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,…

The problem, emphasized by I. A. Richards, of cultivating in students an awareness of literature which enables them to discern good and bad writing remains unsolved. As demonstrated in critical essays about a poem written under examination conditions by two 16-year-old boys, an ability to identify poetic techniques is not enough to ensure proper…

Based on Ken Kesey's novel "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," this lesson plan presents activities designed to help students understand that all works of art lend themselves to critical reviews; critical reviews consist of opinions and support for the opinions; and a critical review may compare and contrast a work in one medium to the same work in…

This article advocates an approach for teaching critical and contextual studies in secondary art education based on Wittgenstein's philosophy of language in relationship to meaning as use, custom, rule following, and physiognomy. The references to meaning form four metaphorical points on a compass for directing the will for making judgments about…

The teaching-questioning strategy developed in this paper, based on reader-response criticism and Kenneth Burke's pentad, can be used by teachers to elicit responses to any literary work and is designed to help students participate in a work's dramatic context, discover meaning as they read, and assure that their critical essays are based on an…

Young adults can and should evaluate their classroom and leisure reading materials using the literature's reflections on real life, artistry in details, and significant insights as valid criteria. (CJ)

Describes how Mark Twain's essay "Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses" helped students to get interested in writing and inspired them to write a similar essay critiquing the movie "Batman." Provides excerpts from students' essays. (PRA)

Asserts that "The Changeover," by Margaret Mahy, is a fantasy of opposites which try to explain the feminine psyche and the universe. Shows how Mahy weaves Maori animism, pre-Hellenic moon mythology, Christianity, Jungian psychology, and modern science into one rich human tapestry of thought. (PRA)

Weaves a discussion of the female protagonist of Laurie Halse Anderson's novel "Speak" into the main discussion of the female protagonist of Carson McCullers'"The Member of the Wedding." Demonstrates the parallels between the stories as well as the distinctions to reinforce their individual richness, and to assist teachers who may choose to pair…

Ninety-six study projects, for individuals or groups, dealing with works by American authors or America's history in the past 100 years are listed. (JM)

Contrasts the complaints of a class of gifted students about Dickens' novel "A Tale of Two Cities" with their teacher's discomfort at sitting through the long and tedious movie "Brazil." (NKA)

Discusses the importance of the reader's response in achieving an understanding of literature. (RB)

Discusses some of the difficulties of teaching poetry that arise from the need to interest students while avoiding an explication that turns them away from poetry. (RB)

Discusses the importance of teaching poetry and lists the works of poets widely liked by adolescents. (RB)

Discusses several approaches that students have found helpful for analyzing "Jane Eyre," including point of view, comparison, character development, language, imagery and symbolism, and the novel's elements of autobiography. (HTH)