Course Recap for April 15

Film Version of Hugo

Today in class we finished up the film version of Hugo. We then spent the remainder of class discussing and comparing the film version to the text version. We also discussed Clement and Long's essay. You can access the comparison chart HERE.

Final Exam
Remember: We will not have class on Thursday, April 17. This will be your research and writing day. At this point you have all met with me individually to discuss your final paper. Please email me if you have any further questions.
Our final exam period will be Monday, April 21 at 2:45 pm in our classroom. DO NOT MISS CLASS. PLEASE READ THE EXAM INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY! If you need more specific instruction on what MLA format looks like, please see The Purdue OWL (linked on the right hand side of the blog).

Again, if you have any questions at all about the final exam (or really anything), please feel free to email me. I would also be happy to set up another individual meeting with you if you need it.

Thanks for a Great Semester!
Thank you all for a wonderful semester! I was amazed my your level of engagement and dedication to the texts we studied this semester. I will have your final exams graded and will post your final course grade on the GoWMU site under the final grades tab. Keep checking on the GoWMU site for your final grade postings (they should be posted one week after finals week). If you would like to receive your final exam back from me, you can make an appointment with me through email at the beginning of the fall semester. I will keep your final exams until the end of the fall semester, and then I will recycle them. I wish all of you the best in your future endeavors! Have a great summer break. :)

Course Recap for April 10

Film Version of Hugo
Today we began watching the film version of Hugo. I asked you to take note of anything you found interesting, improved upon, strange, poorly done, etc. in the film version. We will finish up the second half of the film on Tuesday.

Grade Updates & Final Paper Rubric
As of today, most of you have had an individual conference with me to discuss your final papers. During this conference I provided you with a grade update. This update includes everything except your final paper and your attendance points for this week and next week. This grade update should give you a good idea about where you stand going into the final. Please see the final paper grading rubric HERE. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about your grade or the final paper.

Course Evaluations
Please take a few minutes this weekend to complete them if you haven't already!

Homework

• Read Jennifer Clement and Christian B. Long's "Hugo, Remediation, and the Cinema of Attractions, or, The Adaptation of Hugo Cabret"

Course Recap for April 8

Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Today at the beginning of class you took a short quiz over Hugo. After discussing some of your initial impressions and experiences with the text, I asked you to work in pairs on a two part writing exercise related to the text. You can access that handout HERE. We then discussed each group's questions and responses.
On Thursday, we will begin watching the film version of the text. Bring a pen and notebook to class so that you can take notes on what you find interesting. We will finish up the film next Tuesday and begin our discussion of the film and Clement and Long's article.

Course Evaluations
Each of you should have received an email about course evaluations from the university yesterday. As I mentioned in class, course evaluations are extremely important to helping me improve my teaching and the course. I take your responses seriously and use your feedback to improve the course. Additionally, the evaluations are viewed by the department and assist me in evaluating my own teaching performance. Please fill out your course evaluation online (email me if you cannot figure out how to get to it) by following the ICES link on GoWMU (on the left hand side of the page). Please be as specific as possible in your responses and know that these evaluations have no bearing on your grade. Your responses are anonymous, and I do not receive your comments until after grades are posted. I greatly appreciate your participation... and if you all complete them before next Tuesday's class, I will bring treats for the final!

Homework

• Read ahead => Jennifer Clement and Christian B. Long's "Hugo, Remediation, and the Cinema of Attractions, or, The Adaptation of Hugo Cabret"

Blog Post Drop Box: Brian Selznick's _The Invention of Hugo Cabret_

Click on the "comment" button below to leave your blog post. I suggest you type your response first in a word document, and then copy and paste it into the comment box. Your blog post should be at least 500 words of original prose (do not duplicate anything other bloggers have already said here) in which you engage with the text for the week critically AND pose an original discussion question. Be sure to write your full name and word count at the bottom of your post. The cut-off time for this blog post is Monday, April 7 at midnight.

