YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE ENG 697
Session:
Location:
Instructor:
Office:
Contact:
JULY 2013
July 1-26, 2013
Rarick Hall, Room 360
Brenda Craven
Room 361, Rarick (will not keep regular office hours in July)
bcraven@fhsu.edu; if urgent, call 785-625-9396 (home phone)
TEXTS: (ISBN for paperback edition)
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little Brown, 2009.
ISBN 13: 978-0316013697.
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. New York: Square Fish, 2011. ISBN-13: 978-0312674397.
--- Chains. Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, 2010. ISBN-13: 978-1416905868.
Anaya, Rudolfo. Bless Me Ultima. New York: Grand Central, 1994. ISBN-13: 978-0446600255.
Bacigalupi, Paola. Ship Breaker. New York: Little, Brown Books, 2011. ISBN-13: 978-0316056199.
Collins, Suzanne. Hunger Games. Scholastic Press, 2010. ISBN-13: 978-0439023528.
Crutcher, Chris. Whale Talk. Greenwillow Books, 2009. ISBN-13: 978-0061771316.
Farmer, Nancy. The House of the Scorpion. New York: Atheneum, 2004. ISBN-13: 978-0689852237.
Green, John. Looking for Alaska. Speak Publishing, 2006. ISBN-13: 978-0142402511.
Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. Riverhead Trade, 2004. ISBN-13: 978-1594480003.
McCormick, Patricia. Sold. Hyperion, 2008. ISBN-13: 978-0786851720.
Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. New York: Alfred Knopf, 2007. ISBN-13: 978-0375842207.
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES:
This course will be a study and practical application of pedagogy in the teaching of Young Adult Literature (YAL),
with emphasis on methods teachers can incorporate into current curriculum or use as a bridge to multicultural,
interdisciplinary, historical, and classical literature. This course is reading-and- writing intensive.
Students will
1. study and respond to rationales and objectives for using YAL in the classroom, and
assess the suitability of particular texts and topics for various grade levels and abilities;
2. analyze several YAL contemporary works of fiction;
3. recognize and explore the universality of YAL, including its characters, themes, settings,
plots, and symbols;
4. appreciate the intellectual, psychological, and emotional complexity inherent in YAL;
5. develop practical teaching techniques to help integrate quality YAL into the curriculum;
6. collaborate and compile a teaching unit over one of the required texts and present an oral
report over the unit;
7. formulate an objective criteria for evaluating suitability of YAL for various grade levels/abilities;
8. familiarize themselves with key scholarly resources in YAL;
9. formulate various assessment strategies; and
10. develop a working bibliography of key resources in YAL.
REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION:
 careful, close reading of the texts; bring copy of text on day it is discussed;
 participation in class discussions and small group reports;
 teaching unit/presentation*;
 one argumentative paper*;
 submission of all work; note that late work is lowered one grade for each “late day”;
 mid-session exam.
*Model and explanation will be included within the packet of information received on the first
three days of class.
Graduate students will be required to produce a greater quantity and quality of work that clearly
demonstrates their mastery of the subject surpasses that of undergraduates enrolled in the same
course.
APPROXIMATE GRADE BREAKDOWN:
Class Participation
15%
Paper**
25%
Teaching Unit & Presentation 35%
Test(s)
25%
GRADING SCALE:
90-100 = A
89-90 = B
79-70 = C
69-60 = D
ATTENDANCE:
Attendance is required. If you miss more than two classes or have unexcused absences, your grade will
be lowered 1/2 of a grade for each day missed. If absent, it is your responsibility to make up the work.
SCHEDULE:
Week I
7/1
Week II
Introduction to class; syllabus review; requirements for assignments;
handouts on literary terminology; begin lecture/discussion: Bless Me, Ultima
7/2
Lecture/discussion: Bless Me, Ultima; preparation time – unit project presentation;
handouts on guidelines for argumentative paper
7/3
Lecture/discussion: The Kite Runner
7/4
NO CLASS
7/5
Conference/research – No class
7/8
Lecture/discussion: Sold
7/9
Lecture/discussion: The Book Thief
7/10 Finish The Book Thief; lecture/discussion The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
7/11 Mid-session exam over terminology, in-class discussion of Bless Me, Ultima, The
Kite Runner, Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sold, and The Book Thief
7/12 Conferences/research
Week III
7/15 Lecture/discussion: House of Scorpion*
7/16 Preparation time – unit project presentation
7/17 Lecture/discussion: Hunger Games*
7/18 Lecture/discussion: Ship Breaker*
7/19 Conferences/research
Week IV
7/22 Lecture/discussion: Looking for Alaska*
7/23 Group presentation: Speak; follow-up discussion on book
7/24 Group presentation: Whale Talk; follow-up discussion on book
7/25 Group presentation: Chains; follow-up discussion on book**
7/26 Conferences/research
*In lieu of final exam, quizzes may be given at the beginning of class over some or all of the
novels denoted with a single asterisk.
**Undergraduate students must submit the argumentative essay at the beginning of the last
regular class period so that final grade can be submitted by noon, Mon., July 29.