Nixon 501-02 syllabus2021

1. Art by Deborah Roberts
English 501-02 Summer 2021
Young Adult Literature in a Time of Upheaval:
Teaching for Connection and Critical Literacy
Professor: Janis (Jan) Johnson
janson@uidaho.edu
Zoom link for all synchronous class sessions and conferences: https://uidaho.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUud-
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We come together for this class at a destabilizing and disruptive time, one of intense political
polarization, a reckoning over police brutality and racial injustice, a health pandemic, and a spate of
mass shootings. In this seemingly unprecedented context, our course will explore recent award-
winning young adult literature with a goal of creating in ourselves and our students an awareness of
the interconnectedness with all others and the world; with creating critical literacy in ourselves and
our students so we are able to “read the word and the world” (Freire and Macedo, 1987), and to
develop the ability to identify and problematize the systems within which we live and our place in
them. Sometimes this is called social justice pedagogy, as in this important and foundational
challenge for our course:
How might we nurture the prizing of differences in race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual
orientation, and language? We must create for students democratic and critical spaces
that foster meaningful and transformative learning. If we expect students to take social
responsibility, they must explore ideas, topics, and viewpoints that not only reinforce but
challenge their own. In an increasingly abrasive and polarized American society, social
justice education has the potential to prepare citizens who are sophisticated in their
understanding of diversity and group interaction, able to critically evaluate social
institutions, and committed to working democratically with diverse others. Young adult
literature provides a context for students to become conscious of their operating

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worldview and to examine critically alternative ways of understanding the world and
social relations.
Glasgow, J. “Teaching social justice through young adult literature.” English Journal, July, 2001,
Vol. 90(6), p.54 (8).
Young adult literature is conducive to this kind of exploration because it engages important issues
that young people are experiencing and questioning, sometimes quite intensely, such as race/racism,
gender and sexual identity, and questions about class, religion and justice, often without a safe and
supportive forum for discussion. This course will help us prepare to address these issues with out
students through literary (and film) texts. Our work will entail reading one work of
theory/pedagogy, and six young adult novels. Our weeks together should be both intense and fun—
with a lot of close reading and discussing, with opportunities for your own evolving interests to help
shape our focus.
I encourage you to begin our two-week Zoom classes having read the theory/pedagogy text
(Teaching Transformation: transcultural classroom dialogues) and as many of the novels as you can. As you
read, take notes of your responses and questions toward response posts, which you can revise as we
dive into the material together. Your questions and ideas will be the center of our time spent in class
together. Since I believe people learn by participating in active reading, writing, and discussion much
more than by being told information, I will not lecture—we’ll focus on elucidating key concepts
through our discussions and projects. This is my first time creating and teaching this course, so
know that I will be learning along with you. I also believe learning involves inevitable moments of
confusion and error, and we’ll all learn more if we’re brave about sharing our ideas in progress. I
don’t expect perfection, just real investment. If at any point, you have questions or ideas about how
this class could better serve you, please talk to me!
Required Books
Teaching Transformation: transcultural classroom
dialogues—Analouise Keating
The Marrow Thieves—Cherie Dimaline
The Hate You Give—Angie Thomas
Sanctuary—Abby Sher and Paola Mendoza
We Are Not Free—Traci Chee
Speak: the graphic novel—Laurie Halse Anderson
Cemetery Boys—Aiden Thomas
Links to additional essays and videos can be found on BbLearn/Canvas.
Learning Outcomes
o Convey an understanding—through analytical essays and class Zoom discussions and blog
posts—of teaching for connection and critical literacy and of contemporary young adult
literature’s conventions and themes.
o Contextualize the literature we read in relation to other and earlier texts, as well as to
relevant aesthetic and social questions.
o Write short responses and a longer critical project that meaningfully and articulately analyzes
and responds to the class texts, as well as integrating relevant research.
o Articulate—through writing and class work—how your analysis is in conversation with
scholarly conversations (as defined by the scope of the class readings and relevant research).