Discussion Leaders: Alyssa, Amanda L., Amanda W., Shaina, Andrea

Course Recap for April 3

Miskec's "Meet Ivy and Bean, Queerly the Anti-American Girls"
Today at the beginning of class, instead of doing a reading quiz (in other words, if you were present during class, you will receive 100% on the quiz), I asked you to break up into small groups to tackle Miskec's essay page by page. I asked each group to dissect one idea that related to one of the questions from the quiz. Group 1 examined Miskec's analysis of how the lessons in Meet Addy translate to the American Girl readership and examined Miskec's comparison of Meet Addy and Ivy and Bean through the lens of didacticism. Group 2 took on the topic of queerness, and they examined why Ivy and Bean is a queer text according to Miskec. Group 3 defined narrative theorist Mikhail Bakhtin's idea of the "carnivalesque" and noted how Ivy and Bean features carnivalesque imagery according to Miskec. Group 4 looked closely at how Miskec analyzes Ivy and Bean's fluid identities as characters. Group 5 examined the comparison between authority in the two series (American Girl and Ivy and Bean). I then asked each group to present their findings on Miskec's article, and we discussed each question as a class.

Homework

• Read Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Course Recap for April 1

Barrows' Ivy and Bean
Today at the beginning of class you took a short reading quiz. Next, I asked you to draw a colored discussion card and do a bit of writing. We then broke into a large group discussion about Barrows' Ivy and Bean series. After working with the discussion leaders' questions, I asked you to work in pairs on a comparison chart for Meet Addy and Ivy and Bean. You can access that document HERE.

Homework

• Read Miskec's "Meet Ivy and Bean, Queerly the Anti-American Girls"

Course Recap for March 27

Chuppa-Cornell's "When Fact Is Stranger than Fiction: Hair in American Girl Stories and Dolls"
Today at the beginning of class instead of taking a quiz, I asked you to break into small groups to work on a list of discussion questions related to your reading for the day. You can access that document HERE. We then worked through the questions as a class and talked about our responses to Chuppa-Cornell's article. Next, I handed our another article by Jan Susina comparing American Girl Dolls to Barbie Dolls. You can access that document HERE. I asked you to work in pairs to read and summarize a few paragraphs of the article; groups then presented their section to the class. Finally, we used the remaining time in class to return to your responses to Meet Addy that you worked on during class on Tuesday.

Final Paper
At the end of class I talked a bit about your final paper and individual conferences. You can access the final paper instructional guide HERE and the individual conference schedule HERE.

Homework

• Read Barrows' Ivy and Bean (book 1)

Blog Post Drop Box: Annie Barrows' _Ivy and Bean_ (book 1)

Click on the "comment" button below to leave your blog post. I suggest you type your response first in a word document, and then copy and paste it into the comment box. Your blog post should be at least 500 words of original prose (do not duplicate anything other bloggers have already said here) in which you engage with the text for the week critically AND pose an original discussion question. Be sure to write your full name and word count at the bottom of your post. The cut-off time for this blog post is Monday, March 31 at midnight.

Discussion Leaders: Allison, Chelcie, Amanda W., Molly, Shaina, Derek

Course Recap for March 25

Porter's Meet Addy
Today at the beginning of class, you took a short reading quiz. I then asked you to discuss some of your initial impressions regarding Meet Addy and we looked a bit at the American Girl Doll website. Next, you broke into small groups to work on an writing exercise in which you focused on a significant passage from the text. You can access that exercised HERE. I asked a few volunteers to share their work. After you shared your writing, we moved into a large group discussion. I handed around the colored cards with your discussion prompt and asked you to spend 10 minutes doing some writing about your topic. We then worked our way around the group and you shared your comments.

Homework

• Read Kim Chuppa-Cornell's "When Fact Is Stranger than Fiction: Hair in American Girl Stories and Dolls"

Blog Post Drop Box: Connie Porter's _Meet Addy_

Click on the "comment" button below to leave your blog post. I suggest you type your response first in a word document, and then copy and paste it into the comment box. Your blog post should be at least 500 words of original prose (do not duplicate anything other bloggers have already said here) in which you engage with the text for the week critically AND pose an original discussion question. Be sure to write your full name and word count at the bottom of your post. The cut-off time for this blog post is Monday, March 24 at midnight.

Discussion Leaders: Kaitlyn, Travis, Molly, Shaina, Andrea, Alyssa

Course Recap for March 20

Gaiman's The Wolves in the Walls and Panaou & Michaelides' "Dave McKean's Art: Transcending Limitations of the Graphic Novel Genre"
Today at the beginning of class, you took a short quiz over Panaou & Michaelides' article. I then asked you to do a bit of writing to prepare for class discussion. I projected this week's bloggers' discussion questions and asked you to work with a partner to choose a question and a page from Gaiman's text to respond to in your writing. Each pair was asked to jot down some notes in response to their set of questions and then to examine both text and image in a page from Gaiman's text. We then came together as a group for discussion.
At the end of class, I handed out a final paper practice question and comparison chart. Think about this as a sample question for part two of your final paper. You might use this document as something to help you outline your writing for your final paper. You can access that document HERE.

