Approaches to Integration of Adolescent Literature in the Curriculum

A Thematic Approach to Integration of Adolescent Literature into the Curriculum

Now that I have gained and understanding of integration and what is Adolescent Literature I am now able to outline how a teacher can integrate adolescent literature into the classroom. I must say that I was very intrigued and enlightened and very much interested in the    strategies that can be used in order   integrate adolescent literature into the curriculum.  

Marshall A. George (2001) in his article ‘What’s the Big Idea? Integrating Young Adult Literature in the Middle School’ outlines how young adult literature can be integrated in the curriculum.  Form my understanding the ‘Big Idea’ referred to a thematic unit. By thematic I mean that adolescents or our students will be using various genera’s of literature for example novels, plays, poems, articles etc. that has a similar theme for example inequality. However, the theme chosen must have so relevance to the students, in that they should be able to relate to this theme in their everyday lives. Thus, the theme must be authentic and must add or relate to their experiences.   

This aspect of integration can be used using various strategies in the classroom such as the formation of book clubs. After students are finished with the core material that is surrounded around a particular theme the teacher can provide extra material to students that are of the same theme. Students can therefore, choose from the books that have made available to them that they like. A small book club can be motivate students highly especially as they are familiar with and can relate to the material that they are reading. Thus, students will read and discuss texts that they themselves have chosen.

In relation, to our curriculum there are lots of books, poems, plays that we as teachers can use with similar themes in our classrooms. For example, ‘Colonial girls School,’ ‘From the immigrants,’ ‘Animal Farm,’ ‘This is the Dark Time my Love,’ ‘House for Mr. Biswas,’ all have the similar theme of colonization. Adolescents may be able may be able to relate to this theme in that they may feel that they are restricted by their parents, certain rights are not granted to them, they are not allowed to go certain place, do what they  want  and have certain friends. I will surely make use of thematic units in the teaching in literature in my classroom.