Link Classic Texts to Kids’ Lives
While classic texts have not changed, our students are always changing. Spark their interest by helping them make connections with their own lives.
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Relating Classic Texts to Students’ Lives Today
By Kasey Short
While classic texts have not changed, our students – the readers – are always changing. These changes alter the connections, perspectives, and understandings of the texts. For example, in teaching Romeo and Juliet I find students today are very focused on the characters’ mental health.
Earlier in my career, students didn’t pick up on that theme at all. As the world and our students are consistently changing, adding modern connections to classic texts can engage readers by helping them relate to and understand the universal themes and messages in these works.
Making Connections
Pop Culture
Connecting a classic to something in current pop culture can create instant engagement. You don’t have to know all the current pop culture to do this in your classroom. Have the students help by getting them to break down themes, mood, character traits, conflict, and then think about songs, movies, famous people, or TV shows that connect to the story. Once they find that one connection, they can build on it and find new connections.
Example: When teaching Romeo and Juliet I ask students to choose song lyrics that portray the same mood and themes as aspects of the play and then explain that connection. Students find this assignment fun because they can share something they enjoy. This year I found many students added more songs than required because they were having so much fun with it. Many of them used lyrics from Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo.
For example, the song “Don’t Blame Me” by Taylor Swift includes the lyrics “Don't blame me, love made me crazy” and “My name is whatever you decide and I'm just gonna call you mine.” The song “Bad Idea Right” by Olivia Rodrigo includes the lyrics, “Seein' you tonight, it's a bad idea, right?”
Both examples lend themselves directly to the mood and themes in Romeo and Juliet and provide students an opportunity to show what they know and understand about the classic story while also realizing it has modern day relevance.
Example Questions:
1. What movie/TV show/song has a similar theme to the book? Explain how the themes are similar.
2. What celebrity reminds you of one of the characters? Explain how they are similar.
3. Which character would most likely be an influencer if they were alive today? What type of brand deals would they get? Explain why.
Current Events
Classic literature includes timeless themes and experiences; connecting these themes and experiences to current events demonstrates how the insights from classic works can be applied to current events. It also encourages readers to think critically about the past and present and through analysis gain a deeper understanding of the world around them while also affirming the significance of classic literature. In this example, connect Orwell’s 1984 to a recent news event.
The 2023 Russian textbook, above right, rewrites history, including the invasion of Ukraine. The Washington Post covers the book's release in Mary Ilyushina’s Russia’s new history textbooks teach Putin’s alternate reality.
Students determine themes and events in the play or book that relate to a current event, research the current event and then make connections between them. For example: Animal Farm by George Orwell connects to current protests, oppressive regimes, or propaganda; Night by Elie Wiesel connects to current genocide, human rights, or antisemitism.
Example Questions:
1. What event in the story reminds you of something going on in our world today? Why does it remind you of it? How are they similar and different?
2. What advice do you think the main character would give the President of the United States? Why would they give that advice? What about their situation would help them know what advice to give?
3. Read the headlines from yesterday’s news. Choose one that you think a character from the play or book would be interested in and explain why it would interest them. What do you think their opinion would be of the news article based on what you have learned about them from the story.
Below, Kasey also shares ideas about social issues, personal connections, modern lit and contemporary adaptations, and includes book suggestions.