Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Summer 2024 - ENGL 387 D100

Studies in Children's Literature (4)

Class Number: 2719

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Tue, Thu, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    30 units or two 200-division English courses.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

The study of selected works of children's literature from different periods and places. The works will be considered in relation to literary theory, and may be organized by different critical issues or approaches. Students with credit for ENGL 367 may not take this course for further credit.

COURSE DETAILS:

JEDI Literature for Young Readers (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion)

This course uses recent literary texts that adults have written in English for young readers and focuses on the themes of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. The authors have diverse intersectional identities when it comes to race and gender. The assigned texts are short (like the instructor), to allow for more diversity in the authors, genres, and story formats.

In this course, each student will choose what work they want to do, when they will hand it in, and what grade they deserve to get. The instructor will offer feedback but not assign grades: students who do not submit rough drafts of their work for feedback will not be able to assign themselves a grade higher than B. You can trust her—this will be ok! There are no late penalties and no final exam. The instructor suggests that each student take on one larger project completed over the term, such as a research essay (c 12-15 pp) or a reading journal (responding to all course readings), and either two smaller projects or one smaller project and participation. Smaller projects could include a creative project (with a 2-3 p explanatory essay), a lesson plan (for teaching one course text), a library display design (on a course theme), a podcast (20 mins), a seminar (20 mins), a storytelling session (10 mins), an annotated bibliography (for the research essay), or a non-research essay (c 10-12 pp). The instructor will provide rubrics for students to use in self-evaluation of the smaller assessments, and the class will work together to create rubrics for the larger assessments.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

1/ to introduce students to a range of genres and issues in the field,

2/ to develop some ideas about the ideological underpinnings and purposes of children’s literature,

3/ to give students the opportunity to adapt course work to their own needs and learning styles, and

4/ to employ anti-oppressive ways of being in the world that can make a difference to students’ and others’ lives.

Grading

  • Mid-term reflective report, based on course work to that point, self-assigned grade 40%
  • End-of-term reflective report, based on course work in second half, self-assigned grade 60%

NOTES:

Each student will be doing self-chosen assessments--see above in "course details" for suggested number and types of assessments. The instructor will offer feedback, but no grades: students who do not submit rough drafts of their work for feedback will not be able to assign themselves a grade higher than B. Students will be assigning their own grades for their work in the course overall, using rubrics and giving specific examples/quotations from their work in the reflective report forms. No late penalties, no final exam.
Details on assessment planning, suggested assessments, and templates for reflective reports will all be in Canvas.

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

The required texts will be on reserve in the library and available through the bookstore. You are welcome to purchase used books or source them from local libraries. There will also be a couple of short excerpts from longer works and some critical articles to read, which will be available in Canvas. Note for CAL students who rely on audio books and descriptions of graphic texts, some of the course texts have significant visual components.

Content warnings for bullying, racism, verbal/emotional/sexual abuse, and one mass murder.

REQUIRED READING:

Book Uncle and Me, Uma Krishnaswami (realist illustrated early reader, 150 pages—remember, children’s texts often have fewer words per page)
ISBN: 978-1554988099

Pet, Akwaeke Emezi (middle-grade futurist fantasy, 200 pp., longest work on the list) 


ISBN: 978-0593175446

You Are Here: Connecting Flights, edited Ellen Oh (realist middle-grade linked short stories—students choose six of twelve to read) 


ISBN: 978-0063239081

Fatty Legs, Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton (middle-grade illustrated residential school memoir, 100 pp.) 


ISBN: 978-1773213507

Rabbit Chase, Elizabeth LaPensée &  KC Oster (middle-grade graphic fantasy, 120 pp.) 


ISBN: 978-1773216195

Binti, Nnedi Okorafor (YA science fiction novella, 80 pp.) 


ISBN: 978-0765385253

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 website 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