ENGL 3820 Spring 2012

Welcome!

The Blog

The ENGL 3820 Blog is a great resource for students enrolled in the course and for members of the Western Michigan University English Studies community who are interested in keeping up with what is going on in the class.  On these pages you'll find links to announcements, handouts, photos, and student assignments.

Designed as a survey course, ENGL 3820 introduces students to many of the ideas and practices relevant to literature for the young child.

Course Materials

Download ENGL 3820 Course Policy Spring 2012

Download ENGL 3820 Revised Syllabus 021512

Course Recap for 23 February 2012

Course Recap

For the majority of class, we discussed the questions related to the Cinderella variants that we have read or viewed for the unit of folk tales and fairy tales.  Then, I took you through Virginia Lee Burton's Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, a text that has been popular for over eight decades, both because it highlights the role of a child in solving problems and because it presents a tale of the underdog succeeding -- even in the face of major obstacles.   As you think about Mike Mulligan in preparation for the exam, you might wish to consider Burton's intended audience -- children whose parents might have lost their jobs.  Think about how Mike's attitude towards adversity is put forward as a positive model and ponder the way that Burton's illustrations can be interpreted well through the use of Molly Bang's principles.

 

 

Homework and Exam Two Study Guide

For homework, you should read Ruby Bridges' Through My Eyes, one of the most popular children's non-fiction books written in the last decade.  In class on Tuesday, I will introduce you to a set of literary terms that scholars use to discuss non-fiction, and I will ask you to work with a partner to highlight many of the key features of Bridges' text.  One of the things I will ask you to think about will be Bridges' use of illustrations, photographs, and newspaper clippings to tell her story.  As you read through the text, think about how young children might respond to some of the more intense images.  

You may also wish to begin studying for your next exam, which will take place on Tuesday, March 13, 2012.  We'll go over the study guide in class, but you can access it here:   Download ENGL 3820 Exam Two Study Guide Sp12

Course Recap for 21 February 2012

Course Recap

After we finished watching the 1998 version of Cinderella, I placed you into learning teams so that you could answer 2 questions in written form to share with the rest of the class.  If you missed class today, please be sure to go over the handout and write up responses to the questions that your team was asked to complete.  Your answers will not be used in class, but you will at least be caught up with the work of your team.

Download ENGL 3820 In Class Cinderella Ex 022012

In class on Thursday, Teams 3-6 will give their presentations.  As we found today, the teams who answered the questions have done a great job, but those of you appointed "judges" are asking really good questions, too, and I think we are getting to a more thorough level of discussion.  Please be sure to bring your team's answers on Thursday so that I can scan them for inclusion on the blog.  My favorite line thus far from class discussion went something like this:  "Forget Cinderella; it's the mice who show volition!"

Homework

For homework, you should read Burton's Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, as well as the pages 151-155 in Julia Mickenberg's "Of Funnybones and Steam Shovels:  Juvenile Publishing, Progressive Education, and the Lyrical Left."  To make things easier for you, I have provided a link here to the PDF of the essay, though you can read the HTML version off of Project Muse, if you would prefer.  You should begin your reading on page 151 after the sub-heading "Here and Now:  Liberation Through Knowledge" and read through to the end of the essay.   Download Mickenberg Essay 

 

Course Recap for 16 February 2012

Course Recap

In class today, we watched the end of the 1949 Disney Cinderella and watched the majority of the 1998 Disney Cinderella.  If you were absent from class, you should endeavor to catch up by renting the 1998 version and filling out the questions that are on the film viewing guide (available in the 14 February 2012 course recap).

For class next time, please read Zipes' "Breaking the Disney Spell," and complete the following homework assignment, which is due in class on Tuesday:   Download Zipes Homework Sp 12

Be sure that when you arrive in class next week that you are prepared to discuss the five variants of the Cinderella tale, as well as Zipes' article.   Also, keep in mind that next Thursday, we will be dicussing Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, as well as Mickenberg's article on left-leaning literature.

Syllabus Annoucement

I would also like to make sure that you take a look at the syllabus, as I have revised it again based upon a really exciting development:  the film version of The Invention of Hugo Cabret will be released in time for us to view it and to discuss it.  I had originally hoped that we would be able to compare the two texts, especially as there are a few substantial differences between the novel and the film, but I did not know if the film would be out on time.  Now that I know it will, I am replacing the first Harry Potter movie with Hugo, and this has implications for the order in which we read texts, as you will see in the revised syllabus.  I do not usually like to make changes this late in the game, but in this instance, it does not involve altering the books you read, and it enables us to watch a film that relates directly to a text that we will have already worked through -- YAY! 

Course Recap for 14 February 2012

Course Recap

In class today, we went over the characteristics of the fairy tale as explained in Perry Nodelman's chapter; then, we watched the first hour of the 1949 version of Disney's Cinderella.  If you missed class, you might want to rent the movie and catch up with us.  Here is a copy of the notes that I asked students to take as they watched the film (we stopped at question 16):   Download Cinderella Film Questions Sp 12

Homework

For homework, please fill out the following chart for the fairy tale versions of the "Cinderella" story -- you will not need to fill out the chart for the film versions until we have completed viewing them:   Download ENGL 3820 Cinderella Chart

In class on Thursday, we will watch the rest of the film versions in preparation for our discussing all five variants of the "Cinderella" story.  To aid in our class discussion, be sure to print out the three stories so that you can study them and be prepared to discuss them in class.  Have a great week!

