantial needs, especially those registered with the CAL.

REQUIREMENTS:

Because course delivery will almost certainly be entirely online, students should have access to a computer and the internet.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Tom Kitten (1907, etext free online, or buy/borrow a print copy--make sure your version has Potter's illustrations)
ISBN: 978-0723247777

E. Nesbit, Five Children and It (1902, etext free online, or buy/borrow a print copy--try to find a copy with illustrations by H.R. Millar)
ISBN: 978-0141321615

Michael Bond, a couple of Paddington stories, TBD (1958-79, PDFs in Canvas)

Anne McCaffrey, Dragonsinger (1977, Amazon/Kindle/Kobo (audio only)/public libraries/used books… used or Kindle are your best bets on this one)
ISBN: 9780689860072

Terry Pratchett, The Wee Free Men (2003, Amazon/Kindle/Kobo/public libraries/used books)
ISBN: 9780060012380

Brandon Sanderson, Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians (2007, Amazon/Kindle/Kobo/public libraries/used books--there's a new illustrated edition, but you're not required to get that one)
ISBN: 9780439925501

Rebecca Stead, When You Reach Me (2009, Amazon/Kindle/Kobo/public libraries/used books)
ISBN: 978-0375850868

RECOMMENDED READING:

Note: There's more than one ISBN for many of these texts.

Department Undergraduate Notes:

IMPORTANT NOTE Re 300 and 400 level courses: 75% of spaces in 300 level English courses, and 100% of spaces in 400 level English courses, are reserved for declared English Major, Minor, Extended Minor, Joint Major, and Honours students only, until open enrollment begins.

For all On-Campus Courses, please note the following:
- To receive credit for the course, students must complete all requirements.
- Tutorials/Seminars WILL be held the first week of classes.
- When choosing your schedule, remember to check "Show lab/tutorial sections" to see all Lecture/Seminar/Tutorial times required.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN SUMMER 2021

Teaching at SFU in summer 2021 will be conducted primarily through remote methods, but we will continue to have in-person experiential activities for a selection of courses.  Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).