TR
Breaking
the Code: Young Adult Literature,
Adolescents, and English Education
“It’s
Nathaniel Hawthorne Month in English.
Poor Nathaniel. Does he know what
they’ve done to him? We are reading The
Scarlet Letter one sentence at a time, tearing it up and chewing on its
bones. It’s all about SYMBOLISM. [. . .]
Every word chosen by Nathaniel, every comma, every paragraph break—these were
all done on purpose. To get a decent
grade in her class, we have to figure out what he was really trying to
say. Why couldn’t he just say what he
meant? Would they pin scarlet letters on
his chest? B for blunt, S
for straightforward? I can’t whine too much.
Some of it is fun. It’s like a
code, breaking into his head and finding the key to his secrets.”
Speak,
Laurie Halse Anderson
CONTACT
Dr. A. Insenga
Office number: TLC
2245
Office hours: TR
3-5, W 4-5:15 and by scheduled appointment
Office phone:
678-839-4864
Website: http://www.westga.edu/~ainsenga/
E-mail: ainsenga@westga.edu
THE
COURSE
How the Course
Fits into the English Education Program:
Young Adult Literature
is required for the English Education major and for certification in Secondary
Education; other English majors may also take the class to satisfy the Genre
and Theory 1 or 2 (English Major Area B1 or B2) requirements.
Course
Description:
What
books will I teach? How will I teach them? Can I teach film? Is that
book actually taught in high school? What if they ask me about racial slurs in
classic texts? Is it all right to talk religion? Can I teach a book with
cursing in it? Is that “appropriate”? What about parents? What will they
think? Questions like these regularly ricochet off walls of pedagogy-centered
classrooms in which students, who are themselves constant readers, begin to
concern themselves with ways that they might teach others to read constantly.
In an era when performance standards and the rigors of our own discipline can
create polarized discussions, we owe it to our teaching selves to enter the
professional conversation and find good answers to these and many other
questions.
During fall semester,
Young Adult literature students will begin their work by studying adolescent
psychological and cognitive development. We will then read primary texts, not
only demonstrating our collegiate analytical prowess but also discussing ways
to teach each text to secondary students. We will explore texts expressly
written for teenagers alongside canonical texts and study the sometimes
contentious battle between the “canon as cultural medicine” contingency and the
“lifelong learner” camp. We will talk about curricular planning and examine
Language Arts standards for secondary students, and undoubtedly we will draw
(and cross) boundary lines when it comes to philosophies regarding reading and
writing practices in public high schools.
Course
Objectives:
- Students
will develop an understanding of basic reading processes.
- Students
will exhibit familiarity with a range of classic and Young Adult texts customarily
taught in grades 7-12 and will participate in reading, reviewing, and
critiquing such literature in a collaborative manner with peers and
instructor.
- Students
will demonstrate an understanding of students’ abilities to learn from
reading and the language arts and understanding of the ways in which
novice readers process textual information.
- Students
will demonstrate how to provide support to students at every stage of that
process both by scaffolding specific reading skill exercises and creating
accessible textual, contextual, and illustrative material for novice
readers.
- Students
will show an understanding of higher-order literacy, including how to build
language development, strategies to advance analytical and concept
development, and ways to teach both efferent and aesthetic reading.
- Students
will demonstrate an understanding of the development of various types of
moral reasoning skills through literature.
- Students
will learn to select instructional strategies and develop lesson and unit
plans that demonstrate a sincere effort to teach reading-learning
strategies in a literature environment.
- Students
will learn about the “Classics versus Moderns” debate in YALit studies and
then work to devise methods that can bridge distances—perceived and
real—between classic literature and Young Adult texts.
- Students
will define the rights and responsibilities of teachers, parents,
students, and other groups with respect to literature curriculum content
and establish proficiency in writing rationales for texts that may be
challenged.
- Students
will demonstrate an awareness of ways to create a multicultural and
gender-balanced curriculum.
- Students
will show proficiency in integrating media and technology into the
teaching of reading/literature.
- Students
will advance personal-professional development through self-examination.
