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Syllabus
LL ED 563 Myths and Folktales in Children's Literature (3):
An in-depth study of myths and folktales shared with children and how these stories are remade and disseminated today.
The information contained on this page is designed to give students a representative example of material covered in the course. Any information related to course assignments, dates, or course materials is illustrative only. For a definitive list of materials, please check the online catalog 3-4 weeks before the course start date.
Overview
This course is about mythology, folktales, legends, and fables; a collection of stories that come out of the oral tradition as opposed to a written tradition and are often called traditional literature. What identifies a story as being part of the body of traditional literature is that its origins lie in oral storytelling. Traditional tales were first told and only later written down. As such, traditional tales have no known author, only a reteller. We don't know who made up the first Cinderella story or Hansel and Gretel. That person has long since vanished, leaving no written record of the story.
In some children's literature schemes, traditional literature stories are thought to be very old in origin. These schemes also state that there are strict divisions between the categories of traditional literature: myth, folktale, fable, and legend. Conventional definitions describe myth as a story coming out of a belief system that points toward some item of faith or explains the divine purpose behind some natural, reoccurring phenomenon. Myths tend to be "official" stories, sacred stories that emmenate from religious and/or political leaders and speak to how people are supposed to be with another and the divine. Folktales are stories that come from the common people, the "folk", and usually are about characters that occupy lower positions in society. Unlike myths, folktales tend to be secular in nature. A fable is a story that tells an explicit moral. A legend is a fictitious story about a person who may have existed, King Arthur or Robin Hood for example.
In this course we will be taking a different point of view. We will be working from a perspective that holds that the divisions between these categories are neither clear nor stable. We will also be operating from a conviction that though these stories may be old in origin, they are freshly remade in generation after generation.
The border between myth and folktale resides less in the structure of the tale or even in the origins of the tale; the border is set by culture with culture shaping how readers and listeners receive the story.
Here lies a possible connection to children and children's literature. If myths are stories that explain how the world works or rather how we wish it would work, and how we ought to live in it, a culture would desire to make these stories known to children as a necessary part of a child's learning about the world. Myths and folktales, however we define them, are part the acculturation of children.
A popular trend in elementary school curriculum is to use myths and folklore as a means of studying a different culture, for example, reading Japanese folktales and myths while working through a unit of study on Japan. There are a number of problems with outsiders trying to understand a different culture through that culture's stories. How do we know the outsider has the story "right?" Does a story retain its cultural meaning when it is removed from that culture? What choices did the reteller make in translating the story to an audience who is unfamiliar with the culture from which the story comes? We'll be addressing some of them in the lesson on Fakelore. We are not going to discourage this practice, but rather look at why that culture's stories resonate with us and question the reliability of the retelling we are reading.
We won't be studying historical artifacts and we won't be trying to understand another culture from the inside out. We will be looking at how some stories with very, very old origins are continually being remade and retold and the holds these stories have upon our imaginations. And these are stories that we have traditionally offered children. We'll question why we, members of adult society, wish these stories on our children. The culmination of this course will be our investigations of how stories that are old in origin continue to be remade and disseminated in contemporary culture.
Note: For readability, all titles of works are given in italics throughout this course, unless they appear in a reference list.
Student Expectations
A Web-based course grants you a great deal of freedom, but also a great deal of responsibility. While you don't have a fixed schedule of classes, you do have a fixed schedule of deadlines by which assignments must be completed. In general, you should expect to put in about as much work, and about as many hours, as you would for a traditional resident-instruction course.
Be aware that there is much reading in this course. Pace yourself accordingly and don't allow yourself to get behind. The majority of our readings will be short stories and scholarly articles; however, we will be reading a few books in their entirety. These books will be highlighted on the syllabus; please note where they fall in the schedule and read ahead as needed. This class is also highly participatory, as you will be in electronic discussions with your classmates throughout the semester.
Objectives
Throughout this course you will:
- Become familiar with various myths from an array of cultures and time periods.
- Think about and discuss how elements of these pieces of traditional literature reoccur in our culture today and how these stories are made fresh with a new generation.
- Examine the many ways in which myth is active today.
- Encounter some of the scholarly literature concerning myth and folklore and be able to explain the ideas contained in that scholarship and then use those ideas to gain insight into the interpretation of traditional literature.
