Library and Information Studies @ FIX University "a place for independent study"

LIS 405/516 Canadian Literature for Young People in Schools and Libraries

LIS 405/516 Canadian Literature for Young People in Schools and Libraries

(Winter  )

Calendar Description: A survey of Canadian children’s materials from books for babies to those aimed at the young adult market. Focus on contemporary works, trends in both publishing and content, and issues such as censorship, multimedia forms and the Internet.

Objectives: Upon completion of this course students should:

• Understand their own reading processes and appreciation of story.
• Appreciate the significance of literature in the lives of young people.
• Apply criteria for the evaluation of literature in terms of literary merit, media format, and the developmental needs of young people.
• Have an increased understanding of the challenges facing the authors and illustrators, the publishers and booksellers, and the reading public today in Canada.

Knowledge, Skills and Attributes (KSAs) correlation:

• All students can learn, albeit at different rates and in different ways
• The purposes of short, medium, and long term range planning
• Students’ needs for physical, social, cultural, and psychological security
• The importance of respecting students’ human dignity
• There are many approaches to teaching and learning.
• The functions of traditional and electronic teaching/learning technologies
• Student learning enhanced through the use of home and community resources

Content:  General Introduction to the Field Criteria for evaluation and selection of materials. Reading needs and interests of children. The diverse body of material with appeal to young readers. Current trends, issues and problems.

Methods: Course instruction will include online lectures, assigned readings, and evaluation of texts for young people in various formats.

Assignments: There is no examination for this course. A 10% penalty for lateness per day will be enforced for all assignments. Students have until midnight to post their assignments on the course site on the due date. Raw scores (marks on assignments) are totalled at the end of the course and converted to University of Alberta’s letter grading scale. In addition to the following assignments, students registered in LIS 516 will have an additional assignment worth 20% of their total mark (80% will be comprised of the regular assignments.)

• Virtual Seminars                                        30%
• Read and Reacts                                       30%
• First Nations Picture Books                        25%
• Participation                                               15%

LIS 405/516: Canadian Children’s Literature for Young People in Schools and Libraries

ASSIGNMENTS

There is NO final examination for this course.

I. VIRTUAL SEMINAR (30%) DUE ON DESIGNATED DATES

            Choose a topic or issue that is not dealt with in any great detail within the course material that you wish to explore further and conduct a "virtual seminar" with the rest of the class. Choose also the date in which you would like to post it to be discussed by the others. Choose quickly as there will be no duplication of topics and "first come, first served" will be the practice. Available dates and a registration of topics will be available on the discussion site. Please email me with your suggested topic. After confirmation, I will post it on the discussion site.

            The topics do not need to be presented in the same sequence as the course material. Two or more "seminars" can be presented on the same week. An evaluation of the experience should be sent to your instructor by email within a week of the conclusion of your seminar.

            There is no minimum length for this assignment. Please consider your question carefully, conduct any research that may be necessary and produce the seminar in an attractive and easily readable format either on the Internet or on the discussion site. I will be creating a forum for each individual seminar a day or two before it is to be posted in the forum "Virtual seminars." The seminars will run from Monday through to Friday evening. While the seminars will remain visible throughout the term, the seminar leader is responsible for monitoring the discussion only during the week that the seminar is scheduled to run.

            Your seminar presentation should offer points of discussion which you will lead and answer any questions that may be brought forward. Distribution of marks is essentially divided between the content of your seminar (22) and the handling of the seminar situation itself (22). There will be marks allocated for the evaluation as well. (6)

Suggested topics include: (please feel free to contact your instructor with topics of your own choosing)

• Individual Canadian children’s authors and illustrators (not covered in the reading list or in the illustrator assignment)
• Regionalism
• Censorship issues
• Publishing in Canada
• Book reviews

II. Read and React (30%) DUE ON DESIGNATED DATES

            In addition to the required reading of fiction and the class lecture notes, you are expected to read 6additional articles from those offered by your instructor and write a read and reaction to them.  A selection of five articles will be made available a week prior to each due date. The submissions must be sent to my email by midnight Wednesday beginning January 25, 2012. Please check the tentative schedule for the susequent dates of this assignment.