- Students
will demonstrate in both oral and written work discipline-specific
critical facility through convincing and well-supported analysis of
related material.
- Students
will demonstrate the command of academic English and the tenets of sound
composition by means of thesis-driven analytical prose.
THE
WORK
Required texts:
- Scorpions, by
Walter Dean Meyers
- A
Raisin in the Sun, by
- 1984, by
George Orwell
- Feed, by
M.T. Anderson
- Children
of Heaven,
directed by Majid Majidi*
- You
Hear Me?: Poems and Writing by Teenage Boys, edited
by Betsy Franco
- Speak, by
Laurie Halse Anderson
- Twilight,
by Stephanie
Meyer
- Using
Young Adult Literature in the English Classroom (4th
Edition), by Bushman and Haas
- Critical
Encounters in High School English: Teaching Literary Theory to Adolescents, by
Deborah Appleman
- The
Conceptual Framework, from the
- Code
of Ethics for Educators, from the Professional
Standards Commission (nothing to buy—handout)
- Teacher
Education, Field Experiences, and Internship: Policies and Procedure Handbook, from
the
*The department owns
three copies of this film. You may check out a copy for forty-eight hour
periods by coming seeing me in my office and signing out the film during office
hours. The film is also readily available for rental in
Major
Assignments:
- Daily
Driving Questions (5%)
- Learning
Lessons (10%)
- Analytical
- Take-Home
Mid-term Examination (20%)
- Final
Scholarly Project, Proposal, and Mandatory Peer Review (10-12
pages) (30%)**
- Annotated
Bibliography (3 sources) (10%)**
- Participation
and Professionalism (10%)
**Initial
Certification students enrolled in the class will complete a 12-15
page project and use 5 sources for the Annotated Bibliography.
Description of
the Major Assignments Listed Above:
Daily Driving
Questions/Learning Lessons
Beginning August 20th,
students must complete daily assignments, of which there are two types. The first type, called Daily Driving
Questions, requires that for each class students craft two complex
questions related to our assigned primary or secondary readings. Each question
should not induce discussion of pure plot or rely on summary of our readings
but should, instead, drive us towards some sort of analytical discussion. Appropriate
questions could lead us to analyze a character or theme in a new way (e.g. “How
is M.T. Anderson’s use of the corporate sign for ‘trademark’ a critique of our
culture?” or “Are Bella’s actions with Edward damaging to the scores of adolescent
girls who read Meyer’s novel? Why or why
not?”). Other questions could relate to
our secondary materials (e.g. “Why is teaching classics of the utmost
importance for a ‘proper’ education?” or “Should we save the classics for
college, or should we introduce them during high school? Why and how? ”). You might also ask
questions that would lead us to discuss ways to teach close reading skills or
literary elements like metaphor, symbolism, allegory, etc.
The very best Daily
Driving Questions will reflect close reading and complex thinking about primary
and secondary materials and will not simply restate or rehash ideas but ask us
to flesh out and expand upon them—even to refute them. You should, of course,
be prepared to provide answers to your own and to others’ questions during
class discussion. I will collect the questions at the end of each
class period, and I can accept no late questions. Students can
expect to engage in this daily assignment most often.
The second type of
daily assignment, called Learning Lessons, will be completed four times
over the course of the semester. For each of these assignments, each of
you will create a single day’s Lesson Plan that covers an assigned primary text
and references specific ELA standards for a specific type of student, bring
this plan to class, and discuss your rationale and possible implementation with
the class. Each Learning Lessons assignment has specific goals, so
checking the syllabus assignment for each is imperative. Like Daily Driving
Questions, Learning Lessons assignments will be collected at the end of the
period in which they are due, and no late work will be accepted.
Analytical
You will complete two
pages of journal writing per week, save for the first week of classes and the
week of Fall Break. The Reading Journal
will contain 26 pages in all and will be due on November 24th, though I
may ask you to reference the entries as we discuss and may choose to collect
specific weeks’ entries periodically, so regularly bringing entries to class is
important.
