SPRING/SUMMER 2022
Where Science and Literature Meet Interdisciplinary teaching often makes natural crossovers—between science and math, or two related humanities—but bridging the gap between, say, science and English seems harder. It needn’t be, as demonstrated by the exciting new course Science & Literature, an example of what can be achieved in the Signature Academic Program. George School English teacher Ariadne Costa became fascinated with the connections between science and literature when she was teaching at a graduate program at the State University of Paraiba Brazil. Scientific and technological developments can reshape imagination and impact artistic expression, the thinking goes. A classic example is how the Copernican heliocentric model inf luenced Baroque sensibilities. Science & Literature was developed to take advantage of that synergy. In investigating a single topic through the lenses of two fields, students gain a better sense of both of them and the relationship between them.
8 | G E O RGIAN
In its inaugural year, the class does a deep dive into the novel The Overstory, in which trees are the protagonists and human stories are told only through their connections with trees. The novel employs literary devices that provide scientific insights on plant life, and, Ariadne is excited to point out, if you map its narrative structure, it looks a lot like tree roots. While Ariadne’s expertise allows her to explore the story’s narrative with students, she knew she needed another teacher to furnish a scientific perspective. Science Department Head Polly Lodge was only too excited about the possibilities. For years the department has used varied resources—not just textbooks—and Polly believes that storytelling provides a particularly energizing and memorable way to learn science. In addition to exploring The Overstory’s literary components, the class has tremendous opportunities for lab work. Students make use of the wooded campus, perhaps studying tree rings,