Homework

• Read Porter's Meet Addy
• Feel free to bring any American Girl Doll products or dolls that you own! We will be talking about marketing and consumer culture in relation to American Girl Dolls. You might spend some time on the website HERE or on Addy's activity website HERE. 

Course Recap for March 18

Gaiman's The Wolves in the Walls

At the beginning of class you took a short reading quiz. Next I asked for some of your initial impressions about the text. I then gave a short presentation of the Gothic in children's literature. You can access that presentation HERE. Next, I asked you to work in pairs to read an excerpt from Karen Coats' article and to answer a series of questions about Gaiman's text. You can access that article HERE and the questions HERE. We then talked through each question as a large group.

Homework

• Read Petros Panaou and Fixos Michaelides' "Dave McKean's Art: Transcending Limitations of the Graphic Novel Genre"

Blog Post Drop Box: Neil Gaiman's _The Wolves in the Walls_

Click on the "comment" button below to leave your blog post. I suggest you type your response first in a word document, and then copy and paste it into the comment box. Your blog post should be at least 500 words of original prose (do not duplicate anything other bloggers have already said here) in which you engage with the text for the week critically AND pose an original discussion question. Be sure to write your full name and word count at the bottom of your post. The cut-off time for this blog post is Monday, March 17 at midnight.

Discussion Leaders: Alyssa, Rainy, Chelcie, Kaitlyn, Amanda W., Travis, Derek, Liz

Course Recap for March 13

Nuzum's "The Monster's Sacrifice--Historic Time: The Uses of Mythic and Liminal Time in Monster Literature" and Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are
Today at the beginning of class you took an open article reading quiz. After the quiz, we spent some time discussing Nuzum's article. I asked you to work with a small group to break down Nuzum's article; you: wrote a summary of the article and identified the thesis, located definitions of important terms and scholars, and traced the argument Nuzum makes using Sendak's text. Each group then presented their findings. You can access the group document HERE.
I then projected a list of the discussion questions our bloggers put forth and passed around the colored discussion cards I talked about last class. I gave you a few minutes to write out notes or find page numbers, and then we discussed Sendak's text.

Homework

• Read Gaiman's The Wolves in the Walls

Course Recap for March 11

Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are
Today at the beginning of class, you took a short reading quiz and then you gave some of your initial impressions about Sendak's picture book. I then gave a presentation on Maurice Sendak. You can access that presentation HERE. After the presentation I asked you to break into small groups to work on a conflict chart. You can access that document HERE. We then made a list on the board of various conflicts present in the text. We also talked a bit about the film adaption of the text and Maurice Sendak's thoughts on it. You can access an article about that HERE.

Midterm Exam Back
At the end of class, I handed back your graded midterm exams. You all did an excellent job on these exams!  I went over the midterm exam answer commentary with you, and you can access that document HERE. In the upper right hand corner of your exam grading rubric there is a box containing (first) your midterm grade and (second) your current course grade. Additionally, below this box I have noted your current number of absences in the class. Your current course grade consists of the following: mini-exam (100 pts), midterm exam (200 pts), paper 1 (100 pts), 13 quizzes (65-15=50 pts), attendance (52 pts), and blog posts (30-120 pts). As you see, I have dropped/included as extra credit three of your quiz scores. Depending upon how many blog posts you have completed, as of the midterm exam, your total points possible will be between 532 and 622 points. If you have questions about how this grade is calculated, feel free to see me during office hours.

Next Class: Discussion
Next class period, we are going to shake things up a bit for our large group discussion. Before class, please prepare to talk about some element of each of the following topics:

• Navy: history, material considerations, or context
• Yellow: narration or characterization
• Orange: story, plot, or conflict
• Pink: setting, theme, or tone
• Purple: response to blog discussion question
• Light Blue: response to critical article for this week

During class on Thursday, I will randomly hand out different colored cards to each person. We will then work our way around the group and each person will comment on whatever their card designates. You will then pass your card to the right and we will work our way around the circle again. I suggest you revisit the "Strategies for a Meaningful Study Experience" Handout to see questions related to these topics. You can access that document HERE. Be prepared to talk about any of the above topics on Thursday.

