LIBR 265-10
Materials for Young Adults
Fall 2014 Greensheet

Professor Beth Wrenn-Estes, Lecturer
E-mail
Cell Phone – 510-410-1959
Office Hours: By Appointment

THE CANVAS SITE AND COURSE GREENSHEET/SYLLABUS

This course will be available on Canvas by August 25th, 2014. You will be automatically enrolled into the site. Visit the Canvas class site often for course updates, resources, announcements, and other relevant information. Students are responsible to know the content on the Canvas course site and Greensheet/Syllabus. It is also the student’s responsibility to ask questions and express concerns as quickly so that the instructor can provide an answer/response immediately.

DISCLAIMER

The instructor makes every effort to proofread the Greensheet/Syllabus and the Canvas Course Site but errors can occur. Please contact the instructor with any errors you see or any questions or may have.

Course Description

This course will allow students to take an in depth look at materials in a variety of formats for teens ages 15-18, including fiction, popular nonfiction, graphic novels, movies, computer games, websites, other media, and determine how they can meet developmental needs.

Course Requirements

Questions, Comments, Concerns- Discussion Thread
Please post all questions, concerns, and general comments on the discussion thread under Content/Discussion Threads on the Canvas class site. If the question or concern is of a personal nature send directly to the instructor’s email address (bwestes@mac.com).

It is your responsibility to ask questions and express concerns you have about assignments or other materials provided for the class. Please make sure to use the Greensheet/Syllabus and the class Canvas Site in tandem during the semester to get all of the information you need to succeed in the course.

Disclaimer:
The instructor reserves the right to assign additional readings on the weekly outlines. Additional readings will be assigned no less than 10 days out from the week the readings are to be read.

BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE SESSIONS – Mandatory

WEEK 7 – Wednesday, October 8th (7 points)

Discussion of The Fault In Our Stars (Green)

6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Pacific

Session is Mandatory

Discussion Questions will be sent out to class by October 1st

WEEK 12 – Wednesday, November 12^th (7 points)

Discussion of Luna by Julie Ann Peters

6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Pacific

Session is Mandatory

Discussion questions will be sent out to the class by November 3rd

WEEK 15 – Wednesday, December 3 (15 points)

GROUP PRESENTATIONS (Genre-Author Studies)

6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Pacific

Session is Mandatory

Skeletal Outlines are due Monday, December 1st

iSchool Competencies: A,F,I,M
Course Objectives: 1,4,5,6

GRADING - See scale at end of Greensheet
Rounding – The instructor does not round points to the next whole number. If you receive an 89.6 you will get the grade equivalent for those points.

POINT ALLOCATION BY ASSIGNMENT

NOTE: The instructor reserves the right to deduct points for any work not done on time for example missing a Blackboard Collaborate session and/or not participating in discussion threads,etc.

E-mail Subject Lines/Naming of Assignment Files - MANDATORY

• Format for subject line for all email correspondence:
  LIBR 265_YOUR LAST NAME (Example LIBR 265_WrennEstes)
• Format the file name for all of your assignments:
  LIBR 265_YOUR LAST NAME_KEYWORD OF ASSIGNMENT TITLE (Ex: LIBR265_WrennEstes_GenreAuthor)

E-mail Response Time
Instructor normally answers email on a regular basis throughout the day and evenings.
The “policy” for responding to email is: 24-hours from receipt of the email by the instructor. The instructor will inform the class if a longer response time is needed (instructor out of town, illness, etc.)

Crisis or Emergency
Please call the instructor if a situation will prevent you from doing assignments, Blackboard Collaborate sessions and discussion threads. You will receive a zero for any course work missed unless you have received permission from the instructor for an extension. The instructor reserves the right to deduct points (the number of which is determined by the instructor) for any work not done on time, missed Blackboard Collaborate sessions or non-participation in discussion threads.

Course Calendar
Subject to change with fair notice.

Technology Requirements
You will need a high-speed connection (DSL, cable, etc.) to successfully participate in this class. Please see the Technology Requirements and Instructions for Success handout.

SOTES
Students evaluate the course and instructor at the end of each term. An announcement will go out from the administration to let students/faculty know when they open for input. SOTES are the student’s voice to the administration about the course itself and the instructor. Please take the time to complete SOTES when they open at the end of the semester.

DISCUSSION THREADS - MANDATORY

Discussion #1 - 1 pts
August 25 – August 31 (Week 1)

Introductions – Introduce yourself – tell us a little about yourself including how far into the program you are. (1 post per student due by 5 p.m. on August 31st)

Discussion #2 - 4 pts
September 15 – September 21 (Week 4)

Discuss the brain articles and readings assigned. 5 points (4 posts per student)

The first post addresses the topic of the thread and includes your insights and opinions on the topic and references to your readings and our discussions. You need to create a short bib indicating what resources you are using in your post. The 1st substantial post must be on the thread by midnight Tuesday (September 16th). The 2nd substantial post must be on the site by midnight, Thursday (September 18th). You are required to post two additional posts commenting/answering/questioning classmate’s posts. These two posts must be done by midnight, Saturday, September 20th. The thread will officially close on Sunday, September 21st at 5 p.m. PST. Please post more than the minimum – keep the discussion going.

Discussion #3 - 4 pts
October 6 – October 12 (Week 7)

The first part last will be discussed via the discussion thread. The instructor will provide discussion thread question(s) in advance of the thread start date. (5 posts per student)

The first post addresses the topic of the thread and includes your insights and opinions on the topic and references to your readings and our discussions. You need to create a short bib indicating what resources you are using in your post. The 1st substantial post must be on the thread by midnight Tuesday (October 7th). The 2nd substantial post must be on the site by midnight, Thursday (October 9th). You are required to post two additional posts commenting/answering/questioning classmate’s posts. These two posts must be done by 11:59 p.m. PST, Saturday, October 11th. The thread will officially close on Sunday, October 12^th at 5 p.m. PST. Please post more than the minimum – keep the discussion going.

