Knowledge Topic

Juvenile Literature 6103

Assignment Sheet

The purpose of the knowledge topic is to give each of you a different "stake" and area of expertise in a specific area of juvenile literature. The idea is that you will prepare a two page document (for me) and a brief (5 minute) report (for the class) that you think will bring interesting, novel, and engaging material to our discussions. Both the paper and the presentation can be relatively informal, although you should have a structured approach to the presentation. You can draw rather loosely on personal innsights and reflections for both portions of the assignment. For example, if you embarked on the topic with one set of expectations and discovered (to your delight or dismay) that you find the topic taking you in another direction, that's worth knowing in this context. In order to prepare the assignment you should go to the library and explore materials that are available which may have bearing on your topic. (If you can't find anything, or seem not to be able to find anything, please come and talk to me.) Using the materials that you have found, prepare a two page (double-spaced) document that explores the topic and explains it in a way that might be informative to your fellow classmates. Provide at least two references that are not from encyclopedias.

Your sources should adhere to a standard citation format such as the following:

Bryan G. Norton. Why Preserve Natural Variety? Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1987.

J. H. Prescott. "Clever Hans: Training the trainers, or the potential for misinterpreting the results of dolphin research." Annals of the New York Academy of Science, Vol. 364 (1981):137-144.

The topics themselves are all of your own choosing, so make sure that you've chosen a topic that engages you. Don't hesitate to narrow your topic down to what you think will be a manageable "chunk" of knowledge.

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