1.7: Discussion Activity - What is Literature To You?
- Page ID
- 40371
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By the end of this assignment, students will be able to:
- critically analyze the qualities which differentiate literature from other genres of writing
- question how works of literature have been categorized as literature or not literature
- consider their relationship to literature
Part I
- What is your favorite book or piece of writing? (If you do not like to read, what is your favorite video game, song, movie, or TV show?)
- What qualities of this text seem literary? What qualities seem less literary?
- Where do you think this text should be placed on the literary spectrum? Draw it on your spectrum. Why did you place it where you did?
Part II
- Think about your past experiences with literature in school. What is a work you think your English teachers in the past would classify as literature?
- What qualities of this text make it seem literary? What qualities might make it seem less literary?
- Where do you think this text should be placed on the literary spectrum? Draw it on your spectrum. Why did you place it where you did?
Part III
- Think about the spectrum you have created. Examine it closely.
- How might these placements reflect where we come from as a student, as a class, as a campus, or as a society? To rephrase, how might our personal experiences, environment, or beliefs influence the way we approach literature?
- If in a classroom: do you agree or disagree with your peers' placements on the spectrum? Why or why not?