Woodstock and Chaucer - a winning combination
Tie-dyed T-shirts and other "hippie" accessories were the dress of the day recently in Dena Minato's Advanced Placement literature class at Corvallis High School as students participated in a Woodstock-themed storytelling festival to conclude a study of Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales."
Students were asked to come up with an original tale of protest or rebellion and share their stories as if they were stranded on a pilgrimage with other middle-aged baby boomers traveling to a 40th anniversary Woodstock reunion. The activity was to mirror the experiences of the 14th century pilgrims portrayed in Chaucer's legendary collection of stories.
Guest judges from the community were invited to help "grade" the students' presentations. One judge was able to share a personal account of the actual Woodstock festival and another related their frustration of getting stuck on the freeway and never making it to the 1969 outdoor concert.
Minato explained she came up with the idea for a storytelling festival in an effort to make literature come alive for the students. An assignment such as this allows them to creatively share what they're learning, she said, and that "gets them excited about studying literature."
