English 180--Children's Literature

English 180--Children's Literature
Instructor: Dr. John Stenzel

Fall Quarter, 2005 Office: Voorhies 379       E-mail: jastenzel@ucdavis.edu
Meeting Time: MWF 3:10-4 Office Hours: M 12:30-2, W 4:15-5:30 and by appointment
Classroom: 198 Young Telephone: 2-1954 office
CRN: 32960 Web: http://stenzel.ucdavis.edu/180
TAs: Kit McGee, cbmcgee@ucdavis.edu;    Will Kaufman, wfkaufman@ucdavis.edu;
    Scott Bransford, sbransford@ucdavis.edu; [TA Office hours TBA]
Texts and materials
Besides selections from Perrault, Grimm, Andersen & others, (available on the web and as a reader-pamphlet next week) we will read Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol; Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass; Mark Twain’s Adventures of Tom Sawyer; George MacDonald’s The Princess and the Goblin; Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women; Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden; R.L. Stevenson’s Treasure Island; Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows; L. Frank Baum’s Wonderful Wizard of Oz; J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan; L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables; Jack London’s Call of the Wild; Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins; C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe; Lemony Snicket’s The Bad Beginning.

You should also own or have access to a reasonably recent college-level writing handbook (e.g., Random House Handbook or Writing: A College Handbook) to help guide you in matters of grammar, usage, and mechanics. I expect you to own a college-level hardbound dictionary (preferably one that gives etymologies), and you may benefit from becoming familiar with the Oxford English Dictionary in the library / online. There may be some reading of web resources and some minor (i.e., less than $5 total) photocopying charges that you can expect to incur at various times in the quarter.

Grading Breakdown
Assignments will be weighted as follows:

Participation and Attendance
Besides in-class participation I am expecting you to take part in e-mail exchanges and / or discussion boards, as part of the learning and paper-writing process. Regular, punctual attendance is a requirement for this course, as well as a courtesy to your colleagues and to me. If you miss (or sleep through) more than three classes, expect to see your grade reflect your choice. Expect the exams and journal exercises to cover material addressed in lecture, as well as material from the readings. Very short writing tasks may be required at any time, with results informally noted and factored into the participation grade.

Grading Policy:
You are responsible for any assignments or reading changes made in your absence. Please do not miss exams or try to shuffle the schedule on your own; I am not expected to schedule make-ups.

NB: All graded assignments count toward the final grade in the course, and I will make every effort to apply the same grading standards throughout the term. I will, however, take into account any significant improvement when figuring the final grade. You must perform the various required work in the order it is assigned, NOT in a flurry at the end.
Important Dates: (See schedule for details of journal assignments and draft deadlines as we go.)

Friday, 4 November -- Midterm Exam

Thursday, 15 December --Final Exam, 1:30-3:30 PM