Meeting Time: N/A (online course) Office Location: UC 205 Address: Office Hours: online via and

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1 Texas A&M University Texarkana English 306: Young Adult Literature (Web-based) Course Syllabus Summer II (July 13 August 13) Instructor: Dr. Corrine Hinton Meeting Time: N/A (online course) Office Location: UC 205 Address: Office Hours: online via and Office Phone: by appointment COURSE NUMBER: ENG W CREDITS: 3 SCH COURSE TITLE: Young Adult Literature COURSE DESCRIPTION This course is a survey of young adult literature. COURSE OBJECTIVES: 1) Young adult literature will be defined as exactly as possible. 2) A timeline of young adult literature will be presented. 3) Traditional storytelling motifs, symbols, and techniques will be explored. 4) Strategies will be shared for using young adult literature in the classroom to promote creative writing, critical thinking, and reading strategies. 5) Major awards granted to young adult literature will be discussed. 6) Principles for combating the difficulties associated with reading, teaching, and writing young adult literature will be developed. REQUIRED TEXTS Primary Text: Klages, Mary. Literary Theory: A Guide for the Perplexed. Bloomsbury Academic: New York, Print. ISBN Young Adult Novels: Garden, Nancy. Annie on My Mind. Square Fish: New York, Print. ISBN-13: Neri, G. and Randy DuBurke. Yummy: the Last Days of a Southside Shorty. Lee and Low: New York, Print. ISBN Rowell, Rainbow. Eleanor & Park. St. Martin s Griffin: New York, Print. ISBN Woods, Jacqueline. brown girl dreaming. Nancy Paulsen Books: New York, Print. 1

2 ISBN ACCOUNT Upon application to Texas A&M University-Texarkana an individual will be assigned an A&M- Texarkana account. This account will be used to deliver official university correspondence. Each individual is responsible for information sent and received via the university account and is expected to check the official A&M-Texarkana account on a frequent and consistent basis. Faculty and students are required to utilize the university account when communicating about coursework. COURSE ASSIGNMENTS Reading Responses = 80 points Students will craft a reading response for each of the four novels assigned in this class. Each response should include: 1. A short summary of the text; 2. A discussion of the various topics of research centered on this text (students will be required to do some research); 3. The use of the critical analysis currently being discussed in class to discuss the text or aspects of the text; and 4. The pros and cons of using the text in a secondary classroom setting (for future teachers) OR whether or not the text complies with cultural expectations of young adult literature (for all non-education majors). Each section of the reading response is worth five (5) points for a total of 20 points per response paper. Each response paper should have a minimum of 400 words. The total number of points to be earned from the four total response papers is 80. Article Review = 100 points Using the library s databases, students will locate an article that appears in a scholarly, peerreviewed journal on any topic or work(s) that would be applicable to the study of young adult literature. Students will then write an article review of no fewer than 500 words (excluding Works Cited) that should include the following: (1) a brief summary of the article, (2) identification of the author s primary claim/thesis [i.e., what does he/she/they intend to prove?] and critical approach if applicable [i.e., how does he/she/they intend to prove the thesis?], (3) a description of the major conclusions/findings of the article or a description of the unique contributions this author/these authors are making to the study of young adult literature, and (4) a personal response to the article discussing the article s strengths and weaknesses in terms of its writing, argument, research process, etc. Research Paper = 400 points Students will choose a young adult novel to read and analyze using one of the critical analysis approaches discussed in class. Basic requirements for the assignment are listed below. Requirements for the final draft: o Minimum of 1500 words, not including Works Cited page; o MLA format (double-spaced, TNR 12 pt font, 1 margins); 2

3 o Six (6) sources with no more than 2 of these from websites or webpages. The remainder of the sources must be from scholarly peer-reviewed books or journals. o A minimum of one online tutoring appointment with a writing consultant in the Student Success Center; o Final draft of the paper must be submitted to both Blackboard and to Turnitin.com by 11:59pm on the due date. Research Paper Process = 205 points During the development of the research paper, students will complete several smaller assignments that will be evaluated. These points are not included in the 250 allocated to Paper 1. The assignments (and their point values) include: 1. Novel/Topic Proposal 25 points 2. Uploaded sources 30 points 3. Outline of Major Points w/ Thesis 50 points 4. Rough draft (at least 5 full pages) 100 points The total points a student may earn from these activities = 205 points. Discussion Board Starting Module 2, two or three discussion questions will be posted to the discussion board. These questions may focus on the content from the novels or from Klages, on the video or handouts, or on writing in general. You are expected to respond (with a minimum of 100 words) to at least two of the questions using your personal experience or knowledge you gained from the text or elsewhere. You are also expected to respond substantially to at least one of your fellow classmates postings (with a minimum of 50 words) in a way that attempts to further the conversation by asking a follow up question, expressing your own interpretation or perspective, elaborating on what your classmate said, pulling in information from the class, or in some way adding to the depth of the conversation. For example, That was great. I agree, would not qualify as a substantial response. Each module, 15 points are available to you; your posts and replies are due to the discussion board by 11:59pm of the indicated due date. You may not post/reply to previous weeks once the deadline has passed. 10 of the 12 modules for the course include discussion boards to which you will need to respond. Total points available to be earned from the Discussion Board: 150 points OVERVIEW OF TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE: Response Papers (4) 80 points Article Review 100 points Research Paper 400 points Research Paper Process 205 points Discussion Board 150 points Grading Scale: earned points = A earned points = B TOTAL POINTS: 935 points 3