Homework

• Read K. A. Nuzum's "The Monster's Sacrifice--Historic Time: The uses of Mythic and Liminal Time in Monster Literature" (pages 207-213 only)

Blog Post Drop Box: Maurice Sendak's _Where the Wild Things Are_

Click on the "comment" button below to leave your blog post. I suggest you type your response first in a word document, and then copy and paste it into the comment box. Your blog post should be at least 500 words of original prose (do not duplicate anything other bloggers have already said here) in which you engage with the text for the week critically AND pose an original discussion question. Be sure to write your full name and word count at the bottom of your post. The cut-off time for this blog post is Monday, March 10 at midnight.

Discussion Leaders: Alyssa, Amanda L., Rainy, Kaitlyn, Allison, Travis, Derek, Molly, Shaina

Course Recap for February 27

Midterm Exam

Today during class you took your midterm examination. This exam makes up 20% of your final grade. I will have these graded and back to you after spring break. I handed out a grading rubric for you to examine and attach to the front of your exam. You can access that document by finding the link on Tuesday's course recap.

Homework

• Enjoy your break!
• Read Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are

Course Recap for February 25

Janeczko's A Poke in the I and Thomas' "A Defense of Visual Poetry for Children"
Instead of taking a quiz at the beginning of class, I asked you to choose any page in Janeczko's book of concrete poetry and write about the significance of the poem. During this exercise you were not allowed to use notes, but I encouraged you to use some of the basic vocabulary and elements of craft you learned last week to talk about the poem. I also encouraged you to use your knowledge of visual interpretation to discuss the use of image/illustration on your chosen page. I then asked for volunteers to use the document camera to share the poem they wrote about and to talk about their interpretation. I also asked you to compare Janeczko's poetry to Creech's poetry.
I then asked you to take some time to go through Thomas' chapter on concrete poetry. I asked you to note important and interesting passages. We then worked on breaking down Thomas' essay.

Midterm Exam
At the end of class, I spent some time going over the midterm exam grading rubric. You can access that document HERE. As you are studying for the midterm exam, be sure to make reference to this rubric and to your midterm exam study guide.



Homework

• Study for midterm exam

Blog Post Drop Box: Paul Janeczko's _A Poke in the I_

Click on the "comment" button below to leave your blog post. I suggest you type your response first in a word document, and then copy and paste it into the comment box. Your blog post should be at least 500 words of original prose (do not duplicate anything other bloggers have already said here) in which you engage with the text for the week critically AND pose an original discussion question. Be sure to write your full name and word count at the bottom of your post. The cut-off time for this blog post is Monday, February 24 at midnight.

Discussion Leaders: Liz, Andrea, Chelcie, Shaina

Course Recap for February 20

Creech's Love That Dog
Today at the beginning of class you took a short reading quiz. I then asked you about your initial impressions and thoughts concerning Creech's verse novel and poetry in general. I gave a short presentation on the history and shifts in children's poetry. You can access that presentation HERE. I also provided you with several terms and elements of poetic craft to use when discussing poetry. You can access that handout HERE. I noted several examples of the elements of poetic craft in the presentation. I then asked you to work in pairs to complete a writing exercise related to Creech's text. You can access that document HERE. I then asked for volunteers to share their work.

Paper 1 Back
At the end of class, I returned your graded Paper 1. Most of you did well, but many of you struggled. I believe this is for one of two reasons: you either did not read the assignment sheet or the grading rubric detailing the instructions OR you did not edit and proof your paper before you handed it in. Be sure to do these things! If you did read the assignment sheet and proof your paper before handing it in, and you still struggled, I suggest you take your next paper to the writing center. As always, please feel free to contact me with questions, but be sure to wait 24 hours before contacting me about your paper. On the back of your paper I noted your current course grade. Keep in mind that this grade includes 44 attendance points, 55 quiz points, 100 exam points, 100 paper points, and between 0-90 blog post points. Depending on how many blog posts you have completed, your grade is based on 20-40% of the course work so far.

