LIS 566 Young Adult Materials: Evaluation and Use
4 Credits
MGH 251
Winter Quarter 2004:
January 6- March 19
Instructor:
Betty Marcoux, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
The
Instructor contact: Email:
elm2@u.washington.edu
Phone:
206-616-9258
Office
Hours: Tuesday
Thursday
By
Appointment preferred; confirm with email
Graduate Assistant:
Sarah Zabel: sarahz@u.washington.edu
Course Meeting Times:
Tuesdays: January 6 –
March 9
Thursdays: January 8 –
March 4
Course Listserv:
To post to the listserv, please email: lis566a_wi04@u.washington.edu
Course Discussion Board: To post book reviews to the discussion board on Catalyst, please click here:
http://catalyst.washington.edu/webtools/epost/register.cgi?owner=dmlis566&id=7105
Course Description:
An overview of materials reflecting adolescents' interest in
media and addressing their educational, cultural, and recreational needs.
Students evaluate print literature, electronic ad other non-print media for
young adults. Content also designed to assist adult caregivers of adolescents.
Prerequisite: LIS 500, LIS 510, and LIS 520 or permission of instructor.
Course objectives:
1.
To provide students
with a basic understanding of the developmental (educational, cultural, recreational) needs of young adults.
2.
To give a historical
context of adolescence and the development of YA literature.
3.
To provide a basic
knowledge of the types and genres of information resources of interest to YAs.
4.
To become familiar
with some of the selection tools and recommended reading lists used to develop
YA collections of information resources and do reader’s advisory work with YAs.
5.
To develop a greater
understanding of those professionals that work with YA literature and
adolescents in information settings.
6.
To provide ideas for
developing YA information resources and YA centers.
7.
To understand the
dilemmas of YA information access versus privacy issues.
8.
To apply and develop
skills that allow for the promotion of literature and
other information to YAs.
Text:
Nilsen, A. E. and Donelson, K. L. (2001) Literature
for today’s young adults.
There will also be a series of electronic readings for you
to do that will be assigned in class.
They are posted in the UW library’s E-reserve for your convenience.
Journal
Course syllabus:
January 6 Course introduction. An examination of adolescents and their information behaviors. Philosophy of service to young adults, definition of young adult, historical underpinnings of young adult literature, trends in YA publishing, criteria for YA literature. Work on rubrics for assignments.
Class
Cancelled Due to Snow!
Please go ahead and review the Powerpoint lectures below, begin your reading, and start
working on Assignment 1. We will catch
up next week.
PPT: Young Adults
PPT: Where Does Young Adult Literature Come From?
Ø
Read
Chapters 1& 2 & 4 of text.
January 8 No class as professor at ALISE/ALA. You may wish to use this time to do your Assignment 1 interview work….
January 13 Discussion of genres to cover and how to approach them. Developmental information on adolescents and their agendas.
PPT: Genres for Young Adult Literature
Ø Read the Chocolate War for next class. Bring a comic book (graphic novel) to class for discussion.
January 15 Discussion of the Chocolate War and its ramifications as a canon piece of literature for adolescents. Examination of graphic novels and their use in adolescent information resource work. Discuss review work and go over template for reviews.
Ø
Read
Chapter 5 & an adolescent romance/realism novel for next class.
January 20 Discuss adolescent understandings of romance and realism in the last 50 years and how it has influenced adolescent reading habits.
Ø
Read one
book (fiction or non-fiction) that is thematically about adolescent sexuality
for next class.
January 22 Sex, romance, substance abuse and adolescents: how to work with controversial information and teens. Present your title on adolescent sexuality and orally review it for the class.
PPT: Adolescent Sexuality and Literature
Ø
Read
Chapters 6-8 by next class. Identify
your theme and begin to work on poster session.
Read one adolescent book about a historical subject by the next class.
January 27 Visit with two YA librarians site TBA. Possible visit Young Adult Teen room will be
included. Pick out ALA Notable Book to
read and review
**Class
will be off campus today. We will be at
the Renton Public Library for a visit between
Ø
Explore
one history website (in a public library) and be prepared to discuss it in next
class.
