• We watched Stephen Colbert's interview with Maurice Sendak.
• We looked over and discussed Shaun Tan's The Arrival and David Weisner's The Three Pigs.

Homework:

• Work on papers (due Wednesday 5/9/12 from 8-9:50am).
• Friday is an optional in-class workday for the papers.

• We did a picture book scavenger hunt and talked about what we discovered.

Homework:

• Read The Three Pigs for class Wednesday.
• Complete final paper (due Wednesday 5/9/12 from 8-9:50am).

• We read The Giving Tree, discussed the book, and then looked at some other picture books.

Homework:

• Monday: bring a picture book you aren't familiar with to class.  There are TONS of books available in the Teaching Materials Center on the 6th floor of Milner.
• Wednesday: read (and bring to class) The Three Pigs.
• Friday: optional work day; bring you laptops, papers, etc. and ask any questions and/or do a peer review.
• Wednesday (5/9/12): turn in final paper from 7:50am-9:50am in my office (STV 422J).

• We took the final exam.

Homework:

• Work on final paper.

• We took the final exam.

Homework:

• Work on final paper.

• Reminder: the final is in class this Wednesday (4/25/12).  Don't forget to bring a blue book!
• We talked about how to revise the critical argument paper, including adding secondary sources.
• We finished working on the McCloud categories in Bone.
• We finished discussing Bone.

Homework:

• Study for the final!
• Friday we'll be talking about picture books in class, so there is no outside reading.

• I passed back the last quiz; quiz averages are posted in Blackboard.
• We looked at a wide range of example graphic novels.
• We talked more about the middle chapters of Bone.
• We worked on finding examples from each of McCloud's categories.

Homework:

• Finish reading Bone (Monday).
• Study for the final (Wednesday).

• We took the last quiz! I'll be posting your quiz averages to Blackboard soon.
• The final papers will be due during the scheduled final (Wednesday May 9 from 7:50am-9:50am). Please bring your original paper and the revised version (in paper copy) to my office (STV 422J) sometime during that period.
• We finished discussing Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics and started discussing Bone.

Homework:

• Read chapters 3-4 of Bone.
• Study for the final.

• My office hours for today are cancelled so I can attend a lecture; please email me if you have any questions.
• I passed out the final review sheet which will be available in Blackboard soon. We went over questions in class. Be sure to bring a blue book to class when we take the final (Wednesday 4/25/12).
• We watched a commentary on the movie adaptation of The Hunger Games.
• We discussed the McCloud article in preparation for reading Bone.

Homework:

• Read chapters 1-2 of Bone; be sure to pay attention to the way the images work with the words.
• Study for final exam.

• We continued discussing Bud, Not Buddy including the definition of ideology (implicit & explicit) and the food in the story.
• I passed back the Annotated Bibliographies.

Homework:

• Read Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics excerpt, available in Blackboard. Please let me know ASAP if you have trouble downloading the document as it is quite large.
• Monday I'll also pass out the final review sheet and answer any questions about the final.

• We turned in the Annotated Bibliographies.
• I passed back quizzes.
• We talked more about Bud, Not Buddy and watched an interview with Christopher Paul Curtis.

Homework:

• Finish Bud, Not Buddy.

• We took a quiz on Bud, Not Buddy.
• We discussed the first part of Bud, Not Buddy.

Homework:

• Read chapters 9-13 of Bud, Not Buddy.
• Annotated Bibliographies due Wednesday (4/11/12).

• We met at the library and talked about researching for the critical argument paper. A slideshow is available in Blackboard.
• NOTICE: I moved the due date for the Annotated Bibliography to Wednesday (4/11/12).

Homework:

• For Monday, read chapters 1-8 of Bud, Not Buddy.
• Annotated Bibliography is due Wednesday.

• I passed back quizzes.
• We went over the Annotated Bibliography due Monday, including the sample available in Blackboard.
• Friday we'll be meeting in the library, where we will talk about how to research secondary articles about children's literature and you'll have some time to work.
• We finished discussing Holes, including magical realism, layers of narration, holes as the past, and the irony of labor.

