Adolescent Literature instructional framework for University of Phoenix Adolescent Lit class, Fall 2019

1. ADOLESCENT LITERATURE INSTRUCTIONAL FRAMEWORK
Instructional Framework
Anthony DeFazio
RDNG/508, University of Phoenix

2. Instructional
Framework
Adolescent Literature

3. As defined by Bean, Dunkerly-Bean, &
Harper in 2014, young adult literature is
“literary works (usually fiction but not
always) intended for readers between the
ages of 12 and 18.”
Definition of
Adolescent Literature
Bean, Dunkerly-Bean, & Harper, 2014

4. 1. Fast-paced
2. Diverse and inclusive
3. Complex (addresses social justice/debunks common myths)
4. Powerful
5. Insightful (provides greater knowledge to readers)
6. Innovative (the genre changes as society changes)
Six Characteristics of
Adolescent Literature
Bean, Dunkerly-Bean, & Harper, 2014

5. As early as the 1800’s, adolescent
literature was common throughout
the United States. The genre at the
time was mainly comprised of
“moralistic sermons filled with
prescriptions for virtuous and pious
living.”1 These types of texts were
especially common in Christian
“Sunday School” lessons.
History of
Adolescent Literature
1. Bean, Dunkerly-Bean, & Harper, 2014

6. Around the time of the Civil War, dime novels began to flourish in America.
Dime novels -- named for their cheap prices -- were sensationalistic texts full
of romance and adventure. Though written for adults, these stories became
popular among young adults as well, Because they were so inexpensive and
accessible, publishers began to target these texts toward the uneducated
lower class (Pope, 2019),
Eventually, as public libraries became more prominent in the United States
in the late 1800’s, these popular fictional works became even more
accessible.
History of
Adolescent Literature

7. In contrast to the “Sunday School” type
texts, and dime novels, Louisa May
Alcott’s Little Women (1868) stood out as
an important work in the genre for a
number of reasons, not the least of which
was the fact that it was one of the first
novels of the era to focus on female
characters.
History of
Adolescent Literature

8. During the Great
Depression, reading offered
an affordable escape and
with the advent of mass-
market paperbacks, the genre
increased as a part of
popular culture.
History of
Adolescent Literature

9. Young adult literature in this early era did not take on the types of
issues we associate with the genre today. Topics such as suicide,
sexuality, homosexuality, and social protests were off-limits, as
was profanity. (Donelson & Nilsen, 2005). Additionally, Latin-
American and African-American characters were usually only
represented as stereotypes. (Bucher & Manning, 2006).
History of
Adolescent Literature

10. As the population of teens in the U.S. has grown and become more
inclusionary, so has the genre of young adult literature. While the
genre began with moralistic treatises, adolescent literature in the
21st century “is breaking down borders of what counts as
literature.” (Bean, Dunkerly-Bean, & Harper, 2014). Sub-genres
such as manga (comics in graphic-novel formats), and other blends
of print and images are becoming more common. (Bean, Dunkerly-
Bean, & Harper, 2014).
History of
Adolescent Literature

11. The final piece of the inclusionary puzzle of current young adult
literature has been the relatively recent addition of gay, lesbian,
transgender, transsexual, and bisexual youth issues. According to
Cart & Jenkins (2006), these issues “traveled a similarly laborious
road categorized by an initial period of problem-based novels about
the plight of being gay.” As TV shows about these issues started to
win popularity with young adults.
History of
Adolescent Literature

12. The following works are a brief list of some important texts that
greatly contributed to the overall inclusiveness of the young adult
literature genre:
J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye (1951)
S. E. Hinton’s The Outsiders (1967)
Mildred Taylor’s Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (1976)
Laurence Yep’s Dragon’s Gate (1993)
Gary Soto’s Buried Onions (1999)
Graham Salisbury’s Eyes of the Emperor (2005)
Joseph Bruchac’s Geronimo (2006)
Gloria Velasquez’s Tyrone’s Betrayal (2006)
History of
Adolescent Literature

13. Three major literary and pedagogical orientations
of Young Adult Literature:
1. Cultural Heritage
2. Reader Response
3. Cultural Criticism
Teaching Practices in
Adolescent Literature
Bean, Dunkerly-Bean, & Harper, 2014

14. This section will break down the teaching practices in
each of the three orientations: 1) Cultural Heritage, 2)
Reader Response, and 3) Cultural Criticism.
Teaching Practices in
Adolescent Literature