Discussion #4 - 4 pts
October 27 – November 2 (Week 10)

Cinder will be discussed via the discussion thread. The instructor will provide discussion thread question(s) in advance of the thread start date. (5 posts per student)

The first post addresses the topic of the thread and includes your insights and opinions on the topic and references to your readings and our discussions. You need to create a short bib indicating what resources you are using in your post. The 1st substantial post must be on the thread by midnight Tuesday (October 28th). The 2nd substantial post must be on the site by midnight, Thursday (October 30th). You are required to post two additional posts commenting/answering/questioning classmate’s posts. These two posts must be done by midnight, Saturday, November 1st. The thread will officially close on Sunday, November 2nd at 5 p.m. PST. Please post more than the minimum – keep the discussion going.

Discussion #5 - 4 pts
November 10 – November 16 (Week 12)

The Body of Christopher Creed will be discussed via the discussion thread. The instructor will provide discussion thread question(s) in advance of the thread start date. (5 posts per student)

The first post addresses the topic of the thread and includes your insights and opinions on the topic and references to your readings and our discussions. You need to create a short bib indicating what resources you are using in your post. The 1st substantial post must be on the thread by midnight Tuesday (November 12th). The 2nd substantial post must be on the site by midnight, Thursday (November 14th). You are required to post two additional posts commenting/answering/questioning classmate’s posts. These two posts must be done by midnight, Saturday, November 15th. The thread will officially close on November 16th at 5 p.m. PST. Please post more than the minimum – keep the discussion going.

Discussion #6- 4 pts
December 1 – December 7 (Week 15)

Intellectual Freedom (IF)/Censorship

Base your posts on your feelings and observations from the readings (both print and web based) and the LaRue lecture. Discuss the different Intellectual Freedom/Censorship issues in school libraries versus those found in the public library setting. Focus your comments on adolescent materials you’ve read and experiences with youth this semester. (4 posts per student)

The first post addresses the topic of the thread and includes your insights and opinions on the topic and references to your readings and our discussions. You need to create a short bib indicating what resources you are using in your post. The first substantial post must be on the thread by 11:59 p.m. PST Tuesday, December 2nd.The second substantial post must be on the thread by 11:59 p.m. PST Thursday, December 4th and two posts responding to classmate’s posts must be on the thread by Sunday, December 7th, 5 p.m. PST

DISCUSSION PARTICIPATION = Remember that additional posts are welcomed and encouraged and participation is an important part of the distance learning environment and exhibits behavior that goes beyond just the required participation level and into the “Exceptional” level of effort.

iSchool Competencies: F,I,M
Course Objectives: 2,3,4,5

WEEKLY OUTLINES
SCHEDULE/ASSIGNMENTS/READINGS

WEEK 1 – AUGUST 25 – AUGUST 31

Discussion #1 - 1 pts

Introductions – Introduce yourself – tell us a little about yourself including how far into the program you are. (1 post per student due by 5 p.m. on August 31st)

Lecture

• Overview of Week 1
• Overview of each major assignment

Readings

In Textbooks

• Boyd, Introduction, Chapter 1
• Chase, Chapter 1
• Additional articles and websites will be available when the Canvas site opens at semester start.

Tasks
Sign Up on the Google Doc indicating what group you would like to be in.

Deadline to sign up will be September 8th

LINK: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgXEHOCLnHM3dG9BWm5lS0hpNFY4bHNFbkg1VC11ZFE&usp=sharing

Weekly Topics:

Young Adult Materials/Literature, Adolescent Characteristics and explanation of the class assignments and expectations.

WEEK 2 – SEPTEMBER 1 – SEPTEMBER 7 (includes Labor Day)

Discussion Thread - None

Readings

In Textbooks

• Boyd, Chapters 2, 3, 4
• Additional articles and websites will be available when the Canvas site opens at semester start.

Lecture(s)

Overview of Week 2

Weekly Topics:

Teenage brain and emotional development, the young adult reader, trends and issues in young adult literature

WEEK 3 – SETEMBER 8 – SEPTEMBER 14

Discussion Thread - None

Tasks
Due Monday, September 15th- Facilitator name with group # to instructor (by email)

Readings
In Textbooks

• Boyd – Chapters 5, 6, 7
• Young Adult and Multimedia - Introduction and Section I
• Chase – Chapters 2, 3
• Additional articles and websites will be available when the Canvas site opens at semester start.

Lecture(s)

Overview of Week 3

Weekly Topics:

Teenage brain and emotional development, YALSA site, more background on YA genres especially controversial lit.

WEEK 4 – SEPTEMBER 15 – SEPTEMBER 21

Discussion #2 - 4 pts

Discuss the brain articles and readings assigned. 5 points (4 posts per student)

The first post addresses the topic of the thread and includes your insights and opinions on the topic and references to your readings and our discussions. You need to create a short bib indicating what resources you are using in your post. The 1st substantial post must be on the thread by midnight Tuesday (September 16th). The 2nd substantial post must be on the site by midnight, Thursday (September 18th). You are required to post two additional posts commenting/answering/questioning classmate’s posts. These two posts must be done by midnight, Saturday, September 20th. The thread will officially close on Sunday, September 21st at 5 p.m. PST. Please post more than the minimum – keep the discussion going.

Readings

In Textbooks

• Boyd, Chapter 8
• Chase, Chapter 4
• Additional articles and websites will be available when the Canvas site opens at semester start.