Homework:

• Be working on your Annotated Bibliographies.

• We are going to library on Friday to work on research for the Annotated Bibliography.
• We took a quiz on Holes.
• We talked about Holes and watching the very beginning of the movie.
• I passed back the critical argument papers and past quizzes.

Homework:

• Finish reading Holes.

• We took at quiz on Ender's Game.
• We finished discussing Ender's Game, including the ending of the book, the hero quest pattern and how Ender's Game is different from The Hunger Games.

Homework:

• Read Part 1 (chapters 1-28) of Holes.

• I collected the extra credit assignment from Monday night.
• I'm missing the electronic version of papers from lots of people, so email those to me ASAP.
• We talked about Ender's Game as fitting in with lots of different genres and defined science fiction.

Homework:

• Finish reading Ender's Game.

• I passed back quizzes.
• Reminder: tonight is the Lois Lensky lecture. See the flyer in Blackboard for more details.
• We talked about the movie version of The Hunger Games.
• We started talking about Ender's Game, and looked at some different versions of the cover.

Homework:

• Read chapters 8-12 of Ender's Game.

• We talked about the end of The Hunger Games, how it is different from the other novels we've read so far, and the female hero quest.

Homework:

• Read chapters 1-7 of Ender's Game; be thinking about the similarities and differences between Ender's Game and The Hunger Games.

• We took a quiz on The Hunger Games.
• Reminder: the extra credit opportunity (to replace your second lowest quiz grades) will be Monday, March 26 at 7pm. Dr. Philip Nel will be talking about "Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss: How an unlikely couple found love, dodged the FBI, and transformed Children's Literature" in Schroeder Hall 138. Attended the lecture, write up a 200 word summary, and submit it to me in class on Wednesday to receive extra credit.
• We continued discussing The Hunger Games, including watching the trailer.
• I passed back the mid-terms and lots of other papers. Grades will be updated in Blackboard soon.

Homework:

• Finish reading The Hunger Games.
• Don't forget to upload the electronic version of your paper to Blackboard; if you have trouble attaching the document (do not copy/paste), then just email it to me.

• I collected the papers.
• I will pass back the mid-terms on Wednesday, along with a bunch of other papers.
• We talked about The Hunger Games, including the definition of bildungsroman (see Blackboard for slideshow) and lots of other things.

Homework:

• Read Part 2 of The Hunger Games.

• We went over a few more things for the paper due after Spring Break, including the paper structure and rubric. Both handout are available in Blackboard.
• We watched some movie clips and discussed the different interpretations of each. A slideshow summary (with links for a few of the movies) is available in Blackboard.

Homework:

• Have a great Spring Break!
• Paper is due Monday (3/19/12) - remember, a paper copy MUST be submitted.
• Read Part 1 of The Hunger Games for class Monday (3/19/12).

• Mid-Term!

Homework:

• Work on paper (due Monday after Spring Break)

• Reminder: the Mid-Term is on Wednesday. Bring a blue book (don't write your name on it) and a writing utensil.
• We went over some formatting guidelines for the paper, including quotation styles, parenthetical citation, and Works Cited pages. See the example paper in Blackboard for more information.
• We shared information about the articles from the Norton Critical edition of The Secret Garden and filled out the back side of the activity sheet.

Homework:

• Study for the Mid-Term (Wednesday).
• Paper due the Monday after Spring Break.

• We took a quiz over The Secret Garden.
• I assigned articles to read for class Monday and passed out a handout to go with the article. The handout is available in Blackboard; only fill out the front side while reading your article because we'll do the back side during class Monday. If you weren't in class today please email me ASAP to receive your article assignment.
• We talked about the ending of The Secret Garden, including the main character, different meaning of "Magic," and the spaces in the text.

Homework:

• Read article assigned from the Norton Critical version of The Secret Garden and complete front side of handout.
• Study for Mid-Term (Wed).
• Work on paper (due Monday after Spring Break).

