Presents activities designed to bridge the gulf between scientific culture and literary culture. (DD)

Considers how in the name of imagination, teachers often design activities and assignments that violate the text around which the lesson is focused and that mislead students about its meaning. Argues that imagination for its own sake is not the key to good classroom practice or profound understanding. Suggests that the best communication comes…

Suggests students will view film adaptations of Shakespeare plays more critically by carefully analyzing the same scene from several different film versions. Discusses relevant scenes from "Romeo and Juliet" for classroom interpretation. Suggests that by providing students the vocabulary to discuss the film, educators can encourage them…

Argues that Fritz Lang's film "Metropolis" deserves exploration and analysis because of its outlandish plot, dazzling visual and technical elements, and its reflection of the closing days of Weimar Germany. Presents a brief study guide designed to stimulate student curiosity and facilitate further interest in the film. (RS)

Asserts that literary criticism and scholarly analyses provide a broad and enriching resource with which to inform instruction and discussion in a pluralistic classroom. Offers examples of a postreading activity based on seven major interpretations of Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." Presents follow-up and extension…

Asserts that ethnic studies are interdisciplinary, and should be incorporated into all areas of learning to expand the students' world view. States that students must learn to judge the works of Black artists using an Afrocentric, not Eurocentric, model. Suggests ways of implementing the "Black aesthetic." (MM)

Explains how teachers can use written compilations of student-generated questions and comments as a basis for discussions of novels and poems. Shows that student brainstorming ideas can be used effectively as the basis for writing assignments. (TB)

Describes four ways (and several class activities) to make the meanings of media texts more visible to students while teaching the basics of critical theory. Analyzes (1) codes and conventions of language; (2) personal pleasure, understandings, and experience; (3) cultural, ideological meanings; and (4) commercial overtones and economic…

Describes a 4-week unit of study that focuses on Shakespeare's "The Tempest," a text that has been especially controversial in today's climate of increased multicultural awareness. Involves students in a larger conversation about the possibilities for reading and interpreting literature and prepares them to write mature analyses of the…

Offers 50 diverse suggestions intended to offer students new ways to think about a piece of literature, new directions to explore, and ways to respond with greater depth to the books they read. (SR)

Author discusses Shaw's The Apple Cart" as typically Shavian in content and style. (MB)

Recommends an acclaimed anthology of young adult short stories, "Sixteen: Short Stories by Outstanding Writers for Young Adults" (1984), and discusses how the stories in it might be used as a basis for exercises in creative writing. (TB)

Presents activities dealing with components of literature, literary devices, and persuasive material. (DD)

Presents three assignment sequences--covering both canonical and noncanonical stories, mini-anthologies, and novels--that encourage secondary school students to think critically about the concept of literature. Notes that students can learn to analyze literature critically by comparing both canonical and noncanonical texts. (MM)

Describes a method of teaching students to identify and analyze misleading or manipulative rhetoric used in political campaigns. Provides excerpts from student-written journals based on the 1992 presidential debates. Argues that such activities are beneficial in English classes. (HB)