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