ENG6772 - Down the Rabbit Hole: Reading Children's Literature

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Demonstrate an understanding of differences in modes and genres of writing for children/young people
Demonstrate an understanding of a range of the cultural, political and social contexts that shape texts for children/young people
Analyse examples of texts for children/young people using appropriate critical and theoretical frameworks
Design and investigate a research question focusing on texts for children/young people
Communicate research findings effectively in an oral presentation and a written essay

Content:

Students will study a range of texts which are produced for children and young people, or in which the representation of children is a major element. Topics will include, for example, picture books, teen fiction, and animal stories. Students will select one of these genres to investigate in depth, looking at the ways elements such as content, genre, characterisation and style are part of the cultures of childhood. Students will be encouraged to examine works in relation to ideological, cultural, and historical contexts (e.g. Romanticism, realism, war) and to socio-cultural and political debates (e.g. education, disability, race, gender).

Learning and Teaching Information:

Students will be invited to choose a broad topic to focus on from a selection (typically including picture books, animal stories and teen fiction). Introductory sessions will present an overview of the fundamentals of the approaches students can choose to take on a topic. These sessions will be followed by sessions focused around student-led informal formative presentations. These informal presentations will provide an opportunity for feedback in advance of the assessed presentations. The assessed presentation will in turn provide a further opportunity for feedback in advance of the essay. Contact time will be weighted towards the earlier part of the module to facilitate independent student research in the later stages of the module. Core required reading to facilitate focused discussion will be supplemented by lists of recommended reading to enable students to pursue their own interests, and students will be invited to seek out further primary and secondary material for themselves as part of their own research into the topic.

Whole Group Workshops
Contact hours: 20
Intended Group size: 25

Guided independent study
Hours: 180

Assessment:

001 Presentation; 10minutes; mid-semester 2 40%
002 Essay; 2,500 words; enf od semester 2 60%

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Kate Lister
Level - 6
Credit Value - 20
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 6S2

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