Week 1: Knowing Children's
Literature
Instructions for Weekly Online Activities/Assignments
ENGL 231: JC Clapp (North Seattle Community College)
Due no later than Thursday, October 1, 2009 by 11:00 p.m. PST: Think of one book you read and reread as a child. Go and find the book in your local library and reread it now, as an adult. Evaluate it according to the criteria established on page 15 of Chapter 1 titled "Evaluating Children's Fiction". (The criteria are also online, if you don't have your book with you: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0073378569/student_view0/chapter1/evaluation_guides.html) Create a comprehensive post that includes a complete evaluation of your book. While you don't have to answer every single question listed on page 15 individually, you do need to address all of the categories thoroughly (and label them). So, you'll need to have a section labeled "Before Reading" and one labeled "Plot," etc., and under each then answer, in paragraph format, the evaluation questions. Also, add a section to the end called "Reflection" -- in it tell us what particular qualities of the story appealed to you as a child. Do they still appeal to you as an adult? How has your reaction to the book stayed the same or changed? Be sure to include the title, author, publisher, and copyright date (all the bibliographic data) as well in your post! Title your post with the name of the book you have evaluated.
Due no later than Monday, October 5, 2009 by 11:00 p.m. PST: Read and thoughtfully respond to at least two other class member's posts. For simplicity, choose people to respond to that evaluated a book you are already familiar with. If you're not familiar with any of the books evaluated by your classmates, then simply choose two classmates and go to the library to find the books they wrote about. In your response to your classmates, consider their evaluation carefully and see if your evaluation of the book aligns with theirs. If so, how and why? If not, why not? What do you remember liking about the book they chose? Engage in a dialogue with your peer about in general what makes a children's book "good". What are the elements of a "classic" children's book?