Literature in the Secondary School Context (EDUC2060)
Semester 2 / 2009

Texts

What is a short story? Shorts, pp1-15!$!Yaxley, R., Kimber, S., Saldais, M., Window, C and Greenwood, J.!$! Brisbane!$!John Wiley and Sons!$!1999
Twilight!$!Meyer, S!$! London!$!Atom!$!2005
Speak!$!Anderson L.H.!$! London!$!Hodder!$!1999
y separately published work icon Deadly, Unna? Phillip Gwynne , Ringwood : Penguin , 1998 Z517608 1998 single work novel young adult (taught in 20 units)

'"Deadly, unna?" He was always saying that. All the Nungas did, but Dumby more than any of them. Dumby Red and Blacky don't have a lot in common. Dumby's the star of the footy team, he's got a killer smile and the knack with girls, and he's a Nunga. Blacky's a gutless wonder, needs braces, never knows what to say, and he's white. But they're friends... and it could be deadly, unna? This gutsy novel, set in a small coastal town in South Australia is a rites-of-passage story about two boys confronting the depth of racism that exists all around them.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

y separately published work icon Bush, City, Cyberspace : The Development of Australian Children's Literature into the Twenty-First Century John Foster , E. J. Finnis , Maureen Nimon , Wagga Wagga : Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University , 2005 Z1508775 2005 single work criticism (taught in 7 units) Provides a snapshot of the state of Australian children's and adolescent literature in the early twenty-first century, and an insight into its history, promoting a sense of where Australian literature for young people may be going. Written by the same three authors published for information studies in 1995.
y separately published work icon Black Juice Margo Lanagan , Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2004 Z1102783 2004 selected work short story young adult science fiction fantasy horror (taught in 2 units)

'Ten stories that delight, shock, intrigue, amuse and move the reader to tears with their imaginative reach, their dark humour, their subtlety, their humanity and depth of feeling: As part of a public execution, a young boy forlornly helps to sing his sister down. A servant learns about grace and loyalty from a mistress who would rather dance with Gypsies than sit on her throne. A terrifying encounter with a demonic angel gives a young man the strength he needs to break free of his oppressor. On a bleak and dreary afternoon a gleeful shooting spree leads to tragedy for a desperate clown unable to escape his fate.'

'Black Juice offers glimpses into familiar, shadowy worlds that push the boundaries of the spirit and leave the mind haunted with the knowledge that black juice runs through us all.'

y separately published work icon The Story of Tom Brennan J. C. Burke , Milsons Point : Random House , 2005 Z1257999 2005 single work novel young adult (taught in 5 units)

'A powerful story of love and loss, secrets and revelations - and making sense of a past that once seemed perfect.

'For Tom Brennan, life is about rugby, mates and family - until a night of celebration changes his life forever. Tom's world explodes as his brother Daniel is sent to jail and the Brennans are forced to leave the small town Tom's lived in his whole life. Tom is a survivor, but he needs a ticket out of the past just as much as Daniel. He will find it in many forms . . .' (Publication summary)

Description

Any understanding of literature is bound up with assumptions about historically & culturally valued reading practices & texts. Therefore in this course teaching young adult literature is discussed in terms of how we read as well as what we read. EDUC2060 aims to give students a grounding in literary theory & its application in educational contexts. Students will consider some of the main issues of contemporary literary criticism that provide a framework for developing a broad repertoire of approaches to teaching literature in secondary classrooms. There will be opportunities for students to discuss, experience & practice strategies for teaching & to link literary theory to classroom practice through observations & reflections.

EDUC2060 aims to give you a grounding in literary theory and its application in educational contexts. You will be introduced to some of the main issues and approaches to teaching reading and literature through the study of young adult literature.

EDUC2060 also offers you opportunities to develop your own literary and pedagogical understandings through undertaking a collaborative project related to the topics and issues covered.

Assessment

Participation and Presentation

10%

Reading History and Reflective Notes

25%

Module Activities and Group Discussions

25%

Collaborative Project and Presentation

40%

Other Details

Offered in: 2008, 2007, 2006
Current Campus: St Lucia
Levels: Undergraduate
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