In today's increasingly diverse classrooms, it is essential for educators to provide students with the tools, dialogue, and experiences that will help them to know and understand the global village in which they live and also build their compassion, empathy, and appreciation for the diverse individuals and cultures who populate it. This book shows…

Describes a high school world literature course. Outlines four "destinations" for topics including: searching for meaning; injustice; romantic love; and border crossing. Discusses teaching techniques and literature the author uses to teach the class. (SG)

This document discusses how insights and knowledge gained from the author's stay in India have been applied to developing a course plan for a "World Literature I" course. Following a brief introduction, the document describes using "The Bhagavadgita" and "Hindu Myths," points out some of the general questions which…

Suggests teachers pair works by American writers with works from other cultures that share a common thematic link or central issue. Puts this into practice by pairing texts that illustrate some of the potential for a blended curriculum of both American and non-Western writers. (SG)

Two epic poems from India, "The Mahabharata" and "The Ramayana" have endured for more than 2,000 years as important parts of Indian culture, and the study of these epics can yield insights into Indian life and religion. This paper contains a list of the major characters and an explanation of the major themes in both books. The…

Describes how the author, in his sophomore world literature survey, uses the Homeric epics to introduce students to Valmiki's Indian epic, the "Ramayana." Describes how students look for likenesses between the two works, and for differences in cultural assumptions, content, and style. Notes students come to recognize and appreciate the…

Presents six educators' ideas for good activities for teaching world literature to high school students. Describes ideas, activities, and experiences with innovative ways to teach World Literature. (SG)

The roots of conflict in the Middle East are deep and tangled. How can teachers of history, philosophy, or literature help their students reach even a simple understanding of the history and continued impact of these conflicts? In this curriculum project, a high school literature teacher has chosen five poets (two Egyptian, two Israeli, and one…

Shares a unit on modern Chinese literature for high school students which was planned with the goal of students being able to read Chinese literature with something more than Western eyes. (MG)

Shares how one teacher of world literature uses the writings of Henrik Ibsen and Adrienne Rich to help students come to a full understanding of the creation of gender stereotypes and investigate the world around them. (MG)

States that to combat the media onslaught, teachers need to teach their students to be aware of, to evaluate, and to become literate in their understanding and their deployment of the media. Describes strategies used to teach a course in world literature for gifted 12th graders which uses the mass media to impart a multicultural viewpoint. (PA)

Describes how to incorporate literature by women from many parts of the globe into the English curriculum. (MM)

An innovative and practical resource for teachers looking to move beyond English and American works, this book explores 175 highly teachable short stories from nearly 50 countries, highlighting the work of recognized authors from practically every continent, authors such as Chinua Achebe, Anita Desai, Nadine Gordimer, Milan Kundera, Isak Dinesen,…

Believed to have been written about the 4th century B.C., the "Ramayana" is one of the oldest epic poems in world literature. This exercise, which takes seven or eight days to complete, is intended to acquaint Westerners with the "Ramayana" in an informal format that may spark a desire to read further in the epic and to become…

These materials have been designed for teachers in order to help students make more connections in their learning about the Holocaust. Written to enhance and supplement existing units in world history and world literature curricula in a California high school, the following materials have been prepared for the project: small group presentations of…