Topic: Erudition and joy – postmodernism according to Umberto Eco

Lesson plan elaborated by: Katarzyna Maciejak

Target group:

4‑th grade students of a high school.

The core curriculum

I. Literary and cultural education.

1. Reading literary works. Student:

1) understands the basis for periodizing literature, situates literary works in particular periods: antiquity, the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, enlightenment, romanticism, positivism, Young Poland, the interwar period, literature of war and occupation, literature of 1945‑1989 national and emigre literature, literature after 1989;

2) recognises literary conventions and defines their features in works (fantastic, symbolic, mimetic, realistic, naturalistic, grotesque);

3) distinguishes epic, lyrical, dramatic and syncretic genres, including: genres learned in primary school and epos, ode, ancient tragedy, psalm, chronicle, satire, idyll, ballad, romantic drama, poetic novel, as well as variations of the novel and drama , lists their basic species traits;

6) recognises in the literary texts: irony and self‑irony, comedy, tragedy, humor, pathos; defines their functions in the text and understands the value of character;

7) recognises in the literary works the conventions: fairytale, oneiric, turpistical, surrealistic, postmodernist; ZR

9) recognises the subject and issues of the texts learned and its relation to the programs of the literary era, social, historical, existential and aesthetic phenomena; he reflects on it;

10) recognises in the work the ways of creating: the presented world (plot, heroes, actions, themes, motives), narrative, lyrical situation; interprets and evaluates them;

14) presents a proposal for interpretation of the work, indicates in the text places that may constitute arguments in support of its interpretation proposal;

2. Receipt of cultural texts. Student:

4) compares cultural texts, taking into account various contexts; ZR

III. Creating statements.

2. Speaking and writing. Student:

1) agrees with other people's views or polemicizes with them, substantively justifying their own opinion.

General aim of education

Students will get acquainted with examples of postmodernist texts, they also receive basic information about semiotics

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Learning outcomes

Student:

• explains the differences between high culture and popular culture;

• discusses fragments of Umbert Eco's novel entitled „Name of the rose” and considering different levels of its interpretation;

• participates in a discussion about laughter;

• creates a dialogue.

Methods/techniques

• expository

  • talk.

• activating

  • discussion.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Lesson plan overview

Before classes

1. Students read a fragment of the novel U. Eco „The Name of the Rose” in the e‑textbook and the information about the author of the novel and the work in the abstract.

Introduction

1. The teacher states the subject of the lesson, explains the aim of the lesson and together with students determines the success criteria to be achieved.

2. The teacher begins a conversation with students about high culture and popular culture. He asks:
   - What is the difference between high culture and popular culture?
   - Which type of culture do you deal with more often?
   - Do you agree with the pejorative valuation of popular culture?.

Realization

1. The teacher checks if the students have read the given fragment of the novel. Then he asks what features of popular culture the novel U. Eco has. Students, based on their reading and information contained in the abstract, make an attempt to recognize the interpretation levels of the work (interactive board).

2. Students in pairs solve the Exercise 2.

3. The teacher plays a fragment of a film based on the novel U. Eco: a dispute by Wilhelm with Jorge about laughter (30'-34'40 „). Asks students questions:
   Why is Jorge an opponent of laughter?
   How does William of Baskerville protect you with laughter?
   Why does Jorge challenge the value of doubt?
   Why in the last passage does William adhere to Adso against the prophets and those who want to die for the truth?
   Why the hero of the novel speaks of an „unhealthy passion for truth”?.

4. On the trail of high culture. The teacher asks what features of high culture can be indicated in the fragment of the „Name of the Rose”. As one of the features, students should mention the philosophical layer of the work. Continuing, the teacher asks the participants of the classes to extract from the fragment of the novel in their pairs the questions that the philosopher could ask himself.

5. Work in groups of three. Students choose one of the philosophical problems raised by Wilhelm and write a dialogue between a selected pair of heroes of the novel (eg Wilhelm and Jorge, Wilhelm and Adso), in which the interlocutors will prove their contradiction, the same. After the appointed time, dialogues are presented on the class forum.

Summary

1. The teacher chooses one student by random method and asks him or her to explain in own words the meaning of a given word or concept learned during the lesson.

2. The teacher asks a willing student to summarize the lesson from his point of view. He asks other students if they would like to add anything to their colleague's statements.

Homework

1. Listen to the abstract recording at home. Pay attention to pronunciation, accent and intonation. Learn to pronounce the words learned during the lesson.

2. Prepare for a discussion on: „Can laughter be science?”.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Erudition and joy – postmodernism according to Umberto Eco

Read a fragment of the novel „Imię róży” (The Name of the Rose) enclosed in e‑textbook.

Umberto Eco
1932–2016
An Italian writer, essayist, columnist, philosopher. He was a professor at universities in Florence and Bologna. Author of best‑sellers like: Imię róży (The Name of the Rose)(1980) and Wahadło Foucaulta (Foucault's Pendulum)(1988), Wyspa dnia poprzedniego (The Island of the Day Before) (1994), Baudolino (2000) and Cmentarz w Pradze (The Prague Cemetery)(2011). Columns written in the weekly Milan magazine „L’Expresso” and collected in volumes of Zapiski na pudełku od zapałek were just as popular. Moreover, Umberto Eco is an author of significant scientific papers, such as Dzieło otwarte (The Open Work) (1962), Lector in fabula (1979), Sztuka i piękno w średniowieczu (Art and Beauty in the Middle Ages) (1994).

Imię róży (The Name of the Rose) is the most famous work of Umberto Eco. Millions of sold copies, translation in dozens languages and presence on school reading lists illustrate well the striking popularity of the book.

The novel was written in such a manner that almost everyone will find something of interest while reading it. It was the intent of the author that Imię róży could be read on several levels.

On the most basic level, the book is intended for a reader of best‑sellers, an enthusiast of thrilling intrigues. The story is shrouded in history of a mysterious book and shocking events, including several murders and suicides. Umberto Eco uses verified schemes and well‑known genres like crime, detective, gothic and romance novels.

On the next level, the novel can be read as a concealed story about contemporary events. When Umberto Eco wrote the book dramatic events unfolded connected with the political terror of “Red Brigades” which murdered Aldo Moro, the leader of the Christian‑Democratic Party and three‑time Prime Minister of Italy.

The last level is more nuanced and complex. It is meant for professional readers whose literary competence enables them to recognise hidden quotes and literary allusions in the text. In this regard, Imię róży was designed to be a full realisation of an intertextual postmodern work, created from other works.

The last feature is best illustrated by the portrayal of Wilhelm of Baskerville who holds opinions and findings of Roger Bacon, Wilhelm Ockham, Marsilius and... Umberto Eco himself. In any manner does he resemble a stereotypical medieval monk. He is a literary character through and through since he evokes the character of Sherlock Holmes.