About the Course

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The specific course I am using is Western Michigan University’s ENGL 3820. This is an upper classmen undegraduate course geared toward adding multiculturism in children’s literature. It is intended for future teachers.

Course Description

Here is the course description from WMU’s catalog:

An exploration of human and literary values in the best of children’s works for the very young through age nine. Emphasis is on critical sensitivity and techniques necessary for interpreting and evaluating works representative of the major forms of children’s literature. Discussion will focus on how literature is first learned through adult-child interaction and how interaction creates changes that are influenced by time period and culture as well as the personal dynamics inherent in the oral tradition. Visual reading through picture books will be examined as well as the evaluation of good picture book literature. Developmental issues related to a child’s reading capability and narrative skills will be considered through an examination of transitional reader (chapter books) and novels. Poetry, both in its oral form and its written form, will be considered as will be mythology and folklore: its versions, variants, and adaptations (both in book and film form).

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Course Objectives

Here are the course objectives:

• Analytical Writing: Students will work to develop increased proficiency in engaging in-depth literary analysis and expressing ideas in writing and verbal forms.
• Critical Approaches: Students will work to cultivate understanding the elements and terms associated with formal study of literature, including discussion of critical approaches and theories, especially related to visual texts.
• Scholarly Discourse: Students will work to consider how contemporary scholars, teachers, and other invested individuals engage with literature for young children, including ways of locating texts and ascertaining reliable field-based resources and journals.
• Historical/Cultural Context: Students will work to study texts in context, acknowledging and researching both historical and cultural components that impact and frame textual understanding
• Diversity and Multiculturalism: Students will work to explore the importance of diverse and multicultural texts for young people, working to develop critical understanding of multiple voices and perspectives.

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Original Course

This course was created by Dr. Meghann Meeusen. The original course materials show Dr. Meeusen’s attention to diversity and inclusion in children’s literature. Also there is a focus on different media used in children’s literature including picture books and movies. There are many good discussions and lectures on diversity in children’s literature and show’s the importance of inclusion in children’s literature. In terms of assignments, Dr. Meeusen has an array of different assessments including class discussions, quizzes, read alouds, genre projects, and essays. Since this class is intended for future teacher’s the array of assessments is good for giving ideas for assessing as well as having a well-rounded assessing system that allows for all kinds of learning. Below is the syllabus and schedule.

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Focusing on Fantasy and Diversity

I worked with Dr. Meeusen in 2018 on her 3820 course as part of a practicum. As a culmination of my practicum, I created my own syllabus and schedule . In my course material I added a focus on fantasy and diversity in children’s literature. Diversity in children’s fantasy, like ethnic futurism, is a up and coming field. Increasing inclusion in speculative fiction has been a major topic in children’s literature as of late and must be discussed when working with prospective teachers. In addition this version of the syllabus includes a new lecture on diversity, fantasy, and children’s literature, but I have not made the power point yet. Below is what I proposed for a syllabus and schedule.

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Adding Ethnic Futurism

I have made some final changes to include ethnic futurism since ethnic futurism adds to the idea of inclusion and can be seen in different genres such as film, art, and literature that can be used in the beginning adult-child interaction that is imperative to children beginning to learn literature. Below is a new proposed schedule with new texts and an addition of an ethnic futurism discussion for the class.

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