jan chernin's Page

In response to your queries about the new World Lit class...

Maybe you should get political with it....at our school, the basics are:

The Epic of Gilgamesh

The Odyssey, The Iliad, The Aeneid excerpts

Oedipus Rex and/or Antigone

The Diary of Anne Frank or Night by Elie Wiesel

Hamlet

Along with Gilgmesh, excerpts of Odyssey, Aeneid, and Iliad, we include mythologies of the Ancient World.  I also like to include appropriate parts of the Descent of Inanna.

I also add a fairytale and folk tale/song unit to see how a culture's mythology is reflected in them or how some of them fuse with the mythologies.  Sometimes with Irish folk tales, it's difficult to even draw the line between them and myths.

I like to add more female-centric and focus less on European literature as well because that aspect of literature gets often ignored.  Aphra Behn might be a good one.  I also cover accounts of the Boudiccan and Zenobian revolts on Caesarian Rome.  That includes poems as well.

Hi Jan - just saw your broadcast message - might I suggest posting it in the World Lit discussion forum. That way it can be broadcast as a crowdsource ? - you will get a lot more feedback that way! Ry:)