Assignment 1 – 1 page
Write this in the form of a professional or business letter (Use a template or look up how to format a letter). Address your letter to a nomination committee, creating an argument as to why your book selection deserves to be considered for an award. (use book from the previous assignment Malia Magic Map)
The idea of the nomination letter is to introduce, discuss, and support the contributions the book makes to children’s literature. To do this, provide the title and author/s of the book along with a brief synopsis. Then describe, contextualize, and support important themes, characters, lessons, issues, solutions, and use of language and illustrations in your selected book in a way that is persuasive and that makes your book worthy of receiving an award.
Do some preliminary research to look up the criteria for children’s book awards, such as the Newbery or Caldecott. This initial requires a close, careful reading and a concentration on literary and visual analysis of your selection.
Assignment 2 – 1 page
Reflect on your knowledge gained and discuss reflections with others.
· . You were asked to discuss a story (See Below) that you heard as a child that had a lasting effect on you, and what you learned from your experience with storytellers. From the vantage point of your enhanced knowledge about children’s literature, think about why that story made such an impression on you. Was it age appropriate? Did it relate to a personal interest? Did it reflect an experience you had seen or participated in? Did it have intriguing sounds or visual images? Reflect on your experience with that memorable story in terms of what you learned about children’s literature in this course.
· Also reflect on what you have learned and what you would like to know more about in children’s literature. Has this course changed the way you think about children’s literature as a category of literature and, if so, how? Has your learning changed the way you will work with children and literature in the future and, if so, how?
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· Story I discuss
I can still remember a story my grandfather told me that had a big impact on me. The story was about a baby lion named Kazi who lived with sheep. He had never seen a lion before, so he did not know he was one. He ate grass and grazed with the other animals. He was always scared. He felt like something about him was off, but he did not have the courage to question it. The last thing my grandfather always said at the end of a story he told was something about being brave and believing in yourself.
In the story, Kazi met an older lion who could see through his mask. The older lion took him to a pond and showed him how he looked there. Kazi was shocked to see that he did not look like the sheep. Kazi was not sure what to do when the bigger lion told him to, but he finally let out a loud roar after a few tries. The sheep ran away, and Kazi finally figured out who he was, even though he was not sure before. That was the start and the end of it. Kazi was no longer following the crowd; he was proudly going his own way.
I learned that stories are not just for fun from listening to my grandfather and other entertainers as a child. Stories can teach us important lessons. He told me stories that helped me understand big ideas like courage, faith, and who I am as a child. He could only tell stories that remained in my heart. Now, when I look back, I understand that storytelling is one of the best methods of teaching. Kazi’s story taught me that confidence is not something you can get from people; it is something that you have to dig inside of yourself. We are all like a lion cub that needs someone to show us our reflecting image and to help us believe in what
Assignment 3 – 9 pages
Course Readings
- Child Maltreatment, An Introduction: Chapter 9
Seven-year-old Ralph has been in foster care for 14 months. They have been the worst 14 months of his life. It just seems like forever. His caseworker told him he would be going home within a year but that has not happened. He misses his mother and half-sister. He wants to tell his caseworker, George, to send him back home but he rarely sees him and his foster mother is always in the room when George comes. George told him his mother has a severe drug problem that is hard for her to kick. That is why she can’t take care of him now. His neighbor told CPS that his mother always left him and his sister home alone overnight to do drugs but why is that bad? His 11-year-old half sister took care of him just fine. His mother said that where she is from in the Caribbean, it was considered okay for kids 11 years old to watch younger siblings when parents were away. His neighbor just hates his mother and wanted to get back at her.
It is true that Ralph was sometimes scared when his mother’s last boyfriend would yell and hit his mother, but no one ever hit him. They did not know he had sneaked out of his room and was watching. He feels sorry for his sister though because his sister said the boyfriend tried to do nasty things to her like touching her in private places. His sister told their mother. His mother said she did not believe his sister but then his mother sent her to live with their grandmother. It is not fair that she got to go to his grandmother and he had to go to foster care.
He hates foster care and wants to be with his mother. At least with his mother he did not have to go to school all the time. She did not care if he said he was not feeling well a few times a week. She let him stay home even if she knew he was lying. His foster mother makes a big deal about going to school. His mother says his foster mother is a bad person and is just in it for the money. Sometimes his mother would get mad at him and spank him. She never really hurt him but he was glad she could not do that anymore. He was really upset when his foster mother started spanking him. George told him foster parents are taught good ways to discipline kids when they are trained to be foster parents but his foster mother says spanking is okay because that is the way most parents she knows disciplines kids. She feels George is okay but he doesn’t know everything.
All Ralph knows is that he feels so alone and confused. He just wants to punch someone.
In an essay 9 pages respond to the following based on what you have learned this semester.
- What forms of maltreatment can you tease out? Explain.
- Are there any factors, while they may be controversial, do not rise to the level of maltreatment?
- Can you identify any possible short term and long term effects that might impact Ralph? Consider not only the possible effects of child maltreatment but also the possible effects of being involved in the child welfare system.
- What are some of the cultural issues that may be present?
- What treatment and prevention options can you identify that might be helpful to all those involved in this scenario?