One of the reasons I enjoy our minister's sermons at the Francesville Christian Church is that he scatters literary references or discusses etymology and usage. I always can sense that he looks my way when he throws one out as if to say "See, Beth? I am helping your former students think about what they learned in your classes and how it is all relevant in their adult lives!"
This semester the ENGL 112 class at Logansport is populated by several students who have either taken ENGL 222 (AmLit I) previously OR have taken or are currently enrolled in ENGL 223 (AmLit II). Since ENGL 112 is literature based, several of the selections I have chosen for my students to read, analyze, evaluate, and discuss are the same as those read in one of the two lit classes.
The current literary selections include Faulkner's "Barn Burning," Chopin's "Desiree's Baby," "To Build a Fire" by Jack London, and "The Open Boat" by Stephen Crane. I also borrowed "The Lesson" by Toni Bade Cambara and "Indian Education" by Sherman Alexie from the online ENGL 111 class.
But that is just me. And my classes.
How many times has an episode of Jeopardy asked the competitors to select answers from categories relating to literature? And many of the questions relate to selections that have been read/studied in one of the American or World literature classes or even have their first readings dating back to high school days?
When the popular television sitcom M*A*S*H was aired weekly as a first run series, Hawkeye craved ribs. Not just any ribs, either. Ribs from Adam's Ribs, a popular BBQ joint in Chicago. Of course Radar was able to track down the number, make some calls, and use his Company Clerk connections to order ribs for Hawkeye to be delivered to their MASH unit in Korea. In the tent while awaiting their ribs, Hawkeye and BJ break into their rendition of 'Hog Butcher of the World' and 'City of the Big Shoulders' which are lines from Carl Sandburg's poem "Chicago." Only if one were familiar with the poem would he/she understand the allusion.
As you are reading, absorb. Drink in the details, the characters, the motives. Store nuggets of information into that brain of yours so that you can pull them out later in life as needed.
Double duty. Any examples that you can share?
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