The University of Winnipeg:
Final Examination

STARTING TIME: December 7, 2001, 9:00 a.m. DURATION: 3 HRS

DEPT., COURSE NO. & SEC. NO.: English 17: 2113/3-001

COURSE TITLE: Picture Books for Children EXAMINER: Perry Nodelman

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:

This examination consists of four sequential parts:

  1. Discussion, 1 hour
  2. Writing, 45 minutes
  3. Small group discussion, about 45 minutes
  4. Writing, about half an hour

The examination will be evaluated as a whole, and the evaluation will take into account your mastery of the skills and strategies developed throughout the course--not only your knowledge of the material and the persuasiveness and richness of your opinions, but also, your ability to develop deeper understanding and enjoyment through exploratory writing and through discussion of your ideas with others.

This examination accounts for 30% of your final mark for the course.

1: DISCUSSION (one hour)

The class will divide into smaller groups, and I'll provide each group with a picture book to read, respond to, and explore. Your task is to consider how the various contexts provided by the course might affect your understanding and evaluation of the book I give you. You might discuss matters such as the implied reader, gaps and repertoire, story patterns, ideological and educational issues, and qualities of verbal and pictorial narrative.

2: WRITING (45 minutes)

  1. Record the names of the members of your group.
  2. Briefly describe the discussion. Then, explore how some of the matters covered in the discussion might help you to understand and evaluate the picture book you've been talking about. Your writing should focus on ONE or TWO of the matters you discussed that strike you as most interesting, revealing, or important.

3. DISCUSSION (approximately forty-five minutes)

Return to your group, and read and discuss what you have written so far to each other. The object of the discussion is for everyone to enrich everyone else's understanding--so make sure that you have enough time for a consideration of all four of your answers. Your goal is to provide each other with feedback: express responses to each other's ideas, suggest gaps that might be filled, explore disagreements and their implications, and suggest further paths that might be followed.

4: WRITING (approximately half an hour)

Discuss how you might use each other's responses to what you have written in order to deepen your understanding of the picture book you've been exploring and/or reading and responding to picture books for children in general. You might either further develop the matters you discussed before or further consider the other aspects suggested by your colleagues. If you believe that nothing said in the discussion suggested any worthwhile paths for you to follow, explain why, through discussion of the specific comments made and issues raised by your colleagues.

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