Degree Name

Department

English

College

Humanities

Defense Date

2025-09-10

Publication Date

2026-08-01

First Faculty Advisor

Keith Lawrence

First Faculty Reader

Jonathan Allred

Honors Coordinator

Aaron Eastley

Keywords

Education, English, Literature, Classroom, Simulation, Interactive, Curriculum

Abstract

This thesis highlights an interactive literature curriculum that I have created to help youth engage more deeply with classical literary works. It takes inspiration from many existing collegiate-level curricula that fuse historical simulations with literary studies and adapts those teaching methods for high-school-age students. It also utilizes a variety of different teaching philosophies, game mechanics, and literary practices to create an ideal course for fostering engagement. This thesis provides a small sample of the curriculum along with a teacher’s handbook and reports the results of a pilot program conducted in the summer of 2025.