Homework

• Read Janeczko's A Poke in the I and Thomas' "A Defense of Visual Poetry for Children"
• Start studying for the midtem

Course Recap for February 18

op de Beeck's "Speaking for the Trees..." and Henderson et al.'s "Playing Seriously with Dr. Seuss..."
Today at the beginning of class we skipped the reading quiz (because I doubled your reading assignment). If you were present and participated during class, you will receive full credit for your reading quiz. We began with op de Beeck's article "Speaking for the Trees: Environmental Ethics in the Rhetoric and Production of Picture Books." I divided the class into small groups. Each group was asked to examine a six page section of op de Beeck's article and collect the following information: a summary of the main points or thesis, a list of the scholars cited, textual examples from The Lorax or other picture books, memorable quotes/lines, and a group response to the material. Each group then presented their summary and findings. Next, we moved on to Henderson, Kennedy, and Chamberlin's article "Playing Seriously with Dr. Seuss: A Pedagogical Response to The Lorax." I divided the class into pairs, and each pair worked on a short section of the article. I again asked groups to focus on gathering the following information: a summary of the main points, a list of scholars cited, a list of questions asked by the authors, the authors' response to their questions, and a group response to the material. After each group presented their findings, we worked through any lingering questions or thoughts about The Lorax.

Please find the notes your groups compiled for op de Beeck's article HERE and Henderson et al.'s article HERE.

Midterm Exam Study Guide
Your midterm exam will take place on Thursday, February 27 (in nine days). I handed out the midterm exam study guide. This exam will be open book, but will ask a bit more from you than the previous exam. You can access the study guide on the right hand side of the blog under "Course Documents." Let me know if you have any questions.

Homework

• Read Creech's Love That Dog

Course Recap for February 13

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax
Today at the beginning of class, I collected your Paper 1. I will get these graded and back to you within a week (or a week and a half). Please see the grading rubric on the right hand side of the blog. I will be using this document to evaluate your writing. We then took a short reading quiz over The Lorax. I asked for your initial impressions on Seuss' picture book, and again, brought up some of the nostalgic responses from the blog. I then asked you to break into pairs to work on a series of questions about the text. You can access that document HERE. I asked each group to share their response, using the document camera to project images from the text. Next, I handed out an LA Times article from 1989 in which parents challenged the use of The Lorax in an elementary classroom. You can access that article HERE. I then gave a short presentation on Lisa Lubduska's article "Rethinking Human Need: Suess's The Lorax." You can access that presentation HERE. I then asked for your thoughts on Lubduska's argument.


Homework

• Read op de Beeck's "Speaking for the Trees: Environmental Ethics in the Rhetoric and Production of Picture Books"
• AND I am adding another reading I think will be of interest to you all (especially aspiring teachers): Henderson, Kennedy, and Chamberlin's "Playing Seriously with Dr. Seuss: A Pedagogical Response to The Lorax" (I have added this on the right hand side of the blog)

Each of these articles is about 20 pages long, so be sure to give yourself adequate time to read.

Blog Post Drop Box: Sharon Creech's _Love That Dog_

Click on the "comment" button below to leave your blog post. I suggest you type your response first in a word document, and then copy and paste it into the comment box. Your blog post should be at least 500 words of original prose (do not duplicate anything other bloggers have already said here) in which you engage with the text for the week critically AND pose an original discussion question. Be sure to write your full name and word count at the bottom of your post. The cut-off time for this blog post is Wednesday, February 19 at midnight.

Discussion Leaders: Allison, Liz, Andrea

Course Recap for February 11

Clark's "Audience" and Silverstein's The Giving Tree
Today at the beginning of class you took a short quiz over Clark's "Audience." I then asked you to identify the main ideas and concepts from Clark's article, and we made a list on the board. I asked you to think about how you might connect Clark's article to Silverstein's The Giving Tree. I handed out a list of the discussion questions generated by your classmates. I asked you to spend a few minutes writing on one or more of the discussion questions. We then moved into a large group discussion during which we continued our discussion of Fraustino, Clark, and Silverstein's works.

Homework

• Read Dr. Seuss' The Lorax
• Paper 1 due at the beginning of next class

Blog Post Drop Box: Dr. Seuss' _The Lorax_

Click on the "comment" button below to leave your blog post. I suggest you type your response first in a word document, and then copy and paste it into the comment box. Your blog post should be at least 500 words of original prose (do not duplicate anything other bloggers have already said here) in which you engage with the text for the week critically AND pose an original discussion question. Be sure to write your full name and word count at the bottom of your post. The cut-off time for this blog post is Wednesday, February 13 at midnight.