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Requirements and Grading
Participation, including comments on your groupmates’ work: 35%
First short response post (2-3 pages): 5%
Second short response post (2-3 pages): 5%
Third short response post (2-3 pages): 5%
Final project video or draft, plus conference on final project progress: 10%
Final project (15-20 pages, plus Works Cited): 40%
Participation and Reading
Since this is an intensive, short-term graduate seminar, I expect you to attend all Zoom sessions; be
prepared by having done the reading actively—including taking notes, annotating, and being ready
to ask questions; and post your responses on time. If you need to miss a session or turn in work late
for any reason, please let me know as soon as possible. I’m committed to working my hardest to
create an inclusive, nondiscriminatory, intellectually and emotionally engaged class in which we can
all thrive, and look forward to all of you joining me in helping to create this kind of environment as
we dive into this fascinating material. If you have any questions or feedback on how this class could
better serve you, please email me or set up a Zoom conference at any point!
Short Response Posts
Each of you will submit three response posts to the blog on the dates listed. They should be 2-3
double-spaced pages (approximately 500-750 words). All should be attached as a .doc or .docx (not a
pdf) so I can insert comments. These responses are intended to help you internalize and work
through ideas about the readings. I highly encourage you to use them to make connections among our
readings and to closely read passages in light of other material we’ve read or to delve into your thinking about central
questions or ideas that you’re developing as you read. If you start to develop an idea or central question for
your final project and want to begin to use the response posts to build pieces of that, please do; just
make sure you continue to also meaningfully fold in our most recent readings.
Please note that response posts do not need to be purely thesis driven—meaning you can explore a
central question or begin working through related ideas, or posing questions that you’re wrestling
with, without honing them into a thesis. Or, if you have a thesis you’re excited to test out and
develop, thesis-driven responses are great too.
I’ll comment on your response posts to help you further develop your ideas, and grade them:
90-100% (strong): insightful ideas, with meaningful connections among relevant readings;
meticulously edited and clearly articulated; MLA citation is accurate and relevant additional
sources are used as needed
80-90% (good): fine start on the ideas but could use more development or critical thinking;
there may be a mistake or two in the citation or editing
70-80% (satisfactory) some noticeable mistakes; seems like response was written without much
reflection; hazy grasp of the text(s) or aesthetic or historical connections or framings
60-70% (weak): poor understanding of text(s) and its significance; poor editing or citation format
0%: not submitted
Final Project
A central part of this course is your ability to synthesize what you’ve learned in a longer analytical
project of approximately 18-20 pages. This may be a more conventional analytical essay or, you may
approach your subject from more diverse angles and styles—something you might want to use in
class to teach from, for example, as long as you meet all of the guidelines for depth of analysis,

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connections between texts, contextualization of ideas, and meaningful integration of relevant
sources. I’ll post detailed guidelines for this project after I’ve had a chance to see some of your
responses and interests. As I say above, if you figure out early in the class some line of inquiry you
want to pursue, you can use your short response posts to build ideas toward this project. We’ll all
also work on this final project in stages, including a video/slidecast/drafting, groupmates’ feedback,
and a conference with me. Please see details and dates on the schedule.
MLA-Style Resources and Academic Integrity/Plagiarism
All short response posts and your final project must follow MLA style for all quotations and
citations: Purdue Online Writing Lab’s MLA webpage.
This should go without saying in a graduate-level English class, but all work you submit must be
your own. You will certainly be gathering ideas from sources, but you must always quote or properly
paraphrase and cite those sources. Any work that is not properly cited or is not done by the alleged
author will receive a “0,” and lead to a report to the Dean of Students and course failure. If you have
questions about citation or quotation, please talk to me! I’m very happy to help with that or any
other aspect of academic writing—from grammar to organization to research.
Respect for Diversity and Learning Differences
I want everyone to be well served by this class, and to feel included and excited to participate; please
let me know if you see ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally or for
other students or groups. Likewise, I’m committed to making the class accessible for all learning
styles and differences. Please talk to me before the course starts if you have a learning difference or
disability that requires accommodations. For documentation or if you’re interested in testing, please
contact the Center for Disability Access and Resources: cdar@uidaho and 208-885-6307.
Summer Schedule
Date Topic Reading, Viewing, and Listening (to be completed before class)
M
June 25
Zoom
meeting
11-1:50 p.m.
Introduction
to the course
and central
themes;
discuss
Keating
reading
Read Teaching Transformation, Introduction and Chapters 1-3. Prepare 2-3 questions
and/or comments about the reading to share and help develop our discussion.
By no later than midnight, First Short Response Post about the reading we’re discussing
tomorrow due. See description of Short Response Posts in the Syllabus. Please
attach this response as a Word .doc or .docx.
T
June 26
Zoom
meeting
11-1:50 p.m.
Teaching to
Transform
Read Teaching Transformation, Chapters 4 & 5
By no later than midnight, please post comments on each of your groupmates’
First Response Posts—taking into account the reading we’re discussing tomorrow, and your
own evolving thinking as you respond to and extend their thoughts.
W
June 27 Teaching to
Transform
Read Teaching to Transform, Conclusion and Appendixes 1-7

