Final Portfolio

Goals for EDU307

What is Children’s Literature: Week 1 Performance Task , Week 1 Writing and Reading Task

Elements of Literature: Week 2 Performance Task, Week 2 Writing and Reading Task

Literacies and World View (Book Review 1 and 2): Week 3 Performance Task / Book Review 1 and 2, Week 3 Writing Task

Workshops and Media: Week 4 Performance Task, Week 4 Writing and Reading Task , Week 4 Writing Task (REVISED)

Literature and Read Aloud: Week 5 Writing and Reading Task

Poetry: Week 6 Performance Task, Week 6 Writing and Reading Task

Picture Books: Week 7 Performance Task: Picture Books, Week 7 Writing and Reading Task: Picture Books

Book Review 3: Book Review: Handbook for Boys and Discussion

Fables: Week 8 Performance Task: Fables, Week 8 Writing and Reading Task: Fables

Myths: Week 9 Performance Task: Myths, Week 9 Writing and Reading Task

Book Review 4: Book Review: Bucking the Sarge and Discussion

Fantasy: Week 10 Performance Task: Fantasy, Week 10 Writing and Reading Task

Book Review 5: Book Review: The Snowy Day

Biography: Week 11: Biography Model and Presentation

Realistic Fiction: Week 12 Performance Task: Realistic Fiction, Week 12 Writing and Reading Task: Realistic Fiction

Reflection:

Over the semester I have learned so much about children’s literature. When I first started the class I had no idea how large of a topic area children’s literature was and now I know that there is so many different aspects of it. I learned many skills that I can use in my classroom (new activities especially how to get students engaged in reading and the importance of reading from different perspectives) and expanded skills that I already knew such as improving read alouds. The discussions also helped me understand the deeper connections that students can make with books. Discussing with my peers also helped my communication skills and broaden my own ideas from a different perspective. I meet the criteria for this class by completing the weekly assignments, discussing and collaborating with my peers, and completing the book reviews.

Week 12 Writing Task: Realistic Fiction

Realistic fiction is a genre that consists of stories that could have actually happened to the characters as it is in a believable setting. The stories resemble elements of reality and characters that act like people in real life. Realistic fiction normally doesn’t have any elements of fantasy or the supernatural because it tries to depict the natural world as it is. In traditional realistic fiction the characters are believable, the plot is original, and the setting is true to life. Realistic fiction is important in the classroom because it portrays realities of life and students can start to understand human relationships and struggles. It helps students understand a different perspective and the ability to understand that all humans are more alike than different.

The backwards approach in the classroom for fiction is by first allowing students to pick what they want to read. This will help get all students engaged and actively reading. After students have read the novel then have them pick one element of the book to research. The class reading gave the example of Charlotte’s Web. If students were reading Charlotte’s Web do the farmers really bathe the pigs in buttermilk? The backwards approach is asking students to essentially fact check one element of the text in order to understand the author’s process and understanding if this element is useful in the classroom

Book Review: The Snowy Day

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is about is about a boy named Peter and his adventures on a snow day. Peter wakes up and looks out his window to find snow all over the ground. He puts on his red snow suit and heads outside to explore the snow. He finds snow snowbanks, makes snow tracks, and gets caught in the middle of a snowball fight. He decides instead of the snowball fight to make a snow man and on his way home he puts some snow in his pocket to save for later. After he returns home and gets ready for bed he is surprised to see that the snow in his pocket is gone which, makes him very sad. He dreams that night that the sun comes and melts all the snow but, when he wakes up the snow is still there and more snow is falling.

The Snowy Day has instantly become one of my new favorite children’s books. Not only is the story intriguing but the vivid and colorful illustrations capture the readers attention. Its important that all children learn that joy, wonder, disappointment, and excitement are universal human emotions that all humans experience. For me, that story captures this message. It also tells the importance of childhood and having the ability to explore and wonder. It’s a fun story that all readers can connect to and enjoy.

Week 10 Writing Task: Fantasy

I think that it is important that fantasy be in the classroom because it gives the students the ability to understand their fears, their hopes, their culture, and their geography. Imagination is the only way for students to really understand what living from a different perspective is like. Fantasy is a tool that can light students imaginations and to get them thinking about the ways that they live. Fantasy also helps students understand different types of morals/ lessons/ real world problems and understanding of the world through characters and, engages young readers to want to keep reading.

