Thursdays: 4:30 pm-7:20 pm
Objectives
The student will
Focus of the Course
You and your group will be keeping a weekly journal in which you reflect on the readings, class discussions, and your own responses to them based on the Kiffer textbook, Huck’s Children’s Literature. Those reflections should note the most significant ideas of the chapter and thoughts about what you consider important ideas and why, or ideas that evoked some kind or response in you, either positive or negative. Also note your interpretation of what you read and what it means for your own understanding of literature around the world and how you could use the ideas you learned in your future classes. Format should be as follows: Your journal must be one page long (single space). Each group has to bring its group journal and share or present it in the class. The format is listed below:
You need to turn in your journal entry after every 4 chapters (Due days are Sept. 20; Oct. 18, and Nov. 29). Each group member must contribute to this project in order to get full credit for this project.
Students will participate in a variety of graded cooperative group activities related to class content and readings. These activities will include the following:
Each student will sign up for a children’s book and become a part of a literature circle group based on his/her choice. Each group will present its celebration project at the completion of this assignment. For more information about literature circles please refer to the syllabus pp.14-19. You just select one method to present your project. If you do not present for your group’s literature circle project on Nov.15 you will lose 50 points for this whole project. Your literature circle group is also a group that you need to work with all through this semester. Your group needs to bring and collect books for its week’s assignment. See the course calendar for due dates (pp.11-13). Groups that do not bring their books to class each week will lose participation points. Remember, you still do have responsibility to help your group members collect books for the week when you are absent.
Students will be required to bring books related to the literary genre discussed in class. These books will be gathered in groups each week. Please keep track of the books and bring to class each week. Each group will also be required to turn in a bibliography for each genre at the end of the term. Bibliographies should be organized by genre using APA format, including title of the book, author, publication date, and brief summary of the book (probably two sentences to describe the books). An example of the group bibliography is listed on page 20.
Merely attending class is not sufficient to earn the class participation credit, but you must be present in order to participate. You are expected you to come to class prepared and ready to actively participate in each class session: ask questions, answer questions, share your knowledge and experiences, and actively participate in whole class and small group discussions, and activities. Read any assigned course materials, bring your texts and course materials to every class session, and take responsibility for your share of discussion.
Each one of you has to take a turn in charge of an author chair. Your responsibilities include reading aloud a children’s book in class or discussing a book in the class after finishing a weekly author introduction. Books and discussion questions will be presented by the one representing the author on that day.
Absence will affect your participation grade. For each absence you will lose 10 points for participation. Please sign up for the date you would like to be in charge of the author chair activity. Your duty may include reading aloud a book in class or leading the discussion
You will read and record a specified number of children’s books from a variety of genres and the reading record will include the title of the book, author, illustrator, date of publication, and a book award if appropriate. A brief summary will be included which will also give the reader an indication of how you would use this book in the classroom. The numbers of books to be read and recorded are: 40 Picture books, 5 traditional folklore, and 10 chapter books; (2 Modern fantasy; 2 science fiction; 2 contemporarily realistic fiction; 1 biography; 1 historical fiction; 2 multicultural fiction, and 5 informational picture books.
Chapter books must be selected by authors from a Required Authors List. If you have your own preference of authors, please send the names of the authors to the instructor. The instructor will examine his/her literature book. Summaries of chapter books and book activities should be ½ page in length.
Total: 60 books
40: picture books
5: traditional folklore
10: chapter books
5: informational picture books
Please see an example of a reading record on the page 21.
** You could use your reading record for multiple tasks for this class such as book bag, etc., but you cannot use your literature circle’s book for your reading record assignment. You could use another group’s literature circle book for your reading record, however.
*** This is an individual reading assignment. You are not allowed to download books’ summaries from the Internet or other resources. You are only allowed to select two books for each author. Do not try to recall from your memory. Please read the books that you have haven’t read yet. You will lose 700 points if you plagiarize.
You are required to create one picture book or a short chapter book based on your major area or personal interest. You are to be an author. Your book should include (a) Select one of the following topics: Language arts/ Reading/ Math/ Social Studies/ Science/ Special Education/Physical Education , (b) Grade level , (c) Book Cover, (d) Title of the book, (e) The content: to develop a good story related to your topic, (f) Appropriate language usage, (g) Illustrations: If it is a children’s picture book, include lines, colors, shapes, and texture, (h) Layout of the book, (i) The length of the book: Reminder, your book page numbers must be even, (j) Binding the book: you can use staples or paper clips, (k) your book should be publishable when it is finished, (l) Present your book in the class.
