Curriculum changes for this year’s and future seniors in World Literature are in progress. English students this year are almost setting the future for the World Literature course.

The teachers have started teaching different books such as Escape From Camp 14 and Antigone. They are teaching different lessons than they have before using more of a common core style such as in class discussions and personal journals. The teachers are seeing what is good about them and if the students like it while making the class. They have even done in-class mock trials instead of tests.

“What we’re trying to do with the class is make it more relevant and applicable to what students will be doing in college, [which includes] looking at the big picture of topics and looking at a more global perspective,” English Department chair Christine Haley said.

They are trying to actually teach students the important aspects of each continent, and the unique perspectives of those who live there.

“[The class offers] a global perspective as opposed to just like making checkmarks,” Haley said.

The teachers of this class want to be affecting all students and teaching topics they can relate to and be interested in. They are not just talking about the book and the country but actually giving statistics and facts about the country that students can relate too.

“If you can find a way to make the learning experience engaging for students and focus on student interest, then there’s a lot of power and fun that can come out of that process for the students and the teachers,” World Literature teacher Nick Calvin stated.

Prior to the changes, the class was more formed to be every student wanting to be an English major, and that is not the case.

“I like [the new courses taught this year] a lot better because they are interesting, and I can relate to them a lot better,” senior Jennifer Borland stated.

These changes are being made because of Common Core Standards, changing college standards, varying students and an outdated unit. These new and changing standards are important to keep up with because if the world is changing, the class World Literature needs to change as well.

The teachers will be deciding what to teach for next year’s class this summer based off how the class progressed this year.

“[We’ll see] what worked and what didn’t work,” Calvin said. “I’ve tried to gather as much student feedback as I could to figure out.”