Relates a two-part writing assignment for the study of poetry, in which students are assigned to write a critique in response to a particular question and are then asked to give a personal response. (TJ)

Describes a teaching method in which high school sophomores (1) read A. Munro's "Connection," a short story connecting the author to her family origins; (2) interview relatives about their personal history; and (3) compose vignettes based on the notes collected during a three-week period. Provides numerous questions and prompts used to help the…

Describes a two-week English project in which ninth graders read "La Boheme" in translation, studied it as a drama, listened to arias, and finally watched a videotaped performance of the opera. (JG)

Reports on a "summing up" assignment at the end of a course on the fiction of J. D. Salinger. Notes the way students used parodies to display their knowledge of Salinger's style and recurrent themes. Offers one student-written parody as an example. (RL)

This book provides about 130 short, easily-prepared activities to supplement the longer teaching procedures that make up the main body of an English course. Suitable for elementary to advanced levels, the activities presented in the book can serve as a quick warm-up for the students, an idea for a brief vocabulary review, a light filler to provide…

Describes unstructured assignments that spark student interest and creativity, and develop skills necessary for coping with the ambiguities of life. (RB)

"A Natural Dialogue Unit" by Vincent Wixon and "Introducing Simile" by Patty Stone are provided as examples of successful techniques for helping students draw upon their knowledge of language. (DD)

Explains how students can be introduced to the delights and problems of lyric poetry by reading A.E. Housman's "Lovliest of Trees, the Cherry Now." (HOD)

A high school English teacher used her weekly Impromptu Poetry session to find out what 11th graders thought veterans had accomplished. The teacher developed a writing prompt that asked the students to describe a family member who had served in the military and to show what they understood about that person. Students who did not have a family…

The process of creating a canto in imitation of Dante's "The Inferno" not only enables students to gain a sense of medieval morality and history but also allows them to have an imaginative understanding of their own lives and times. (RL)

Describes a technical writing course that meets the needs of students in English and the sciences. (RB)

Describes a method for giving a final examination in a British Literature class by having students write a paper using an original approach based on the works studied during the semester. Provides four possible approaches and includes an example written by a student. (TJ)

Shows how it is possible to explore the changing role of women by working within the framework of the typically basics-oriented English classroom. (EL)