Discussion Leaders: Alyssa, Amanda L., Rainy, Kaitlyn, Allison, Amanda W., Travis, Derek, Molly

Course Recap for February 6

Silverstein's The Giving Tree
Today at the beginning of class you took a short reading quiz. I then showed you The Giving Tree movie narrated by Shel Silverstein. You can access that video HERE. Next I asked you to do a bit of writing in response to the following questions: How do you interpret Silverstein's The Giving Tree? What does it mean? Do you see multiple meanings/readings? I then gave you some background information on the author. You can learn more about the author HERE and HERE. I then gave a presentation in which I introduced you to scholar Lisa Rowe Fraustino's discussion of multiple interpretations of the picturebook, along with her own interpretation. You can access that presentation HERE. You can also access her article, which the presentation is based upon, HERE. I asked you to respond throughout the presentation to the various interpretations of the book. I then asked you to break up into pairs to work on an in-class writing exercise. You can access that document HERE.

Homework

• Read Clark's "Audience" and Fraustino's article (linked above)
• Paper 1 is due on Thursday. Please see the grading rubric HERE.

Course Recap for February 4

Tan's "The Accidental Graphic Novelist" and The Arrival
You took a short quiz over the article at the beginning of class. I then asked you to take a minute to do some preparatory writing about "The Accidental Graphic Novelist." I asked you to choose a passage form the article, a question you had, or a theme that kept emerging and write about it for ten minutes. I then asked the class to make a list of topics and questions on the board that we could discuss. We spent some time working through the article. Next I projected a list of the discussion leaders' questions. I asked you to choose one and jot down some notes/ideas. We then worked through the questions which were focused on audience, tone, form, color/style, reader response, and postmodernism.


Mini-Exam Answer Commentary
At the end of class I handed back your graded mini-exams. You all did marvelous! I was really impressed with the level of work you demonstrated on your exams. I went through the highlights of the answer commentary document. You can access that HERE. I also worked through a breakdown of your current course grade with you. So far, your grade includes: mini-exam (100 points), quizzes (30 points), attendance (24 points), and for some of you a blog post (30 points). These items add up to 154-184 points (the entire class will be worth 1000 points by the end of the semester). Thus, we have only worked through 15-18% of the items that will make up your final grade. I have not yet dropped your three lowest quiz grades (so keep that in mind). Grades will fluctuate the further we progress in the semester, so do not freak out (or get too comfortable) about your current course grade. That all being said, your exam grades are final and non-negotiable. If you have questions or concerns, please FIRST read the exam commentary carefully, wait 24 hours, and then feel free to see me during office hours.

Homework

• Read Silverstein's The Giving Tree

Blog Post Drop Box: Shel Silverstein's _The Giving Tree_

Click on the "comment" button below to leave your blog post. I suggest you type your response first in a word document, and then copy and paste it into the comment box. Your blog post should be at least 500 words of original prose (do not duplicate anything other bloggers have already said here) in which you engage with the text for the week critically AND pose an original discussion question. Be sure to write your full name and word count at the bottom of your post. The cut-off time for this blog post is Wednesday, February 5 at midnight.

Discussion Leaders: Amanda L., Rainy, Chelcie, Kaitlyn, Allison, Travis, Molly, Derek, Liz

Course Recap for January 30

Tan's The Arrival
Today you took a quiz at the beginning of class. I then asked for some of your initial impressions about Tan's The Arrival. I talked a bit about the hybrid nature of Tan's text and the difference between comics and picture books. We then tried to "read" the first few pages of Tan's text out loud. I emphasized the importance of both narrative and image in picture books, and in order to underscore the significance of image, I gave a short presentation on Molly Bang (a visual theorist). You can access that presentation HERE. I handed out a packet of information on visual interpretation, including Bang's principles and Scott McCloud's visual transition types. You can access that handout HERE and HERE. After the presentation we talked about McCloud's theories, and I introduced the terms "embedded narrative" and "normative center." I then asked you to break into small groups to work on a writing exercise. You can access that exercise HERE. I then asked each group to present on one of the questions. We spent time discussing Tan's work using Bang, McCloud, embedded narra
tive, and normative center.


Homework

• Read Tan's "The Accidental Graphic Novelist"
• Bring The Arrival and "The Accidental Graphic Novelist" to class on Tuesday
• Review the discussion leaders' questions (we will work with these on Tuesday)

Course Recap for January 28

Mini-Exam

Today you took your first essay exam. This exam makes up 10% of your final grade and will be your model for how to approach the midterm exam and final paper. I will have these graded and back to you next week. I will also post an answer commentary key on the blog after I return your graded exams. I handed out a grading rubric for you to examine and attach to the front of your exam. You can access that document HERE.

