Essay

[pic 1]

              Albertus Magnus College

Instructor:                 Lisa L. Landa

Course:                EN 251  Young Adult Literature, Section 1

Semester:                Spring 2016

Meeting Time:                Monday and Wednesday, 9:25 – 10:40 AM

Location:                Aquinas Hall, Room 209

Office:                        Aquinas Hall, G-2

Office Phone:                203.773.6901

E-mail:                  llanda@albertus.edu

Office Hours:          Wednesday, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., or by appointment

I.  Tradition of Honor:  As a member of the Albertus Magnus College Community, each student taking this course agrees to uphold the principles of honor set forth by this community, to defend these principles against abuse or misuse and to abide by the regulations of Albertus Magnus College.  To this end, every student must write and sign the following statement at the end of each essay or examination:  “I declare the Honor Pledge.”

Plagiarism:  The instructor will give no credit for plagiarized material.  If you do not understand what plagiarism is, please see me and ask.  Acts of plagiarism will result in students receiving zero for the assignment and may even result in students failing the course.  Online tutorials concerning the research paper process at

http://bedfordstmartins.com/rewriting.

II.   Special Needs and Accommodations:  Please advise the instructor of any special problems or needs at the beginning of the semester.  Those students seeking accommodation based on disabilities should provide a Faculty Contact Sheet obtained through the Academic Development Center in Aquinas Hall, 203-773-8590.

III. Course Description: EN 251   Young Adult Literature:

This course is specifically directed at English majors, future teachers, and anyone who is interested in a discussion of Young Adult Literature and its value as literature as well as its use and effectiveness in the classroom.  

IV. Course Objectives: 

Young Adult Literature is a course designed to answer several important questions:

• What is YA Lit?
• What are the characteristics of YA Lit?
• How should we evaluate the value of YA Lit?
• What is its relationship to the literary cannon?
• What purpose does it serve in a middle school or high school curriculum?

By the end of the course, students should be able to answer these questions after having been introduced to a wide range of Young Adult literature through assigned class readings and discussion, individual Book Talks, and a major project and presentation which is research based.  In addition, students should expect routine quizzes on assigned readings as well as 3-4 essays on topics relevant to Young Adult Literature.