Lecture(s)

Overview Week 4

Assignment Due – September 21st (Sunday)
Digital Resource Paper by 11:59 p.m. PST

Weekly Topics:

Serving Older Teens, Internet bullying, Parental controls and responsibilities, Intro to Selection Tools, Reader’s Advisory

WEEK 5 – SEPTEMBER 22 – SEPTEMBER 28

Discussion Thread - None

Tasks
Due Monday, September 15th- Facilitator name with group # to instructor (by email)

Lecture(s)

Overview Week 5

Readings

In Textbooks

• Chase, Chapter 5
• Young Adult Literature and Multimedia – Section II, Part A
• Additional articles and websites will be available when the Canvas site opens at semester start.

Weekly Topics:

BookTalking, Alternative Formats - Reading Interests of Older Teens

WEEK 6 – SEPTEMBER 29 – OCTOBER 5

Discussion Thread - None

Task - Submit 3 sample blog entries (in one WORD document) by October 1^st 11:59 p.m. PST

Lectures:

Overview Week 6

Readings

In Textbooks

• Young Adult Literature and Multimedia – Section II, Part B
• Chase, Chapter 6
• Additional articles and websites will be available when the Canvas site opens at semester start.
• Anderson, Chapters 3,5 (PDF)

Weekly Topics:

Genres – Realistic Fiction/Issues and Contemporary Life, Romance – Humor – Sports, Reader's Advisory

WEEK 7 – OCTOBER 6 – OCTOBER 12

Discussion #3 - 4 pts

The first part last will be discussed via the discussion thread. The instructor will provide discussion thread question(s) in advance of the thread start date. (5 posts per student)

The first post addresses the topic of the thread and includes your insights and opinions on the topic and references to your readings and our discussions. You need to create a short bib indicating what resources you are using in your post. The 1st substantial post must be on the thread by midnight Tuesday (September 30th). The 2nd substantial post must be on the site by midnight, Thursday (October 2nd). You are required to post two additional posts commenting/answering/questioning classmate’s posts. These two posts must be done by midnight, Saturday, October 4th. The thread will officially close on Sunday, October 5th at 5 p.m. PST. Please post more than the minimum – keep the discussion going.

Lectures:

• Overview of Week 7
• Jack Baur and Amanda Jacobs Foust lecture on Graphic Novels/Comics

ELLUMINATE Session - Mandatory

Wednesday, October 8^th (7 points)

Discussion of The Fault In Our Stars (Green)

6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Pacific

Session is Mandatory

Discussion Questions will be sent out to class by October 1^st.

Readings

In Textbooks

• Young Adult Literature and Multimedia – Section II, Part C
• Additional articles and websites will be available when the Canvas site opens at semester start.

Weekly Topics:

Selection Tools and Collection Development, Writing Reviews, Booktalking, Genres

WEEK 8 – OCTOBER 13 – OCTOBER 19

Lecture:

Overview Week 8

Readings

In Textbooks

• Cart, Part 2, Chapters 11,12
• Young Adult Literature and Multimedia – Section III
• Additional articles and websites will be available when the Canvas site opens at semester start.

Weekly Topics:

Genre - Fantasy/Science Fiction, Non-print collections, YA Lit-History

WEEK 9 – OCTOBER 20 – OCTOBER 26

Discussion Thread – None

Readings

In Textbooks

• Cart, Part 2, Chapters 13, 14
• Additional articles and websites will be available when the Canvas site opens at semester start.

Lectures

• Overview of Week 9
• Interview with Jamie LaRue
  http://amazon.sjsu.edu/html-bwestes/JamiePart1-1.mp3Part 1 (mp3)
  http://amazon.sjsu.edu/html-bwestes/JamiePart2-2.mp3Part 2 (mp3)
• Censorship In Schools (mp3)
  http://amazon.sjsu.edu/html-bwestes/CensorshipinSchools.mp3

Assignment Due – October 26^th (Sunday 11:59 p.m. PST)

Literary Criticism – The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

Weekly Topics: Genres - Graphic Novels/Manga, Short Stories, Poetry, Drama, Non-fiction, Autobiographies, Biographies, and adolescent alienation, the future of YA, Marketing and Fiction

WEEK 10 – OCTOBER 27 – NOVEMBER 2

Discussion #4 - 4 pts

Cinder will be discussed via the discussion thread. The instructor will provide discussion thread question(s) in advance of the thread start date. (5 posts per student)

The first post addresses the topic of the thread and includes your insights and opinions on the topic and references to your readings and our discussions. You need to create a short bib indicating what resources you are using in your post. The 1st substantial post must be on the thread by midnight Tuesday (October 28th). The 2nd substantial post must be on the site by midnight, Thursday (October 30th). You are required to post two additional posts commenting/answering/questioning classmate’s posts. These two posts must be done by midnight, Saturday, November 1st. The thread will officially close on Sunday, November 2nd at 5 p.m. PST. Please post more than the minimum – keep the discussion going.

Lecture

Overview Week 10

Readings

• Additional articles and websites will be available when the Canvas site opens at semester start.

Weekly Topics: Intellectual Freedom and YA Materials, Genres - Multicultural, Alternative, Christian Fiction, GLBT, Finish Database/Blog

WEEK 11 – NOVEMBER 3 – NOVEMBER 9

Discussion Thread – None

Lectures:

Overview of Week 11

Interview with Jamie LaRue
http://amazon.sjsu.edu/html-bwestes/JamiePart1-1.mp3Part 1 (mp3)
http://amazon.sjsu.edu/html-bwestes/JamiePart2-2.mp3Part 2 (mp3)
http://amazon.sjsu.edu/html-bwestes/CensorshipinSchools.mp3Censorship In Schools (mp3)

Readings

Article on Jamie LaRue (PDF)

Great Christian Fiction Books for Teens (URL)

Life Issues for Teenage Girls

Wrestling with the Faith in YA Fiction (PDF)

Young Adults Big Issues (PDF)

Faith Based Genres

Youth Fiction Grows Up (PDF)

Supporting Gay Literature (PDF)

How to not stand up for (some) literature (Bitch Mag) (URL)

