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Over the course of this semester, I have learned about a wide variety of literary genres as well as how to include them in my future classroom. I have met each of the six objectives outlined in the course syllabus, and I feel excitement to have the opportunity to share all that I have learned this semester with my future students. From completing the modules, and even creating my own, I have developed skills that will be necessary for me to bring to my future classroom

I understand literature is a pathway to literacy.

Module One: https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/01/27/the-journey-begins/

• https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/02/01/goals-for-the-course/

• https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/02/01/reflection-to-readings-what-is-childrens-lit/

Module Two: https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/02/07/teaching-literary-elements-through-slideshow/

• https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/02/07/reaction-to-module-ii-readings/

Module Three: https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/02/15/module-iii-readings/

• https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/02/21/book-club-discussion/

Module Four: https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/02/28/module-iv-write/

• https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/03/01/module-iv-reacting-to-the-mini-lessons/

Module Five: https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/03/21/effective-read-alouds/

• https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/03/22/49/

Module Six: Poetry

• https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/05/09/module-vi-poetry/
• https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/05/09/poetry-activities/
• https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/05/09/poetry-assessment/

Module Seven: Picture Books

• https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/04/18/graphic-organizer/
• https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/04/18/using-picturebooks-to-teach-students-more-than-curriculum/
• https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/04/18/decoding-illustrations-in-picturebooks/

Module Eight: Fables

• https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/05/19/module-viii-fables-writing-task/
• https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/05/19/module-viii-participate-characteristics-of-a-fable/

Module Nine: Myths

This was my group’s module. Here is a link to the slideshow I made specifically for our module: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VVTBD4vODNEzpNdsM5fSjlxnadgXbkVjFt2EzRHSyO0/edit?usp=sharing

Module Ten: Fantasy

• https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/05/19/module-viiii-fantasy/(opens in a new tab)
• https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/05/19/module-viiii-fantasy-writing-prompt-two/(opens in a new tab)

Module Eleven: Biography

• https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/05/19/module-xi-writing-task-biography/
• https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/05/19/module-xi-biography-participate/

Module Twelve: Realistic Fiction

• https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/05/19/module-xii-realistic-fiction-writing-task/
• https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/05/20/module-vii-realistic-fiction-participate/(opens in a new tab)

Book Reviews:

1. https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/05/20/book-review-1/(opens in a new tab)

2. https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/05/20/book-review-2/(opens in a new tab)

3. https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/05/20/book-review-3/(opens in a new tab)

4. https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/05/20/book-review-4/(opens in a new tab)

5. https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/05/20/book-review-5/(opens in a new tab)

6. https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/05/20/book-review-6/(opens in a new tab)

7. https://literacygarner.home.blog/2019/05/20/book-review-7/(opens in a new tab)

Realistic fiction is one of the most widely taught genres of literature in the classroom. While students can certainly learn about the genre through assigned readings and discussions in the classroom, realistic fiction is an interesting genre as students can practice their critical thinking and research skills to investigate certain aspects of the literature. Stacy Dekeyser, a realistic fiction author herself, outlines the ways students can strengthen their research skills while reading realistic fiction. Since realistic fiction writers must conduct a large amount of research before writing to make their stories as realistic as possible, students can “fact check” authors by completing their own research.

Dekeyser uses her own Young Adult novel, Jump the Cracks, as an example of a realistic fiction novel that students can analyze. Students can use technology, or other library resources, to check if certain fictional events truly are feasible. For example, she claims she based the Amtrak schedule in her novel on a real train schedule. She also said she wanted to make her character’s journey as realistic as possible, so the cost of certain items and the train schedule, as well as the character’s developed personality, were all written to make the fictional events as if they could have happened. Students tasked with writing realistic fiction must also heavily research in order to make their imagined events feel real to their readers.

When engaging students with a piece of realistic fiction, teachers can get their students to develop critical thinking skills alongside their research abilities. By allowing students to choose the piece of realistic fiction they read and analyze, teachers can let students explore their own interests, while still developing these very multi-subject spanning skills. Realistic fiction is unique in its connections to all other fields, as the research that goes into writing/reading realistic fiction depends on the subject matter of the book. This genre can be connected to STEM fields and social studies, which can promote connections within the classroom.

I would use the book When Marian Sang by Pam Munoz Ryan for students in first, second, or third grade. It is vital for us to present diverse stories in our classroom beginning at a young age to promote acceptance and cultural awareness/respect in our students. This biography, presented in the form of an engaging picture book, would capture the attention of young learners and expose them to the idea that biographies can be equally engaging and informative. I would use this book to connect to history units in which segregation and the aftermath of the Civil War are being analyzed or during Black History month to expose my students to a new voice of history.

Biographies are important for teachers to expose their students to as this genre is different from the more common, fiction-based genres of literature. Biographies still tell a story, but this story is based on reality as opposed to fiction-based genres. Biographies can be categorized as a subset of history, and can be used to teach students history in a more interesting, and engaging ways. Biographies help bring history to life, and help students get first-hand glimpses back in time. These can be presented as perspectives of historical times and people, and can be used to give emotional context to “dull” history. Instead of learning facts about historical events, students can experience these events through reading biographies.

Biographies also allow teachers the opportunity to impress upon their students the importance of perspective. When analyzing people of the past, students must use their critical thinking skills to give historical context to the stories being told through biographies. For example, teachers should provide students with multiple biographies to analyze during the same time period, and allow them the opportunity to witness the power of perspective firsthand. Students can learn about writer biases and compare the different biographies to the actual historic event. Especially today, in an age where the glamorized past is beginning to lose its sparkle, figures such as Christopher Columbus can be analyzed through many different lenses.

