WEBSITE ASSIGNMENTS
Find interesting websites that relate to a particular kind of literature, an author, activities for children, teacher lesson plans, games, stories, illustrations and other noteworthy subjects. Send addresses; annotate/describe what is on the site.

ILLUSTRATED BOOK SHARING
Bring to class two illustrated books. Read them and tell highlights.

MONART
All students will render in some medium the same image. Use your own style. Any medium ok: watercolor, pastel, chalk, pen, colored pencils, charcoal, pen and ink, computer art (your original).

MODERN MYTH
Generate a paragraph relaying a Modern Myth. Shoot for 50-100 words. Describe something that modern humans believe to be true. This “myth” may focus on health, food, diet, fashion, age, sexuality, movie stars, places; use your imagination.

ART PROJECT WITH THESIS:
Most stories, essays, poems, and novels have messages or ideas the author or storyteller wants to get across. Particularly, in some genres, morals or teachings are imparted in the telling of the story. For these projects your goal is to find a message, a theme, or an issue and make a clear statement; then you create a piece of art that reflects the impact of the message. For example in The Golden Touch by Nathaniel Hawthorne, King Midas makes a wish that everything he touches will turn to gold. He neglects, in his greediness to consider what will happen when he touches his daughter. He touches her and she turns into gold. It is only after this that he realizes the implications his wish for wealth holds. We learn that …….now generate the message of the piece. You will read “The Fisherman and his Wife” and render the message in a clear thesis. Then you will construct a piece of art, using characters or events of the story, that visually reflects the MESSAGE of the tale. What is the moral of the story? What do children learn from reading about this woman who is never satisfied with the power and possessions she has? We learn that…..now generate the message. Render in art what we learn. I can help with these art assignments.

FINAL EXAM/"ART PROJECT"
For the final, you will get a three-fold poster. You will generate a clear thesis that ties together five pieces of literature (include as two of your works, the novels we are reading). Start with the main message; for example you might want to explore the idea that children can learn to be responsible by making tough choices. Or children learn that the cycle of life is very delicate and should not be tampered with. Or children learn that they need helpers to succeed; mentors often lead them to understand the world in new ways. Mentors also help children by modeling appropriate behavior. Or what is the definition of ‘family’? After formulating a clear direction, gather quotes and excerpts from The Riverside Anthology of Children’s Literature ( you may want to include some of the experts from the text and those mentioned in the lectures, or those you have found in your research, such as Tolkien, le Guin, Joseph Campbell, Bruno Bettelheim) and the readings and paste a quote from each of your five readings along with the thesis on your three fold board. Create a piece of three-dimensional art to go along with your thesis and the quotes. I have a number of student examples that I will bring to class; or you may visit my office and we’ll discuss the ways you can generate a good final exam thesis and project. Be thinking early on in the course. Your task is to pull together five works of literature that impart profound messages to readers and tie all of them together. This is a challenging assignment, so think seriously about it and get help from me early in the course.

RESOURCE LIST
Your resource list will include websites, articles, picture books, audiotapes, videotapes, magazine and journal articles that are relevant to Children’s Literature. Create a Bibliography of 20 items using the MLA style. You may include your websites, your articles on children, and your illustrated books that you share with the class; that’s 8 items right there; now find 12 more. In your searches, keep careful notes and this assignment will be a breeze; for example, when you are looking for two good illustrated books, note a few others that you come across. Be sure to write down the author, the publisher, sand all the MLA information you’ll need for the Bibliography.

ARTICLES on CHILDREN
Find articles on children either in the newspaper, in a magazine or journal, or on the Internet. Read the articles. Complete a summary of the articles including quotes and excerpts. Be sure to mention the author and the title of the article in your introduction. The summary can be 250 words.

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