You will select an author (from the required list) and prepare a unit for presentation which will include an author profile, and a bibliography of selected works.
Students will turn in: (a) biography of author, (b) bibliography and short summary of their literature, be sure include the genre of each book, (c) share one of the author’s books that you have read and include your evaluations, and suggestions to classroom teachers. You must know the author’s work better than non-presenters, (d) description of book activity.
Author presentation should include:
(a) Use a presentation board or any other type of display that will sell your author. Examples are pictures, illustrations, games, book jackets, etc…. Bring as many of their books as you can find.
(b) Give a brief history of the author and his/her literature
(c) Book Activity: choose one book and do an activity with the class. Bring all the
supplies you will need. Be sure to WOW US!!!!!! Be creative
The presenters should be well prepared and enthusiastic about the presentation. The presentation should be unique, creative, and grab the attention of the audience. In other words, the presentation should captivate the audience by making them think about the author and his/her literature.
(d) Additional items which will be fully explained in a rubric. See page 22.
You are required to develop a book bag that may be used for one-to-one instruction with a primary grade (K-3) child and a middle/upper elementary (4-6) student. You could use the book that you create for this project. This bag will include (a) a quality children’s picture book, and a short chapter book, (b) a recording of the picture book (CD for full credit),- recording the books by yourself. You could check with any computer lab on the campus. (c) an enrichment game/activity for each book, (d) a list of five activities for each book that the student and teacher could do together in a short period of time, you also need to describe the teaching procedure, showing how to use these activities (e) provide a list of materials included in the packet as well as a list of consumable materials needed for the activities, (f) provide at least two students’ work samples(can be student writing samples or projects) for each student, (d) design the bag!! Be professional!! Be Creative!! Do not use any plastic bags such as Wal-Mart/United Market bags. You will also share the bag with a primary-age and a middle/upper elementary age student and will then write a two-page typed reflection about the one-to-one experience with the primary-age child and a middle-/upper elementary age student. This reflection should include both positives and negatives of the experience and how the student would revise the assignment based upon the interaction with a child. Finally, you will share your book bag with a group of your peers during class. For a detailed book bag rubric refer to pages No. 23-24. Remember, the quality of the project is most important.
Grading
Final grade will be determined by the number of points earned through completion of the following assignments. You are required to finish all of the assignments in order to receive a complete final grade. If you have any unfinished assignment, you will receive “incomplete” on your final grades till you completely finish all course required assignments. Meanwhile, you will lose 100 points on your final grade.
Assignment Points
Journal Entry (Group Project) 90
In-Class Activity 210
Reading Record 350
Create-A-Book 100
Author Study 100
Book Bag 150
Total 1000
Final point total will be converted to a course grade as follows:
A= 1000-900 Work that is outstanding and exemplary
B= 899-800 Work that is above the minimum requirements
C= 799-700 Work that meets expected level of performance for most students
D= 699-600 Work that falls short of minimum criteria
F= 599 below Work that falls well below the expected level of performance for most students.
More details please refer to the course syllabus.
No late work is acceptable. 50 points per day will be deducted for late assignments. Arrangements for exceptional cases must be made AT LEAST two days prior to the due date, but only one time per semester. Turn in your assignments with a hard copy on the due day which is listed
1st Absence – No penalty.
2nd Absence – 80 points deducted from your final grade average
3rd Absence – 150 points deducted from your final grade average
More than 3 absences – additional 100 points deducted from your final grade average for each absence beyond the first 3.
If you have an unexpected medical treatment, you must turn in a doctor's note at the time you return to class. It is your responsibility to provide the written documentation to the instructor to avoid the loss of points
Academic Honesty
Honesty is a fundamental precept in all academic activities, and those privileged to be members of a university community have a special obligation to observe the highest standards of honesty and a right to expect the same standards of all others. Academic misconduct in any form is inimical to the purposes and functions of the university and therefore is unacceptable and rigorously proscribed. Academic dishonesty may result in a failing grade for the semester and will be reported to the appropriate authorities within the College. This policy applies to the issue of plagiarism, in particular. It is critical that you cite your sources and give people the credit they deserve.
Inclement Weather Policy
In case of inclement weather, the instructor will post an announcement regarding the status of the class through email. Students are also encouraged to call the department if they have no immediate access to the Internet.