Analytical Reading
Journal entries may be reflective in tone (intellectual reactions to class
discussion about the readings, close reading of the texts themselves, clear
discussion about the issues surrounding the teaching of YALit texts, etc.) or
argumentative, as many of you will want to work on articulating pedagogical
positions for the teaching of YALit and on positing interpretations of the primary
or secondary materials. Whatever tone or
content you choose, at least two full pages per week is the minimum
requirement, and I must see an analytical mind at work when I evaluate and
comment upon your entries. Reading
Journals should be word-processed and follow MLA Required Format and
documentation. Standard English, development, and organization are also a must.
Take-Home
Mid-term Examination
About a week or so
before mid-term, the Take-Home Mid-term Examination assignment will be posted
on the Class Resource Page. This essay exam will require you to synthesize
both theoretical and practical concepts we’ve studied in analytical,
argumentative, documented essays. MLA format and Standard English will
apply. See the detailed syllabus below
for assignment and due dates.
Final Scholarly
Project, Proposal, and Mandatory Peer Review
The Final Scholarly Project
is a tripartite one that requires you to choose a YALit text—one we have not
studied together—and to perform a critical, scholarly reading of it in Part
One. In Part Two of the project, you will offer up a clear
argument for teaching the text that outlines its pedagogical import in a
specific classroom setting. In Part Three, you’ll create at least
two daily Lesson Plans that incorporate your reading and your pedagogical
position. Essentially, then, in the same project you will theorize about
the text, argue for its implementation in a specific learning environment, and
put forth a detailed plan of action.
During the eleventh
week of the semester, you will turn in a two to three page Project Proposal
that introduces your text and reason for choosing it, outlines a general plan
of action for each of the three parts, and offers up a preliminary Works Cited
that evidences scholarly research. While your general plan and source list may well
change after you turn in the proposal, you cannot change your text.
Towards the end of the
semester, you will complete a draft, bring it to class, and participate in Peer
Review. Planning, drafting, and responding well to a peer’s work all
count towards the Final Project’s grade, so make sure that you examine Project
Proposal and draft due dates on the daily syllabus below.
Annotated
Bibliography
Along with your final
project, you will complete an annotated bibliography of at least three
of the sources you utilize. This exercise helps you to assess a source’s
value and to enter into the scholarly conversation. If you have never
completed an annotated bibliography, examine this annotated
bibliography link from Purdue’s OWL for guidelines, suggestions, and
models. We will also examine samples in
class towards the end of the semester.
THE
POLICIES
Grading Scale:
All English courses
2000-level and above use a departmental grading scale. Please familiarize
yourself with it, as it is the scale I will use to grade all Major Assignments.
To view this rubric, please click on the link entitled “Grading Rubric (upper
division)” on the main page of the English
Department’s Website.
Website/Paperless
Policy:
Many of your past professors
may have used WEBCT for getting information to you. However, I use only
my website (www.westga.edu/~ainsenga
). All information for this course—this document, exams, handouts,
announcements, resources, etc.—are hyperlinked on the website. Please
check the site regularly for updates, especially on days when you have new
assignments coming your way. You are also responsible for printing out
all documents from my website or those e-mailed to you.
“My UWG” and
Professionalism Policy:
As of fall 2006, all
e-mail correspondence between professors and students must occur via university
e-mail. Please send all communication to me via your “My UWG” account.
Further, all students
should assume a professional disposition when e-mailing or communicating about
or in class and/or when speaking to cooperating teachers, Observers, guest
speakers, and/or professor about Observation Events, scheduling, and English
Education.
Students should check
university e-mail daily to avoid missing important class or programmatic
messages. Checking university e-mail
regularly also prevents mailboxes from filling up. If university mailboxes fill up, messages do
not get queued; rather, they do not get delivered at all. Therefore, students risk not receiving
important information if they do not check e-mail in a timely fashion. E-mailing is an essential part of
effective and professional communication for this class, for the English
Education program, for the university at large, and for the teaching profession
you seek to enter.
You may refer to the Teacher
Education, Field Experiences, and Internship:
Policies and Procedure Handbook, the Code of Ethics for
Educators pamphlet, or The Conceptual Framework for more information
related to developing and maintaining a professional disposition.
