Students

LIT 847 – Romanticism to Postmodernism: Developments in Children's Literature

2017 – S2 Evening

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Victoria Flanagan
By appointment - please email to arrange
Unit Convenor
Ryan Twomey
By appointment - please email to arrange
Credit points Credit points
4
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MChildLit or MCrWrit or GradDipChildLit or GradDipCrWrit or MEChild or MA in Children's Literature
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit examines the critical and cultural development of children's literature from the nineteenth century to the present. The unit relates the literature to social and intellectual history, and considers the impact of major paradigm shifts. Topics may include the social and literary constructions of childhood; the development of the Bildungsroman for younger readers; representations of gender, class, race and power; and the development of social realism and of fantasy.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • 1. To develop a broad sense of how children’s literature has evolved over the past three centuries
  • 2. To gain an understanding of the relationship between texts and the changing cultural constructions of childhood and adolescence
  • 3. To acquire skills in identifying narrative techniques and evaluating how the use of such techniques has developed over a historical period.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Participation 10% No Evaluated weekly
Written Report 40% No 23 August 2017
Final Essay 50% No 7 November 2017

Participation

Due: Evaluated weekly
Weighting: 10%

A requirement for participation marks is attendance and involvement in all the seminars. Attendance is mandatory in LIT854—there is no quota of classes you can miss without impact on your participation grade. Absences will be excused only under exceptional (documented—i.e. with a medical certificate and a Professional Authority Form) circumstances.

 

In addition to attendance and involvement, participation entails completing all the readings before class and reflecting on those materials (make notes).

 

In particular, you should think about the discussion questions posed under each week’s heading in this Unit Handbook and arrive at your own answers synthesized from what you’ve read, listened to and thought about. You will be called upon to answer these questions in class, and you should prepare to speak to the broader issues they raise.

 

Class Participation for External Students:

External students must participate in online discussions via the LIT 854 iLearn site.  One post per week is the minimum participation requirement. External students should read the weekly texts and prepare the seminar discussion topics in advance, then post responses to the seminar questions and respond to the postings of other students, to facilitate an active discussion such as would occur in a face-to-face seminar. Students are also encouraged to raise other relevant points of interest in their online discussions. Be prepared to question the opinions of others, to have your opinions challenged and to participate actively in discussion. Please also be aware that overly-long posts DO NOT encourage discussion. Keep your posts short and to the point – and encourage others to respond.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • 1. To develop a broad sense of how children’s literature has evolved over the past three centuries
  • 3. To acquire skills in identifying narrative techniques and evaluating how the use of such techniques has developed over a historical period.

Written Report

Due: 23 August 2017
Weighting: 40%

What is the impact of non-literary writing and poetry about children and/or education on writing for children in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries? Focusing on ONE or TWO primary texts from this period, examine how other writings about children and education influenced the production of fiction for children.

You may choose either ONE novel or TWO short stories intended for children and refer to at least TWO or THREE other (non-fiction) texts.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • 1. To develop a broad sense of how children’s literature has evolved over the past three centuries
  • 2. To gain an understanding of the relationship between texts and the changing cultural constructions of childhood and adolescence

Final Essay

Due: 7 November 2017
Weighting: 50%

Write a 3000 word research essay based on one of the questions in the LIT 847 Unit Handbook.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • 1. To develop a broad sense of how children’s literature has evolved over the past three centuries
  • 2. To gain an understanding of the relationship between texts and the changing cultural constructions of childhood and adolescence
  • 3. To acquire skills in identifying narrative techniques and evaluating how the use of such techniques has developed over a historical period.

Delivery and Resources

Required Reading:

  1. Louisa May Alcott, Little Women (1868) 
  2. David Almond, Skellig, (1998)
  3. Mary Grant Bruce, A Little Bush Maid (1910)
  4. Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden (1911) Norton Critical Edition, 2006
  5. Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) 
  6. Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843) Broadview Press, 2003
  7. Ursula Dubosarsky, The Golden Day Allen and Unwin, 2011
  8. Sarah Fielding, The Governess; or The Little Female Academy (1749)
  9. Cornelia Funke, Inkheart, Scholastic 2004
  10. Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows (1908) Oxford World Classics, 2010
  11. C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1950)
  12. Penelope Lively, A Stitch in Time, (1976)
  13. George Macdonald, The Princess and the Goblin (1872) 
  14. Edith Nesbit, The Railway Children (Puffin Classics, 1906)
  15. Philippa Pearce. Tom’s Midnight Garden (1958) 
  16. Philip Reeve, Larklight, Bloomsbury, 2006
  17. Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island (1883) 
  18. Ethel Turner, Seven Little Australians (1894)
  19. Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html​

Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html

Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

PG - Capable of Professional and Personal Judgment and Initiative

Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • 1. To develop a broad sense of how children’s literature has evolved over the past three centuries
  • 2. To gain an understanding of the relationship between texts and the changing cultural constructions of childhood and adolescence

Assessment tasks

  • Participation
  • Written Report
  • Final Essay

PG - Discipline Knowledge and Skills

Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • 1. To develop a broad sense of how children’s literature has evolved over the past three centuries
  • 2. To gain an understanding of the relationship between texts and the changing cultural constructions of childhood and adolescence
  • 3. To acquire skills in identifying narrative techniques and evaluating how the use of such techniques has developed over a historical period.

Assessment tasks

  • Participation
  • Written Report
  • Final Essay

PG - Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • 1. To develop a broad sense of how children’s literature has evolved over the past three centuries
  • 2. To gain an understanding of the relationship between texts and the changing cultural constructions of childhood and adolescence
  • 3. To acquire skills in identifying narrative techniques and evaluating how the use of such techniques has developed over a historical period.

Assessment tasks

  • Written Report
  • Final Essay

PG - Research and Problem Solving Capability

Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • 2. To gain an understanding of the relationship between texts and the changing cultural constructions of childhood and adolescence

Assessment task

  • Final Essay

PG - Effective Communication

Our postgraduates will be able to communicate effectively and convey their views to different social, cultural, and professional audiences. They will be able to use a variety of technologically supported media to communicate with empathy using a range of written, spoken or visual formats.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Assessment tasks

  • Participation
  • Written Report
  • Final Essay

PG - Engaged and Responsible, Active and Ethical Citizens

Our postgraduates will be ethically aware and capable of confident transformative action in relation to their professional responsibilities and the wider community. They will have a sense of connectedness with others and country and have a sense of mutual obligation. They will be able to appreciate the impact of their professional roles for social justice and inclusion related to national and global issues

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • 1. To develop a broad sense of how children’s literature has evolved over the past three centuries
  • 2. To gain an understanding of the relationship between texts and the changing cultural constructions of childhood and adolescence

Assessment tasks

  • Participation
  • Final Essay

Changes from Previous Offering

Assessment tasks have been changed. (Seminar paper deleted.)