Sie sind auf Seite 1von 6

Arab Open University

Tutor Marked Assignment (TMA)


FACULTY OF LANGUAGE STUDIES
EA300A: Childrens Literature (I)
Part (I): STUDENT INFORMATION (to be completed by student)
1. Name:
2. Student ID No:
3. Section No:
4. Tel. :
5. E-mail:
I confirm that the work presented here is my own and is not copied from any source.
Student's signature:
Part (II): TUTOR'S REMARKS (to be completed by tutor)
Tutor name:
Signature:
Date TMA received:
Date returned:
TUTORS REMARKS:

Content

Language
and
Organizat
ion

Earned Mark

EA300A: Childrens Literature (I)

TMA: Semester 1, 2015 - 2016


TMA: 20 points
Cut-off date: week 11
December 12-17, 2015
Length: 2000 words
In his Carnegie Medal acceptance speech, Philip Pullman states:
There are some themes, some subjects, too large for adult fiction;
they can only be dealt with adequately in a childrens book. The
reason for that is that in adult literary fiction, stories are there on
sufferance. Other things are felt to be more important: technique,
style, literary knowingness.
Explain this quotation and highlight its significance to Philip
Pullmans novel Northern Lights.
Student Notes:
These notes suggest some possible approaches you might want to take in
response to the TMA question, and are intended to help you get started.
They are not designed to be used as an essay plan, and you may well want
to take a different approach.
This assignment is asking the students to explain Pullmans quotation and to
examine its relevance to his novel Northern Lights. The quotation is
controversial, and Pullman, as usual, is using his wit to shock his audience
and shake their assumptions about the nature and definition of childrens
literature.
Students can ask the following questions to explore this topic:
What effect is Pullman hoping to achieve in such a claim?
Why is he trying to be controversial?
What are these themes and subjects that Pullman thinks are
appropriate for childrens books but not for adults? Why?
To what extent does this quote reshape our assumptions about the
nature and definition of childrens literature?
What implications does this quote have on the subject of what is
suitable for children to read? How does this apply to Northern Lights?
What status does Pullman give to childrens literature as opposed to
adult literature?

If childrens literature deals with such themes, then what is the role of
this literature according to Pullman? How is this true for Northern
Lights?
Does this quote confirm that Northern Lights is a crossover novel? How
so?
In the course of your essay, you are expected to engage with the critical
materials provided for the module, explaining where you are adopting critics
views, and where you are refining them or challenging them. You are likely
to find it helpful to contrast critical viewpoints, as well as to experiment with
how far they can be aligned.
When it comes to planning your essay, you may find it helpful to set up
an outline structure of points you wish to make, and then choose two or
three scenes from the novel to write about in detail to flesh out your points.
In this type of essay, it is essential to make detailed reference to the novel,
as well as to the critical literature. Your tutors and assessors are interested
in what you think about the topic.
Students may find the critical works in their Reader: Classic Texts and
Contemporary Trends on Northern Lights helpful for writing their TMAs. But
we advise you to do more research to write a substantial essay. You can also
look at the bibliographies at the end of each essay on Northern Lights in
your reader to find more articles relevant to your topic. The following critical
works may be helpful in your research:
1. P. Hunt and M. Lenz, Alternative Worlds in Fantasy Fiction.
2. M. Lenz and C Scott, His Dark Materials Illuminated: Critical Essays on
Philip Pullmans Tribology.
3. C. Squires, Philip Pullman, Master Storyteller: A Guide to the Worlds of
His Dark Materials.
4. N. Tucker, Darkness Visible: Inside the World of Philip Pullman.
A thesis statement and a proper logical presentation of ideas are
necessary.
To do this TMA, you will need to do the following steps:
1. Plan your essay ahead of time by writing a plan highlighting the
main points you intend to cover.
2. Write a thesis statement stating your argument to be included in
the introduction.
3. Select some excerpts that relate to your argument. State what
these passages say and add your own comments and
interpretation.