- Have fun.
Materials
The following are required materials you need to purchase:
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.
Library Resources
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Technical Specifications
| Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
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| Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
| Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
| Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)
During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Course Requirements and Grading
Major Assignments
- Posting on Discussion Forums. Because we meet only in cyberspace, it is vital to post during each lesson. I expect you will post in a thoughtful and pertinent manner to each of the threaded discussions. Not only should you respond to the readings, but you should also respond to the ideas and questions put forth by your fellow classmates. At a minimum, you are expected to make at least one initial post and two replies to classmates for each threaded discussion. Each lesson is active for a week, which runs from Wednesday to Tuesday. Initial posts are due by Sunday (11:59 p.m. Eastern Time); replies are due by Tuesday (11:59 p.m. Eastern time).
- Reaction Papers. Throughout the course you will be asked to turn in 700 to 1,000 words of your thoughts concerning the reading you are doing for the class. The reaction paper is an opportunity for reflection, further exploration, and synthesis. If there is overlap between what you shared in a forum and your paper, be sure that you are saying something new. Reaction papers should discuss each reading assignment, at least briefly. Reaction papers may focus primarily on one particular piece as long as you mention something about each of the other assigned readings. I expect you to discuss both the stories and the scholarly essays assigned. Submit each reaction paper to the appropriate drop box.
- Myth Project. One of the ideas you will be asked to consider throughout the duration of the class is that both myth and folklore are alive and vibrant today. Myths are constantly being told and re-told, and as a part of this myth-making experience you will be asked to do two things for your final project.
- First, you will be asked to select a tale or tale type, locate and read as many versions and variants as you can using various types of research, and make an annotated bibliography and a comparison chart.
- Second, you will be asked to critique the versions and variants you read. The second part of this project may take any form, so long as you are able to submit it to your instructor and share it in some fashion with your classmates. For example, a story could be posted to the threaded discussion forum, or artwork could be photographed and shared.
We'll be talking more about this project as the semester progresses, so keep track of tales and tale types that interest you.
Note: Your myth project needs to stay in the class in order for you to use copyrighted material under Fair Use and the TEACH Act. If you use a third-party tool, you must ensure that only members of this class can access your project. Please take a look at Penn State policies and guidelines on copyright (http://its.psu.edu/policies/copyright.html ) before you begin your project.
Late Policy
Assignments are due by 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on the due date and will be considered late if submitted after this deadline. Unless you have contacted me beforehand and received an extension, points will be deducted. In the event of an emergency, contact me as soon as possible.
Course Philosophy
A Note on Risk Taking. In this course we value risk taking. If you can connect your idea to the assigned readings, or to your own research, or to something you read on the discussion forum, then please take the risk and share your idea.
Semester Grading
| Posting to Threaded Discussions | 30 % |
| Reaction Papers | 50 % |
| Myth Project | 20 % |
| Semester Total | 100 % |
The World Campus follows the same grading system as the Penn State resident program. The grades of A, B, C, D, and F indicate the following qualities of academic performance:
A = (Excellent) Indicates exceptional achievement
B = (Good) Indicates extensive achievement
C = (Satisfactory) Indicates acceptable achievement
D = (Poor) Indicates only minimal achievement
F = (Failure) Indicates inadequate achievement necessitating a repetition of the course in order to secure credit
| Letter Grade | Percentage |
| A | 95-100 |
| A- | 90-95 |
| B+ | 85-90 |
| B | 80-85 |
| B- | 75-80 |
| C+ | 70-75 |
| C | 65-70 |
| D | 60-65 |
| F | below 60 |
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Graduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
Course Schedule
Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.
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Lesson 2 - Oral Traditions
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Lesson 3 - Versions and Variants
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Lesson 4 - Being Female
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Lesson 5 - Boys: The Hero Tales
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Lesson 6 - Children
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Lesson 7 - Monsters, Ogres, and Beasts
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Lesson 8 - Tricksters and Fools
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Lesson 9 - Creation Stories
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Lesson 10 - Disney and "Fakelore"
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| Lesson 11 - Childhood Myths and Urban Legends | |
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| Time frame: | November 12 to November 18, 2014 |
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Lesson 11 - Childhood Myths and Urban Legends
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Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
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personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
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Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.