11 Why is This Important?
Hook Your Students In
By Kisha G. Tracy, Associate Professor of English Studies at Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts
Introduction
In Fall 2015, I was once again scheduled to teach ENGL 2400, World Literature I. As I was rethinking this course during the preceding summer, I considered the previous issues I had encountered with that course. It is a general education course that can fulfill both a literature as well as a global diversity (non-Western) requirement; thus, it is popular with non-majors as a course that can fill two requirements at once.
While I was considering how to redesign the course, the news was unfortunately rife with the actions of ISIS, particularly the capture and destruction of Palmyra and the tragic murder of archaeologist Khaled al-Asaad. These events focused my attention on a specific idea: cultural heritage. As I began to research the history of the term, I realized that it could hold the key to developing student interest in World Literature I. Beginning with readings about cultural heritage and recent/historical destruction, we could explore the essential question: if cultural heritage is targeted for destruction, is vital to preserve, and has cost protectors’ lives, is what we are studying inherently significant?
The Learners
Students often take general education courses, such as World Literature I, without really knowing their purpose or function within their curriculum, which causes some apathetic behavior and even sometimes active resistance. One of the challenges of teaching at regional universities is that our students do not often have experiences outside the local area; we attempt whenever possible to encourage our students to see themselves in a more global context.
The Hook – Playing Cards
With all of this in mind, I began developing a unit. As part of my research, I had read Lives in Ruins by Marilyn Johnson. In her book, Johnson describes meeting Dr. Laurie Rush and the creation and implementation of the Cultural Property Protection Playing Cards for the United State military. The Combatant Command Cultural Heritage Action Group web site states that the cards “were designed to educate U.S. military personnel about the importance of respecting ancient sites and monuments and preserving host nation cultural heritage during military operations and post-conflict reconstruction.” They are organized by suits: “diamonds for artifacts and treasures; spades for historic sites and archaeological digs; hearts for ‘winning hearts and minds’; and clubs for heritage preservation.” Dr. Rush and Dr. James Zeidler published a more formal article, “In-Theatre Training through Cultural Heritage Cards.”
These cards were then the inspiration for the assignment that would tie in the first unit with the material in the rest of the class: students, after studying about cultural heritage and the purpose of the military playing cards, would create their own physical sets of playing cards based upon