15. TEACHING STYLE: lecture format
TEXTS: instructor-selected texts that typically come from the
British and American literary canon
ASSESSMENTS: written essays responding to standards within
the text
Cultural Heritage
Bean, Dunkerly-Bean, & Harper, 2014

16. INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS:
● close study of text will extend and deepen students’ moral and
philosophical beliefs
● essential questions focus on author’s purpose and author’s
message
● teacher-centered pedagogy
● transmission model of learning
Cultural Heritage
Bean, Dunkerly-Bean, & Harper, 2014

17. TEACHING STYLE: Lesson begins with individual reactions to a text,
often written, then shared in the form of a discussion facilitated by the
teacher. This cycle continues throughout the text.
TEXTS: Contemporary works are usually self-selected by the reader (or
group of readers) with the help of the teacher.
ASSESSMENTS: Observational, such as quality of participation and
growth; more formal assessments may evaluate the depth of connections
made between the text and the reader.
Reader Response
Bean, Dunkerly-Bean, & Harper, 2014

18. INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS:
● Focus is on the reader’s contemporary interests, energies, and contexts.
● Because reading is considered a transaction between the text and the reader,
active reading strategies such as annotation, journaling, and various forms of
graphic organizers (characterization charts, body biographies, etc.) are
integral.
● Considering that the focus is on connecting the text with the reader’s lives,
teachers must be knowledgeable about their students and be able to match
texts to each student.
Reader Response
Bean, Dunkerly-Bean, & Harper, 2014

19. TEACHING STYLE: Pre-reading and building background knowledge is
important so students understand the context in which the text was written.
Students are asked to determine what a text draws on in terms of common and
dominant storylines, characterizations, and themes. Readers also must determine
what the text promotes socially and politically.
TEXTS: Amalgamation of various forms of literary criticism: feminism,
deconstruction, poststructuralism, Marxism, post colonialism, among others.
ASSESSMENTS: Students are evaluated on their ability to critique and re-
create texts from various points of view.
Cultural Criticism
Bean, Dunkerly-Bean, & Harper, 2014

20. INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS:
● The premise of Cultural Criticism is that no text, literary or
otherwise, is politically neutral. All texts are products of the context
in which they were written and in which they are read.
● All readings of texts are also products of specific context. Thus, the
same text will be interpreted differently by: 1) an ESL student who is
new to America, 2) an African-American student from the inner city,
and 3) a white student from a middle class background.
Cultural Criticism
Bean, Dunkerly-Bean, & Harper, 2014

21. ● Young adult literature connects to the young readers because it
usually has characters roughly the same age and involved in
situations that mirror their lives.
● Research-based literacy strategies should include guided reading
(read-aloud, checks-for-understanding in the form of text-dependent
questions that go beyond mere comprehension) and close-reading
(several reads of the text for various purposes, such as
language/vocab, comprehension, theme, character development, etc.).
Key Components of
Adolescent Literature

22. ● Cross-curriculum strategies can include planning novel study
with similar subject matter in other classes such as social
studies or science.
● Administrative support to ensure sustainability ideas: request
specific software to further student engagement with the text,
ensure that there are enough copies of the text and that they are
in quality condition, and researching other forms of media to
engage readers.
Key Components of
Adolescent Literature

23. ● The need to recognize the out-of-school lives and literacies
and interests of the students
● The need for a wide variety of materials and for student
choice
● The need for critical deep analysis of texts
International Reading Association (IRA), the National Reading Conference (NRC), and the National
Council for Teachers of English (NCTE)
Position Statements on
Adolescent Literature

24. References
Bean, T. W., Dunkerly-Bean, J., & Harper, H. J. (2014). Teaching Young Adult Literature: Developing
Students as World Citizens. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Bucher, K., & Manning, M. L. (2006). Young adult literature: Exploration, evaluation, and appreciation
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Cart, M., & Jenkins, C. A. (2006). The heart has its reasons: Young adult literature with
gay/lesbian/queer content, 1969-2004. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press.
Donelson, K. L., & Nilsen, A. P. (2005). Literature for today’s young adults (7th ed.). New York, NY:
Pearson.
Pope, A. (2019). American Dime Novels 1860-1915. Retrieved from
https://www.history.org.uk/student/resource/4512/american-dime-novels-1860-1915.
References