In Elizabeth A. Dagrosa Harris' high school English classroom, the writing assignment that inspires the most dread in her students is the literary criticism paper, a common assessment usually assigned in the second semester of the British literature curriculum. This assignment is grounded in solid and time-tested standards that describe research…

Teaching logic typically falls under the areas of argumentation and research, as students are taught the importance of "logos," or logical appeals, in their pursuit of an original point. Cohesive, cogent arguments--devoid of logical fallacy--produce more compelling points, and teachers take great strides in pointing to the problems of…

In this article, the author focuses on her experiences with genre analysis. This is not a new idea or assignment. But gearing the analysis specifically toward thinking about purpose significantly narrows the focus of a typical "here's what this genre is and who uses it" essay. Genre analysis asks students to think in-depth about one particular…

As teachers, the time they get to talk with peers, their friends, is an important time because there is never enough of it. Why not allow students the opportunity to chat with friends--the same courtesy the author appreciated in meetings with peers? Through talk, students can improve their conversational skills, which in turn would help their…

Reports responses of several authors of young adult literature concerning the importance of first readers' reactions to their unpublished drafts. Offers comments on the general subject of writers' attitudes toward criticism and revision. (EL)

Explains a four-stage formula that teachers at all levels may use to give students a flexible, practical, and relatively foolproof procedure for generating a literary thesis and its support. (RL)

As increasing number of college and university instructors are requiring peer editing and electronic submission of writing assignments. It is necessary for high school students to learn that quality commentary is essential for peer editing to work and effectively improve their writing skills as part of their college preparation. Successful writers…

Analyzes Flannery O'Connor's early short story "The Crop" and relates its thematic struture and characterization to her later work. (RBW)

Suggests that by studying and writing dime novels, students can develop their understanding of literary history and gain skill in working with such literary concepts as theme, plot, setting, and characterization. (MM)

Presents a potpourri of classroom techniques used by 28 teachers to develop skills in paragraph composition, public speaking, classroom discussion, the examination of specific literary works, and other language arts activities. (RL)

Assesses students' responses to and production of story conventions in detective or mystery stories and explores students' responses to literature as potential connections between comprehending and composing text. (MM)