Homework

• Read Shaun Tan's The Arrival (This text is entirely image based, so make sure to spend an adequate amount of time reading the text carefully a few times. As many of you know from reading comics, sometimes reading image based narratives can be even more difficult than reading text based narratives.)
• Discussion leaders post on the blog

Blog Post Drop Box: Shaun Tan's _The Arrival_

Click on the "comment" button below to leave your blog post. I suggest you type your response first in a word document, and then copy and paste it into the comment box. Your blog post should be at least 500 words of original prose (do not duplicate anything other bloggers have already said here) in which you engage with the text for the week critically AND pose an original discussion question. Be sure to write your full name and word count at the bottom of your post. The cut-off time for this blog post is Wednesday, January 29 at midnight.

Discussion Leaders: Alyssa, Amanda L., Amanda W., Chelcie, Liz, Rainy, Andrea

Course Recap for January 23

Nel's "Postmodernism"
At the beginning of class you took a short quiz on Nel's article. I then gave you a handout and we discussed the definition of postmodernism. You can access that document HERE. I also gave a presentation on Sipe and Pantaleo's characteristics of postmodern picturebooks. You can access that presentation HERE. We talked a bit about the movement from modernism to postmodernism; you can access that presentation HERE. I passed around copies of David Wiesner's The Three Pigs and David Macaulay's Black and White, which are both examples of postmodern picturebooks. I also passed around Scieszka's The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, which I mentioned briefly last class.

Scieszka's The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales
We continued our discussion of The Stinky Cheese Man. I asked you to break into six groups and assigned each group one of Sipe and Pantaleo's six characteristics of postmodern picturebooks. I asked you to locate a page or series of pages in Scieszka's picturebook that exemplifies your characteristic. Each group then presented their page(s) on the document camera and explained their specific postmodern characteristic. We then continued our discussion of fairy tales. I asked you to think about the purpose, meaning, and social function of fairy tales in their original form. I also asked you to think about the purpose and social function of postmodern picturebooks and revisionary fairy tales. How do these new versions of fairy tales change the way we see the original?


Studying for the Mini-Exam
You will take your first exam on Tuesday during class. DO NOT MISS CLASS! Please see the mini-exam study guide on the right hand side of the blog under course documents. Be sure to spend some time studying for the exam. You should memorize the spelling of authors and titles of everything we have read thus far this semester. I suggest you pay particular attention to the Red Riding Hood variants and the two picturebooks The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka and  Lon Po Po by Ed Young. I also suggest that you memorize the definitions of the following terms: volition, innocence, paratext, postmodernism, and didacticism. Review any activities we did during class, especially those for which I gave you a handout or chart. I suggest you practice writing short responses about significant passages from the primary texts. The best way to study for timed essay exams is to time yourself writing practice exams.

Homework

• Study for the Mini-Exam

Course Recap for January 21

Fairy Tales
Today at the beginning of class you took a short reading quiz. I then asked you to break up into small groups to work on a writing exercise. You can access that document HERE. I assigned each group two fairy tales. You then worked as a group to answer some questions about your fairy tales and chose a significant passage to write about from each tale. Each group then presented on their two fairy tales.

Scieszka's The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales
I then asked you to begin thinking about fairy tale adaptions by looking at Scieszka's picture book. We spent some time looking at the paratext and discussing how the paratext bleeds into the narrative. We will keep thinking about Scieszka's picture book on Thursday.

Mini-Exam Study Guide and Paper 1 Guidelines
At the end of class, I spent some time going over the mini-exam study guide and the guidelines for paper 1. You can access both of these handouts on the right hand side of the course blog. Please see me if you have any questions.

Homework

• Read Nel's "Postmodernism"

Course Recap for January 16

Gubar's "Innocence"
We began class today by breaking into small groups; in your small groups, I asked you to write down some of the most important points of Gubar's essay. After your group agreed upon the most important points, I asked you to craft two quiz questions and answer them. We then spent some time talking about the questions you came up with and how they might be answered. I handed out the reading quiz for Gubar's essay that I created, and you were given 10-15 minutes to complete this quiz, using your essay to assist you.

