The document presents two papers related to philosophy instruction at the high school level. The first paper suggests how to motivate beginning philosophy students by injecting a sense of reality and relevance into class discussions. One recommendation for furthering this sense of reality is to ask questions of current interest such as whether…

Designed as an introductory film text for high school and early college students, this book contains twelve chapters, each dealing with one of the following subjects: "Citizen Kane," the history and production of the film, film and cinematic terms, the image on the film, the image of the world through film, editing, sounds, the director,…

Designed for use by secondary school teachers, this book contains a collection of biblical literary analyses, the writing of which was prompted by increased interest in the Bible as an academic study. There are 17 chapters in the book: "The Rabbinic Method and Literary Criticism" by K.P. Bland; "Literary Criticism of the Bible: Some Fallacies" by…

Drawing on interviews and on the actual language that readers (students, teachers, and adults) use to interpret and respond to literary texts, this book examines the conventions that shape talk about literature in large groups, small groups, and adult book clubs. By looking across contexts, the four separate but related studies in the book raise…

Recognizing the proliferation of persuasive language in advertising and in politics, this guide explains how to analyze political language for its persuasive techniques and why it is important to do so. The first chapter of the book provides a rationale for analyzing persuasion, and an overview of the book. The remaining chapters explore various…

Intended as an accessible resource for students researching the Greek dramatist Sophocles (born 496 B.C.), this collection of essays contains an in-depth biography of the playwright and writings from a wide variety of sources. The essays are edited to accommodate the reading and comprehension levels of young adults; each essay is introduced by a…

An extension of conversations that originally took place at summer institutes devoted to literary theory (sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English), this book presents diverse critical perspectives on current topics of literature, such as post-structuralism, cultural criticism, reader-response theory, and issues of gender and…

The purpose of this annotated bibliography is to identify resources for the variety of approaches that teachers of courses in Shakespeare might use. Entries in the first part of the book deal with teaching Shakespeare in secondary schools and in college, teaching Shakespeare as performance, and teaching Shakespeare with other authors. Entries in…

Featuring biographical information, detailed discussion of specific short stories and poems, critical analysis, and innovative activities for teaching literature and writing, this book takes the reader into the world and work of Raymond Carver, the "father of minimalism." Carver's writing presents an honest and moving portrayal of modern American…

Urging teachers of poetry writing to better understand themselves as writers and readers, this book "interrogates" a strategy teachers might employ in reading and evaluating student poems. A thoughtful study of a teacher is presented while in the process of evaluating student poetry through the lenses of four different contemporary…

By examining the works of classic American authors, this book presents the idea that individual human beings can break free of the structures of thought into which they are born and that, by reimagining the world, can change it. In chapters on Herman Melville, Henry David Thoreau, Edith Wharton, Richard Wright, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Abraham…

Immediately popular when published over a century and a half ago, the novel "Jane Eyre" has continued to find appreciative audiences ever since. This student casebook offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of Charlotte Bronte's landmark novel. While the casebook gives literary analysis, it also contextualizes the novel in…

More than 100 years after being written, "Great Expectations" is still one of the most widely studied works of fiction. This casebook of historical documents, collateral readings and essays brings to life both Charles Dickens' masterpiece and the social issues surrounding his work. The interdisciplinary approach in the casebook offers…

A seemingly simple tale of schoolboys marooned on an island, the novel "Lord of the Flies" is an enigmatic and provocative piece of literature. This casebook probes the many layers of meaning in the novel, examining its literary, philosophical, historical, scientific, and religious significance. The casebook integrates analysis and…

Telling stories from secondary and college English classrooms, this book explores the new possibilities for teaching and learning generated by bringing together reader-response and cultural-studies approaches. The book connects William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, and other canonical figures to multicultural writers, popular culture,…