Authors Say Agents Try to “Straighten” Gay Characters in YA

Weekly Topics:
Intellectual Freedom and Young Adults, Genres - Multicultural, Christian Fiction, GLBT

WEEK 12 – NOVEMBER 10 – NOVEMBER 16

Discussion #5 - 4 pts

The Body of Christopher Creed will be discussed via the discussion thread. The instructor will provide discussion thread question(s) in advance of the thread start date. (5 posts per student)

The first post addresses the topic of the thread and includes your insights and opinions on the topic and references to your readings and our discussions. You need to create a short bib indicating what resources you are using in your post. The 1st substantial post must be on the thread by midnight Tuesday (November 12th). The 2nd substantial post must be on the site by midnight, Thursday (November 14th). You are required to post two additional posts commenting/answering/questioning classmate’s posts. These two posts must be done by midnight, Saturday, November 15th. The thread will officially close on November 16th at 5 p.m. PST. Please post more than the minimum – keep the discussion going.

Lectures:

Overview of Week 12

ELLUMINATE SESSION – Mandatory

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12th

Discussion of Luna by Julie Ann Peters

6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Pacific

Session is Mandatory

Discussion questions will be sent out to the class by November 1

Weekly Topics: Controversial Fiction

WEEK 13 – NOVEMBER 17 – NOVEMBER 23

Lectures:

Overview of Week 13

Readings:

Young Readers Still Buying (PDF)

Who Says Teens Don't Read (PDF)

Teen Consumers and the Trials (PDF)

Report Bashes MTV for Marketing (PDF)

The Effects of the Media and Marketing on Teens (PDF)

Marketing Research Speaks at Florida State University on Teen Buying Habits (PDF)

Weekly Topics:
Marketing

WEEK 14 – NOVEMBER 24 – NOVEMBER 30

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Discussion Thread – None

Lecture:

Overview of Week 14

TASK: Keep working on blog/database

WEEK 15 – DECEMBER 1 – DECEMBER 7

Discussion #6- 4 pts

Intellectual Freedom (IF)/Censorship

Base your posts on your feelings and observations from the readings (both print and web based) and the LaRue lecture. Discuss the different Intellectual Freedom/Censorship issues in school libraries versus those found in the public library setting. Focus your comments on adolescent materials you’ve read and experiences with youth this semester. (4 posts per student)

The first post addresses the topic of the thread and includes your insights and opinions on the topic and references to your readings and our discussions. You need to create a short bib indicating what resources you are using in your post. The first substantial post must be on the thread by 11:59 p.m. PST Tuesday, December 2nd .The second substantial post must be on the thread by 11:59 p.m. PST Thursday, December 4th and two posts responding to classmate’s posts must be on the thread by Sunday, December 7th 5 p.m. PST

Task

Outlines for group presentations are due to the instructor December 1^st 11:59 p.m. PST

Lectures:

Overview of Week 15

Reading:

• Chase, Chapter 7

ELLUMINATE SESSION

Tuesday, December 3rd (20 points)
GROUP PRESENTATIONS (Genre-Author Studies)
6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Pacific
Session is Mandatory

Weekly Topics: Marketing

WEEK 16 – DECEMBER 8 – DECEMBER 10 (SHORT WEEK)

Discussion Thread – None

Readings:

Entrepreneur to Open Chester County PA...Store for Teen,Tween Shoppers (PDF)

Marketing Pros are the Master (PDF)

Book Publishers Make a Move (PDF)

Merchandising to YA (PDF)

Connecting Libraries to Teens in the Digital Age (PDF)

In Lean Times, Schools Squeeze Out Librarians (URL)

Assignment Due – AUGUST 10th (Wednesday)

Database/Blog Project (30 points)

Due by 11:59 p.m. PST - please send instructor URL address as well as post URL on the proved discussion thread so your classmates may view your blog.

Weekly Topics:
Publishing, Marketing, Current Issues

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF ASSIGNMENTS

DIGITAL RESOURCES PAPER with JOURNAL (Appendix)

DUE SEPTEMBER 21st

(12 points)

Assignment Description: In order to understand teen behavior it is necessary to observe and speak with them. In this assignment we are looking at the use of digital resources by teens. This assignment has several pieces to it. There is an interview piece, an observation piece and then a research piece. You’ll tie all of these different parts together in one paper. While the instructor has given good resources to read it is important for additional research to be done beyond the resources provided.

FORMAT: WORD document required – Research Paper

Length of Paper: 12 to 15 pages including title page, all narrative sections, reference page(s) and appendices. Write clearly and concisely.

The research paper (BODY) must include:

Body

• A Title Page (1 page)
• An Introduction (1/2 to 1 page)
• An Interview/Observation Overview summarizing your data collection and research findings – do not include your journal entries – include the entire journal in the appendices (1 to 2 pages). Include the trends, difference and similarities you obtained from your interviews in this section.
• Two page Literature Review on digital technology and teens. (2 pages)
http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/ReviewofLiterature.html
• A Discussion about the trends you see in digital resources use by older teens garnered from both your literature review and your interview and observations. (1 to 2 pages)
• A Conclusion (synthesis of all parts of your paper - this shouldn't be just a couple of paragraphs but a substantial narrative on your whole process bringing together the complete process from developing venue choice/questions to ask/observation/journal writing. (1 page)
• Reference page(s) are in APA style. Suggest a minimum of 5 references for this paper. (1 page)

Interview/Observation

• Observe OLDER teens wherever you can find them (malls, coffee shops, your neighborhood, libraries, friends, etc).
• It is necessary to observe and interview teens for a minimum of 1 to 2 hours.
• Students may observe their own children if they are the age we are studying this semester or your children’s friends.
• Interview at least two teens as part of this assignment. You need to develop interview questions that will be asked of each of your interviewees so that you can compare answers to see trends, similarities and differences. The questions must elicit answers that will be relevant to the subject of the assignment – using digital resources. Teens must be in the age group we are studying (15-18 years of age).
• Include Interview questions in the appendices
• You may have to try more than one location to find teens to observe and interview.

