CHILDREN'S LITERATURE COURSE SYLLABUS
Text | Description |
"The stories we tell not only explain things to others, they explain them to ourselves". --Donald Norman--
Tuesdays 6-9PM Office Hours by appointment on Tuesdays
Mailing Address: Box 3528 Farmington, NM 87499 Residence: Lake Valley, NM Phone Number: 505.786.7265 E-mail Address: fvitali@mailcity.com Introduction to Libraries & Books Course UNM-Gallup Children's Literature Course UNM-Gallup Children's Literature Class Collection
DINE' COLLEGE Children's Literature Class Collection
Required Text: Savage, J. F. (2000). For the love of literature: Children and books in the elementary years. Boston: McGraw Hill.
Optional Text: Collins, R. & Cooper, P. (1997). The power of story: Teaching through storytelling. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Course DescriptionAccording to the Diné College General Catalog 2000: The Children’s Literature course is “designed to develop in the student an ability to appreciate, select, and present stories suitable for pre-school and elementary grades” (p. 46). Literature, in the form of oral and literary stories, is how we seek, give, and derive meaning in what we do as human beings. People are natural storytellers.
Literature (reading, storying, and listening) is an important aspect of not only the school curriculum, but of life, in general. In this course we will focus on aspects of literature for children. The overall goals are understanding the human need for stories, and gaining such an appreciation and love of stories/literature that you will naturally want to share it in your personal, professional, and recreational life.
“When a day passes it is no longer there.
What remains of it? Nothing more than a story.
If stories weren’t told or books weren’t written, man would live
like beasts-only for a day.
Today, we live, but tomorrow today will be a story.
The whole world, all human life, is one long story”
(I.B. Singer in Cooper and Collins’ [1992] Look What Happened to Frog, p. 8).
During the course, techniques will be modeled, explained, and practiced. Consider this course as a pleasant journey to new and different places where there are no wrong turns; only new discoveries, and new adventures awaiting you. Challenge yourself to explore your own imagination and those of others!
Academic integrity is expected of you and is to be reflected in your coursework. Refer to p. 16 of the Diné College 2000 Catalog.
.
By the end of the course you will: Appreciate the significance of story in human lives; Read a wide variety of children’s books suitable for elementary school children and young adults; Be able to read and tell stories to children in ways that captures their attention, imagination, and interests; Be familiar with a range of strategies for presenting literature selections to children; Be able to respond to literature in a variety of ways and encourage children to do the same; Be able to evaluate children’s literature with culturally sensitive perspectives; Be able to read, Read, READ children books of enjoyment to you; Be able to sample the vast array of children’s literature just waiting for you. Be expected to take an active interest in the work of others. Be invited to share the following: Academic integrity is expected of you and is to be reflected in your coursework. Refer to UNM Code of Conduct and Matters of Disciplinary Action in the UNM Course Catalog.
ATTENDANCE: Please plan to attend each session. It is understood that emergencies will arise that may require missing a session or part of a session. Please contact the instructor, when possible, if you have to miss a session or will be late for a session.
Please rearrange work and appointment schedules so that you can attend each session. Since our classes meet for longer over a shorter time period, there are NO excused absences. (Repeat, no excused absences.) Bonus work is required for each hour missed. Assignments will be given accordingly. One excused absence with bonus work completed results in one-letter grade reduction or additional assignments. Each unexcused absence results in a two-letter grade reduction (final grade). Two absences will result in a failing grade. Three absences will result in being dropped from the course. Absences and lateness are considered serious interferences with your progress in this class.
PARTICIPATION: Please come to class prepared to participate in group and class discussions. Because we will be exploring responses to literature (oral and literary), developing ways of selecting, sharing, and discussing literature among ourselves and with young people, attendance and group participation are crucial. We will be building on our own reading ‘quests’ and reading adventures. It is hoped that you will build on your own reading adventures and discoveries, along with the course schedule and content.
The instructor reserves the right to drop any student who is excessively late or absent from classes and/or who is not keeping up with course assignments and projects.
A GRADE = completion of all course assignments and projects with a high level of academic excellence. B GRADE = completion of all course assignments and projects with an above average level of academic achievement. C GRADE = completion of all course assignments and projects with a satisfactory level of academic achievement. F GRADE = fails to show competency in course work and content. NO INCOMPLETE GRADES WILL BE GIVEN.
Text | Description |
