We argue that students can understand an historical period by building on the foundations of their existing knowledge. Specifically, popular media can be used to develop students' historical literacies -- that is their ability to engage with past societies vastly different from their own. Our methodology takes inspiration from the ancient Romans'…

In this article, Susan Weinstein and Anna West embark on a critical analysis of the maturing field of youth spoken word poetry (YSW). Through a blend of firsthand experience, analysis of YSW-related films and television, and interview data from six years of research, the authors identify specific dynamics that challenge young poets as they…

For an instructor who has been teaching the Vietnam War for over 30 years, the War has been teaching him for even longer. One of the objectives in teaching the Vietnam War in the 1990s is what it meant to teach the Vietnam War in the 1960s. It is easy to forget that the antiwar movement began as an attempt to educate the government and the nation,…

A selection of romances from medieval literature can be used successfully in undergraduate literature classes to trace the appearance and relevance of medieval themes, motifs, and characters in works of modern poetry, fiction, and film. New scholarly editions, historiographies, translations, and modernizations give both teachers and students more…

The first of four publications in a series of resource guides containing suggested books, records, and audiovisual materials for African-American children and adolescents is presented. The materials provide positive images of black children and realistic depictions of black culture, heritage, and life experiences that are relevant to black…

The second in a series of four resource guides containing annotated citations of books, records, and audiovisual materials for African-American children and adolescents is presented. The materials offer positive images of black children and realistic depictions of black culture, heritage, and life experiences that are relevant to black children…

The third in a series of four resource guides containing annotated citations of books, records, and audiovisual materials for African-American children and adolescents is presented. The materials offer positive images of black youth, and realistic depictions of black culture, heritage, and life experiences that are relevant to black children and…

This publication is the last of a series of four resource guides containing annotated citations of books, records, and audiovisual materials for African-American children and adolescents. The materials offer positive images of black youth and realistic depictions of black culture, heritage, and life experiences that are relevant to black youth.…

This document is a compilation of the four issues in the 23rd volume of "Classroom Notes Plus." Each issue of "Classroom Notes Plus" contains descriptions of original, unpublished teaching practices, and of adapted ideas. The August 2005 (v23 n1) issue includes: Sharing Responses to Literature via Exit Slips (Barb Wagner); Letting Learners Teach…

This issue of "Classroom Notes Plus" contains descriptions of original, unpublished teaching practices, and of adapted ideas. Under the "Ideas from the Classroom" section, the August 2003 issue (v21 n1) contains the following materials: Reading Poetry with Wright's "Black Boy" (David Fuder); Finding Poetry Lost in Translation (James Penha); "Lord…