January 29 Assignment 1:
Interview Due
The use of history and adolescents. Uses of history to work with adolescents that are in the “here and now” approaches to their lives. Discussion of interviews today.
PPT: Poetry and Drama in YA Literature
Ø
Read
Chapter 9 and an adolescent book of poetry or drama. Bring book to class with you for next class
session.
February 3 Literature services to adolescents relating to non-fiction resources. Readers’ advisory, programming concerns.
Ø
Write your
review of your
February 5 Assignment 2:
Presentation of ALA Notable books in class. Bring your review and your book to class.
February 10 Presentation of ALA Notable books in class. Bring your review and your book to class.
February 12 Discussion of YA collection development concerns – review sources, booklists, bibliographies, curriculum alignments, etc.
PPT: Young Adult Collection Development Concerns
Ø
Read Chapter 3 for next class. Watch at least one television show during the
week that is marketed toward adolescents.
February 17 Discussion of non-print information resources and adolescents.
PPT: Non-print Information Resources and Adolescents
Ø
Read
Chapter 10 - 12 and Kingsolver’s “Somebody’s baby” from High tide in
February 19 Evaluative criteria for YA information and literature. Explore the “problem novel” and its role in adolescent reading. Censorship versus selection discussion.
PPT: Evaluative Criteria for YA Literature and Information
PPT: The Problem Novel
February 24 Assignment 3: Webquest Due
Class presentations on Webquests. We will use the assigned URL in class to access them and review them.
Ø
Go see at
least one film that is currently popular with adolescents. Review the film and come prepared to discuss
it.
February 26 Go to PLA conference today or visit a public library teen room not already visited by this class.
Ø
Take notes
on your observations for discussion next class.
Ø
ADDITIONAL
1. Schwarz, Gretchen.
(Fall 2000) Exploring media literacy with young adults. The ALAN Review, vol
28, #1 http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/v28n1/schwarz.html
2. Media use in
3. Luke, Carmen (1996) "Reading gender and culture in
media discourses andtexts." Chapter in G. Bull & M.Anstey
(eds) The literary
lexicon. NewYork:
Prentice-Hall http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/courses/ed253a/Luke/LITLEX1.html
March 2 Discuss PLA or public library teen room in class. Discuss films seen. Film and focus boxes (found in your text) – information to use with adolescents. Come prepared to discuss evaluation and uses of film and focus boxes.
Ø
Find at
least one film and one focus box from the text that you find particularly
relevant to the film you have watched for homework.
Ø
ADDITIONAL
1.
Weiner, Stephen.
(Feb 1, 2002). "Beyond superheroes: comics get serious." Library
Journal http://www.libraryjournal.com/index.asp?layout=articleArchive&articleid=CA191649
2.
Meyer, Elaine. (Feb
2001). “The road to coolness: youth rock the public library." American Libraries, 32(2) 46-49. Available
Full Text through ProQuest.
March 4 Teenage book talking and storytelling. Uses of proactive approaches in adolescent literature – from the avid reader to the reluctant or alliterate teen.
March 9 Assignment 4: Poster Session Due
Your posters are due in class today.
March 11 You will have the opportunity
to present your posters for a live audience at
We are scheduling to be there during our regular class time, but the exact time
will be set and sent out over the Listserv.
Address:
Link to
the school website.
Map: Courtesy of Mapquest
Bus routes: The Metro Bus #43 and #48
travel from the U-district and will bring you within a couple blocks of
through
King County Metro Online for #43 and #48.