Appendices

• You must include your interview questions as part of the appendices.
• Journal – a detailed record of where, when and what you observed in journal format. Journal is single-spaced. Page lengths of journals are normally 3-4 pages. Example: Date and Place of Observation, Length of observation time, what was observed (in full sentences and grammatically correct)

WRITING STANDARDS:

Students will produce assignments that meet writing and research standards appropriate for students in a Master’s program of study. It is critical to proofread your work before turning it in. Graduate level writing standards do not tolerate spelling or grammatical errors of any kind. Students are encouraged to refer to a writing handbook - Strunk and White’s Elements of Style for example. APA is mandated for citations included within the text of the paper and reference/bib page(s). See class rubric under Modules on the Canvas class site for description of criteria/expectations for each grade level.

SPELLING AND GRAMMAR ERRORS

If in the instructors opinion, your assignment contains too many errors in spelling or grammar the instructor will reduce points for this part of the assignment, stop grading go on for content and other elements that are required in the assignment.

Digital Resources Research Paper MUST include:

• Cover/Title page (name, course name and section number, school name, date, instructor’s name. Title should be what the Instructor has named the assignment. The title you have created for the assignment may be used as a secondary title.
• Include page numbers (except on the Title Page).
• Name of assignment on each page (other than the cover page) and use the Instructor’s name for the assignment not any you have created.
• Reference Page/Works Cited in full accordance with APA formatting
• Citations/Quotes in the body of the paper need to be formatted according to APA style. Journal must be written in complete sentences and no use of abbreviations or acronyms without clarification of what the letters stand for.
• Spelling, grammar, and syntactical errors are not tolerated.

DISCLAIMER - EXAMPLES OF ASSIGNMENT: There are examples of the assignment under Modules on the Canvas class site but these are from previous semester’s work and the requirements or format for this assignment have changed. The examples are provided as a guideline not necessarily what the present semester assignment requires.

iSchool Competencies: F,I,M
Course Objectives: 1, 3, 5

LITERARY CRITICISM – 12 points

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

Due October 26th by 11:59 p.m. PST

Description

Write a critical essay (literary criticism) on The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. You must read the novel and look through the provided resources as well as do some additional research on your own beyond the resources provided. There is a specific style and several types of literary criticism for you to review. You should read through the definitions of each type of criticism and decide on what one you will use in your paper.

Length – Maximum - 15 pages including title page and reference page(s)

What is literary criticism?

Literary analysis, or literary criticism, refers to a reader's efforts to investigate a text to understand why it has been constructed or written the way it is as well as to understand the types of cultural, social or personal assumptions or arguments it makes. Although any person with a critical eye can evaluate a text, several thematic approaches to literary criticism have emerged in the past 200 years to help readers narrow their focus when engaging in literary analysis.

http://www.ehow.com/info_8309882_kinds-literary-criticism.html


http://www.ehow.com/info_8079187_approaches-literary-criticism.html - ixzz2pk8JOH6p


How to Write a Critical Essay?
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/618/01/

http://www.writeawriting.com/how-to-write/critical-essay-paper/

Examples of literary criticism (others on the Canvas site)

Huckleberry Finn

http://itech.fgcu.edu/&/issues/vol1/issue1/huckfinn.htm

The Giver

Seeing Beyond Sameness: Using The Giver to Challenge Colorblind Ideology by Susan Lea. (PDF)

Paper Content

In addition to actual criticism you write you must also include an abstract and a detailed summary. You must have a title page that includes Title of Assignment, Class Number and Section, Student Name, Instructor Name, Name of University and Date of Assignment.

Writing-Research Standards


Students will produce writing and research that meet the standards for graduate level work. It is critical to proofread before turning the assignment in. Graduate level writing standards do not tolerate spelling or grammatical errors of any kind. Students are encouraged to refer to a writing handbook - Strunk and White’s Elements of Style for example. APA is mandated for citations included within the text of the paper and reference/bib page(s) only. See class rubric under Modules on the Canvas class site.

SPELLING AND GRAMMAR ERRORS

Instructor may not read your entire paper for spelling and grammar mistakes; if, in the instructor's opinion, your paper contains too many errors the instructor will reduce your points substantially and stop grading your blog for mechanics and will go on for content and other elements that are required in the assignment.

iSchool Competencies: F, M
Student Learning Objectives: 1,2,5

GROUP PRESENTATION –

BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE SESSION – DECEMBER 3rd

6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Pacific


WORTH - 12 pts.


FORMAT: Blackboard Collaborate Presentation

GROUP ASSIGNMENTS

The Instructor will determine the topics/genres and authors and will post via a Google Doc. Students will have an opportunity to choose which group they want to belong to and must sign up by September 8th Students will be allowed to sign up for the group they want on a first-come/first-serve basis.

GOOGLE DOC -

The instructor will ask each group to designate a “group liaison”. The group liaison will be the point of contact with the instructor for the group. The group liaison also communicates with the Blackboard Collaborate assistant. Having one person designated as the contact helps eliminate multiple emails and allows a smoother communication process throughout the assignment. This person is not responsible to organize the group – each member of the group has to take the responsibility on to work (communicate) with the group on a regular basis. Submit liaison’s name to instructor via email by September 15th.

PARTICIPATION IN GROUP


Each group member must participate fully in the research for the presentation and the presentation itself. The group liaison will provide the instructor with an outline of the presentation content and what member is assigned to each of those content areas. Groups will present their findings to the class during the Blackboard Collaborate session scheduled for the presentations (see below). The group will be graded as a whole not as individual members. It is critical that the group produce a team effort on the assignment. The instructor may reduce points on an individual who is found not participating on the same level as the other group members. Each group will have a discussion thread created for their group to use on the class Canvas site for communication between members of the group. Groups may use other means to communicate and organize other than the Canvas discussion threads.

TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF PRESENTATION


Each group must use presentation software compatible with Blackboard Collaborate to create an informative and creative look at the genre. Elements in past presentations have included PowerPoint slides, desktop sharing, video links including videotaping individual group member presentations; music and many past presentations included all of these elements.

All information should be submitted together not separately. In other words if the group creates a PowerPoint everything in the presentation is included in the PowerPoint even if at the end as additional resources or information. The intent is not to have documents for the presentation in multiple formats and places.

INCLUDE:

• What is the genres’ history in young adult literature?
• Who are the YA author’s best known in the genre and some bibliographic information about each of those authors? Choose only those that are best known due to time limitations for presentations.

• Examples of titles within the genre – a list of top titles and brief synopsis about each of them – again watch the number due time restrictions. Remember to look beyond the Best Reads lists to other sources to make sure you are not missing a title that may be getting rave reviews but not necessarily in the top review sources.
• You can include a bibliography as part of your presentation that includes more titles but that you don’t cover during the actual presentation time.
• Summary – a synthesis of what conclusions the group’s research has brought forward about the genre.

The technical elements for what will be used to create the presentation must be discussed with our Blackboard Collaborate Assistant to insure that what the group is planning will work on Blackboard Collaborate. Each group is encouraged to practice their presentations in advance so that no technical issues arise on presentation night.

OUTLINE


The group will create an outline of the presentation in skeletal format. The outline needs to include the name of the person researching the different topics and/or presenting the topic during the presentation. This outline is intended to allow the instructor to see how research work was allocated and indicate who is responsible to present each area of content during the presentation. Outlines are due to the instructor by Monday, December 1st 11:59 p.m. PST. One outline per group submitted through the liaison to the instructor.

How to get full-points for the assignment - make sure that your presentation includes all of the required content areas. Full points will only be awarded to “exceptional” work. Exceptional work goes above the stated requirements and pays strict attention to all details of the assignment meeting and exceeding the elements of “good” presentations and pushes the group’s effort into the realm of exceptional presentations.

iSchool Competencies: A,F,M
Course Objectives: 2, 3, 4, 5

YOUNG ADULT MATERIALS RESEARCH/BLOG PROJECT

DUE Wednesday, DECEMBER 10th (by 11:59 p.m. PST)

WORTH 30 POINTS

FORMAT: Blog (Academic Style – replaces paper but uses the blog format to allow more creativity with embedded links, photos, etc. – Writing style remains formal academic)

DESCRIPTION:

Choose the blog creation software carefully. Start the blog creation early in the semester (first weeks). Poor planning on your part does not necessitate an extension beyond the due date on my part. This assignment is worth 30% of your grade so please make sure you are working on it throughout the semester not just during the final weeks.


Students in past classes have used the following (there may be others):

• Live Journal (livejournal.com)
• Blogger (blogger.com
• Blogspot (blogspot.com)
• Weebly (weebly.com)
• Word Press (wordpress.com)

Please review criteria for this assignment described in the list below and make sure you follow the directions and understand the assignment. This research project must include all types of materials for teens aged 15-18.

SAMPLE BLOG ENTRIES DUE – 3 complete blog book entries must be sent to the instructor by October 1^st (word format please). The instructor wants to make sure that each student is writing in the correct style and tone. This hopefully will avoid losing points when final blog is turned in August 10th.

COMPOSITION: 50 items/entries are required (mandatory) for your project (the instructor assumes students will read, watch, play, or listen to each of the titles/material selected for inclusion in the project).

These materials are directly tied to the library collection and should be considered “acquired” by the library. An example – if you include games that are provided free on the Internet the library is supplying the computer and the Internet access not the game. You would not include games that are free on the library computers. If the library provides games for checkout-loaded to computers in the library-related to a program then the library is providing that material. Ask if you need further clarification on any “materials”.

MAXIMUMS/CLARIFICATIONS

DIVERSITY OF MATERIAL FORMATS IS THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL COLLECTION - you may not include only books in your blog/database


These are just a few of the materials that have needed clarification in the past. The list below does not include all material types that you may want to include. If you have other questions please post to the discussion thread provided for questions and/or concerns.

These are the maximums allowed for different types of materials in your blog/database project.

PLEASE SEE ELEMENT CHART UNDER DETAILED ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION MODULE

MATERIALS – must be appropriately focused on 15-18 (older teens) and materials that you would see in a library setting (public or school).


• Adult Titles - "cross-overs" for teens aged 15-18 – Up to 5
• Series - Instructor defines two titles from a series as a series entry. You may only have 5 series in your blog. If you only select one title from a series it counts as a single entry NOT in the series count.
• Individual Author – Maximum of three titles per author - you are to provide a diverse look at materials not just materials by one or two specific authors.
• Individual Genre – Be careful to include as many genres/sub-genres as you can. The database is to be good representation of what materials are available.
• Audiobooks are considered in the book count – Up to 35 books/audiobooks but you cannot do this entire category as audio books. Use common sense.
• Non-Fiction- you may include Non-Fiction titles in your book selections. They count towards you 35 and you should limit NF to 4 titles.
• Games - Up to 3 games may be included. Games that are found free on the Internet are not supplied by the Library and do not count as games in the definition of this assignment. Games purchased by the library are the types of games you should consider for inclusion in your database.
• Subscription databases like Proquest or Britannica Online, etc. to teens aged 15-18 (Facebook and other social media sites, etc. are not “provided/purchased” by the Library. They are available free on the Internet and therefore not to be included in the database – Up to 4 databases
• Magazines that are marketing primarily for teens – Up to 4
• Music CD’s – Up to 3
• Movies – Must be primarily focused on teen audience (Clueless, Twilight, etc.) – Up to 5

CLARIFICATION – you may include both the movie and the book only if you can provide a very thorough and detailed explanation in your justification section of the entries. You may do this only twice in your blog/database.