Departmental
Attendance and Disruptive Student Policies***:
Students will be
administratively withdrawn from class based on the following attendance
policy: for classes that meet three times a week, a student is allowed four
absences. Upon the fifth absence, the student will be administratively
withdrawn. For classes that meet twice a week, a student is allowed three
absences. Upon the fourth absence, the student will be
administratively withdrawn. Be aware that no distinction exists
between excused and unexcused absences. You need not inform me of any absence.
Students will be
dismissed from any class meeting in which they exhibit behavior that disrupts
the learning environment of others. Such behavior includes—but is not
limited to—repeatedly arriving late for class, allowing cell phones to ring,
speaking disrespectfully to the instructor and/or to other students, checking
email or surfing the web, and using personal audio or video devices. Each
dismissal of this kind will count as an absence and will be applied toward the
attendance requirements policy above.
Late Work/Make-Up
Work:
You may not make up
missed Daily Driving Questions or Learning Lessons assignments. Late
Reading Journals and Mid-Term Examinations will not be accepted except under
the direst of circumstances. If you feel you have such a
circumstance, you must see me in conference to discuss your problem. At that
time, I will determine whether or not an assignment can be turned in late and
what deduction will be applied. ***
***I realize that,
occasionally, “life happens” and that some problems beyond your control crop up
once in a while. Never hesitate to discuss problems with assignments or
attendance with me if you feel that your circumstance is dire. With
honest and swift communication, many issues can be resolved to your advantage.
Required
Format:
Each Major Assignment must
be word-processed and in MLA format. If you need a refresher on MLA
format, see this MLA
Documentation link from the OWL at Purdue. Also, be advised that
students must turn in hard copies of work—not electronic copies.
Students with
Special Needs:
Any student who has a
special need should inform me during the first week of class. We will
then set up a conference to discuss the specifics of the official paperwork you
have from the appropriate department.
Plagiarism,
Collusion, and Academic Dishonesty Policy:
From the English
Department’s website: “The Department of English and Philosophy defines
plagiarism as taking personal credit for the words and ideas of others as they
are presented in electronic, print, and verbal sources.” The Department expects
that students will accurately credit sources in all assignments. An equally
dishonest practice is fabricating sources or facts; it is another form of
misrepresenting the truth. Plagiarism is grounds for failing the assignment
and/or course. You can also be subject to a university disciplinary
review, and the university requires professors to report plagiarism in writing
to the appropriate university office. Other university policies for handling
cheaters are found here: The
Faculty Handbook and UWG Connection and Student
Handbook.
Please note:
“excessive collaboration” includes having family members, friends, or
significant others edit your work. This means that no one should “fix”
your grammar for you or “write in” sentences/sources/documentation for
you. This sort of behavior is cheating and will be treated as such.
We will collaborate in class, and you have the
In short: do your own
work. Should you cheat in this class, it is an automatic “F” for the course,
and I will recommend that you be sent before a disciplinary committee. My
policy is a zero tolerance one.
Administrivia:
- The
absolute best way to contact me outside of office hours is via your
university e-mail account. Of course, you may call or come by during
office hours. I do not check e-mail over weekends, however, so do
not expect a response from Friday afternoons until Monday mornings.
- Please
turn off all electronic devices upon entering our classroom. Such
noise distracts your fellow classmates and me and prevents us from doing our
jobs.
- I
reserve the right to amend this document with future handouts.
- Coming
to class unprepared will result in an automatic absence. You must
have your materials in order to participate fully. Of course,
you will be free to stay in class for the benefit of instruction and
discussion, but you are, for all intents and purposes, not here when you
do not have your materials.
