Citrus College Course Outline of Record
| Heading | Value |
|---|---|
| Effective Term: | Fall 2026 |
| Credits: | 3 |
| Total Contact Hours: | 54 |
| Lecture Hours : | 54 |
| Lab Hours: | 0 |
| Hours Arranged: | 0 |
| Outside of Class Hours: | 108 |
| Total Student Learning Hours: | 162 |
| Prerequisite: | Student must be eligible for the Citrus College Honors Program or obtain a recommendation from an Honors instructor. |
| Strongly Recommended: | ENGL C1000 or ENGL C1000H. |
| District General Education: | C2. Humanities |
| Transferable to CSU: | Yes |
| Transferable to UC: | Yes - Approved |
| Grading Method: | Standard Letter |
Catalog Course Description
This course is designed to give the student a knowledge and an appreciation of children's books, both fiction and nonfiction. Special emphasis is given to the quality of writing and illustration of award-winning books and selected classics. Students are expected to work at an honors level. Critical analysis of such works from various perspectives is exemplified through research and written analysis. 54 lecture hours.
Course Objectives
- Discuss and interpret representative classic texts from the late eighteenth century through the late twentieth century and drawn from the genres of fairytale, myth, novel, and poetry in order to understand their contribution to the development of children’s literature.
- Analyze the style, structure, language, and literal content of these texts in their historical context in order to master all that they offer to the contemporary reader.
- Explore interpretations of the text from a variety of critical perspectives (including formalist, historical, sociological, biographical and psychological) in order to defend the richness, layers, depth, complexity, and universal appeal.
- Evaluate the texts in order to appreciate the scope and history of children’s literature.
- Identify current writers, books, controversies and trends in the field.
- Showcase how Children’s Literature from around the world reflects the respective values of different cultures.
Major Course Content
- History and the Future of Children's Literature since the late 17th century through the 20th century
- Trends in the Field, Censorship, Anti-Bias Library, etc.
- Evaluation of Books for Children Using Literary and Child Development Theories
- Picture Book Analysis
- Poetry, Ballads and Nursery Rhymes for Children
- Folktales, Fairy Tales and the Oral Tradition
- Myths and Epics Children Read
- Modern Fantasy for Children
- Realistic Fiction including Animal Stories, Historical Fiction and Modern Fiction
- The novel for young adult readers
Suggested Reading Other Than Required Textbook
Supplementary readings on the historical and cultural contexts of the literature under discussion in class.
Interpretive applications of the literature under discussion in class.
Interpretive applications of the literature under discussion in class.
Examples of Required Writing Assignments
Choose a fairy tale from a particular culture around the world. It can be from your own culture, if you would like. Identify and analyze the key values celebrated in the story and the underlying messages it conveys. Consider how these elements reflect the historical and cultural context of the fairy tale and what it teaches children.
Examples of Outside Assignments
Students will be required to complete the following types of assignments outside of the regular class time:
In preparation for class discussion, read the assigned fairy tales by Charles Perrault and identify ten features of style and content that qualify these as classic stories (e.g. has stood the test of time). In preparation for class discussion, read E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web and identify the importance of each shift in setting and how they contribute to Wilbur’s coming of age. In preparation for class discussion read Katherine Paterson’s The Great Gilly Hopkins and identify the stages of Lawrence Kohlberg’s moral development theory that Gilly displays. Select key scenes that reveal how Gilly grapples with moral choices.
In preparation for class discussion, read the assigned fairy tales by Charles Perrault and identify ten features of style and content that qualify these as classic stories (e.g. has stood the test of time). In preparation for class discussion, read E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web and identify the importance of each shift in setting and how they contribute to Wilbur’s coming of age. In preparation for class discussion read Katherine Paterson’s The Great Gilly Hopkins and identify the stages of Lawrence Kohlberg’s moral development theory that Gilly displays. Select key scenes that reveal how Gilly grapples with moral choices.
Instruction Type(s)
Lecture, Online Education Lecture
IGETC Area 3: Arts and Humanities
3B. Humanities