Argues that William Shakespeare's "The Tempest" is the play that is best suited for the high school English curriculum of the 1990s. Discusses historical and critical aspects the play's key themes. Shows ways of using the play in high school classes, and describes 19 works to read alongside of"The Tempest." (HB)

Shows how one teacher answered student questions about how a particular piece of literature came to be regarded as worthy of in-depth examination. Proposes that students be taught about various critical approaches, including Jungian/archetypal criticism, formalism, reader-response criticism, socio-historical and biographical criticism, and…

Discusses the three main lines of symbolic development in "The Artificial Nigger" by Flannery O'Conner that make this short story an eminently teachable tale in world literature and humanities classes where Dante, Sophocles, and the Bible have been read. (RL)

Relates changing student reaction to George Orwell's "1984" over 20 years of teaching. Finds present high school students' acceptance of Orwell's bleak world vision both a sign of student honesty and a frightening indication of the growing reality of the book. (MM)

Explains how to use the novels of Toni Morrison to teach high school students about life and literature. (JL)

Claims that high school curricula should provide opportunities for students to vicariously explore the relationships, roles, and ideas that appear in Shakespearean drama. Uses the dilemma dramatized in "Hamlet" as an example. (JD)

Examines the fiction of Zane Grey and its appeal to high school students. (RL)

Offers an essay on the "obscenities" of Shakespeare's "Macbeth," to be used as a class exercise in critical reading, diction, and tone. (RL)

Describes several methods by which practicing English teachers enhance the instruction of literary terms in the classroom. Focuses on the actual methods used in an English class, including "theme seeds" and the fostering of metaphoric thinking. (HB)

Suggests ways to get students interested in talking seriously about comedy. (RL)

Suggests that teachers have students apply a three-stage approach to the study of short stories. Notes that having students define the subject, specific theme, and larger theme of a literary work will develop their critical reading skills. (RL)

Argues for the value of reading and interpreting autobiographical writing in a high school literature class. Explains a teaching method whereby students are asked to choose a special passage and respond to it in their journals from a personal viewpoint. Suggests that the sharing of these passages in class builds class chemistry. (TB)

Describes a nine-week, secondary-school, language arts unit on the American dream with an emphasis on multicultural issues, particularly as they concern those students who are apathetic about or resistant to the multicultural program. Reviews specific lesson approaches to "The Great Gatsby,""Baseball in April,""Justin and…

Uses ideas contained in King's book as the basis for a unit on critical analysis of horror films for composition students. (NKA)

Establishes the value of teachers attending writers' workshops and indicates how teachers can stimulate student writing by having them respond to thematically selected readings from literature. (CRH)