Assignments:
1. Interview: Identify two adolescents (ages 12-17, one male, one female, one ethnic minority, one ethnic majority) for this assignment. They should NOT be your own children. You will be conducting a separate interview for each.
a. Each participant is to be asked for parent permission to participate in this exercise. No interviews may be done without first obtaining this permission and recording this permission on paper to be handed in with the assignment.
b. Profile information on each adolescent: age, ethnicity, gender, demographics, education background, culture, family, etc.
c. Ask each interviewee to talk about a recent information need they had and how it was dealt with. Record in a narrative the answers given to the following questions:
i. What was the need?
ii. What prompted the information need?
iii. How did you find information to fill this information need?
iv. What types of information sources were best for this type of need?
v. Where did you find it?
vi. How did you use it?
vii. What affected your search to find information on that need?
viii. How did you feel about it?
ix. Is there anything else you would like to share about this information need?
d. Reflect upon the information you gather and do the following:
i. Identify the theme of the information need.
ii. Identify at least four different resources that could be used to satisfy this information need. Critique them in terms of usability with adolescents.
iii. Suggest strategies for facilitating the use of these resources with this particular adolescent and his/her information need.
e. Write this up and be prepared to hand it in as well as discuss it in class.
f. Develop a flow chart (written) to be handed in with the paper that indicates the path taken by the adolescent to satisfy the need and an alternate path that you might recommend which could have been taken based upon your understanding of the information problem and solution.
g. On one page relate your observations of the interviewed adolescent and your understandings of their worlds.
The interview assignment is due January 29
at the beginning of class. Be sure to
NOT identify the interviewees in such a way that they are readily recognizable
to the rest of the class (ie: full name, exact
school, address, etc.)
Issues to be concerned about:
1.
Parent/guardian
permission forms attached, signed.
2.
Adolescents
interviewed meet all criteria.
3.
Background
information clearly stated and contextualized.
4.
All questions/paper
requirements answered and clearly noted in paper.
5.
Flow chart
done for each adolescent that shows what really happened and an alternate flow
chart for adolescent’s information need.
6.
A one page
summary of observations accompanies the packet for each adolescent interviewed.
7.
No
identifying information is given about adolescent anywhere in the paper/packet
such as proper name, proper location, etc. to protect the anonymity of
adolescent.
Assignment 1 measures the following course objectives:
To provide students with a basic understanding of the developmental (educational, cultural, recreational) needs of young adult.
To give a historical context of adolescence and the development of YA literature.
To provide a basic knowledge of the types and genres of information resources of interest to YAs.
To become familiar with some of the selection tools and recommended reading lists used to develop YA collections of information resources and do reader’s advisory work with YAs.
To develop a greater understanding of those professionals that work with YA literature and adolescents in information settings.
To provide ideas for developing YA information resources and YA centers.
To understand the dilemmas of YA information access versus privacy issues.
To apply and develop skills that allow for the promotion of literature and other information to YAs.
2.
Issues
to be concerned with:
1. Audience
is fellow students/potential selectors of this material.
2. Stick
to the time allotted for this talk.
3. Summarize
the contents/theme of the book clearly as well as for what kind of audience
this material appeals.
4. Message
about the book is conveyed clearly and succinctly.
5. Rationale
for why this material over others given clearly and concretely.
6. Work
in other review information as is appropriate.
Assignment 2 measures the following course objectives:
To give a historical context of adolescence and the development of YA literature.
To provide a basic knowledge of the types and genres of information resources of interest to YAs.
To become familiar with some of the selection tools and recommended reading lists used to develop YA collections of information resources and do reader’s advisory work with YAs.
To provide ideas for developing YA information resources and YA centers.
To apply and develop skills that allow for the promotion of literature and other information to YAs.
3.
Webquest: Design a webquest
based upon a theme of interest to adolescents.
You will want to review information about Webquests
at http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/webquest.html
. Accompany your Webquest
with a brief description of your target adolescents and a rationale for the
theme. Your assignment is to be
electronic and is based upon presentation, organization, usefulness for
adolescents, content appropriateness, clarity and completeness. This is NOT a K-12 classroom assignment – you
must design it in such a way that an adolescent will find information of
interest to them and not for a grade. Please note: while the examples are school related, you
are being asked to do one that is not academic related or for a grade. You will want to retool the “teacher” page at
the very least, and establish a mechanism for evaluation that the reader can
use without it being for a grade.