            Write at least a 250 word summary and a 250 word reaction for each article you select. In your reaction use phrases like, "I think" or "I feel," etc. Try to personalize your reaction. It should not be a rehash of your summary, but it should address points covered in the article. Please be as ardent as possible with your answer. Please include your name and the title and author for each of the articles on your submission and attachment. Late submissions will not be marked. 

            Each one will be worth 5 marks for a total of 30. They will be marked on clarity of expression and demonstration of thought and critical thinking as well as passion. Do not worry about the instructor's own thoughts, just be sure that you understand your own position and express your thoughts well and provide substantiation for your opinions (i.e. Avoid generalizations.) A marking schema is available on the home page of the course site under “Course Outline.”

III. FIRST NATIONS PICTURE BOOKS (25%) DUE MARCH 14, 2012

            Select a Canadian First Nations picture book or graphic novel illustrator that we do not discuss in the class notes or on the discussion site. Register your choice with your instructor by mail on the course site as soon as possible as there will be no duplication of choices. I will register the choices on the discussion site under the topic "Titles Selected" as they arrive in my mail box.

            Research the author and illustrator and his/her works and post your information to the class in a clear, interesting way on the discussion site (Picture Book Assignments). Your project can be in any format: Power Point, website, blog, wiki, word document etc.

Your project can include any information that you feel is important, but must include:

a] Biographical information of the author and illustrator;

b] Information about the publishing house and their mandate towards First Nations material;

c] Information about textual and artistic style(s) and

d] Analysis of the portrayal of First Nations people in this book.

 IV. CLASS PARTICIPATION (15%) MARKS WILL NOT BE DISTRIBUTED

There are two keys to gaining a good mark for class contribution. The first step is to participate fully for the book and seminar discussions on the conference site. Discussion of these books and topics is a crucial part of the course and depends on the participation of everyone. The second step is to contribute to the discussions in a way that is productive and interesting. You do not have to like every book or agree with every classmate, but you do need to be able to support your own views. There will be numerous discussion forums that you must actively participate in along with the book discussions and seminars throughout the semester.

LIS 516 STUDENTS should contact me as soon as possible in regards to an additional assignment that they must submit by April 13, 2012. The topics for this assignment can be as varied as the formats. Please contact me by mail for a further discussion on the nature of the assignment. This assignment is worth 20% of your final mark as the work for the bulk of the course will be worth 80% of your final mark

LIS 405/516 2012 READING LIST

For background and help with assignments:Bang, Molly. Picture This: How Pictures Work. New York: SeaStar Books, 2000. (paper) 1-58717-030-2. (Not a Canadian title but this book will be very helpful with your illustration assignment.)

For Discussion:

Bow, Erin. Plain Kate. 2010. Scholastic Canada.

Campbell, Nicola I. Shi-shi-etko. 2006. Toronto: Groundwood.

Carrier, Roch. The Hockey Sweater. 1985. Tundra.

Curtis, Christopher Paul. Elijah of Buxton. 2007. Scholastic.

Gilmore, Rachna. The Flute. 2011. Tradewind Books.

Goto, Hiromi. Half World. 2009.Penguin.

Hughes, Susan. No Girls Allowed: Tales of Daring Women Dressed As Men for Love, Freedom and Adventure. 2008. Kids Can Press.

Jordan-Fenton, Christy & Margaret Pokiak-Fenton. Fatty legs: a true story. 2010. Annick Press.

Kertz, Anna.  The Mealworm diaries. 2009. Victoria: Orca.

Lottridge, Celia Barker. Home is beyond the mountains. 2010. Toronto: Groundwood,

Oppel, Kenneth. The Dark Endeavour: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein. 2011. HarperCollinsCanada.

Sawyer, Robert J. Wake. 2009. Ace.

Slade, Arthur. Hunchback Assignments. 2009. HarperCollins.

Springett, Martin. 2006. Jousting with Jesters: An ABC for the Younger Dragon. Orca.

Tamaki, Mariko and Jillian Tamaki. 2008. Skim. Groundwood.

Watt, Melanie. Chester. 2007. Kids Can Press.

Yahgulanaas, Michael Nicoll. Red: A Haida Manga. 2009. Douglas & McIntyre.