Unit two project

1. Children’s Literature
Unit 2 Project: What is Good, and Who Decides?
Task 1: Choose an award given to authors or books written for children
and/or young adults. There is a starter list on Blackboard along with links to
other resources.
Add information about your award to the wiki so the instructor can approve
your selection.
Task 2: Research your award.
To help us answer our guiding question (What is Good, and Who Decides?), you need to research your award.
Please choose a minimum of 3 different sources to add to your understanding of how your specific award helps
answer the guiding question. Consider these additional questions and tasks to guide your research:
 What organization “owns” this award?  Who decides which books win?
 Who (if anyone) is the award named for?  What features will disqualify a book?
 What are the guidelines of eligibility?  Read a book(s) that has won your award.
 What are the criteria for winning?  Read reviews of books that have won.
 What qualities are highlighted from the winners?  Compare winners of your award to other similar
awards’ winners. Is there overlap?
Task 3: Present and lead a discussion about your award.
Your presentation and discussion, which should last around 10 minutes, should first include a brief description
of your award. Next walk us through some of your responses to the above questions and lead the group in a
discussion and analysis. The idea of this portion of your presentation is to test and further develop the ideas for
the written component of your project. Consult the questions below in Task 4, as well. You will use an outline
to guide your presentation and demonstrate that you prepared to lead this portion of the class with your group.
As your group discusses the different awards, look for ideas you can use to synthesize details into a coherent
idea about what is considered quality literature for children and what ideologies drive those ideas about quality.
Try to find threads of commonality and contrast between the ideas.
Task 4: Write an analysis of about 500 words in which you explore your award in light of our discussions.
Your view might take into account these ideas in addition to the ones listed under Task 2:
 How does this award reflect or contrast with the conceptions of childhood we discussed in class?
 How does this award reflect or contrast with various ideologies about what children, childhood, or
children’s literature is or should be?
 How does this award helps us understand one perspective of what makes good or classic children’s
literature?
 How does the group of awards you’ve learned about help you synthesize
details into a coherent idea about what is considered quality literature for
children?
Don't feel obligated to address more than a few of these ideas. Instead of
answering each question, craft a coherent point of view-- a thesis-- and support
it with examples and quotations. Please follow MLA guidelines, include a
Works Cited page listing your three sources, and be sure to proofread and spell
check carefully.
The Caldecott Medal
The Newbury Medal

2. 27-30
 Project is complete and on Blackboard before class start time.
 Project focuses on a children’s literature award and supports analysis of that
award with research.
 Project uses the details of the award, research, and class discussion to develop
further ideas about quality, “classics,” and ideology.
 The project presents clear, sophisticated, insightful ideas that recognize the
complexity of the topic
 The project is written in a consistent, academic tone without errors
 Project includes a Works Cited page with a minimum of three sources cited
correctly.
 Length is more than 500 words
24-26
 Project focuses on a children’s literature award and supports analysis of that
award with research.
 Project uses the details of the award and research to develop further ideas about
quality, possibly also including ideas about “classics” and ideology.
 The ideas in the project effectively combine original observations with
commonly accepted ideas
 Project demonstrates academic style with, at most, only a few errors.
 Project includes a Works Cited page with a minimum of three sources cited
correctly.
 Length is at least 500 words
21-23
 The ideas in the project are generally logical and coherent in analysis of a
children’s literature award.
 Project uses the details of the award and research to develop further ideas about
quality.
 The project demonstrates competent academic style
 Project cites at least two sources.
 Length is at least 500 words
20 or
below
 Project does not present a focused idea about a children’s literature award
 Project does not analyze how an award demonstrates ideas about quality
 The project’s development is insufficient to support its ideas adequately
 Project contains consistent errors in use of Standard English
 Project may cite one or fewer sources or cite them inappropriately
 Length is less than 500 words