Get inspiration for choosing the right texts with this curated collection!

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“Which texts should I include in my course?” This is possibly one of the most exciting tasks on every language and literature educator’s to-do list! Given the vast array of choices, as well as your enthusiasm of sharing interesting texts with your students, selecting appropriate texts can feel a bit like going down a rabbit hole. To get you started, we’ve put together a curated collection of 36 engaging non-literary bodies of work.

Featuring 12 different non-literary text types – including music videos, advertisements, and comics – this highly-browsable collection is designed to support your planning process. The collection houses non-literary texts from a range of writers, producers, artists, and speakers – Christiane Amanpour, Stanley Kubrick, Scott McCloud, Brené Brown – and can be flexibly adapted to suit your students’ learning needs. For every body of work, the collection also highlights the following:

Suggested literary works – perfect for pairing
Recommendations for supplemental texts – YouTube videos, additional works, etc.
Related global issues and concepts – a big help for assessments and classroom teaching

Ideas for using the resource:

Browse the collection like a lifelong learner! Read supplemental texts to find out more about each body of work. Look for global issues that resonate with your students.
Break students into teams. Ask each team to nominate a non-literary body of work for closer inspection. Students can present their findings to the class to build consensus.
Look for literary works you’re interested in teaching. Browse the selection of associated non-literary texts. Try to find a pair that will be engaging for your students.

Author

Thomas Lewandowski

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This resource has been produced independently of and not endorsed by the IB. Toddle’s resources seek to encourage sharing of perspectives and innovative ideas for classroom teaching & learning. They are not intended to be replacements for official IB guides and publications. Views and opinions expressed by the authors of these resources are personal and should not be construed as official guidance by the IB. Please seek assistance from your school’s IB coordinator and/or refer to official IB documents before implementing ideas and strategies shared within these resources in your classroom.

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Thomas Lewandowski

Thomas Lewandowski has been teaching literature since 2006, and has been committed to helping students develop an authentic love for literature. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature from Saint John's University, a Master's of Art in Teaching from the University of Arkansas, and is a National Board Certified Teacher in the U.S. He spends a lot of time demystifying reading, writing, literary criticism and literary analysis for both DP teachers and students through his YouTube videos that have garnered more than 750,000 views.

Classroom Strategies, Curriculum Planning, For Teaching Teams, Language and Literature

Non-Literary Bodies of Work | A Curated Collection

“Which texts should I include in my course?” This is possibly one of the most exciting tasks on every language and literature educator’s to-do list! Given the vast array of choices, as well as your enthusiasm of sharing interesting texts with your students, selecting appropriate texts can feel a bit like going down a rabbit hole. To get you started, we’ve put together a curated collection of 36 engaging non-literary bodies of work.

Featuring 12 different non-literary text types – including music videos, advertisements, and comics – this highly-browsable collection is designed to support your planning process. The collection houses non-literary texts from a range of writers, producers, artists, and speakers – Christiane Amanpour, Stanley Kubrick, Scott McCloud, Brené Brown – and can be flexibly adapted to suit your students’ learning needs. For every body of work, the collection also highlights the following:

- Suggested literary works - perfect for pairing
- Recommendations for supplemental texts - YouTube videos, additional works, etc.
- Related global issues and concepts - a big help for assessments and classroom teaching