INFO 268-10
History of Youth Literature
Semester 2021 Syllabus

Dr. Natalie R. Rencher
E-mail
Office Location: Virtual
Office Hours: Please schedule an appointment by email.

Canvas Information: Courses will be available beginning June 1, 2021, at 6 am PDT unless you are taking an intensive or a one-unit or two-unit class that starts on a different day. In that case, the class will open on the first day that the class meets.

You will be enrolled in the Canvas site automatically.

Course Description

The history of literature for children and teens from its earliest examples to today's current trends, including how childhood has changed over the years, the influence of culture on those changes, and on the materials created for children and young adults. Students will gain an understanding of the history of children and young adult literature by analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Students will become familiar with a range of authors, genres, topics, and works of literature used in educational settings.

Course Requirements

Assignments

Course assignments are subject to change with fair notice. The assignments for this course are as follows:

• Discussions. 18 points. Targets course learning outcomes: 1, 3, 5.
  • Class Participation will be monitored by weekly class discussions. Students are required to write one major substantive discussion for each module week and respond to two classmates’ discussions for the same week. Responding to a discussion with "I agree” does not constitute participation because it does not add anything of substance to the discussion. To earn full participation points, the discussions must be related to the course topics for the week and include new ideas or personal perspectives.
• Weekly Reflections. 10 points. Targets course learning outcomes: 3, 4, 5.
  • Each week in this course, you will engage your thoughts and abilities as graduate students to advance your knowledge and personal academic agenda. These weekly reflections help students to position themselves as reflective thinkers. These weekly statements will serve as a critical reflection on your growth as a graduate student and culminate as the course reflection at the end of the class.
• Historical Book Reviews. 6 points. Targets course learning outcomes: 1, 3, 4, 5.
  • Write two long book reviews. Select a different topic for each review and read one picture book on that topic. Write a 500-word critical review and summary with an in-depth analysis that focuses on plot and theme. Format the book reviews consistent with APA guidelines.
  • Write two long book reviews. Select a different topic for each review and read one novel on that topic. Write a 500-word critical review and summary with an in-depth analysis that focuses on plot and theme. Format the book reviews consistent with APA guidelines.
  • Write two long book reviews. Select a different topic for each review and read one historical non-fiction on that topic. Write a 500-word critical review and summary with an in-depth analysis that focuses on plot and theme. Format the book reviews consistent with APA guidelines.
• Annotated Bibliography.   8 Points. Targets course learning outcomes: 4, 5.
  • Select a specific topic that will be used in the Literature Review for this class. Prepare an annotated bibliography of 10 books that reflect the types of books available. These are 10 different book titles. Please include a children’s award winner and a young adult award winner. Summarize and assess the book and provide a summary of the book, covering main points. Analyze the book’s strengths and weaknesses and evaluate any issues that emerge from your analyses. Format the bibliography citations and references consistent with APA guidelines.
• Literature Review - Part 1- Historical Background.   12 points. Targets course learning outcomes: 3, 5, 6, 7.
  • This assignment first part of a single stand-alone literature review due at the end of the course. From the topic selected from the annotated bibliography write the historical background that interprets some aspect of your topic. Review 10 different books on the topic. Format the literature review consistent with APA guidelines.
• Literature Review - Part 2 – Contemporary Contexts. 12 points. Targets course learning outcomes: 3, 5, 6, 7.
  • This assignment is the second part of a single stand-alone literature review due at the end of the course. From the topic selected from the annotated bibliography write the contemporary context that centers on current aspects of your topic. Review 10 different books on the topic. Format the literature review consistent with APA guidelines.
• PowerPoint Presentation.  9 points. Targets course learning outcomes: 2, 3, 7.
  • Prepare a PowerPoint to discuss the significance of maps in children and young adult literature. Share the historical overview, current perspectives, and the contributions of maps to the literature. Explore the software tools available in creating maps. Format the PowerPoint consistent with APA guidelines.
• Final Literature Review Paper.  25 points. Targets course learning outcomes: 3, 5, 6, 7.
  • Parts 1 and 2 are sections that are included in culminating the final paper. The final literature review must include your conceptual framework.  You are to compare and contrast based on your own interpretations of your topic and the books reviewed. The literature review must demonstrate critical analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and your position on your topic within the literature explored. Format the literature review consistent with APA guidelines.

Assignment Submission

Assignments are due on Mondays at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST) on the date due. *Late submissions will be reduced by 20% of the total points possible for that assignment or discussion post.*

Course Calendar

Grading

Other Relevant Information:

APA Guidelines: All written work including discussions, weekly reflections, and assignments must follow APA 6th or 7th edition guidelines. Particularly focusing on page numbers, double-spacing, in-text citations, and references. Additionally, edit your work carefully and check for spelling, typographical, and grammar errors.

Class Participation: Participation is very important as it contributes to the overall learning and enjoyment of the class. Participation consists of class discussions sent above and beyond graded assignments. Both quantity and quality are important considerations when posting substantive discussions. Discussions posted should contribute to a student’s academic experience and will count as an academically related activity and or assessment.

Readings: There is no way to avoid a lot of reading in a youth literature course.  In each module, you will be responsible for lecture readings, selected articles, and supplemental readings. 

Rubrics: Assignments will have rubrics with specific criteria so that grading is explicit and to ensure learning outcomes are being met.

Substantive Discussions: Discussion posts must consist of 1-2 paragraphs. To provide a strong contribution to the learning community discussions must introduce new facts and substantiate arguments with citations and references to take the discussion up to a new level. Discussions must be substantiated by the literature and include citations to the sources of facts. Note--Online discussions area modified APA format: single space and no indent for references.

Written Assignments: This is a graduate-level course and an online class, so writing and formatting are critical. All the facts must be cited, so most paragraphs should have citations. Reliable sources of information that are correctly referenced and cited. Even short papers should have 5 to 10 references with 4-5 being youth literature, textbooks, and peer-reviewed articles.

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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

INFO 200. 

Course Learning Outcomes

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

1. Identify literature written for children and young adults during major historical time periods; and the use of the literature in educational settings.
2. Analyze historical children's and young adult literature from different ethnic, cultural, and social justice perspectives.
3. Identify authors, illustrators and publishers who have contributed to milestones in children's and young adult literature.
4. Describe various genres and literary movements in children's and young adult literature.
5. Discuss the purpose of social emotional learning in children's and young adult literature.
6. Research and explain trends, technology and controversies affecting contemporary children's and young adult literature.

Core Competencies (Program Learning Outcomes)

INFO 268 supports the following core competencies:

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Textbooks

Required Textbooks:

• Cart, M. (2016). Young adult literature: From romance to realism (3rd ed.). Neal-Schuman. Available through Amazon: 0838914624

• Pavonetti, L. (2003). Children's Literature Remembered: Issues, Trends, and Favorite Books. Libraries Unlimited. Available through Amazon: 0313320772.

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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 or undergraduate (for BS-ISDA);
  For core courses in the MLIS program (not MARA, Informatics, BS-ISDA) — 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 if you wish to stay in the program. 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.

Graduate Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA). Undergraduates must maintain a 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA).

University Policies

Per University Policy S16-9, university-wide policy information relevant to all courses, such as academic integrity, accommodations, etc. will be available on Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Programs' Syllabus Information web page at: https://www.sjsu.edu/curriculum/courses/syllabus-info.php. Make sure to visit this page, review and be familiar with these university policies and resources.

In order to request an accommodation in a class please contact the Accessible Education Center and register via the MyAEC portal.

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