• You must include all types of materials available to teens 15-18.

The project MUST include the following elements however more elements of the student’s choice may be included: Use the names of the individual parts of the assignment as the headers throughout your blog.


All of the same components included on regular paper’s title page must be included at the top of the homepage of the blog.

• Cover Art
• Create a list in alphabetical order of the material titles you included. This list must either appear on the side margin of the blog or if you chose a blog software that does not allow alphabetical listings create the list as your last blog entry thus placing it at the top of the blog. The instructor must be able to see what titles you are including easily. You can create a blog entry as your last entry putting it first in the blog chronology and simply type an alpha list of the titles in the blog. Most software will allow you to create an index but the individual blog entry is a work around that has worked for students in the past.
• Each element must be a separate entry and not combined with another element. For example do not combine Plot Summary and Critical Evaluation. They are two separate required elements. Please do not include fields within an entry on separate blog pages – this makes it a nightmare to read and creates an un-necessarily long blog. Keep the elements with the title in one entry.
• Give Bibliographic information (at a minimum Title, Author, ISBN/any other identifying numbers present on DVD's, Publisher, Copyright Date. Bib information will be specific to type of material so check out an entry from your local library catalog to see what is included for non-print materials. Some materials may not have the traditional bibliographical information you will find with books.
• Write a Plot Summary (compose in your own words).

A plot summary is between 150-250 words and guides the reader through the understanding of what the book is about and the characters involved in the plot. It is usually a chronological progression through the books telling the story line. The plot summary NEVER gives the ending away.

• Write a Critical Evaluation (compose in your own words).

An in-depth look at the work including but not limited to describing one or more literary elements. Literary elements are: Plot, characterization, point of view, conflict, foreshadowing, irony, tone/mood, symbolism, theme, imagery and language. The length of a critical review is minimum of 150-300 words but can be longer. A critical evaluation is NOT a plot summary. They are two very different things.

• A critical evaluation is required in all entries.

Clarification of Critical Evaluation (non-print items) musical CD's you can include how good you think the lyrics are and the production; for movies cinematography, actors, plot, etc. These non-print materials may not have the length of a regular print material but you can still do a decent length with non-print.

• Write a Reader’s Annotation (compose in your own words).

A reader’s annotation is a “teaser”. The maximum length of the annotation should be no more than two sentences. Say something that “grabs” the reader and makes them want to read the book.

• Give information about the author (at least two paragraphs of text). You may cut and paste from another source but you must give credit to the source in the entry text.
• Indicate the Genre(s)
• Indicate Curriculum Ties, if any – if you are not including any then put N/A by the header. This is to be kept simple. You can look up the curriculum standards in your state and cut and past into this field or you can put down topics like Political Science/Civics, Diversity of Cultures, etc. You do not need to include examples from materials.
• Give examples of Booktalking Ideas (compose in your own words). DO NOT WRITE BOOKTALKS; give ideas for booktalks only. List one or two ideas.
• Indicate Reading Level/Interest Age (these may be two different ages – look at respected review sources)
• Challenge Issues, describe if any and brief idea of how you would prepare, as the librarian, if the material were to be challenged. How would you prepare and what would you have on hand if approached by a patron/parent concerned about material in your library? See Instructor’s lecture on creating a defense file. Why did you include this book in you’re the titles you selected? Look to instructor's lecture on creating a first defense file. Create an entry that you can cut and paste throughout the blog. Indicate the name of any selection tools (journal, website, etc.) you used or suggest, if appropriate.
• Why are you including this material? Justification of selection.
• A reference page is optional with this assignment unless you are directly citing material. You should either include the citation within the appropriate entry or create a blog page that you can include all of the citations on.

Examples: There are examples of past student’s blog(s) under Modules on the class Canvas site. You may not copy or reproduce these blogs in any way. These examples are provided as just that - EXAMPLES and the assignment is from a previous semester so not all assignment criteria will be the same. The requirements may have changed for the assignment this semester so please follow the requirements listed for the fall, 2014 assignment.

Writing-Research Standards


Creation of this assignment in blog format does not change the writing and research standards for this assignment.

Students will produce writing and research that meet the standards for graduate level work. It is critical to proofread before turning the assignment in. Graduate level writing standards do not tolerate spelling or grammatical errors of any kind. Students are encouraged to refer to a writing handbook - Strunk and White’s Elements of Style for example. APA is mandated for citations included within the text of the paper and reference/bib page(s) only. See class rubric under Modules on the Canvas class site

SPELLING AND GRAMMAR ERRORS


Instructor may not read your entire blog for spelling and grammar mistakes; if, in the instructor's opinion, your blog contains too many errors the instruction will reduce your points substantially and stop grading your blog for mechanics and will go on for content and other elements that are required in the assignment.

SUGGESTED LENGTH: Should be of sufficient length to cover the assignment.

iSchool Competencies: A,F,M
Course Objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

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Course Workload Expectations

Success in this course is based on the expectation that students will spend, for each unit of credit, a minimum of forty-five hours over the length of the course (normally 3 hours per unit per week with 1 of the hours used for lecture) for instruction or preparation/studying or course related activities including but not limited to internships, labs, clinical practica. Other course structures will have equivalent workload expectations as described in the syllabus.

Instructional time may include but is not limited to:
Working on posted modules or lessons prepared by the instructor; discussion forum interactions with the instructor and/or other students; making presentations and getting feedback from the instructor; attending office hours or other synchronous sessions with the instructor.

Student time outside of class:
In any seven-day period, a student is expected to be academically engaged through submitting an academic assignment; taking an exam or an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction; building websites, blogs, databases, social media presentations; attending a study group;contributing to an academic online discussion; writing papers; reading articles; conducting research; engaging in small group work.