THE
SYLLABUS
WEEK ONE (no Reading
Journal entries this week)
- August
13
Course
Introduction: Policies, Procedures, Expectations, and Responsibilities
- For
next class:
- Read
Bushman and Haas, chapters 1 and 11
- Read
The Conceptual Framework, linked on the Class Resource page
- Read
the Code of Ethics for Educators (I will hand this out to you)
WEEK TWO
- August
18
Discuss Bushman and
Haas
Discuss The
Conceptual Framework and Code of Ethics for Educators
- For
next class:
- Read
Bushman and Haas, chapter 2
- Read
Scorpions, pages 3-57
- Remember
that the Reading Journal assignment commences this week and continues
until the due date, save for the week of Fall Break
- August
20
Discuss Bushman and
Haas
- For
next class:
- Finish
Scorpions
- Remember
that the Daily Driving Questions assignment commences at the beginning of
the next class and continues until the end of the semester, save on days
when Learning Lessons are due.
WEEK THREE
- August
25
Discuss Scorpions
- For
next class:
- Read
Appleman, chapter one
- August
27
Discuss Scorpions
Discuss Appleman
- For
next class:
- Read
A Raisin in the Sun, Acts I and II
- Read
Bushman and Haas, chapter 8
WEEK FOUR
- September
1
Discuss A Raisin in
the Sun
Discuss Bushman and
Haas
- For
next class:
- Read
Appleman, chapter 3
- Read
Bushman and Haas, chapter 3
- Finish
A Raisin in the Sun
- September
3
Discuss A Raisin in
the Sun
Discuss Appleman
Discuss Bushman and
Haas
- For
next class:
- Learning
Lessons One is due: construct and bring to class a day’s Lesson Plan for
general educations students. This
Lesson Plan should cover Scorpions or A Raisin in the Sun and
should reference specific ELA standards (see the Class Resource Page) and
focus on ways to help students contend with “Otherness” and promote an
understanding of difference (racial, economic, historical, etc.) Remember, use one of the Lesson Plan
templates from the Class Resource Page, one from the supplemental
materials at the back of the Teacher Education, Field Experiences, and
Internship: Policies and Procedure
Handbook, or the one I sent you all via e-mail.
- Read
1984—Part I, chapters 1-3
WEEK
- September
8
Learning Lessons One
Workshop
- For
next class:
- Read
1984—Part 1, chapters 4-8
- September
10
Discuss 1984
Discuss Bushman and
Haas
- For
next class:
- Read
1984—all of Part II
- Read
Bushman and Haas, chapter 7
WEEK SIX
- September
15
Discuss 1984
Discuss Bushman and
Haas
- For
next class:
- Finish
1984—all of Part III
- September
17
Discuss 1984
- For
next class:
- Read
Feed, Parts I and II
WEEK SEVEN
- September
22
Mid-term Examination
Assigned (see Class Resource Page)
Discuss Feed
- For
next class:
- Read
Feed, Part III
- Work
on your Mid-Term Examination
- September
24
Discuss Feed
- For
next class:
- Finish
Feed
- Finish
your Mid-Term Examination
WEEK EIGHT
- September
29
Turn in the Mid-Term
Examination at the beginning of class
Discuss 1984
and Feed
- For
next class:
- Learning
Lessons Two is due: construct and
bring to class a day’s detailed Lesson Plan for general education
students. This Lesson Plan should
outline a close reading exercise for either 1984 or Feed. Remember to reference specific ELA
standards and to use one of the Lesson Plan templates from the Class
Resource Page, one from the supplemental materials at the back of the Teacher
Education, Field Experiences, and Internship: Policies and Procedure Handbook, or
the one I sent you all via e-mail.
- October
1
Learning Lessons Two
Workshop
- For
next class:
- Read
the supplementary chapters from Teasley and Wilder (I will e-mail this
reading assignment to you all in PDF format)
- View
and Annotate Children of Heaven
WEEK NINE
- October
6: mid-term, last day to drop with
a “W”
Discuss Children of
Heaven
Discuss Teasley and
Wilder
- For
next class:
- Read
Bushman and Haas, chapter 9
- October
8
Discuss Children of
Heaven
Discuss Bushman and
Haas
- For
next class:
- Read
You Hear Me?: Poems and Writing by Teenage Boys, pgs. 1-58
WEEK TEN (no Reading Journal
entries this week)
- October
13
Discuss
You Hear Me?: Poems and Writing by Teenage Boys
- For
next class:
- Read
You Hear Me?: Poems and Writing by Teenage Boys, pgs. 59-76
- Read
the supplemental essay by Joseph Tsujimoto: “Teaching Poetry Writing to
Adolescents: Models and Teaching
Designs” (I will e-mail this essay to you all in PDF format)
- October
15: no regular class or office
hours—Fall Break
WEEK ELEVEN
- October
20
Discuss You Hear
Me?: Poems and Writing by Teenage Boys
Discuss Tsujimoto’s essay
- For
next class:
- Proposal
for the Final Project is due
- You
Hear Me?: Poems and Writing by Teenage Boys, pgs.
