Dr. Angela DeLutis-Eichenberger, Spanish
Spanish 231- Reading the Southern Cone: Lessons in Sustainability
Prior to my participation in the Valley and Ridge Workshop, I had instructed Spanish 231 (Spanish Composition, Writing Intensive) four times through diverse iterations – all with a focus on contemporary literature from the Southern Cone. As the class curriculum evolved to largely encompass environmental issues gleaned through critical readings of literature, film, and other audio-visual material, the theme of sustainability often fueled class discussions and strengthened writing assignments, leading to the course’s formal designation as one with “Sustainability Connections” (the “SCON” attribute). In preparation for Spring 2019, when I am slated to teach 231 again, I applied to Valley and Ridge in the hopes of enhancing my pedagogical strategies to better frame several key concepts of sustainability in the devised lessons and assignments, and to better facilitate the students’ clear and profound understanding and application of those concepts in their analytical work.
Having completed the workshop, I plan to present the newly devised content alongside the examination of such information as the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals to address how the literary works can be read didactically as sources that can plausibly enrich one’s worldview and encourage world improvement. This approach will also allow for stronger connections to be made between our class and College, local community, and global partners (more specifically, those in Ecuador and Argentina) through the inclusion of several place-based activities thematically linked to the selected fiction: a “photo tour” of “The Hive” at Dickinson delivered in Spanish by our students; a visit to a Deer Farm and to LeTort Park to discuss sustainable practices related to life on land; possible Skype chats with our global partners regarding sustainability issues related to the Amazon Rain Forest in Ecuador and to Misiones, Argentina (these may include the following goals, among others: good health and well-being; quality education; industry, innovation and infrastructure; sustainable communities; responsible consumption and production; life on land; peace, justice, and strong institutions); and finally, a planting activity that will culminate in a working dinner held at Dickinson’s College Farm where students will present a summary of their final paper – an analytical essay in Spanish on a novel with sustainability connections.