RHS Italian & Language Arts Teachers Collaborate for Interdisciplinary Lesson on Petrarchan Sonnets

Our teaching is changing every day! With the interdisciplinary connections and the infusion of technology in our classrooms, teachers at Ridge High School are establishing a strong interconnected network to reinforce students’ skills, strengthen professional collaboration, all while strengthening the learning environment for our students.

Over the past year, students have had the opportunity to blend many subjects under one assignment and they are acknowledging the benefits of the enhanced learning experiences.

As one of the Italian teachers at Ridge, Mrs. Bologno immediately accepted Ms. Presuto’s invitation to read a sonnet written in Italian by Francesco Petrarca in her English classroom. The Italian students enrolled in Ms. Presuto’s class helped interpret the sonnet and identify what was ”lost in translation.” The students had the opportunity to hear the sonnet in its original language, with proper inflection and linguistic structure that was essential to their understanding.

Ms. Presuto joined the Pre-Advanced Honors Italian classrooms and reviewed the sonnet structure and how to approach writing one. The Italian students composed their original Petrarchan sonnet in Italian, incorporating the reinforcement lesson from Ms. Presuto. Next week, Mr. Minicozzi will join Mrs. Bologno’s freshmen class and continue our exchange.

The connection does not stop in the foreign language department. In Ms. Fox’s class, students analyzed the impact of social changes on the creation of laws. The first Federal Mail Law was written in the early 20th century to combat the “Black Hand” criminal phenomenon which existed in Italian immigrant communities throughout the country. Law students created their own black hand extortion letters, and many students volunteered to write their letters in Italian in order to increase the authenticity of the project.

The interdisciplinary approach to teaching truly enhances student learning and also reinforces the professional collaboration among the Ridge staff members. We are grateful to our principal for the class coverage and aiding in our collaboration.