5. The Experiment Begins
"My childhood family of mystery and fantasy who opened up the doors to new platforms in which I could form my own opinions." ~ Nereo Eugenio II
The Lesson
Today's YA authors stand on the backs of the greats--those authors who disrupted the classic literature of the time, replacing literature that focused on adult ​characters facing adult problems with literature that featured young people and the issues that mattered most to them. It is through these authors' experimental works that we are able to continue experimenting with story.
​
For this lesson, you will have the opportunity to read the works of those who came first. These books are held dear because of the changes they made in the literary field at the time. Select and experience one from the list below. If you have read one of these titles in previous coursework or just for fun, I encourage you to pick up a new title. But if you insist on rereading, please read with a new eye, considering how the book helped move us down the path we find ourselves on today.
​
​
​
The Challenge
As you can imagine (and likely remember!), reading the classics can be tedious for today's students because while they were relevant back in the day, students struggle to find their relevance in today's world. Thus, part of this challenge is for you to think about how you can disrupt how these books are usually taught and approach teaching them differently.
​
For this challenge, you will write a blog post about the book. Your post should include the following:
-
The title and author
-
A plot summary
-
A discussion of why we should think differently about this book and how it may seem irrelevant to today's kids
-
A discussion of how you could teach this differently to make it more relevant to students. Think about current social issues, as well as about adolescent development.
-
Two to four themes prominent in the book. Each theme should have its own paragraph and should state not just the topic of the theme, i.e., prejudice, but what the message is about the topic.
-
Connections to current events that related to the identified themes. Provide links to stories, videos, speeches, etc, that could be used to help update the discussion around the theme.
-
A list of potential community members who could talk with your class about ideas in the book. How can they help make it more interesting?
-
Quotes with page numbers that help students think about the theme.
​
Post your response to your portfolio by 4:00pm on Feb. 13th.