Sowing the Humanities: Mapping Curricular Innovation and Collaboration with Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower

FAIN: ASB-292352-23

University of Redlands (Redlands, CA 92374-3755)
Heather King (Project Director: November 2022 to present)

A two-year project that brings together the campus and surrounding community (including the community college and two high schools) in reading Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower

This two-year project built around Butler's timely novel enriches humanities instruction and learning by seeding spatial pedagogy across the curriculum at the University of Redlands' campuses, neighboring community college, and local high schools, strengthening partnerships in the process. Centering humanist practice in high-impact elements of our curriculum, we deepen students' engagement with literature, history, religious studies, and art criticism by employing spatial tools. The first year of reading and planning will produce an interactive map. This spatially-informed work will enhance first-year seminar revision, mixed-level interdisciplinary humanities seminars, and intensive study away opportunities for Redlands students, and innovative classroom practice for our partners. We will share this work with the broader community through One City One Book events, public lectures, and as online resources on the University's website, including blogs, StoryMaps, and interactive map.