• I passed out the Mid-Term review sheet (also available in Blackboard). The Mid-Term will be next Wednesday (3/7/12); don't forget to bring a blue book to class.
• We had a discussion about childhood innocence, treating all children the same, and what imagination really is. It was a great discussion!
• We'll talk more on Friday about The Secret Garden, but keep an eye out for the focalizer (see Blackboard for the slideshow with definition) switch in the last third of the book and keep writing down the motifs you notice.
• At the end of class I passed back the paper proposals with comments. PLEASE come talk to me if you need help, have questions, or want clarification.

Homework:

• Finish reading The Secret Garden. On Friday I'll assign articles for Monday and pass out a handout to go along with the article.
• Study for the Mid-Term.
• Be working on your papers (due after Spring Break)

• I will pass back your paper proposals on Wed.
• Check iCampus for the newly posted final exam schedule: this will be when our final paper is due.
• We talked about Frances Hodgson Burnett's background, some historical background, and The Secret Garden. Please see the slideshow for more details, especially the literary terms.

Homework:

• Read chapters 10-18 of The Secret Garden. Keep a list of the motifs you come across while reading.
• Work on paper (due Monday after Spring Break).

• I collected the paper proposals. I will be giving these back as soon as possible with feedback.
• We went over some of the upcoming things on the syllabus, including APA grades, the Mid-term review (next week), and reading The Secret Garden.
• We finished talking about The Hidden Staircase.

Homework:

• Read chapters 1-9 of The Secret Garden.
• Work on the critical argument paper (due 3/19/12).

• We took a quiz over Nancy Drew.
• We continued discussing Nancy Drew, both The Hidden Staircase and the history behind the series. A slideshow summary is available in Blackboard.

Homework:

• Finish The Hidden Staircase.
• Paper proposals are due Friday.

• I passed back the Alice in Wonderland quiz.
• We did some writing about the differences and similarities between Alice and Nancy.
• We talked about the historical background of the Nancy Drew series and a bit about The Hidden Staircase so far. A slideshow summary is available in Blackboard; we'll be talking about the covers on Wednesday.

Homework:

• Read chapters 7-13 of The Hidden Staircase.
• Paper proposals are due Friday.

• We took a quiz on Alice in Wonderland.
• I'm still missing the electronic version of papers from a few people, so submit those asap.
• We talked about thesis sentences in preparation for the paper proposal due next week. The handout is available in Blackboard (look in the MLA & Paper Tips folder).
• We talked about Alice in Wonderland, especially the places where Lewis Carroll makes fun of didactic literature.

Homework:

• Read Nancy Drew: The Hidden Staircase chapters 1-6.
• Be thinking about your paper proposal (due next Friday).

• I passed back the Into the Woods assignment.
• We talked about Alice in Wonderland, the history of children's literature, and a bit about Lewis Carroll. Two different slideshows are available in Blackboard.
• I passed back the first paper to those who have submitted their papers electronically. If you haven't uploaded your paper to Blackboard yet, do so soon so you can see your papers.

Homework:

• Finish Alice in Wonderland (chapters 6-10).
• Be thinking about your paper proposal.

• Don't forget to submit the electronic version of your space paper.
• I handed out information about the second paper. The handout is also available in Blackboard.
• We finished watching Into the Woods.
• We briefly discussed Into the Woods and turned in the activity sheet.

Homework:

• Read chapters 1-5 of Alice in Wonderland.
• Be thinking about your paper proposal.

• We turned in the first paper! Don't forget to unload the electronic version of your paper to Blackboard sometime soon.
• We almost finished watching Into the Woods. Monday we'll finish watching the movie, discuss it for a bit, turn in the activity sheets, and talking about the history of children's literature.

Homework:

• Get ahead on Wednesday's reading (chapters 1-6 of Alice in Wonderland).

• We had a quiz over Into the Woods.
• We discussed turning in the paper (due Friday!) electronically (see Blackboard) in addition to the paper version.
• We continued watching Into the Woods.

Homework:

• The paper copy of your first paper is due in class Friday (2/10/12).

• We continued watching Into the Woods.

