Examines the possibility that language confusion can be mistaken for misconception. Uses a written test to diagnose physics misconceptions among South African students. Reports that in several cases distracters were chosen by subjects who did not hold the target misconceptions. Indicates that caution is needed in interpreting student responses to…

Discusses elements of rhetoric as they are applied in education: its contemporary meanings, the history of rhetoric, its implications for teaching, and its applications for life. (SR)

Describes how Anna Deveare Smith's "Fires in the Mirror" can be adapted for the secondary level language arts classroom. Describes a storytelling exercise, and then describes the six stages of the project as students adapted personal narrative for performance: theme; obtaining the interview; the peer-editing workshop; preparing for the…

Describes a fun outdoor assignment whereby secondary school students form into groups of four or five and learn about the importance of narrative setting by drawing on sidewalks with chalk. Reviews the five basic elements of setting: temporal, geographical, cultural, historical, and environmental. (TB)

Describes a CD-ROM adventure story written by the author to educate her students about the word relationships of synonyms and antonyms. Discusses how this interactive medium put a different twist on each of the stages of the writing process itself. Relates how two students enthusiastically used the program, and were inspired to write one of their…

Collects and presents comments made by authors of young adult literature about their writing and about literature. Discusses how writing for young adults and teaching young adults might be related; why write books for adolescent readers; what their goals are as writers of young adult literature; and how they move from a blank page to a finished…

With the increasing curricular demands on teachers, many educators wonder if students find adequate opportunities to think. While visiting educators and students in Franklin County, Tennessee, a college instructor discovered a successful program designed to help students think in meaningful ways about their lives. The contest, established by Sir…

Five teachers developed and tested creative, subtle approaches to the use of aging-related source material in language arts activities, an effort which resulted in this volume of 14 self-contained activities. These activities have been successfully field-tested in junior or senior high school classes, resulting in gains in language arts skills,…

Intended to acquaint students and parents with the English program at Bellaire High School (Michigan), this guide contains the curriculum for grades 7 through 12. After a short introduction stating the program's philosophy and student requirements, a style sheet for all student papers, and a list of the program's sequence, the curriculum for each…

Analysis of 38 curriculum guides suggests the pace of change in English classrooms is slow and undramatic. (JH)

This curriculum guide describes the courses of study offered by the English department of McCaskey High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It includes a brief statement of philosophy and general objectives, a short description of each course offered, a complete syllabus for each course, a description of a sequential composition course offered by…

For many reasons, oral histories should commend themselves to classroom teachers. Sensitively edited, they are eminently readable because of their intimacy, their authenticity, and their varied presentation of human life. As with other books, especially novels written in the first person and autobiographies, oral histories can provide students…

In this issue, the writers focus on the "basics" in English teaching, some offering suggestions on ways of altering present conditions, some commenting generally (in assessments, defenses, or attacks) cn the basics, and some presenting specific discussions of basics in teaching the various language arts components. A few of the articales and…

The Semester elective program outlined in this document is student centered, capitalizes on teacher interests and competencies, provides both a spectrum of courses open to all three high school grade levels and broad utilization of materials, enables students to make up courses, and includes basic requirements and elective options. Included are…

In February 1974 a survey was conducted which focused primarily on elective programs and elective courses in the secondary language arts curricula in Indiana. Responses to the survey show (1) a movement toward predominantly elective programs in recent years, (2) almost no movement toward predominantly required programs, and (3) a similarity in the…