LiteratureTube

We are going to do something different with the blog today.  I am going to introduce my readers to a few channels you can bring into a literature classroom.  These channels popped up in my feed according to YouTube Algorithms.  As a result, I thought “what the heck, let's do some sharing!”  I will take a one blog break from sharing history documentaries and share something that students could use for writing or discussion prompts in a literature classroom.

For a literature class, I would suggest that you show these clips at the start of the class and have students discuss what the creator said.  Or use these videos as a writing prompt in class.  Teachers, the sky is the limit when it comes to using these channels in your classroom.  These clips are at a max of 15-20 minutes long.  Some videos are shorter while others are longer.  You will able to show a clip at the start of class.

In addition to book discussions, these creators have put together lists on a variety of topics.  These topics include “Worse Marriages in Literature,” best books, and “Best Heroines.”  You could use these topics in the classroom and discuss with the students whether or not they agree with the creator’s lists.

Dr. Octavia Cox – All Things Classical Literature - https://www.youtube.com/c/DrOctaviaCox/videos
Dr. Octavia Cox offers analysis, close reading, biography, a literary context for a variety of English authors.  She started up this channel 11 months ago and posts new content weekly.  She kicked off her channel with Jane Austen.  She also discusses poetry and other authors.  However, if you are reading Jane Austen in a literature class then use this channel to help your students out.  So far, Dr. Cox has featured Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Sense and Sensibility.  She provides excellent summaries for each of these works.  She also breaks down each of these books into bite-sized topics.  That is the best thing from this channel, and if a student needs clarification on a point then I would point to Dr. Cox.

A Book Olive - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6wKgH6YIKKfNX9-EN0dxIA
Olive uses her channel to do book reviews, offer book suggestions and literary fiction.  She discusses a mix of classic literature and modern books.  There is a wide variety of books available on her channel, so if you wanted to bring in a new author into the classroom, check out this channel.  She has a special series Wishbone and the books the series used.  As far as I can tell, she started the channel in 2017.  She posts new content weekly.  I would recommend sharing her Jane Austen discussions.  The Mansfield Park discussion is VERY good.  She also breaks down the characters of books and provides excellent commentary on these characters.  This is another creator who would be helpful to help clarify a point with students.

Naomi’s Bookshelf - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO0WAnmT0h5hbmvOBy3RF-A/videos
This channel was started in 2019 and covers a variety of literature and more contemporary books.  She participates in Read-athons and leads discussions on books.  If you need a suggestion for your “not read” pile of books, I would recommend giving this channel a lookup.  For an English class, I would gravitate towards her discussions on Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and Shakespeare.

Ellie Dashwood - https://www.youtube.com/c/EllieDashwood/videos
Ellie started this channel in 2018.  She posted new content for a year and then took a break.  The channel started up again five months ago and she has been posting every since.  New videos are posted every Friday.  So far, it looks like she focuses on Regency and Victorian Era authors. 

AudioBooks - https://www.youtube.com/user/rt20bg/videos
https://www.youtube.com/c/AudiobooksUnleashed
This channel features free audiobooks of classic literature.  If you are reading classic literature in your class this is a resource for you.  You can easily pull one of these channels on YouTube and let it play during a class period.

These channels are current as of July 31, 2021.