ENGL 204 Children's Literature I - From Rags to Riches and Worlds of Magic. From folktales and urban legends to traditional and literary fairy tales, particularly the collections of Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm as well as Hans Christian Andersen and others, this course explores the roots of children's literature, including modern fantasy, such as J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, Kenneth Graeme's The Wind in the Willows, and Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
Prerequisites: ENGL 111 with a minimum grade of 60%
Accessibility Services Notice
Students who would like an academic accommodation and who have a documented disability should contact Accessibility Services, if they have not already done so.Course Details| Total number of weeks | 15 |
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| Total Credits | 3.00 |
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| Total Hours | 45 |
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Typical hours per week breakdown| Lecture | 3 |
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Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the learner will be able to:
- identify the defining characteristics of oral and written stories;
- recognize genres and sub-genres of fantasy;
- evaluate stories for entertainment, educational, and/or literary merit;
- present, discuss, and write at a critical/analytical level about works in fantasy;
- present, discuss, and critique children’s literature scholarship; and
- write an academic research paper on a children’s literature (fantasy) subject.
Teaching and Learning Approach
This course is designed to introduce students to traditional and modern fantasy for children. From appreciating
recurrent folkloric motifs, interpreting the literary elements appropriately, and understanding and challenging
some of the various critical approaches to selected children’s literature, students will develop their abilities to:
1. demonstrate critical reading skills;
2. socially construct knowledge about texts in class discussions;
3. prepare, research, present, and discuss ideas critically in written and oral forms;
4. synthesize information and ideas; and
5. evaluate some of the major works of children's literature and its scholarship.
Class time on Moodle and Zoom will be used for some short lectures, group discussions, and in-class activities,
all designed to promote deep learning about children’s literature and its literary and critical analysis. Following a
social constructionist approach to learning, the course emphasizes reading, analyzing, and discussing literature
together. Using a systematic approach to the three levels of reading and interacting with literature, students will
gain confidence in their abilities to understand literature more deeply, to appreciate more critical perspectives on
what they read, and to critique scholarly research as a way to become better academic thinkers and writers.Learning Resources
Required:
Barrie, James M. Peter Pan. 1911. Ed. Annie Hiebert Alton. Vancouver, BC: Broadview Press, 2005.
Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol. 1843. Ed. Michael Slater. New York: Penguin Classics, 2003.
Graeme, Kenneth. The Wind in the Willows. 1908. New York: Wordsworth Classics, 1998.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Vancouver: Raincoast Books, 1997.
Tatar, Maria. The Classic Fairy Tales: Texts, Criticism. The Norton Critical Edition. New York: Norton, 1999.
Recommended:
Abrams, M.H. A Glossary of Literary Terms. 11th ed. Fort Worth: Harcourt, 2013.
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 8th ed. New York: MLA of America, 2016.
The Purdue OWL Family of Sites. The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue U, 2021,
owl.english.purdue.edu/owl. Accessed 10 Jun. 2021.Detailed Course Content, Topics, and Sequence Covered
1. DNW
2. Course Overview 1. Course overview and introductions 2. Review of the three levels of reading 3. Introduction to Children’s Literature as a field of interdisciplinary study
3. Folktales Presentations Folktale types, motifs, and themes
4. Urban legends Presentations Urban legend types, motifs, and themes
5. TRADITIONAL FANTASY: Fairy Tales Jeopardy! Presentation/critique of a scholarly article on "Little Red Riding Hood"
6. TRADITIONAL FANTASY: Fairy Tales Jeopardy! Presentation/critique of a scholarly article on "Snow White"
7. TRADITIONAL FANTASY: Fairy Tales Jeopardy! Presentation/critique of a scholarly article on "Cinderella"
8. TRADITIONAL FANTASY: Fairy Tales Jeopardy! Presentation/critique of a scholarly article on "Bluebeard"
9. TRADITIONAL FANTASY: Fairy Tales Jeopardy! Presentation/critique of a scholarly article on "Hansel and Gretel"
10. Literary Fairy Tales: Jeopardy! Presentation/critique of an article on "Beauty and the Beast"
11. Literary Fairy Tales: Jeopardy! Presentation/critique of an article on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid"
12. MODERN FANTASY: Animal Fantasy Presentations on Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows
13. MODERN FANTASY: Other Worlds Presentations on J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan
14. MODERN FANTASY: High Fantasy Presentations on J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
15. MODERN FANTASY: The Supernatural Presentations on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas CarolAssessment
| Title | Learning Outcomes | Value |
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| Participation (e.g. Oral Presentations on Folklore, Urban Legends; Jeopardy!) | 1-3; 5 | 10% |
| Critique of a Published Essay on a Traditional Fantasy Work (written) | 1-3; 5 | 15% |
| Oral Presentation of a Published Essay on Traditional Fantasy Work | a 1-3; 5 | 15% |
| Critique of a Published Essay on a Modern Work (written) | Fantasy 1-3; 5 | 15% |
| Oral Presentation of a Published Essay on Fantasy Work | a Modern 1-3; 5 | 15% |
| Research Essay | 1-6 | 15% |
| Final Exam | 1-6 | 15% |
| Total | 100% |
Grading Table
| Percentage |
Letter Grade |
GPA |
| 90-100 |
A+ |
4.33 |
| 85-89 |
A |
4.00 |
| 80-84 |
A- |
3.67 |
| 76-79 |
B+ |
3.33 |
| 72-75 |
B |
3.00 |
| 68-71 |
B- |
2.67 |
| 64-67 |
C+ |
2.33 |
| 60-63 |
C |
2.00 |
| 55-59 |
C- |
1.67 |
| 50-54 |
P |
1.00 |
| 0-49 |
F |
0.00 |
| |
DNW |
0.00 |
See the Academic Calendar for General Information including how to withdraw from course(s) and other regulations.
Disclaimer
Information contained in this course outline is correct at the time of publication. Content of the course is revised on an ongoing basis to ensure relevance to changing educational, employment and market needs. The instructor will endeavor to provide notice of changes to students as soon as possible. The instructor reserves the right to add or delete material from courses.