Homework:

• First paper is due Friday (2/10/12)

• We talked about the "Woods and Castles" article, including the different characteristics associated with each of the four spaces mentioned in the article.
• I handed out the activity sheet to fill out while watching Into the Woods.
• We watched the first part of Into the Woods.

Homework:

• First paper due next Friday (2/10/12).

• We took Quiz #2.
• Starting Friday we will be watching Into the Woods. I'll have an assignment sheet for you to complete during the movie, so it is very much a part of the class. Be working on your papers during this break from reading!
• We talked about MLA headings and how to format your papers.
• We talked about Hans Christian Andersen and "The Little Mermaid." A slideshow summary is available online. We will talk a bit about the Thomas "Woods and Castles" article on Friday.

Homework:

• Work on the first paper.

• My office hours Wed (2/1) and next Monday (2/6) will be cancelled to meet with the new children's literature candidates.
• I passed back the quizzes; grades will be posted to Blackboard soon.
• We talked about the different versions of "Cinderella," Jung and character archetypes, and the Disney princess culture. A slideshow summary is available in Blackboard, as well as the Perrault version of "Cinderilla" you might be most familiar with.

Homework:

• Read Andersen's fairy tales in The Class Fairy Tales, p. 212-234.
• Also read the article I passed out in class, Thomas "Woods and Castles."

• We took the first quiz.
• I passed out a paper copy of the article to read for Wednesday - it is also available in Blackboard if you did not get a copy.
• We talked about the assigned reading, including the similarities between "Beauty and the Beast" and "Bluebeard." We also watched the prologue to Disney's version of Beauty and the Beast.

Homework:

• For Monday, read "Cinderella" p. 101-137. Be thinking about the version of "Cinderella" you remember and how these are different.

• I introduced the first paper assignment. An electronic version of the handout is available in Blackboard.
• We talked about the different versions of "Little Red Riding Hood" assigned, the fairy tale tradition, and what to look for while reading. A slideshow summary is also available in Blackboard.

Homework:

• Read "Beauty and the Beast" p. 25-50 and "Bluebeard" p. 138-154 in The Classic Fairy Tales.
  

• We did some quick writing then discussed the Nodelman & Reimer article assigned for today.
• We also got back into our groups and discussed some questions about children's literature. I then passed out a handout with the major debates in children's literature (an electronic copy of the handout is available in Blackboard in the "Class Activities" folder).
• Melanie came to administer the IRB paperwork.

Homework:

• Read "Little Red Riding Hood" p. 3-16, 21-22 from The Classic Fairy Tales book.

• We talked a bit more about the structure of the class, the exam dates, and paper deadlines.
• Everyone should be added to Blackboard now; if you are not, please let me know.
• Extra credit opportunity: Lois Lensky lecture series, feature Dr. Philip Nel on March 26th and 7pm. Dr. Nel will present a lecture about his upcoming book The Purple Crayon and a Hole to Dig: The Lives of Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss.
• We got into groups and discussed our favorite books and some of the major debates in children's literature.

Homework:

• Monday: Nodelman and Reimer article (an electronic copy is available in Blackboard in case you don't have the paper copy I passed out).
• Wednesday: "Little Red Riding Hood" (p. 3-16, 21-22) from The Classic Fairy Tales.

First Day

• We went over the class syllabus (an electronic copy is available in Blackboard) and some of the goals of the class. Note: I will be adding everyone to Blackboard this afternoon.
• We also talked about the book selection for the semester, and why I choose the books we are reading.
• We talked about our names.

Homework:

• Read the Nodelman article I passed out for class Monday. If you missed the paper copy, an electronic copy is available in Blackboard.

Welcome

Hello everyone, and welcome to the official blog for Ms. Pearce's ENG 170. I'll be using this blog to keep track of our activities during class and reminders about homework/upcoming assignments. If you have to miss a class, need a review of the material covered, or are confused about something, come to this blog. After the first day of class I will update the blog with more information.

I have also set up a Blackboard website for the class. The Blackboard site is password protected, so that is where you can download documents (all of the readings will be available in electronic form), check your grades, and submit your assignments.

My contact information is available in the right-hand column if you have any questions or concerns.