Exam One Commentary

I always attempt to get student work back within one week.  I will pass back Exam One to you on either Tuesday or Thursday.  However, I have written up a commentary sheet on your answers which you can read here:    Download ENGL 3820 Exam One Answer Commentary Sp12

Course Recap for 09 February 2012

Course Recap

Today was an exam day, so there is little to recap.  However, there is homework....

Homework

Please consult your syllabus and complete the assigned readings.  I placed these readings on the blog on February 4, 2012.  Have a good weekend!

Comic Relief

I thought this cartoon that is going around the interwebs might give you a chuckle as you study!

Course Recap for 07 February 2012

Course Recap

During the beginning of class, I asked you to think about ways that Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax and Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree might represent their author’s attitudes regarding humankind’s relationship to nature.  In terms of similarities, some of you noted that there is evidence in both texts that materialism and greed might be at the root of environmental decay; in terms of differences, some of you suggested that Dr. Seuss provides a more hopeful ending because the young boy accepts the responsibility of planting the truffala seed, whereas the old man in The Giving Tree has depleted the tree’s ability to regenerate itself.  Others of you noted that the Lorax, who terms himself “the voice for the trees,” does not willingly give of his bounty and provides the Once-ler with a number of opportunities to change his ways, whereas the tree seems glad to give, for as long as she has something to give, and there is no concrete voice warning the young boy or his adult self of the potential dangers inherent in the way he is using nature.  I suggested that the line “The tree was happy…/but not really” might be interpreted as a veiled critique, but if so, it is not given with the sort of direct focus found in Seuss’ text.  Finally, I noted that while Silverstein’s text allows for multiple and even contradictory interpretations, Dr. Seuss’ text is a straight-forward morality tale.

During the second part of class, I asked you to locate scenes in both The Arrival and The Three Pigs in which significant events occurred – this gave you a chance to reiterate the postmodern elements of Wiesner’s text and the key points in the immigrant’s journey in The Arrival.

Homework

For homework, you should study for the exam on Tuesday and, if you have time, begin your reading for the fairytale unit.  I know that facing the first exam for a new teacher is stressful, but if you use the study guide, review your notes, and practice writing out some responses, you should do very well on the test.

I noticed today that not everyone came to class with his or her books – be sure that for the exam you have access to all four picture books.  I really, really made it clear at the beginning of the semester that I would strongly prefer that you own the books for this course – and I tried to keep costs low so that my expectations on this matter could be reasonably fulfilled.  However, if some circumstance beyond your control or forgetfulness puts you into the position of not having one of the texts with you on Thursday, be sure to sit next to someone who is willing to share his/her text with you.  You might also wish to use post-it-notes to keep track of page numbers, or write the numbers directly onto the texts.

 

If You Wish to Read Ahead...

Beginning the week of February 13, we will be studying fairytales in print and in film.  As noted in the syllabus, there are readings that you will need to complete to prepare you for this unit.  I have set them out below, in case you wish to get a head start.

First, here are PDF copies of Perry Nodelman and Mavis Reimer's chapter on Fairytales 

Download ENGL 3820 Fairy Tale Chapter Part I (Read this in its entirety by February 14, 2012)

Download ENGL 3820 Fairy Tale Chapter Part 2 (Just read page 319 through the middle of 320 by February 14, 2012)

I am also providing you with detailed notes from my own reading of the chapter -- this should serve as a model for how you could take notes when you read:

Download ENGL 3820 Notes on Nodelman and Reimer Fairytale Chapter

Here are copies of the Cinderella stories we will be reading:

Download Cinderella Variants

Download Cinderella Perrault Morals

Finally, here is a copy of Zipes' article, mentioned in the syllabus: 

Download Zipes Breaking the Disney Spell (Print out and read)

Homework for 7 February 2012

By now, you will know I was compelled to cancel class today due to illness.  I feel about as good as that poor Brown Barbaloot who is being carried away from the Thneed Factory.  I guess you can say that, at the very least, I practice what I preach when it comes to staying at home when I'm sick.

That said, I am very disappointed that we could not meet today, and I want to be sure that we can make up for lost time by having you do some homework.  I was planning on giving you a quiz, but I have converted that quiz into a short homework assignment.  You can access it here:   Download ENGL 3820 TGT Homework 020212

In addition to completing your homework, you should study for the exam.  Our exam will now take place on Thursday, January 9.  On Tuesday, January 7, we will conclude our discussion of The Lorax and review for the exam, so be sure to bring all of your books and notes to class.

Finally, I have revised the syllabus to reflect all of these changes and to take into account our need to get back on track.  I have added the Revised Syllabus to the Welcome! post at the beginning of the blog, but I have also copied it here:   Download ENGL 3820 Syllabus Revised 020212