4 earned points = C earned points = D Students who earn fewer than 557 points for the course will receive a failing grade. Grading Rubric A papers: % of points awarded 1) contains a clear thesis that is maintained and presented in an organized manner and supported throughout the paper; 2) contains an effective introduction that attracts the interest of the reader, followed by a logical development of topic, and concluded with an appropriate closing; 3) maintains coherence with the use of transitional words, phrases, and sentences to show the relationship of ideas; 4) contains unified paragraphs; 5) offers specific and critical analysis and evaluates the significance of supporting details or examples; 6) reveals a writing style that adheres to the conventions of edited American English; reveals a writing style that evinces the writer s use of stylistic techniques that enhance the paper s effectiveness; and 7) shows creative or original approach toward topic. B papers: 80-89% of points awarded Contains 1-6 as listed above C papers: 70-79% of points awarded contains 1-4 as listed above. The paper may reveal minor errors in adhering to the conventions of edited American English, but these problems are not so severe that they inhibit the writer s ability to be effective or to achieve clarity. D papers: 60-69% of points awarded contains a thesis, but the thesis lacks acceptable clarity and/or development; lacks effective organization and appropriate use of supporting detail; lacks clear organization; reveals some major problems in composition at the sentence level: i.e., fragments, comma splices, run on sentences; 4

5 lacks acceptable adherence to the conventions of edited American English. F papers: 59% or less of points awarded lacks a discernible thesis; reveals problems in coherence and clarity; lacks a sense of organization and contains little or no supporting details; contains major problems at the sentence level: i.e., fragments, comma splices, run-on sentences; lacks acceptable adherence to the conventions of edited American English. CLASS POLICIES Contacting the Course Instructor & Office Hours Because this course is web-based, contact to the instructor may be limited. My virtual office hours are limited to contact via . is always the best way to reach me, as these also go directly to my cell phone. Please DO NOT use the Blackboard messaging system to contact me, as it is possible messages may get lost or you may receive a delayed response. me at chinton@tamut.edu with any questions or concerns you might have. You should expect to receive a response in business hours (sometimes sooner, but not always guaranteed). While I check my frequently, I am not attached to it, so please be patient especially during the evenings and weekends. If you do not receive a response from me within 48 hours, you may presume I did not receive your and should try again. A response from me is the only guarantee that I received your original . Due Dates & Late Work All assignments for a particular module are due on the date indicated (unless otherwise specified). Any modifications will be posted under the Announcements section of the course. Failure to submit documents by the deadline will result in a late submission. Submissions received up to 24 hours past the original deadline will be accepted for an automatic 50% reduction in grade (not including any points deducted for failing to meet the assignment standards). For example, an assignment worth 25 points submitted up to 24 hours past the deadline will automatically be reduced to 12.5 before the assignment is even evaluated. Late work received after the late submission deadline will not be accepted and will be assigned 0 points. Assignments Every assignment is to be typed, double-spaced in Times New Roman (12 pt) font and according to MLA formatting guidelines. Every assignment should be composed using a word processing program (such as Microsoft Word) and attached to the appropriate assignment in the Assignments section of Blackboard. Do not write your submission directly into Blackboard unless directly instructed to do so (the only exceptions are your discussion board postings). This allows me to grade your assignments faster and provide better feedback. Be sure to attach documents using.doc,.rtf, or.docx file types. Do not attach PDF versions of your documents (otherwise, I can t comment on/evaluate them effectively). If you experience difficulties saving your files using any of the above file types, please contact the IT Help Desk for support. 5