Course Prerequisites

LIBR 200, LIBR 260A or LIBR 261A. 

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the external (societal) and internal (developmental) forces that influence teens' choices of recreational and informational sources and materials.
2. Evaluate selection tools, and use appropriate resources to develop a collection of materials for older teens, including all appropriate formats (print, nonprint, computer software, music, etc.).
3. Critically examine representative materials designed for older teens, including print and nonprint formats, books, graphic novels, television, movies, music, and a wide variety of computer software, including social networking software; apply criteria to evaluate materials in relation to developmental needs, multicultural concerns, and meeting the informational and recreational needs of this age group.
4. Create an appropriate materials collection for older teens, including print and nonprint materials and a variety of the digital resources currently available for this age group.
5. Exhibit knowledge of published resources about print and nonprint materials for older teens, such as reference materials, selection tools, and Web sites.
6. Assist parents and caregivers with questions about appropriate materials for their older teen children.

Core Competencies (Program Learning Outcomes)

LIBR 265 supports the following core competencies:

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Textbooks

Required Textbooks:

• Boyd, D. (2014). It's complicated. Yale University Press. Available through Amazon: 0300166311

• Chance, R. (2014). Young adult literature in action: A librarian's guide (2nd ed.). Libraries Unlimited. Available through Amazon: 1610692446

• Cormier, R. (2004). The chocolate war. Dell Laurel-Leaf. Available through Amazon: 0375829873

• Green, J. (2012). The Fault In Our Stars. Dutton Juvenile. Available through Amazon: 0525478817

• Johnson, A. (2010). The first part last. Simon & Schuster. Available through Amazon: 1442403438

• McElmeel, S. L., Loertscher, D. V., & Wrenn-Estes, B. (2014). Young adult literature and multimedia: A quick guide (9th ed.) . Learning Commons Press/Hi Willow Research and Publishing. Available through Publisher

• Meyer, M. (2013). Cinder. Feiwel and Friends. Available through Amazon: 1250007208

• Peters, J. A. (2004). Luna. Little Brown. Available through Amazon: 0316011274.

• Plum-Ucci, C. (2008). The body of Christopher Creed. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Available through Amazon: 0152063862

Recommended Textbooks:

• Cart, M. (2010). Young adult literature: From romance to realism. ALA. Available through Amazon: 0838910459

• Herald, D. T. (2003). Teen genreflecting: a guide to reading interests (2nd ed.). Libraries Unlimited. Available through Amazon: 1563089963.

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Grading Scale

The standard SJSU School of Information Grading Scale is utilized for all iSchool courses:

In order to provide consistent guidelines for assessment for graduate level work in the School, these terms are applied to letter grades:

• C represents Adequate work; a grade of "C" counts for credit for the course;
• B represents Good work; a grade of "B" clearly meets the standards for graduate level work;
  For core courses in the MLIS program (not MARA) — INFO 200, INFO 202, INFO 204 — the iSchool requires that students earn a B in the course. If the grade is less than B (B- or lower) after the first attempt you will be placed on administrative probation.  You must repeat the class the following semester. If -on the second attempt- you do not pass the class with a grade of B or better (not B- but B) you will be disqualified.
  
• A represents Exceptional work; a grade of "A" will be assigned for outstanding work only.

Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA).

University Policies

General Expectations, Rights and Responsibilities of the Student

As members of the academic community, students accept both the rights and responsibilities incumbent upon all members of the institution. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with SJSU's policies and practices pertaining to the procedures to follow if and when questions or concerns about a class arises. See University Policy S90-5 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S90-5.pdf. More detailed information on a variety of related topics is available in the SJSU catalog at http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/catalog/departments/LIS.html. In general, it is recommended that students begin by seeking clarification or discussing concerns with their instructor. If such conversation is not possible, or if it does not serve to address the issue, it is recommended that the student contact the Department Chair as a next step.

Dropping and Adding

Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drop, grade forgiveness, etc. Refer to the current semester's Catalog Policies section at http://info.sjsu.edu/static/catalog/policies.html. Add/drop deadlines can be found on the current academic year calendars document on the Academic Calendars webpage at http://www.sjsu.edu/provost/services/academic_calendars/. The Late Drop Policy is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/aars/policies/latedrops/policy/. Students should be aware of the current deadlines and penalties for dropping classes.

Information about the latest changes and news is available at the Advising Hub at http://www.sjsu.edu/advising/.

Consent for Recording of Class and Public Sharing of Instructor Material

University Policy S12-7, http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S12-7.pdf, requires students to obtain instructor's permission to record the course and the following items to be included in the syllabus:

• "Common courtesy and professional behavior dictate that you notify someone when you are recording him/her. You must obtain the instructor's permission to make audio or video recordings in this class. Such permission allows the recordings to be used for your private, study purposes only. The recordings are the intellectual property of the instructor; you have not been given any rights to reproduce or distribute the material."
  • It is suggested that the syllabus include the instructor's process for granting permission, whether in writing or orally and whether for the whole semester or on a class by class basis.
  • In classes where active participation of students or guests may be on the recording, permission of those students or guests should be obtained as well.
• "Course material developed by the instructor is the intellectual property of the instructor and cannot be shared publicly without his/her approval. You may not publicly share or upload instructor generated material for this course such as exam questions, lecture notes, or homework solutions without instructor consent."

Academic integrity

Your commitment, as a student, to learning is evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University. The University Academic Integrity Policy F15-7 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/F15-7.pdf requires you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The Student Conduct and Ethical Development website is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/studentconduct/.

Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 at http://www.sjsu.edu/president/docs/directives/PD_1997-03.pdf requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the Accessible Education Center (AEC) at http://www.sjsu.edu/aec to establish a record of their disability.

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