77-107
- Read
Bushman and Haas, chapter 10
- October
22
Turn in the Proposal
for the Final Project
Discuss You Hear
Me?: Poems and Writing by Teenage Boys
Discuss Bushman and
Haas
- For
next class:
- Learning
Lessons Three is due: construct
and bring to class a day’s detailed Lesson Plan that asks general
education students to contend either with the poetry they would encounter
in You Hear Me?: Poems and
Writing by Teenage Boys or some major concept found in Majid Majidi’s
film. You may create a poetry explication or writing assignment that
mirrors the one we worked on in class, or you may create another sort of
activity that asks students to demonstrate media literacy, but all Lesson
Plans should induce critical thought.
Remember, Lesson Plans must reference specific ELA standards, and
you may use one of the Lesson Plan templates from the Class Resource
Page, one from the supplemental materials at the back of the Teacher
Education, Field Experiences, and Internship: Policies and Procedure Handbook, or
the one I sent you all via e-mail.
WEEK TWELVE
- October
27
Learning Lessons Three
Workshop
- For
next class:
- Read
Speak, pgs. 3-46
- October
29
Discuss Speak
- For
next class:
- Read
Speak, pgs. 49-137
- Read
Appleman, chapter 5
WEEK THIRTEEN
- November
3
Discuss Speak
Discuss Appleman
- For
next class:
- Read
Speak, pgs. 141-195
- November
5
Discuss Speak
- For
next class:
- Read
Twilight, pgs. 1-109
WEEK FOURTEEN
- November
10
“Meyer Mania”: The Rise of the Young Adult Serial Novel
- For
next class:
- Read
Twilight, pgs. 110-178
- November
12
Discuss Twilight
- For
next class:
- Read
Twilight, pgs. 179-333
- Remember,
you should be hard at work on your Final Project, a draft of which is due
for an in-class Peer Review on December 1
- Read
Bushman and Haas, chapter 4
WEEK FIFTEEN
- November
17
Discuss Twilight
Discuss Bushman and
Haas
Discuss the Final
Project, if necessary
- For
next class:
- Finish
Twilight, pgs. 334-498
- Remember,
you should be polishing up your early Reading Journal entries and
finishing the last entries in preparation for the due date in one week.
- November
19
Discuss Twilight
Discuss the Annotated
Bibliography and other aspects of the Final Project, if necessary
- For
next class:
- Learning
Lessons Four is due: construct and
bring to class a day’s Lesson Plan that addresses writing about
literature for students at any level (AP, Honors, or general
education). Lesson Plans must
reference specific ELA standards for composition. Remember to use one of the Lesson Plan
templates from the Class Resource Page, one from the supplemental
materials at the back of the Teacher Education, Field Experiences, and
Internship: Policies and Procedure
Handbook, or the one I sent you all via e-mail.
- Finish
Reading Journal
- Suggested
WEEK SIXTEEN (no
Reading Journal entries this week)
- November
24
Turn in your complete Reading
Journal
Learning Lessons Four
Workshop
- For
next class:
- Bring
a complete draft of your Final Project to class for a Guided Peer Review
Workshop
- November
26: no regular class—Thanksgiving Break
WEEK SEVENTEEN (no
Reading Journal entries this week)
- December
1: last day of TR classes
Course Evaluations
Guided Peer Review
Workshop
- December
8:
- Final
Projects are due at my office by