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English Literature and Composition
AP Annual Conference Submission
Mike McAdams
AP English Teacher
Bloomington High School
Jennifer Sexton-Rugh
English Department Chair and AP Teacher
Bloomington High School
More and more AP Literature classes are opening their doors to a more diverse group of students. AP Literature teachers need to address the needs of these students while sharing with them the beauty and complexity of works from the canon. The study of literature is the universal study of human existence. Human existence can be classified by the major themes explored by writers in the canon. This session will show how to use contemporary Chicano poetry with major works from the canon so that students will be able to see a correlation between the themes. We will close read several poems and pair them with passages from, Hamlet, Macbeth, Heart of Darkness and Blood Meridian. Teachers will understand the cultural relevance of voice in literature and in their own students. This session will dig deep into the Chicano literature canon and share the writings of lesser known poets whose voices are strong and universal.