Little Red Riding Hood Variants and Innocence
After you completed your quiz, I asked you to break into small groups and answer questions about innocence in one of the Little Red Riding Hood variants we read this week. (Questions: How does this author approach innocence? How does the moral of this tale relate to innocence? How does LRRH's level of volition relate to innocence in this tale?) I also asked you to think about the significant passages in each of the primary texts, as well as the key points in the secondary text. We then had a large group discussion.

Blog Posts
At the end of class, I handed around a sign up sheet for blog posts. I will post this completed document with all students' assigned days on the right hand side of the blog under Course Documents. Please see the sample blog post on Little Red Riding Hood posted early this week.

Homework

• Read "Henny Penny," "The Princess and the Pea," "The Ugly Duckling," "The Frog King," "Jack and the Beanstalk," "Cinderella," "Rumpelstiltskin," and "The Gingerbread Man" (All linked on the right hand side of the course blog)
• Read Scieszka's The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales 

Course Recap for January 14

"Little Red Riding Hood" Variants
At the beginning of class you took a short reading quiz over the four versions of "Little Red Riding Hood" you read for today. While you were reading, I came around and checked to see that you brought your readings with you. Keep in mind that each day is worth 4 attendance points; if you forget your book or come late, you will only receive 2 points. After the quiz, I asked you to spend some time thinking about your initial impressions of the LRRH variants. Which tale(s) were familiar to you? Were you surprised by any of them? What elements of the tale stayed the same? What elements of the tale changed? I then gave a short presentation on the fairy tale. You can access that presentation HERE. I then had you break into pairs to work on an in-class activity. You can access that document HERE. I introduced you to the term VOLITION, which is the ability of a person to have say in her fate (a person with strong volition will be very active in solving her problems, while a person with weak volition will require assistance). We then spent some time discussing the LRRH stories and your in-class writing activity.

Practice Blog Posts
At the end of class, I asked you to take a look at the course blog where I have posted a sample blog post in which I respond to the readings for today. Keep in mind that when responding to the readings in your blog post you should follow MLA guidelines for citation. You might wish to use the "Strategies for a Meaningful Study Experience" handout from last week to give you ideas about what you might write about. If you want to practice posting on the blog, please do so; I will provide you with a practice grade and comments so that you can see how I will score your writing. If you have any questions about how to post on the blog, please see me during office hours or before/after class and bring your laptop.

Homework

• Read Gubar's "Innocence"
• Bring LRRH readings and Gubar's essay to class on Thursday

Blog Post Drop Box: Fairy Tales

In order to post on our course blog, you will need to log into (or create a new) google or blogger account. If you have a gmail, blogger, or other google account, you can use your login. If you do not, or want to create one just for this class, follow the instructions given by blogger. Click on the "comment" button below to leave your blog post. Be sure to post at least one TEST blog post before your first for credit post is due. I will hand around a sign up sheet at the end of the week.

You may discuss one or more of the following texts: Perrault's "Little Red Riding Hood," Grimm's "Little Red Cap," Millien's "The Grandmother," and/or Young's Lon Po Po. I suggest you type your response first in a word document and then copy and paste it into the comment box. Be sure to write your full name and word count at the bottom of your post.

Discussion Leaders: Prof. Howard AND anyone who wants to practice posting

Course Recap for January 9

Introduction to the Course

My Office: Sprau 822

Today at the beginning of class I asked you to each fill out a student diagnostic form. This document will help me to get to know you better and assess where your at in terms of your reading and writing level. We then went around the room and did introductions. I suggested that you swap emails with a partner. 

We spent a significant amount of time going over the syllabus, schedule of assignments, student grade worksheet, the course blog, and the expectations for the course in general. You can access all of the documents I handed out in class on the right hand side of the blog under "Course Documents." The most important thing you should take away from our discussion today is that I strongly value your presence and participation in EVERY class. This course is reading and writing intensive; we will read at least one primary and one critical text per week, and it is my expectation that you will read each primary text several times and mark up each critical text. I asked each of you to sign your syllabus contract as evidence that you have read and understood the course policies. If you have questions, please feel free to see me after class or during my office hours.

The Early History of Children's Literature

I then gave a short presentation on the early history of children's literature. You can access that presentation HERE. I also gave you a Reading Strategies handout, which you can access HERE. Be sure to spend an adequate amount of time reading the assigned texts for next class, and bring the readings to class; you will have a quiz.

Homework

• Buy books
• Read Little Red Riding Hood variants (Perralut's "Little Red Riding Hood," Grimm's "Little Red Cap," and Millien's "The Grandmother"
• Read Young's Lon Po Po