SPAN 310 - Latinx Children's Literature
Course Description: This course critically examines U.S. Latinx children’s literature, including middle grade and young adult texts. The course considers the dialogue of representative texts with significant topics within Latinx and Latin American literature, such as the reinterpretation of traditional archetypes, translanguaging, immigration, and sexuality. These texts are also studied as instruments in the cultivation of a greater understanding of social justice in contexts related to children. Taught in Spanish.
Course Narrative: Span 310 is a course that was fundamental to my pride and identity exploration. This course began with literary pieces that began as early as infancy through young adulthood. In this course we listened to the Children’s songs of Cri-Cri that my mother remembers listening to which allowed me to feel closer to my cultura Mexicana. All throughout this course I explored literature that would have been fundamental to my identity development as a child. Now as an adult reading pieces like Prietita and the Ghost Woman by Gloria Anzaldúa and Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan inspired me to (re)imagine what my identity as a daughter of Mexican immigrants would be. When reading Esperanza Rising I felt the deep emotions and imagery portrayed by the author. The class size was small, virtual, and a welcoming environment. This allowed me to learn more about critically analyzing a piece of literature. For my final project/presentation I analyzed the book The Secret Side of Empty by Maria E. Andreu. It was about the main character M.T. and how she navigated through high school carrying a deep secret about her immigration status. I learned about fundamental pieces of literature that were a large part of Hispanic children’s childhood. I wish to continue exploring young adult literature since it awakened a deep interest in young adult literature. This course relates my service learning course Span 301S because in that class we explored pieces of literature related to the Hispanic community.
Major Learning Outcome Fulfillment:
MLO 3
Evidence:
Final Presentation
Course Narrative: Span 310 is a course that was fundamental to my pride and identity exploration. This course began with literary pieces that began as early as infancy through young adulthood. In this course we listened to the Children’s songs of Cri-Cri that my mother remembers listening to which allowed me to feel closer to my cultura Mexicana. All throughout this course I explored literature that would have been fundamental to my identity development as a child. Now as an adult reading pieces like Prietita and the Ghost Woman by Gloria Anzaldúa and Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan inspired me to (re)imagine what my identity as a daughter of Mexican immigrants would be. When reading Esperanza Rising I felt the deep emotions and imagery portrayed by the author. The class size was small, virtual, and a welcoming environment. This allowed me to learn more about critically analyzing a piece of literature. For my final project/presentation I analyzed the book The Secret Side of Empty by Maria E. Andreu. It was about the main character M.T. and how she navigated through high school carrying a deep secret about her immigration status. I learned about fundamental pieces of literature that were a large part of Hispanic children’s childhood. I wish to continue exploring young adult literature since it awakened a deep interest in young adult literature. This course relates my service learning course Span 301S because in that class we explored pieces of literature related to the Hispanic community.
Major Learning Outcome Fulfillment:
MLO 3
Evidence:
Final Presentation