AP/CCY 4998 6.00

The Child and the Book: Honours Research Project

In this course, students conduct a classroom-based research project (framework for which is created in CCY 3998). This will include undertaking a unique research project focusing on children’s literature, conducting independent research using the children’s literature collection held by the CTASC (Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections) at YUL, in addition to other children’s literature collections held in the Greater Toronto Area. This may include the Osborne Collection of Early Children’s Books and the IBBY Collection at the TPL (Toronto Public Library), as well as a diverse variety of digitized collections from around the world available online. Students will analyze historical and contemporary children’s literature, building on skills and methods they develop in CCY 3998, including book history, bibliography, childhood studies, literary analysis and digital humanities methodologies.

The goals of this course are for students to: participate in a high-impact learning opportunity; to engage in classroom-based experiential education opportunities; to develop competencies in research methodologies; to intersect theoretical knowledge with applied learning.

This course is a capstone opportunity for students to draw on theoretical and practical knowledge gained in the classroom to apply to independent research. The experiential learning opportunity optimizes student learning outside the classroom and to complete independent research. Dissemination of students’ research findings will include an oral and poster presentation at a student conference, and the publication of their research on the CLC (Children’s Literature Collection) Scholarly Resource maintained by the CTASC.