In my experience, I enjoyed reading fantasy when I was younger. I think it became a way for me to escape my own reality and fun to use my imagination to create a whole other world where the types of things that I was reading was possible. It was more of entertainment for me than anything else. As I grew older though I read fantasy less and less and now I don’t really read it at all.

Bucking the Sarge Book Review

Bucking the Sarge by Christopher Paul Curtis is about a young Luther T. Farrell, a 13 year old black boy and freshman in high school, who lives with and works for his Mom, also known as The Sarge. The Sarge has decided that she will make it on her own and has gone into the real estate business in Flint, MI. She owns houses and rents them out while also doing a number of other underhanded types of things. However, her way of doing things isn’t always clean. She cheats the State government and runs a loan shark business that loans money to people. The Sarge manipulates people and accomplishes her goals through shady business. Through all of this Luther, the protagonist, does not agree or appreciate the actions of his mother. He become disgusted on the way his mother has made her fortune. As a result, he decides to revolt against her.

Overall, I think that this is an interesting book and should be a required reading in high school. I think that readers between 13-18 would benefit from this the most as the book as the book deals with the idea of prejudice in American society. It also shows a flawed situation in American culture and gives a different perspective that young adults maybe able to connect to.

During our discussions Natalie (@nataliedelin) and I discussed:

  • Luther’s reputation. From the outside 15 year old Luther seems to have it all a “luxury” car, a great education along with an education fund that is worth over $90,000, he is a top student and loves science. He seems to be living the life, except for one thing, his overly strict mother, The Sarge. His mother is known to cheating, lying, and scaming her way into owning most of the ghetto. 
  • Luther’s character. Luther seems to have a good and gentle heart. He helps take care of the people in the rehabilitation center his mother owns. He also cleans up the rat and mold infested apartments that are now left empty. Though he does this work, it is because if he doesn’t he will have to deal with his mother.
  • Luther’s motivation/ major plot points. Luther decides that enough is enough. He does not deserve this foul treatment from his mother any longer. He starts to build up a caseload to help others sue his mother for a lack of safe living conditions and more. He is in hopes that she gets what is deserved after all of the scamming she as done to everyone around. 
  • Luther and Sparky’s relationship. Luther and Sparky start become close as they realize they can help each other out. Sparky needed Luther to be a witness to the tile falling incident on his head for his lawsuit. He planned to sue Taco Bell to get money, when really, he needed Luther to hit him on the head with a tile- scamming for money. 
  • Luther’s character. We also discussed how Luther seems to have a great head on his shoulders and he does not deserve to live a life being abused in the ways he has been. If he can get away from his mother it is believed that he will set out into the world and really try to make a difference!

Week 9 Participation Task: Myths

If I were to create a mythological character I would want to create a greek goddess. I would choose the name for my goddess to be Merakee because in Greek it means “putting your soul into something”. I think that the idea of absolute devotion or intense love is beautiful in a way because so many people have things that they love that they put their absolute all into. I think that a character that is absolutely devoted or this intense would fit in with the original greek goddesses as with the gods there is always some type of flaws and an origin story of how they came to be. I think that with absolute devotion someone could be blinded by the actual truth or something is harming them rather than helping. For Merakee this could be part of her backstory and how she became the goddess of absolute devotion.

Week 9 Writing Task: Myths

When I was in middle school I remember learning about greek and roman mythology. I remember learning about certain myths that involved gods, demigods, and supernatural humans. I specifically remember learning about the 12 greek gods and goddesses and how the met and lived on Mount Olympus. Hades preferred his home in the Underworld. Poseidon preferred his palace under the sea. I think it is important to learn about myths because it gives students the opportunity to learn about other cultures and compare it to theirs. It also teaches them about ancient history and its effect on the modern world today. Studying mythology gives students the chance to start thinking analytically about modern culture and analyzing the traces of ancient mythology has left behind. Mythology also allows students to find a new appreciation for literature. Students that struggle with modern writings may find mythology enjoyable because ancient myths incorporate a lot more action, adventure, and powerful supernatural characters. Students may find these stories and readings more enjoyable and be able to connect to them to more for this reason. Mythology can help student not only find commonalities with ancient times but find a new appreciation with literature.