Calumet College of St.
Joseph
SYLLABUS FOR CHILDRENS
LITERATURE
Term: Spring 2003
Course Number: EDU 400a
Instructor: Bruce Wisowaty
Office
Phone: 219- 473-4264
E-mail: bwisowaty@ccsj.edu
Office
Hours: Monday and Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday and Thursday
12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Course
Description: This is a survey of diverse traditional and
contemporary literature form kindergarten through junior high school. Emphasis
is placed on types of literature, methods for use, authors, and illustrators.
Teacher candidates are required to develop and implement multi-media
presentations. Field Experiences Required.
Learning
Outcomes/ Competencies:
Students in this course will:
·
Teacher candidates will build a knowledge base of
literature
·
Teacher candidates will demonstrate an
understanding of the basic needs and interests of the young reader
·
Teacher candidates will observe practicing teachers
to examine critically effective teaching practices.
·
Teacher candidates will demonstrate a knowledge of
evaluation criteria in the selection of literature for young readers.
·
Teacher candidates will demonstrate the ability to
use special bibliographic tools as guides in selecting literature for children
and adolescents.
·
Teacher candidates will develop, write , design,
and construct their own children’s literature book.
RELATED INTASC PRINCIPLES:
#1. The teacher understands the
central concepts, tools of inquiry and the structures of the disciplines he/she
teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject
matter meaningful for students.
#4. The teacher understands and
uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’ development
of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
Textbooks:
Through the Eyes of a Child: An
Introduction to Children’s Literature. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice
Hall.
Learning
Strategies: (Group Discussions, Team Projects, Collaborative
Learning, Lecturing…etc.)
Reading assignments are listed in the timeline
section of this syllabus. As minimum
preparation for class discussion and participation, students should read the
chapters to be examined on that day.
Library visit:
Visit your community library.
Draw a schematic map of the children’s section. Find out the annual circulation of
children’s books and the special programs and services offered by the library
to children to encourage them to read.
Write a short (2) page report on the information you have discovered and
attach your schematic map to your report.
25 pts. Due Feb. 10
Student Interview:
Interview three children of different ages to find out about their
favorite books.
Sample interview questions:
Tell me about your favorite
movies, TV programs, activities, and books.
What is the last book you
read? Why did you choose it? What did you like or not like about the
book?
How much do you read every
day? At school? At home?
Do you have favorite place to
read?
Do you have a library card? How often do you go to the library?
What do you look at when you
decide whether or not to choose a book
to read?
Record your interview data. Then examine the data and draw some
conclusions about children’s reading interests and habits. 25 pts.
Due Feb. 10
Response Guide:
Select a children’s book that you think represents the best in a
particular genre. Develop a complete
response guide for teaching this book in the classroom to children at a
selected grade level.. We will discuss
a response guide in class. The selected book must be a different selection from
the additional books chosen for another assignment.( please speak to me if you
choose a picture book for the response guide activity). 40 pts.
Due Feb. 17
Additional reading books: Select 4 additional books from the following categories: picture book, traditional literature, modern
fantasy, poetry, contemporary realistic fiction, historical fiction, multi-cultural
fiction, and biographies/informational books.
Only one book from a chosen category, prepare a short report on each
book(each report must be on a separate page with this heading: title, author, publisher, date, I will provide you with different ideas in
class. Each report is worth 10 pts. for
a total of 40 pts. Due Feb. 19
Reading autobiography: Reflect on your literary experiences by writing an autobiography
of them from your earliest memory of
being read to through elementary school, middle school, and high school to the
present. Comment on what you read,
(what were some of your favorite books), your feelings associated with reading
or being read to, key people who influenced your feelings about reading. 25 pts.
Due Feb. 6
Publication of a Children’s Literature Book: The college will provide a binder, we will
laminate; you are asked to design, write, compose, illustrate, make a cover
jacket a book and topic of your choice.
Visit the CCSJ Library to view past student publications. You will read and present the book to the
class on Feb. 20 (this is your final).
60 pts. which will include 10 pts. for the delivery and presentation.
Reading Classroom Observation: Students are to observe an elementary school
classroom during the instruction of reading.
(Attending an author’s reading will also be accepted.) Students must provide written verification
of the time and date of their observation.