You will be given a URL in class on which to post your Webquest. This will
be due February 24 in class for presentation.
Issues
to be concerned with:
1.
Clarity and appeal of webquest
design to YA audience –easy to use yet not insulting to YA interests.
2.
Rationale for why bother with this webquest.
3.
All facets of the webquest
are a part of yours (introduction, task, process, evaluation, conclusion,
“adult” page).
4.
Your class presentation of your webquest is on target, well organized, succinct. (Stick to
the time allotted)
5.
You have a strong rationale for this theme that
ties to YA use, appropriateness, understandings.
6.
You credit appropriately all uses of graphics,
literature, etc.
7.
The webquest holds
together well and is not necessarily academic only.
Assignment 3 measures the following course objectives:
To provide students with a basic understanding of the developmental (educational, cultural, recreational) needs of young adults.
To give a historical context of adolescence and the development of YA literature.
To provide a basic knowledge of the types and genres of information resources of interest to YAs.
To become familiar with some of the selection tools and recommended reading lists used to develop YA collections of information resources and do reader’s advisory work with YAs.
To develop a greater understanding of those professionals that work with YA literature and adolescents in information settings.
To provide ideas for developing YA information resources and YA centers.
To understand the dilemmas of YA information access versus privacy issues.
To apply and develop skills that allow for the promotion of literature and other information to YAs.
4.
Poster session: Using the criteria
listed by ALA Best Books for Reluctant Readers, select a genre of interest to
adolescents and read at least three books in that area. Prepare a visual poster that will interest adolescents and
graphically represent what you have read and why adolescents should read these
books. Invite at least two adolescents
and their parents to attend the class session on March 11 when these are to be
presented. You will be responsible for
showcasing your poster session to not only these two adolescents but also to
the rest in the room. It will not be a formal presentation; rather a room
filled with poster presentations that have the author of the poster
presentation prepared to answer questions about it. This
will be due in class for the poster session on March 9. You are to turn in a 2-page paper on your
process for doing this as well as the criteria used and rationale for why it
relates to adolescents. The paper is due at the poster session.
Issue to be concerned about:
1.
Style of
poster appealing to YA interests
2.
All RR/ALA
criteria met (note: if your title is from an RR list by
3.
Diversity
issues
4.
Recognizable
theme that is appealing to YA interests
5.
YA leisure
reading that will interest YAs
6.
Subject well
represented/covered by selection
7.
Cover art
interesting and presented with appeal
8.
Readability
concerns
9.
Overall quality
of poster appealing to YA interests
OR: Using the same criteria create an electronic website for an electronic poster to be demonstrated to the class. The website will be evaluated by the same issues, but you may choose to do it electronically if you prefer this method to the paper/scissors methodology.
Assignment 4 measures the following course objectives:
To provide students with a basic understanding of the developmental (educational, cultural, recreational) needs of young adults.
To give a historical context of adolescence and the development of YA literature.
To provide a basic knowledge of the types and genres of information resources of interest to YAs.
To become familiar with some of the selection tools and recommended reading lists used to develop YA collections of information resources and do reader’s advisory work with YAs.
To develop a greater understanding of those professionals that work with YA literature and adolescents in information settings.
To provide ideas for developing YA information resources and YA centers.
To understand the dilemmas of YA information access versus privacy issues.
To apply and develop skills that allow for the promotion of literature and other information to YAs.
Grade Percentages:
Interviews 20%
Battle
of the books 15%
Webquest 20%
Poster
Assignment 25%
Participation 20%
(Participation
includes being prepared with the text readings and various books assigned to
read when noted on the syllabus, quality class discussion participation, site
visit, participation in the poster session )
Grading Scale:
4.0 Exceptional
work for a graduate student
Consistent work creative, original, thorough, well-reasoned, and argued, insightful, well-written and clear, methodologically sound, and shows clear understanding o