4. Make sure your essay makes reference to some quotations from the
novel.
5. Your analytical comments should follow every time you quote from
the text under discussion or the critical material you refer to.
6. Reference to critical material related to this topic is a must. (You
should refer to at least 3 critical works).
7. You should refer and quote from the courses audiovisual material
whenever possible. The audiovisual material should be well
integrated in your essay.
8. At this stage, you are expected to know how to paraphrase and
synthesize the material you read, using your own words as much as
possible. You still have to quote and use quotation marks in the
right annotation methods you learned from your tutors.
9. Make sure you ask your tutors in class and during their office hours
for further clarifications.
Using the e-library on campus:
Students are requested to visit the e-library on campus and use it to do their
TMAs properly. They are also requested to show their tutor that they used
the e-library in doing the TMA by referring to some articles they have read.
Students who fail to use and refer to material from the e-library will
subsequently lose some marks.
The following are guidelines on plagiarism:
If you submit an assignment that contains work other than yours without
acknowledging your sources, you are committing plagiarism. This might
occur when:

Using a sentence or phrase that you have come across


Copying word-for-word directly from a text
Paraphrasing the words from the text very closely
Using text downloaded from the Internet
Borrowing statistics or assembled facts from another person or source
Copying or downloading figures, photographs, pictures or diagrams
without acknowledging your sources
Copying from the notes or essays of a fellow student

(Slightly adapted from OU document on quoting versus plagiarism)


It is important to remember that plagiarism is strictly barred and would be
subject to punitive action by the Arab Open University.
Marking Descriptor

GRADE
CONTENT
A
Excellent answers showing confident
and wide-ranging knowledge of core
material, good understanding of any
(18-20) relevant theory, and a capacity to
address the question in a structural,
direct and effective way, thoughtfully
and with insight. Originality of
thought or ideas from outside the
course are an added asset. Examples
are to the point.
+B to B
(16-17)

+C to C
(14-15)

(10-13)

F
Below

Very good answers showing secure


knowledge of course materials.
Adopting an analytical approach and
providing
relevant
discussion
covering most of the key issues.
Distinguished from A answers by
being less insightful or by showing
less comprehensive knowledge of the
course.
Competent
answers
reflecting
adequate knowledge of the more
directly relevant course material and
concepts, with reasonable structure
and adequate coherence related to the
question set.
Answers
which
omit
some
concepts /evidence and/or lack
coherence /structure, and/or make
minor errors while still demonstrating
basic understanding. Or Bare pass
answers which show awareness of
some relevant material and attempt to
relate it to the question.

Answers which attempt to draw upon


relevant material but do not reflect
sufficient knowledge of the course

LANGUAGE & ORGANIZATION


- Has an introduction defining plan of
essay.
- Body divided into several paragraphs
- Conclusion which directly relates
arguments to topic.
- Evidence that essay has been edited.
- Error-free grammar & register.
- Wide
range of specialized
terminology.
- Consistent in-text citation and form
of referencing
- First four criteria above maintained
- Demonstrates extensive grammar
control.
- Terminology specialized but
less
varied.
- Minor Inconsistency in in-text
citation and referencing
- Introduction and/or conclusion short
but still satisfactory.
- Evidence of editing.
- Less grammar control than above.
- Good range of specialized
terminology.
- Inconsistent in in-text citation and
referencing
- Introduction and/or conclusion short
but acceptable.
- no evidence of editing.
- Few grammatical errors that impede
communication.
- Above average range of specialized
terminology.
- Slightly confused introduction and/or
conclusion, but body still fair.
- No evidence of editing.
- Some error types that impede
communication.
- Fair range of specialized terminology.
- Inaccurate in-text citation and
referencing
- No introduction and /or no
conclusion.
- Body badly organized or irrelevant.

10

and/or neglect the focus required by


the question, and/or are incomplete in
some important aspects whilst being
acceptable in others.

- Poor grammar control (extremely


limited range of grammar & register).
- Limited or not specialized range of
terminology.
- No in-text citations and no
referencing

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen