Marguerite Quintelli-Neary
ENGE 519 Adolescent Literature
SPRING 2008
Please note that assignments are always due the NEXT class period.
| W | Jan. 16 | Course overview; interactive exercise with
analogue drawing; Assignment: Chapter 1 in Bushman and Haas (characteristics of young adult literature), pp 1-28; one-page response to analogue drawing. |
| M | Jan. 21 | Martin Luther King holiday. No classes. |
| W | Jan. 23 | Discuss the selection of appropriate reading material for young adults and adolescent issues; Handout for Project# 1, the Book Sell; Assignment: Read Chapts. 2 and 11 in Bushman and Haas (evaluating young adult literature and the history of adolescent literature). |
| W | Jan. 30 | Introduction to Cisneros’ House on Mango Street as a novel suitable for middle schoolers/reluctant readers in high school; Discuss diversity, sensitivity, and community values; Assignment: Complete House on Mango Street and prepare for first short test on criteria for selecting young adult literature. |
| W | Feb. 6 | Administer first short test; Discuss Cisneros’ brief novel and the vignette; Introduction to the history of challenged and censored young adult books; Assignment: Read Chapter 10 in B & H (on censorship), pp 252-271, and hand-out from NCTE. |
| W | Feb. 13 | Project # 1 due: Students will sit in circles and promote their books, while their peers keep track of important issues and rate and comment on the books; Discuss the SLATE Review and ALA resources for book defense; Prepare class for book trial, assigning roles for adversaries and defenders of potential middle/high school text; Introduction to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; Assignment: Read The Curious Incident. |
| W | Feb. 20 | Conduct book trial; Introduction to science fiction and fantasy in young adult literature; Assignment: Read The Giver; graduate students will also prepare analysis of book trial results and "reporters" will prepare their journalistic pieces. |
| W | Feb. 27 | Endnotes on book trial (newspaper reviews and graduate students’ reflections); Discuss The Giver and its significance for young adults; Assignment: Read Ch. 4 in B & H (on reading and writing), pp 89-114 and Ch. ( on media and young adult literature), pp 205-251. |
| W | March 5 | Discuss role and relevance of non-print media in the promotion of literacy with a focus on graphic novels and film; Introduce daily lesson planning and the concept of thematic teaching; Assignment: Bring in a multicultural folk or fairy tale that could be included in a thematic unit; Read Ch. 8 in B & H (on diversity), pp 186-203; Prepare for test #2. |
| W | March 12 | Administer second short test; Share folk and fairy tales; discuss their use with non-native speakers and at-risk students; Introduce the very short novel and short story for instruction on basic literary terms and qualities; Handout on project# 2 (mini unit), along with guides to lesson planning; Read Ethan Frome. |
| W | March 12 | Last day to withdraw from a class |
| W | March 19 | Spring Break in progress |
| W | March 26 | Discuss uses of Ethan Frome in the classroom; Continue work with stating goals and measuring knowledge and skills acquisition; Introduce the teaching of poetry, using a variety of approaches; Apply assigned approaches using small group form with hand-out poems; Assignment: Complete project #2. |
| W | March 26 | Advising begins |
| W | April 2 | Mini unit project due; Discuss other approaches to teaching poetry and the construction of rubrics for poetry assignments; Introduce teaching drama/teaching Shakespeare; Assignment: Prepare for short test# 3; Read Chs. 1 & 2 in Gibson (pp 1-25). |
| W | April 9 | Administer third short test; Introduce teaching Shakespeare, using highlights from Folger Shakespeare video and discussion based on readings from Gibson text; Hand-out guidelines for collaborative drama project; Assignment: Sign up for first round of performances (half the class); Read Chs. 3 & 4 in Gibson (Shakespeare’s language and using critical approaches to Shakespeare). |
| W | April 9 | Registration begins |
| W | April 16 | First set of performances with peer reviews; Discuss dealing with "vertical Shakespeare," reluctant readers, and abridged versions of seminal works; Assignment: Prepare second round of performances (other half of the class) and read Chs. 6-8 in Gibson (On Shakespeare’s symbols, plots, characters, and themes, and teaching ideas), pp 109-145. |
| W | April 23 | Final round of performances; Discussion of non-fiction reading and the young adult; Thoughts on the inclusion of humorous material when teaching young adult literature; Assignment: Exam prep. |
| M | April 28 | Last day of classes |
| T | April 29 | Study day; exams begin at 6:30 pm |
| Final Exam: Saturday, May 3rd at 3 PM |