Students are to write a three-page paper summarizing their
observation. Included within this paper
should be the following:
A
basic summary of date, time , school, number of students, etc. 10 pts.
A
summary of the reading practices that were presented in the class. 10 pts.
Students should complete the attached “Classroom Observation Form” 5pts. as well as the attached CCSJ Classroom
Observation Form. 5 pts. each.
The
final page should focus on your reaction to the observation- this is to be a
reflection; which parts of the lesson could you use, which strategies would you
employ that the teacher utilized. 40
pts. Due by Feb. 20.
Class
Policy for Assignments: Assignments need to be completed as scheduled.
Grading
Scale:
Attendance 48 pts.
Library Fieldtrip 25 pts.
Student Interview 25 pts.
Response Guide 40 pts.
Additional 4 books 40 pts.
Reading Autobiography 25 pts.
Classroom Observation 40 pts.
Publication of Children’s Book 60 pts.
280 – 303 pts. A
260 – 279 pts. B
240 – 259 pts. C
220 – 239 pts. D
0
– 219 pts. F
Class
Policy on Attendance:
Attendance
is mandatory., students are expected to be present and on time for all
classes. Attendance will impact student
grades; two unexcused tardies (arriving late or leaving early) amount to one
unexcused absence from class and more than 2 absences from the class will
result in the lowering of the final grade by one letter grade.
Class
Policy on Electronic Devices: (Optional)(Cell phones, Beeper, Pagers…etc.)
Students
may need to be contacted by those outside of clas from time to time. However, should the use of electronic
devices become habitual to the point of disrupting th regular class schedule,
the student will be asked to turn-off such disruptive devices.
Course
Outline:
February
3, 2003 Introduction/Class Syllabus
Chapters 1 and 2
4 Chapters 3 and 4, Response guides
February
5 Independent
Work, observation, library visit
6 Chapters 5 and 6
10 Chapters 7 and 8
11
Chapter 9
12
Independent work, observation, library
visit
13 Chapters 10 and
12
17
Chapter 11
18 and 19 Catch up days/authors and
illustrators,censorship
20 Presentations of
Your Books
Center
for Academic Excellence:
Tutoring
assistance is free to all students of Calumet College of St. Joseph. Call the
Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), to make an appointment at 473-4287. The
Center has experienced and well-trained tutors in most subject areas to help
students who are struggling in a course or who are doing well and would like to
do better. Regular weekly tutoring sessions are likely to improve your grade.
Statement
of Plagiarism:
If an instructor or other Calumet College of St.
Joseph personnel find that a student has plagiarized or been involved in
another form of academic dishonesty, the instructor or other personnel may
elect to bring the matter up for judicial review. The maximum penalty for any
form of academic dishonesty is dismissal from the College. The procedures for
judicial review are listed under the section of CCSJ handbook that addresses
student grievances. (Academic Planner 2001/2002 p.27)
Citation
Guidelines:
Calumet College
of St. Joseph adheres to citation guidelines as prescribed by the particular discipline
(i.e., MLA, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style or Turabian.). All of these guidelines are available in the
Calumet College of St. Joseph library or bookstore. These texts outline how to cite references from a variety of
sources, including electronic media.
Withdrawal
from Classes Policy:
After the last
day for class changes has passed (see College calendar), students may withdraw
from a course in which they are registered with permission from the faculty
member conducting the course. A written request detailing the reason(s) for the
withdrawal must be filed with the Registrar. Written request for withdrawal
must be received by the Registrar by the last day of classes prior to the final
examination dates specified in the catalogue. Written requests may be mailed to
the Registrar or faxed to the College fax number 219-473-4259. Students are to
make note of the refund schedule when withdrawing from courses. The request is
forwarded to the faculty member, who makes the final determination to accept or
deny the request. If the request is honored, the student will receive
notification of official withdrawal; if denied, the notification will indicate
why the withdrawal is disallowed. Note: Degree Completion Division (DCD)
students should consult the DCD Student Handbook for information on DCD
withdrawals.
An official
withdrawal is recorded as a "W" grade on the student's transcript.
Dropping a course without written permission automatically incurs an
"F" grade for the course (see Refund Schedule).