With 1 in 59 children being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), odds are that students on the spectrum will be in many classrooms across every subject area. "Seeing the Spectrum" argues that secondary English teachers are uniquely equipped to prepare students with autism for future success, both in school and in life. Writing…

When young people read or hear stories in the classroom, their interest is easily peaked. However, sustaining that interest and attention through a related social studies lesson is more of a challenge. Instructional approaches that enrich the context of stories and forge students' connections with the characters extend learning in meaningful ways.…

Curious about the connections between the author's students' reading tastes and those of 19th-century readers, the author read Nina Baym's excellent text "Novels, Readers, and Reviewers: Responses to Fiction in Antebellum America" to gain a sense of how readers in the 1800s might have thought about the texts that they read. Nineteenth-century…

The author does not really like "Hamlet." He loves the play, the language, and the characters, but always finds it difficult to teach. Part of this is because he prefers to assign students scenes to perform as they read a Shakespeare text, but Hamlet does not divide nicely into manageable scenes, and he usually does not have enough teenage Ken…

Shows how dwelling on a great poem will continually deepen one's sense of delight. (EL)

Because of the wide and continuing interest in a previous issue on techniques for teaching works by Shakespeare, this journal issue presents 19 additional articles on a broad range of Shakespeare related topics. Following an introduction, the titles of the articles and their authors are as follows: (1) "Making Changes/Making Sense"…

Explains an approach to teaching American literature that begins by using regional materials to interest students in reading and then expands to include classical works. (EL)

Intended for both novice and experienced teachers, this book helps English teachers incorporate literature into their curriculum. The book presents three sets of lesson plans that can be used right away or be kept as guides for designing lesson plans in the future. The book shows how literature can help students achieve these goals: stimulate…

Secondary school teachers of English often avoid teaching T.S. Eliot's poetry because they consider his work too difficult for young readers and too full of esoteric allusions. However, at the heart of his work is a variety of rich, concrete images which can be used to reveal his meaning and which can be offered to students in the form of drawings…

Making connections for teachers between Shakespeare and his historical context on the one hand and secondary students on the other, this book presents background information, commentary, resources, and classroom ideas to enliven students' encounters with Shakespeare. The book concentrates on "Romeo and Juliet,""Julius…

William Shakespeare should be taught in high schools in an entertaining fashion so the high school student will appreciate his genius, keen insights, and talents. A strategy to accomplish this goal starts with simple material and progresses to the more difficult. Shakespeare's personal and historical background are presented in a short lecture,…

In order to help students grasp Henry David Thoreau's concepts more easily, his writing can be divided into four main themes: simplicity, love of nature, following one's dreams, and following one's conscience. Once students have a general understanding of Thoreau's ideas, they can engage in many activities to express that understanding: write…

Discusses the value of teaching and producing contemporary plays as well as classics in high school. Argues for the superior interest level of challenging, low-budget, relevant dramas recently appearing on the young adult scene, such as those by Jerome McDonough and Hindi Brooks. Includes an annotated bibliography of young adult drama. (JG)

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)

Cites episodes from "The Bill Cosby Show,""Family Ties," and "Hill Street Blues" to suggest the humanizing potential of television. (EL)