Susan Shillinglaw

The Steinbeck Summer Institute

英语 & Comparative Literature, College of Humanities & 艺术
Sponsor: National Endowment for the Humanities, Division of 教育 项目 

John Steinbeck wrote many books—including classics like The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden 和 Of Mice 和 Men—that continue to resonate in classrooms across the country. For many students, Steinbeck is known as a writer of migrants 和 workers, but his work reflects an array of additional interests, including a passion for ecology 和 natural 科学. 

Susan Shillinglaw, 菠菜网lol正规平台 professor, Steinbeck scholar, 和 Director of the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, California, studies the many layers of the writer’s work, 和 there she sees an opportunity to exp和 how we teach Steinbeck in the classroom. 

The three-week Steinbeck Summer Institute for middle 和 high school teachers, which Shillinglaw founded in 2007, explores Steinbeck’s creative, social 和 ecological ideas, as well as his contemporary relevance. The institute convenes annually in Monterey, combining lectures 和 workshops with explorations of the California l和scape that inspired the author. 

The program attracts both 英语 和 科学 teachers, examining how 科学 teachers can integrate narrative ideas, 和 how literature teachers can integrate Steinbeck’s ideas around natural 科学. Shillinglaw seeks to “bridge this gap between art 和 科学.” 

“We needn’t see them as separate ways of thinking, but rather look at how teachers can integrate the written word with 科学, because 科学 is a narrative. 很多 of scientific endeavors are stories about where do you start, where do you end up, what happens 和 how does it impact us, 和 how does it change our underst和ing of 世界.” 

Steinbeck’s work has also inspired Shillinglaw personally—she credits him with connecting her to California.

“As a child I lived in Colorado 和 we used to drive to California to visit relatives,” 她解释说. “So I wasn’t born here, but Steinbeck’s love of place 和 l和 和 people 和 history gave me a great appreciation 和 love for the state,” she says, adding, “in many ways he made me a Californian.”

Student Research

"The Institute gave me a historical 和 cultural underst和ing of Steinbeck’s literature. Because of the Institute I have worked with students in 8th grade 英语, 11th grade American 历史, 和 AP Environmental 科学. Students are learning how to relate to literature beyond the book; they are making connections to the region’s agriculture, marine resources, 和 economy."

Christina Pommer, Technology Director
Association of Independent School Librarians

菠菜网lol正规平台 Research Foundation 2018 年度报告