Unit two project, awards, reviews

1. Children’s Literature
Unit 2 Project: What Is Good?
Task 1: Choose an award-winning book written for children. There is a
starter list of awards on Blackboard along with links to other resources. Please
consider discovering a new book rather than revisiting an old favorite. Some
awards are given to children’s and young adult literature; focus on children’s
books. Add information about your choice to the wiki so the instructor can approve your selection.
Task 2: Research the critical conversation around your book using a minimum of three high-quality
sources chosen from the categories below. Begin with the resources on Blackboard rather than a Google
search, as part of the goal of this project is to introduce you to a variety of children’s literature resources.
A. Read the book or a significant excerpt.
B. Research the award to help answer the guiding question (What Is Good?). 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?  What qualities are highlighted from the
winner you chose? What are the criteria for winning?
C. Read reviews of the book from a variety of sources, beginning with the list of review
sources on Blackboard. Focus less on the summary of the book and more on what qualities of
the book that reviewer names as positive (or negative).
D. Read and/or listen to an interview with the author and/or illustrator (preferably about the
book you chose)
E. Interview a librarian or teacher who has read this book and thinks it’s “good.”
Task 4: Create an outline and Works Cited page to guide your presentation and demonstrate that you
prepared to lead this portion of the class with your group. Use the template if you wish.
Task 5: Present and lead a discussion about the conversation around your book. Your presentation
and discussion, which should last around 10 minutes, should first include a brief description of your
book. Next walk us through what details about quality you found in your research and lead the group in
a discussion and analysis.
Your discussion might take into account these ideas:
 How does this conversation help us understand what the community thinks makes good or
classic children’s literature?
 How does the conversation around this book reflect or contrast with
various ideologies about what children, childhood, or children’s literature is or
should be?
 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.
The Caldecott Medal
The Newbury Medal

2. 18-20
 Outline is complete and on Blackboard before class start time.
 Outline focuses on an award-winning book and supports analysis of that book
with four high-quality sources.
 Outline uses the details of the book, award, and research to explore ideas about
quality, possibly also including ideas about “classics,” and ideology.
 The outline presents clear, sophisticated, insightful ideas that recognize the
complexity of the topic
 Outline includes a Works Cited page with a minimum of three sources (but
possible more) cited correctly.
16-17
 Outline focuses on an award-winning book and supports analysis of that book
with research.
 Outline uses research to develop further ideas about quality, possibly also
including ideas about “classics” and ideology.
 The ideas effectively combine original observations with commonly accepted
ideas
 Outline includes a Works Cited page with a minimum of three sources cited
correctly.
14-15
 The ideas are generally logical and coherent in analysis of a children’s book.
 Project uses research to develop further ideas about quality.
 Project cites at least two sources.
13 or
below
 Project does not present a focused idea about a children’s book
 Project does not analyze how research demonstrates ideas about quality
 The project’s development is insufficient to support its ideas adequately
 Project may cite one or fewer sources or cite them inappropriately
