Postcolonial Young Adult Literature
Instructor: Christy Doherty-McDowell
Email:[email protected]
Course Description: This course explores the exciting world of young adult literature through a postcolonial lens. Students will learn the differences between world literature and postcolonial literature while diving into classic and contemporary texts. This course is designed for the pre-service middle or high school English teacher. The titles examined in this course can be implemented directly into the classroom.
Course Goals:
This course is designed to support pre-service and in-service teachers as they:
Course Materials:
1. Moretti, Franco. Way of the World: The Bildungsroman in European Culture. New York: Verso, 2000. Print.
2. McGillis, Roderick. Introduction. Voices of the Other: Children's Literature and the Postcolonial Context. New York: Garland, 2000. Print.
3. Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Knopf, 1992.
4. Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. Purple Hibiscus: A Novel. Chapel Hill: Algonquin of Chapel Hill, 2003. Print.
5. Nye,Naomi Shahiib. Habibi. Simon Pusle, 1999. Print.
6. Roy, Arundhati. The God of Small Things. New York: Random House, 1997
Course Outline
Below is a breakdown of the grade distribution.
1. Book Implementation Argument 20%
You will choose a book from the reading list and conduct a close reading and analysis.
2. Book Club 20%
Using 4 books representative of different geographic areas, present your findings and lesson ideas to the class.
3. Final Project 20%
Using 3 or more texts develop a final project that pulls together and disseminates information. Information may be pulled from book club and blog posts showing revised content.
4. Online Discussion/Class Participation 15%
Each week you are expected to participate in our online discussions at pcya.wordpress.com
5. Book Recommendation 15%
You will discover, read, and write a synopsis and recommendation for a book not on the class reading lists.
6. Quizzes 10%
Grading Policies & Procedures:
Grading will be based on the following percentages: A=93-100%, B/A=88-92.9%, B=83-87.9%, C/B=78-82.9%, C=73-77.9%
Schedule
Unit One: The Bildunsgroman
Week One:
Read:
1) Sammons, Jeffrey L. "The Bildungsroman for Nonspecialists." Reflection and Actin: Essays on the Bildungsroman. Ed. James N. Hardin. Columbia: University of South Carolina, 1991. 26-45. Print.
2) Moretti: Introduction : The Bildungsroman as Symbolic Form
3) Wells, Susan. "Self-Cultivation, Political Reaction, and the Bildungsroman." The Minnesota Review 13 (1979): 71-97. Project MUSE. Web. 21 Aug. 2011.
Discussion 1: Experience with YA literature on
Week Two.
Read:
1) Ch. 1: The Comfort of Civilization (Moretti)
2) Dow, Miriam. "A Postcolonial Child: Achebe's Chike at the Crossroads." Children's LIterature Association 22.4 (1997): 160-65. Project MUSE. Web. 14 Mar. 2013.
Unit Two: Things Fall Apart
Week Three:
Read:
1) First half of Things Fall Apart
Begin searching for Book Recommendation
Discussion: Things Fall Apart
Week Four:
Read:
1) Second half of Things Fall Apart
Form Book Club Groups
Unit Three: The God of Small Things
Week Five:
Read:
1) Ch. 1: Rethinking the Identitiy of Cultural Otherness: The Discourse of Difference as an Unfinished Proeject. Shaobo Xie (17)
2) Ch. 3: The View from the Center: British Empire and Post-Empire Children’s Literature. Peter Hunt and Karen Sands (17)
3) First half of The God of Small Things
Week Six:
Read:
1) Second half of The God of Small Things
Book Recommendation
Unit Four: Purple Hibiscus
Week Seven:
Read:
1) Asante-darko, Kwaku. "Towards a Postcolonial Chidlren's Literature for Black Aftica." Mots Pluriels Et Grands Themes De Notre Temps 22 (2002): n. pag. Mots Pluriels. Sept. 2002. Web. 2013.
2) First half of Purple Hibiscus
Week Eight.
Read:
1) Second half of Purple Hibiscus
2) Xie, Shaobo. "Rethinking the Identity of Cultural Otherness: The Discourse of Difference as an Unfinished Product." Voices of the Other: Children's Literature and the Postcolonial Context. Ed. Roderick McGillis. New York: Garland, 2000. 1-16. Print.
Unit Five: Habibi
Week Nine.
Read:
1) First half of Habibi
2) Abdel-Karim, Aisawi S. "Crossing Boundaries: A Postcolonial Reading of Naomi Shihab Nye's Young-adult Literature." Dirast: Human and Social Sciences 37.1 (2010): 203-17. ProQuest. Web. 25 Mar. 2013.
Week Ten.
Read:
1) Second half of Habibi
2) Ch. 5: Text, Culture, and postcolonial Children’s Literature: A Comparative Perspective. Jean Webb (19)
Unit Six: Book Clubs
Week Eleven:
Book Club Presentations
Week Twelve:
Book Club Presentations
Week Thirteen:
Final Projects
Week Fourteen:
Final Projects/Potluck
Instructor: Christy Doherty-McDowell
Email:[email protected]
Course Description: This course explores the exciting world of young adult literature through a postcolonial lens. Students will learn the differences between world literature and postcolonial literature while diving into classic and contemporary texts. This course is designed for the pre-service middle or high school English teacher. The titles examined in this course can be implemented directly into the classroom.
