In a world literature course, an instructor faces the challenge of engaging the students in classical texts that are historically, geographically, and linguistically "alien" to them. Through a three-step instructional model that includes approximation, thematic relevance, and application, the instructor tries to help students identify, engage, and interact with the texts. Several trials of this strategy have shown that this approach is promising because it promotes the students' active participation in class and ownership of the course content. Therefore, its implications in praxis will extend beyond the discipline of literature to other disciplines in college teaching.