English 27: Children’s Literature (Online)

                        Instructor: Joyce Schenk                  

To Print a version of this syllabus, right click on this page, click print and you will get a copy without the navigation bars.

 Objectives: Students who complete this course will be able to:

• Evaluate the style of illustrations in fairy tales, pictures and juvenile books.
• Compare and contrast versions of the same fairy tale identifying cultural and time period variations.
• Distinguish between traditional versions of a tale and variants created by a contemporary author.
• Identify and apply elements of fiction: symbol, character, theme, and setting.
• Compare and contrast folk tales to film versions.
• Identify and analyze psychological implications in folk tale.
• Formulate written critiques analyzing and evaluating what has been inferred from readings.
• Demonstrate the learning concepts through writing and internet search.
• Demonstrate an understanding of interpersonal relationships by responding to students' written ideas and collaborating with them.

Whether you are a teacher, parent, writer or reader, your study of children’s literature will be colored by your own perspective creating a rainbow of responses which we all look forward to viewing.

 Required Books:

• *Darigan, Dan et. al Children’s Literature, Engaging Teachers and Children in Good Books. 1^st edition. Prentice Hall, 202. ISBN# 013-08135-9. Available in El Camino Bookstore
• Rowlings, J. K. Harry Potter and the Socerer’s Stone. Scholastic, Inc, 1997 ISBN 0-590-35342-X Paperback. Available in El Camino Book Store.
• White, E. B. Charlotte’s Web. Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 0-590-30271X
• Burnett, Frances Hodgson. The Secret Garden. Dover Publications, 1999 or online in E-Text.
• Anderson, Hans Christian. The Little Mermaid and Other Fairy Tales. Dover Publications 0-486-2781-6 or online in E-Text.
• The other fairy tales may be accessed online in E-Text
• Curtis, Christopher Paul. Bud, Not Buddy. Yearling, Imprint of Random House Children’s Books, 1999 ISBN 0-440-41328-1 Available in El Camino Book Store.

*A copy of this textbook is on reserve in the El Camino Library Reference Room owing to the generosity of a former student, Gloria Dumais. 

Computer Information

This course utilizes the Blackboard course management system.  When you are registered at El Camino, you need to contact the instructor, jschenk@elcamino.edu for login information.  If you have any problems with access, email the instructor ASAP. 

Withdrawals

If you wish to withdraw from any course at El Camino, it is your responsibility to do so.  This is especially important in a distance education class.  Do not assume that an instructor will drop you if you simply stop participating in the class.  Check the Class Schedule for withdrawal dates.  According to college policy, any student still enrolled in a class after the official withdrawal date must receive a letter grade. However, if you do not participate for three weeks, the instructor may drop you. 

Special Needs

If you feel you may need an accommodation based on the impact of a documented disability, contact the instructor to discuss your specific needs.  You may also need to contact the Special Resource Center (SIRS) on campus at 310-660-3296 to coordinate reasonable adaptation. 

Course Requirements

• Students will be expected to read all material assigned.
• Students will be expected to log into the Discussion Board and engage in discussions and activities on a regular basis. Interaction with each other is an important part of this course.
• Students will lose Discussion Board points by not posting to a required discussion, not answering instructor questions to a post or not responding to the minimum number of postings.
• The quality of postings will be rewarded, so please avoid such responses as "great" or "I agree."  What I look for is why you agree with a student post which will reflect that you have thought about the subject of the discussion.
• Students will complete and submit two written exams completed at home.
• Students will participate in one group project.
• Students will complete eleven quizzes on the assigned readings.

All due dates will be listed on the Assignment Page and the Discussion Board. The course is organized into weekly modules running from Monday to Sunday Midnight. If possible, try to post all assignments to the Discussion Board by Saturday midnight, so students can fulfill their assigned responses by Sunday midnight.

 To access a Module, go to the ASSIGNMENTS NAVIGATION Button and select the Module you want to open.  Modules are intended to be completed in sequence and usually will be opened by the instructor mid-Sunday for the  new week.

 Readings

All textbook readings are in the Darigan, Tunnel and Jacobs textbook which will introduce concepts covered in the module and will be illustrated in the assigned novel or tale.

 Exams and Quizzes

The written Midterm and Final essay exams will be referenced in the Syllabus and linked to Modules in Assignments.  To access the actual exam, go to ASSIGNMENTS NAVIGATION button and click on Midterm or Final Exam. 

Write your essay in Word and submit by naming your Word file as follows: JSmithEssay1 and save it in rich text format (RTF).  Be sure you check for viruses before you share your files with me.   Written Exams are due by 12:00 Midnight on the due date.  Assignments received after that time will be graded down 10 points for lateness up to one week.  After that time, the exam will not be accepted.  If an emergency occurs, please email me with the particulars and I will access the situation.

 Often there will be a quiz consisting of several questions covering the textbook reading or novel. The purpose of the quiz is to make sure that you have done the assigned reading and can respond intelligently to questions posed in the Discussion Forum. Quizzes can only be accessed online by clicking on the QUIZZES NAVIGATION button.  Quiz scores are automatically recorded in the grade record portion of the Blackboard.

Discussion Forum

By going to the DISCUSSION NAVIGATION bar, you will find questions or projects posted by the instructor for each Module and the number of postings required. Discussion forums for each module will be available for posting for a week only.  After this period, the forums will be archived, so that you can access them for purposes of review, but you will no longer be able to post replies.  The participation portion of your grade will be based on the number and quality of your responses. 

 Each required post is given a number of points as well as each required student response.  You will find some modules may carry higher point value because of the nature of the material and activities.  

 Final Evaluation

Your Grade in this course depends upon:
Midterm Essay Exam written at home	100
11 Quizzes (10 points each)	110
Participation in Discussion and group work	350
Final Essay Exam written at home	140
Total Points	700

  Final Grade:

   700-630 A

                                       629-560 B

                                       559-490 C

                                       489-420 D

                                       419-0    F