Course Goals:
This course is designed to support pre-service and in-service teachers as they:
- Gain knowledge of the emergence of the genre of young adult literature
- Read and review a wide range of PCYA literature
- Be aware of the historical context and current issues relating to PCYA
- Gain knowledge of postcolonial themes
- Develop an awareness of issues associated with the use of YA literature in today's public schools
- Consider instructional purposes and strategies for incorporating YA literature into the middle and high school curricula
- Explore research, theory, and practice associated with YA literature
Course Materials:
1. Moretti, Franco. Way of the World: The Bildungsroman in European Culture. New York: Verso, 2000. Print.
2. McGillis, Roderick. Introduction. Voices of the Other: Children's Literature and the Postcolonial Context. New York: Garland, 2000. Print.
3. Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Knopf, 1992.
4. Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. Purple Hibiscus: A Novel. Chapel Hill: Algonquin of Chapel Hill, 2003. Print.
5. Nye,Naomi Shahiib. Habibi. Simon Pusle, 1999. Print.
6. Roy, Arundhati. The God of Small Things. New York: Random House, 1997
Course Outline
Below is a breakdown of the grade distribution.
1. Book Implementation Argument 20%
You will choose a book from the reading list and conduct a close reading and analysis.
2. Book Club 20%
Using 4 books representative of different geographic areas, present your findings and lesson ideas to the class.
3. Final Project 20%
Using 3 or more texts develop a final project that pulls together and disseminates information. Information may be pulled from book club and blog posts showing revised content.
4. Online Discussion/Class Participation 15%
Each week you are expected to participate in our online discussions at pcya.wordpress.com
5. Book Recommendation 15%
You will discover, read, and write a synopsis and recommendation for a book not on the class reading lists.
6. Quizzes 10%
Grading Policies & Procedures:
Grading will be based on the following percentages: A=93-100%, B/A=88-92.9%, B=83-87.9%, C/B=78-82.9%, C=73-77.9%
Schedule
Unit One: The Bildunsgroman
Week One:
Read:
1) Sammons, Jeffrey L. "The Bildungsroman for Nonspecialists." Reflection and Actin: Essays on the Bildungsroman. Ed. James N. Hardin. Columbia: University of South Carolina, 1991. 26-45. Print.
2) Moretti: Introduction : The Bildungsroman as Symbolic Form
3) Wells, Susan. "Self-Cultivation, Political Reaction, and the Bildungsroman." The Minnesota Review 13 (1979): 71-97. Project MUSE. Web. 21 Aug. 2011.
Discussion 1: Experience with YA literature on
Week Two.
Read:
1) Ch. 1: The Comfort of Civilization (Moretti)
2) Dow, Miriam. "A Postcolonial Child: Achebe's Chike at the Crossroads." Children's LIterature Association 22.4 (1997): 160-65. Project MUSE. Web. 14 Mar. 2013.
Unit Two: Things Fall Apart
Week Three:
Read:
1) First half of Things Fall Apart
Begin searching for Book Recommendation
Discussion: Things Fall Apart
Week Four:
Read:
1) Second half of Things Fall Apart
Form Book Club Groups
Unit Three: The God of Small Things
Week Five:
Read:
1) Ch. 1: Rethinking the Identitiy of Cultural Otherness: The Discourse of Difference as an Unfinished Proeject. Shaobo Xie (17)
2) Ch. 3: The View from the Center: British Empire and Post-Empire Children’s Literature. Peter Hunt and Karen Sands (17)
3) First half of The God of Small Things
Week Six:
Read:
1) Second half of The God of Small Things
Book Recommendation
Unit Four: Purple Hibiscus
Week Seven:
Read:
1) Asante-darko, Kwaku. "Towards a Postcolonial Chidlren's Literature for Black Aftica." Mots Pluriels Et Grands Themes De Notre Temps 22 (2002): n. pag. Mots Pluriels. Sept. 2002. Web. 2013.
2) First half of Purple Hibiscus
Week Eight.
Read:
1) Second half of Purple Hibiscus
2) Xie, Shaobo. "Rethinking the Identity of Cultural Otherness: The Discourse of Difference as an Unfinished Product." Voices of the Other: Children's Literature and the Postcolonial Context. Ed. Roderick McGillis. New York: Garland, 2000. 1-16. Print.
Unit Five: Habibi
Week Nine.
Read:
1) First half of Habibi
2) Abdel-Karim, Aisawi S. "Crossing Boundaries: A Postcolonial Reading of Naomi Shihab Nye's Young-adult Literature." Dirast: Human and Social Sciences 37.1 (2010): 203-17. ProQuest. Web. 25 Mar. 2013.
Week Ten.
Read:
1) Second half of Habibi
2) Ch. 5: Text, Culture, and postcolonial Children’s Literature: A Comparative Perspective. Jean Webb (19)
Unit Six: Book Clubs
Week Eleven:
Book Club Presentations
Week Twelve:
Book Club Presentations
Week Thirteen:
Final Projects
Week Fourteen:
Final Projects/Potluck