I have always loved reading fantasy and I plan on incorporating it in my classroom alongside other important genres of literature. Throughout school, fantasy was my favorite genre to read, and still is. I learned to read through reading the Harry Potter series and the Magic Treehouse series, then moved on to the Percy Jackson and other mythological fantasy series by Rick Riordan. Then, as I entered high school, I turned to the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins and the Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR Martin. I even tackled the Lord of the Rings book series after watching and loving the movies. Fantasy served as a form of escape and relaxation, and I always chose it above reading more grounded realistic fiction. Who could care about a thousand homework assignments that were due when Katniss Everdeen was overthrowing the Capitol?

I see a lot of benefit to reading fantasy, and hope to inspire students to love the genre just as much as I love do.

Fantasy as a genre is one of the most important, yet often looked down upon genre of literature. Realistic fiction and the “classics” are often genres teachers stick to in the classroom. Looking back, I cannot identify one piece of fantasy literature that we were assigned to read in schools, instead pieces of realistic fiction and intense allegorical classics were assigned. Interestingly, I was drawn most to fantasy writing growing up despite this. Fantasy is important for us, as teachers, to utilize in our classrooms as fantasy not only gives our students a way to “escape” but it teaches them the skills needed to deal with “real life.” Fantasy writers usually incorporate allegories, and even if the setting and characters are other-worldly, the themes/messages that can be taken away from fantasy writing are distinctly human. Students, with the assistance of teachers, can pull very important messages from fantasy and build connections between the “real world” and the fantasy world created by the writers.

In the readings, Beth Webb captured why fantasy matters so much beautifully. While working with a young boy who was abused by a relative, a psychologist developed a piece of fantasy to help the boy cope with what had happened. Since the boy had loved his uncle, who happened to be the abuser, the boy had a hard time processing that someone he had loved so much had hurt him so irrevocably. To help the child, the psychologist wrote a story about a fox cub who had a wolf uncle who he loved very much. Then, one day the wolf hurt the fox cub and the cub, while remembering the love he had for his uncle learned that wolves were dangerous and must be avoided. This story helped the boy cope with the confusing, mixed feelings he had resulting from being abused by a “loved one” and gave him the tools of how to deal with the fallout from the abuse. Students can use fantasy in this way too, to cope with the complex circumstances of life and learn how to deal with problems in their own lives.

Students can use ideas/concepts expressed in fantasy and apply these skills to real life situations. While we might not all be heroes saving the world who are betrayed last minute, we are people who will experience different types of betrayal throughout our lives. Since fantasy is typically “large scale,” we can learn to tackle life through reading about “impossible” scenarios.

There are a few characteristics that all fables possess, which are:

1. Teaches a moral lesson
2. Uses animals/inanimate objects as main characters
3. Main characters symbolize society
4. Short in length

Through reading “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” we can observe these elements of fables in action.

Teaches a Moral Lesson:

This fable teaches us that if we lie a lot, than people will not believe us even if we are telling the truth. Helps students realize that people can get certain reputations for lying, and these reputations stick.

Uses Animals as Main Character(s):

The wolf in this story serves as one of the main characters. Though, it is unique that this fable has a boy as the main character, the Wolf is just as important to the central story.

Representative of Society:

The Shepherd boy is never given a name, as he represents all liars and tricksters in society. Aesop is hoping to inspire readers to tell the truth, or else they will end up as miserably as the Shepherd.

Short in Length:

A short, succinct fable with one version only being comprised of seven sentences.

The fable I chose to examine was “The Eagle and the Fox” by Aesop. There are a few versions of this fable available, with one with a more negative outcome and one with a more positive ending. Basically, the Eagle and the Fox in this tale are good friends who decide to live near one another to help protect each other. However, one day the Eagle swoops and picks up one of the fox cubs to feed her family. In one version, the Eagle does indeed eat the Fox’s cub while the Fox is out hunting. Upon her return, the Fox is filled with rage, but has no means of seeking revenge upon the Eagle since the Eagle’s nest is in the trees. However, on one fateful day the Eagle decides to take a piece of burning, sacrificial goat meat back to her nest for her hatchlings. Unfortunately, the piece of meat was still burning, and the cinders from the piece of meat lit the Eagle’s nest on fire, killing the young birds. This version is quite graphic, and would be appropriate for older students. Another version of this same fable has the Fox bring the cinders to the tree in an attempt to scare the Eagle and get her cub back from the Eagle. This works, and both the Eagle and the Fox’s respective children survive.

No matter the outcome, teachers can use a version of this fable in their classrooms to both teach morality and cultural awareness to their students. This fable dates back to ancient Greece, as Aesop wrote during 621-565 BC. Students can learn of cultural ideas through reading this fable. Since sacrifices were common in Greece during this time as a way to pray to the gods, students can learn about ancient traditions. Also, the moral of this story, can be used to teach about ancient cultures. Since the Fox had no direct way of taking revenge on the Eagle for breaking their protection deal, as the nest was too high in the trees, Aesop suggests that the Eagle burning her own fledglings with the piece of sacrificial meat was an act of divine intervention. Since the ancient Greeks believed strongly in the idea of divine intervention, fate, and interference from the gods, students can learn about these ideas through reading “The Eagle and the Fox.”

By allowing students to read fables, teachers can give students exposure to both cultures of the past and present. By discussing fables with students, teachers can lead discussions in which students theorize what they can learn about culture in the past through reading fables. Most students are taught to look for the “moral” of the fable, since they are stories designed to “teach” moral lessons, but we, as teachers, can use fables more in the classroom to get a “first hand” view of different cultures. Questions like “What do you think is important to this culture based on the fable we just read” or “What can you tell me about the daily life of the Ancient Greeks based on what we read?” can lead students to learning that they can learn about more about people through reading fables than they might believe.