6 Blackboard & Technical Support If you are enrolled in a web-based course, such as this one, it is assumed that you understand how to operate the features of Blackboard. This includes the differences between uploading an assignment or document and ing one. You will never, unless asked directly, me an assignment. My role is to guide you through the outcomes of this course with regard to writing, not to hold your hand when it comes to the technical stuff. That being said, if you experience any technical issues along the way, you need to notify me immediately. Do not miss deadlines and then tell me you were having technical issues; these are not acceptable excuses for delayed or missed assignments or deadlines. For technical support or assistance with Blackboard, contact the IT Help Desk at helpdesk@tamut.edu. Turnitin.com This course uses the plagiarism-detection program, Turnitin.com, as a way to identify and deter plagiarism in assignments. All reading responses, your article review, and the final draft of your research paper must be submitted to the appropriate assignment area in Turnitin.com by 11:59pm the evening it is due in Blackboard. If your assignment has not been submitted to Turnitin.com by this deadline, it will not be graded and will be recorded as a zero (0). If you experience any technical difficulties with Turnitin.com, please contact their help desk (provided on the website). I strongly encourage you to view the available tutorials on the Turnitin.com website to ensure you know how to locate assignments, upload documents, and view your originality reports. If you have previously registered with Turn It In 1. Log in to your account at 2. At the top, the second tab should say Enroll in a Class. Click that. 3. When prompted, enter our class ID # and the enrollment password HintonYALit 4. Click submit 5. Click on our class ENG 306, Summer 2015 to see the list of assignment folders 6. When you re ready to submit an assignment, click on the blue Submit button that corresponds to that assignment 7. Enter in your submission title, upload your document from your computer or flash drive, and submit your assignment. If you have NOT previously registered with Turn It In 1. Visit the website at 2. Up at the top right, click on Create Account 3. Select Student from the three options at the bottom under Create a New Account 4. Include the class ID # ( ) and enrollment password (HintonYALit) and the other information you re asked for. Remember to use your TAMUT address. Create your account password, secret question, and agree to the terms and you re all set! 5. Click on our class ENG 306, Summer 2015 to see the list of assignment folders 6. When you re ready to submit an assignment, click on the blue Submit button that corresponds to that assignment 6

7 7. Enter in your submission title, upload your document from your computer or flash drive, and submit your assignment. If you have ANY questions about this process, please let me know. Student Success Center Requirement For your research paper, you are required to complete a minimum of one online tutoring session with a writing consultant in our Student Success Center. You must receive feedback from your tutor prior to the paper s final due date, so plan to submit your draft for review at least 5 days in advance of the paper s due date. Below are the instructions for accessing online tutoring. Online Tutoring 1. To submit a paper for online review by a tutor, attach your most recent draft to an addressed to tutors@tamut.edu and list any specific concerns you wish the tutor to address in the body. 2. You will receive an back confirming that we have received your paper and that a time has been scheduled for the tutor to review your paper. 3. When the tutor has finished reviewing your paper you will receive an containing both your commented paper, which will act as your proof sheet for your class, as well as contact information for the tutor if further help is required via , phone, or face-toface online appointment. Note: we do not proof papers. Spelling, grammar, and mechanical problems will not be covered. Argument, structure, and thesis development, as well as format problems (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.) are what our tutors focus on. If at any point in the process you run into a problem, feel free to contact us: tutors@tamut.edu Phone: For questions about the SSC tutoring program, please contact SSC Coordinator, Jesse Morrow at jmorrow@tamut.edu or Academic Integrity Academic honesty is expected of students enrolled in this course. Cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification of research data, plagiarism, and undocumented use of materials from any source, constitute academic dishonesty. Any submitted assignments discovered to have violated academic integrity will be grounds for a grade of "F" in the course and/or further disciplinary actions. For additional information see the university catalog. 7

8 Disability Accommodations Students with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations through the A&M-Texarkana Disability Services Office by calling Drop Policy Effective beginning Summer Beginning with the first class day of the semester, faculty should report to the Registrar s Office via the preliminary class roster and/or communication, by a date established by the Registrar s Office, any student who is not attending their class or who has not logged into Blackboard for an online class. Faculty members shall automatically initiate an administrative drop for any student who has not been in attendance (face to face class) or has not reported in (web or web enhanced class) by the due date of the preliminary class roster as established by the Registrar s Office. The Registrar s Office will notify students by certified mail and/or that the instructor has initiated the drop process and will instruct them to contact the instructor immediately. If the instructor does not rescind the request in writing within seven (7) days of documentable receipt of the notification, the Registrar s Office will drop the student from the class. Faculty who fail to submit an administrative drop by the established deadline, should record the grade earned by the student at the end of the semester. Faculty submitting a grade of F for a student will be required to enter the last date of attendance during the grading cycle. Subsequent to the census date final roster, all drops during the semester must be student initiated. Students may find the drop/withdraw form on the Dropping/Withdraw a Class page of the Registrar Web site. Any student who is registered in a developmental education course and fails to attend that course will be administratively dropped/withdrawn from all university courses. Drop/Withdraw deadline for the Summer II Term Session Drop without a grade Last day withdraw with a W Summer Session (5-week) Thursday, July 16 Friday, August 7 NOTE: Tasks/assignments with due dates are listed as separate documents divided into modules (see Learning Modules tab along the left bar in the course Blackboard site). 8