CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN LITERATURE FOR PRIMARY AND CHILDHOOD SCHOOL WITH WORKSHOP 3
Module WORKSHOP OF CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN LITERATURE FOR PRIMARY AND CHILDHOOD SCHOOL

Academic Year 2024/2025 - Teacher: CHRISTIAN D'AGATA

Expected Learning Outcomes

Knowing how to orient oneself in genres, thus being able to distinguish the main characteristics of the novel, short fiction, poetry and fairy tale. Knowing how to read and analyse a literary text and being able to use these skills in relation to the requirements of the current ‘National indications for the curriculum of pre-school and first cycle of education’

Course Structure

After an initial phase of historical-literary contextualisation of textual genre, author and work (with the reading of a passage and related discussion), the class, divided into groups of 5-6 people, reads and analyses a literary text, taking care to highlight its formal aspects and content. This is followed by a final moment of restitution and discussion. 

Required Prerequisites

Knowledge of the fundamentals and essentials of Italian literary history from its origins to the 20th century. Adequate reading and text analysis skills.

Detailed Course Content

The course is divided into three modules devoted respectively to three textual genres: fiction novel, poetry and fairy tale. 
The study of authors will be conducted through the analysis of texts, in dialogue with poetics and currents of reference.
The authors covered are: Italo Svevo, Primo Levi, Giovanni Pascoli, Giuseppe Ungaretti, Umberto Saba, Luigi Capuana, Italo Calvino, Umberto Eco, Gianni Rodari.

Textbook Information

Manuale: G. Langella, La modernità letteraria. Manuale di letteratura italiana moderna e contemporanea, Pearson 2021 (per lo studio degli autori e del contesto storico)

Reference texts are made available on the “Studium” platform

Brani:

Italo Svevo,  La salute di Augusta (da La coscienza di Zeno); Prefazione e conclusione de La coscienza di Zeno

Primo Levi, Il canto di Ulisse (da Se questo è un uomo); Argento (da Il sistema periodico

Giovanni Pascoli, L’assiuoloLavandare ⁠⁠Il lampo, Il tuono (da Myricae)

Giuseppe Ungaretti, Fratelli, In memoria, Veglia (da Allegria)

Umberto Saba, AmaiLa capraMio padre per me è stato l’«assassino» (da Canzoniere)

Gianni Rodari, La guerra delle campane (da Favole al telefono)

Luigi Capuana, I tre anelli (da C'era una volta...)

Italo ⁠⁠Calvino, Il drago dalle sette teste (da Fiabe italiane)

Umberto Eco, I tre cosmonauti

Course Planning

 SubjectsText References
1Reading and interpreting the novel (fiction and short novel): focus, narrator, style- Italo Svevo, Da La coscienza di Zeno: Introduzione, La salute malata di Augusta (capitolo VI); Psico-analisi (capitolo VIII).- Primo Levi, Da Se questo è un uomo: Il canto di Ulisse; Da Il sistema periodico: Argento. 
2Reading and interpreting poetry: elements of metrics, rhetoric, stylistics (I)- Bice Mortara Garavelli, Manuale di retorica- Giovanni Pascoli. Da Myricae: Lavandare; L'assiuolo; Il tuono; Il lampo.
3Reading and interpreting poetry: elements of metrics, rhetoric, stylistics (II)-Giuseppe Ungaretti. Da L'Allegria: In memoria; Veglia; Girovago.- Umberto Saba. Dal Canzoniere: La capra; Amai; Mio padre fu per me l'assassino. 
4Reading and interpreting the fairy tale: the popular fairy tale, the author's fairy tale and children's literature- V. Propp, Morfologia della fiaba. -. Gianni Rodari, La guerra delle campane (da Favole al telefono)- Luigi Capuana, I tre anelli (da C'era una volta...)- Italo ⁠⁠Calvino, Il drago dalle sette teste (da Fiabe italiane)- Umberto Eco, I tre cosmonauti

Learning Assessment

Learning Assessment Procedures

The test, which consists of an analysis of the text contextualised to the historical-literary reference landscape, is conducted orally. Assessment is measured in terms of aptitude and takes into account: a) Knowledge and ability to understand; b) Use of knowledge and ability to understand; c) Communication skills; d) Ability to learn

Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises

  • What points of Pascoli's poetics of the 'fanciullino' can be gleaned from the following poem?
  • What functions of Propp can be identified in Capuana's authorial fairy tale examined?
  • What rhetorical figure is present in the following Ungarettian verse?
  • What is the relationship between Primo Levi's Ulysses and Dante's or Homeric Ulysses?