80602/EDU8413 CONTEMPORARY CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

Year	No.		Offer	Mode	Description			Cred. Pts
02	80602/EDU8413 	S1  	X 	CONTEMP CHILD'S LITERATURE	1.00

Contents

• Staffing
• Rationale
• Synopsis
• Objectives
• Topics
• Texts
• Student Workload
• Assessment Details
• Other Requirements

STAFFING:

RATIONALE:

A  study  of contemporary children's literature offers a view  of  the
influences and factors which effect modern writing for children.  Such
a  study  can assist in appreciating how literature can be used  as  a
preparation for life.

SYNOPSIS:

A  study will be made of children's literature written since World War
II,  including  that  originating in the U.S.  and  U.K.,  with  close
reference  to  Australian children's literature  since  1980.  Current
themes  and  issues  will be explored to trace how societal  pressures
have impacted on children's books.

OBJECTIVES:

On completion of this course students will be able to
demonstrate:

1. knowledge of the development of the science fiction genre in
   UK and US children's literature since 1945;
   
2. ability to compare trends in UK and US children's literature
   with Australian children's literature;
   
3. capacity to identify the social factors which influenced the
   development of children's literature since 1980;
   
4. skills to investigate issues affecting children's literature
   since 1980;
   
5. understandings about the difference and similarities in the
   genres of fantasy, science fiction and speculative fiction.
   

TOPICS:

 Description                                                    Weighting(%)

Developments in US, UK & Australian children's literature             5.00

Science  fiction/Fantasy in Aust.  children's  literature             25.00
since 1980

Social factors influencing Aust. children's literature;               25.00

Issues in Aust. children's literature since 1980.                     25.00

Distinguish  between  the  genres  of  fantasy,   science             20.00
fiction and speculative fiction.

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed:

Note: The book by Parrinder, Science Fiction. Its Criticism and
Teaching, is only available through the USQ Bookshop as it is no
longer being printed by its publishers.

Recommended Reading - One of the Following: Cullinan, B.E. 1994,
Literature and the Child, 5th edn, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, San
Diego. (chapter 6)

Huck, C. et. al. 1997, Children's Literature in the Elementary
School, 6th edn, Sydney, Holt, Rinehart and Winston. (chapter 7)

Jacobs, J.S. & Tunnell, M.O. 1996, Children's Literature, Briefly,
Merrill, New Jersey. (chapter 7 & 8)

Norton, D.E. 1995, Through the Eyes of a Child, 4th edn, Merrill,
Melbourne. (chapter 7)

Sutherland, Z. & Arbuthnot, M.H. 1997, Children and Books, 8th edn,
Scott Foresman, London. (chapter 9)

Tomlinson, C.M. & Lynch-Brown, C. 1999, Essentials of Children's
Literature, 3rd edn, Boston, Allyn and Bacon. (chapter 6)

Additional References (journals)

Magpies

Reading Time

Literature Base

Orana

Australian Journal of Language and Literacy (formerly Aust. Journal of
Reading)

Signal

Children's Literature in Education

Papers: Explorations into Children's Literature

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS:

	ACTIVITY				HOURS
Directed Study                                	125
Assessments                                   	40

ASSESSMENT DETAILS:

No  *F/S Marks     Due        Description                              Wtg(%)    LBL WWW
1   S              WK 9      SPECULATIVE FICTION                       50.00     Y   N
2   S              WK 15     COMPARISON OF AUTHORS AND NOVELS          50.00     Y   N

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

1    When  there  is  more  than  one marker  for  a  single  item  of
     assessment, the distribution patterns and means for the different
     markers will be compared and marks adjusted if necessary.
2    Marking  criteria  are  provided  in  course  material  as   mark
     sheets/guides or as part of assignment specifications.
3    Summative assessment items will be given a numerical score.
4    Course  Grades  will  be calculated by aggregating  the  weighted
     result or numerical score for each summative assessment item. Any
     ungraded  assessment requirement will receive  a  Pass,  Fail  or
     Incomplete.
5    All assessment items must be attempted/submitted. Each Assessment
     item must be passed.
6    If  assignments  are  submitted after the  due  date  without  an
     approved extension of time, a penalty of 20% of the mark  awarded
     by  the examiner for the assessment item will apply for each week
     late.