5. 5
Zoom
meeting
11-1:50 p.m.
Complete the Cultural Humility professional development module and be
prepared to discuss it.
Note: By this evening, I will also have posted grades/comments on your First
Response Posts (my comments will, as relevant, also take into account and
respond to your classmates’ comments from yesterday).
R
June 28
Zoom
meeting
11-1:50 p.m.
We are in
History and
History is in
Us: Japanese
American
internment
We Are Not
Free
Read We Are Not Free, Traci Chee
Second Response Post on The Marrow Thieves and We Are Not Free due by
midnight.
F
June 29
Zoom
meeting
11-1:50 p.m.
Native
Americans:
settler
colonialism,
env’l collapse
and healing
The Marrow
Thieves
Read The Marrow Thieves, Cherie Dimaline
I’ll post comments and grades on your Second Response Posts by no later than
Sat. evening, so you’ll have feedback as you continue to read and think about our
material for Mon. In my comments, I’ll include a question or two that I’d like you
to be prepared, with some notes, to answer about Mon.’s readings as we launch
into that discussion.
M
June 28
Zoom
meeting
11-1:50 p.m.
Immigration
and Dystopia
Sanctuary
Read Sanctuary, Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher
Third Short Response Post on The Hate U Give by midnight.
We may begin watching the film version of THUG
T
June 29
Zoom
meeting
11-1:50 p.m.
Racism,
Police
Brutality &
Change
The Hate U
Give
Read The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas
Finish watching THUG
No later than midnight, please post comments on each of your groupmates’ Third
Response Posts—taking into account the reading we’re discussing tomorrow, and your
own evolving thinking as you respond to and extend their thoughts.
W
June 30
Zoom
meeting
11-1:50 p.m.
Transgender,
Latinx, Gay
& the
Paranormal
Cemetery Boys
Read Cemetery Boys
Note: By this evening, I will also have posted grades/comments on your Third
Response Posts (my comments will, as relevant, also take into account and
respond to your classmates’ comments from yesterday).

6. 6
R
July 1
Zoom
meeting
11-1:50 p.m.
Sexual
Violence and
Agency in a
Graphic
Novel
Speak
Read Speak
By no later than midnight, post either a 5-10-minute video or slidecast of yourself
talking through some key ideas you’re developing in your final project, or approx.
6 pages of written drafting that does the same (or an equivalent combination of
video/slidecast/written drafting).
F
July 2
Zoom
meeting
11-1:50 p.m.
Catch-up if
necessary and
discuss final
projects
By no later than midnight, post feedback on your groupmates’ videos / slidecasts
/ drafting, including questions to help them develop their ideas, connections to
other related readings they may have overlooked, and feedback on what is most
interesting and well developed so far. Please offer feedback that integrates today’s
readings as relevant as well.
Sign up for a Final Project Conference with me next week.
July 5-Aug 2
Work on final
projects
The week after our class finishes, you’ll meet with me for a phone call or Zoom
conference to discuss your project and my feedback on your drafting/plans. At
least 24 hours before this conference, you must post your drafting so far to the
Final Project Conference Blog. (I will have already watched your video/slidecast,
etc., and read your groupmates’ feedback as well.)
Until your project is due on Mon. July 26th
, I expect you’ll help each other in your
peer groups, and we’ll also periodically check in via telephone, email, or Zoom.
Final Projects are due as .doc or docx on BbLearn no later than August 2 at
11:59 p.m. PST