THE ART OF THE PICTURE BOOK
Professor Kay E. Vandergrift

SYLLABUS

17:611:559
3 Credits

Students will develop an understanding and appreciation of the processes of the creation of the visual aspects of children's books, including the development process from preliminary sketches and/or storyboard to the published book; relationships to verbal texts; format and layout; various media and techniques; case studies of individual artists and works.

Course Objectives

Students will:

Assignments

Your basic responsibility in this course is to study all the online resources provided in eCollege, the sites on the CD sent to you, and as many children's picture books as possible. Your participation in the threaded discussion should reflect and refer to what you learn in this process.

Please remember that there are often multiple topics within the threaded discussions in the modules. Additional topics may be added as new ideas emerge or if a discussion becomes too long to be manageable.

Although the course itself is packed with resources and you will need to study all the linked sites, you are also encouraged to share additional materials with colleagues in the discussions or by posting them in Document Sharing or Webliography.

Each module contains an Activities segment. These are not assignments to be submitted; rather they contain content that should inform your discussion.

The Journal section of eCollege, found under Dropbox as a top header, is used by most students to communicate with me privately. It may also be used, as the name indicates, for your own journal entries of things that do not necessarily fit into the more focused threaded discussions. You may send emails to any or all of your course colleagues using the email function within the course. When sending to multiple recipients, please check the blind copy box at the bottom since some students do not wish to have their addresses displayed on a group email.
Since most of us learn best by doing, it would be useful to experiment with some of the artistic media, styles, and techniques we will be discussing. I am not suggesting that you invest in expensive sets of art materials, but all of us can experiment with various types of paper and with pencil, pen, magic marker, crayon, torn paper, or fabric scraps. It might be fun, for instance, to create the same simple image using each of these to see how the various media change the final product. This is not required, but especially for those of us who are not artistically talented, it is both fun and highly informative.

Your final assignment is to create a PowerPoint presentation for children to share with them some of what you have learned about the art of the picture book. I outline two possibilities for this assignment below; but, if you have a burning desire to substitute a comparable project, send me your proposal for approval.

Option I: Select a particular visual element, technique, or medium and introduce young people to your topic in children's picture books. Include a definition and/or demonstration, perhaps a brief history, characteristics and commentary, and what you consider to be extraordinary examples of this kind of work. Concentrate on the work of a few illustrators - probably 3 to 5. You may need to include more than one illustration per artist. Include complete bibliographic citations.

Option II: Select a particular object or animal and show different ways that object or animal is portrayed in children's picture books. Consider various media and techniques; the information, ideas, and emotional impact conveyed, and whatever else seems critical for your presentation. For this project, include from 8 to 12 examples. It would probably be most useful to display the entire series of images first and then go back and discuss them individually. Include complete bibliographic citations. Grading Policies
The primary responsibility for this course is regular, thoughtful, informed, and perceptive participation in the threaded discussions. In order to do this successfully, you must keep up with your reading of both primary and secondary sources, share your insights and questions about those readings (Remember: Good questions are one of the most valuable forms of responses.), suggest additional resources, log on regularly, and carefully consider and respond to the comments and questions of your colleagues. A primary benefit of an asynchronous online class is the ability to enter into this kind of informed and informative discussion at times when you have time to think and carefully compose your responses. Your original thoughtful postings are only part of what you will be evaluated on; the willingness and ability to add depth to the work of colleagues in the learning community is best judged by the manner in which you engage with and expand the ideas of others. All of the above will be major determinates of the grade you will earn for this course.

Course Resources

The various resources for this course are embedded within the individual modules of the course. You also will receive a CD that was burned to offer you a faster means of accessing several websites of significance. The list of items contained on the CD can be accessed easily. You will need to place the CD in your drive after you open Explorer. It may take a bit of careful and patient exploration, but if you click on the index in any set of files it should work.

Policy on Academic Integrity Summary
By Rutgers University

"Academic freedom is a fundamental right in any institution of higher learning. Honesty and integrity are necessary preconditions to this freedom. Academic integrity requires that all academic work be wholly the product of an identified individual or individuals. Joint efforts are legitimate only when the assistance of others is explicitly acknowledged. Ethical conduct is the obligation of every member of the university community and breaches of academic integrity constitute serious offenses" (Academic Integrity Policy, p. 1).

The principles of academic integrity entail simple standards of honesty and truth. Each member of the university has a responsibility to uphold the standards of the community and to take action when others violate them.

Faculty members have an obligation to educate students to the standards of academic integrity and to report violations of these standards to the appropriate deans.
Students are responsible for knowing what the standards are and for adhering to them. Students should also bring any violations of which they are aware to the attention of their instructors.

Violations of Academic Integrity

Any involvement with cheating, the fabrication or invention of information used in an academic exercise, plagiarism, facilitating academic dishonesty, or denying others access to information or material may result in disciplinary action being taken at either the college or university level. Breaches of academic integrity can result in serious consequences ranging from reprimand to expulsion.
Violations of academic integrity are classified into four categories based on the level of seriousness of the behaviors. Brief descriptions are provided below. This is a general description and is not to be considered as all-inclusive.

Level One Violations

These violations may occur because of ignorance or inexperience on the part of the person(s) committing the violation and ordinarily involve a very minor portion of the course work. These violations are considered on academic merit and not as disciplinary offenses.
Examples: Improper footnoting or unauthorized assistance on academic work.
Recommended Sanctions: Makeup assignment.

Level Two Violations

Level two violations involve incidents of a more serious nature and affect a more significant aspect or portion of the course.
Examples: Quoting directly or paraphrasing without proper acknowledgement on a moderate portion of the assignment; failure to acknowledge all sources of information and contributors who helped with an assignment.
Recommended Sanctions: Probation, a failing grade on the assignment, or a failing grade in the course.

Level Three Violations

Level three offenses involve dishonesty on a significant portion of course work, such as a major paper, hourly, or final examination. Violations that are premeditated or involve repeat offenses of level one or level two are considered level three violations.
Examples: Copying from or giving others assistance on an hourly or final examination, plagiarizing major portions of an assignment, using forbidden material on an hourly or final, using a purchased term paper, presenting the work of another as one's own, altering a graded examination for the purposes of re-grading.
Recommended Sanctions: Suspension from the university of one or more terms, with a notation of "academic disciplinary suspension" placed on a student's transcript for the period of suspension, and a failing grade in the course.

Level Four Violations

Level four violations are the most serious breaches of academic integrity. They include repeat offenses of level three violations.
Examples: Forgery of grade change forms, theft of examinations, having a substitute take an examination, dishonesty relating to senior thesis, master's thesis, or doctoral dissertation, sabotaging another's work, the violation of the ethical code of a profession, or all infractions committed after return from suspension for a previous violation.
Recommended Sanctions: Expulsion from the university and a permanent notation on the student's transcript.

Faculty who believe that violations have occurred should immediately contact the Office of the Dean. Students who suspect that other students are involved in actions of academic dishonesty should speak to the instructor of the course. Questions on reporting procedures may be directed to the Office of the Dean.

Rutgers University