Suggests that having journalism students write critiques of magazines and read books on the topic of journalistic practice can revitalize high school newspapers and yearbooks; provides an annotated list of recommended books. (KS)

Notes how important it is that any critical writing assignments should take into account the individual reading, and that the teacher's role is to steer discussion that stems from a class of individual readings. Explores some of the aspects of Jane Austen's novel "Emma" to which students readily respond. (HTH)

Suggests that classroom exploration of the renga, a chain poem developed in eighth-century Japan, can awaken students' sense of the choices and constraints in writing. (MM)

Proposes ways of blending the study of literature and the teaching of writing. Suggests assignments that involve writing or rewriting literature, writing about literature, and writing in response to literature. (MM)

This dictionary of terms from children's literature provides definitions of 325 concepts and principles that will help librarians and teachers give meaning to literary works being introduced in the classroom. The book's alphabetical organization of terms facilitates access to information when the reader is considering a specific term. All of the…

This anthology collects essays by current and former lecturers at the Warren Wilson College (North Carolina) MFA Program for Writers. Some of the poets whose essays are included are: Joan Aleshire, Marianne Boruch, Carl Dennis, Stephen Dobyns, Reginald Gibbons, Louise Gluck, Allen Grossman, Robert Hass, Tony Hoagland, Heather McHugh, Gregory Orr,…

This teaching guide for "Where the Lilies Bloom" provides an introduction, a plot summary, and a conclusion as background information. The guide furnishes questions for discussion which focus on plot, point of view, setting, characters, interpretation and symbolism, ethical questions, and conclusion. (NKA)

The controversial issue of cultural authenticity in children's literature resurfaces continually, always eliciting strong emotions and a wide range of perspectives. This collection explores the complexity of this issue by highlighting important historical events, current debates, and new questions and critiques. Articles in the collection are…

This book explores the intersections of creative writing, composition, feminism, and critical theory in ways that speak powerfully to each discipline. It offers provocative considerations of writing and teaching, side by side with practical features including sample assignments and ready to use classroom strategies, as well as a glossary of terms…

This lesson plan highlights one episode in the "Divine Comedy" to provide students with an introduction to Dante's poem. After a brief introduction to the opening of the "Divine Comedy," which portrays Dante as a pilgrim guided by the poet Virgil on a journey through the Christian afterlife toward God, students read Canto 5 of…

This lesson plan complements study of plot and characterization in "Romeo and Juliet" by focusing on Shakespeare's use of lyric forms and conventions to spotlight moments in the drama and thereby heightens the impact of the action on the stage. Students look first at the sonnet in which Romeo and Juliet meet, analyzing the imagery to…

Anthologists and editors prepare the way for poetry readers, selecting works that reward close reading and assisting interpretation through annotation. But on the Internet people can return to poetry in its native state--one set of words among many others competing for appreciation--and read with fresh eyes. The learning objectives of this lesson…

Presents ideas for teaching the beginnings of literary criticism to secondary school English students that build on the confidence the students have in their command of the English language. (HOD)

Presents exercises combining sentence generation from prescribed conjunctions with analysis of literary characters. (MM)

Proposes, in prose and in charts, a theory of writing intended to unite the fields of composition studies and literature. (JL)