Describes how a teacher uses Stanley Kunitz's poem "The Portrait" to help students write poems full of concrete, sensory images about deeply private experiences. Presents examples of student poems. (RS)

Describes four writing assignments designed to transform the reading and study of literature by challenging students to become vital agents in the construction of textual meaning. Discusses the theory behind the assignments which states that reading is a dynamic process of making connections. (RS)

Describes a class activity in which students receive copies of requests for charitable contributions, research the charities and issues, write a persuasive appeal for the charities, and debate the merits of the various causes examined by the class. Argues that students learn to analyze persuasive appeals, separate emotional from factual arguments,…

A principal describes a packet of Christmas letters from high school juniors expressing appreciation for good work habits learned in her eighth-grade English composition class. This former teacher injected relevance into the curriculum by accepting students' world and absorbing it into the learning environment. Students could connect classroom…

Describes the work of Barrett Wendell, a composition teacher at Harvard in the late 19th century, giving particular attention to his idea of writing themes--short writing assignments on topics students choose themselves. Reviews one particular student's struggle with Wendell's writing themes. Examines Wendell's political challenges at Harvard as a…

Uses the children's book, "The Rajah's Rice: A Mathematical Folktale from India," as the basis for grade-four activities involving doubling and powers of two. (MKR)

Relates a poet's experiences in graduate school, and the poetry he wrote in the 1970s. Discusses methods and techniques for poetry writing in the classroom. Suggests topics for a series of poetry exercises: moebius strip, poetry sights, shadow poems, poetry chair, chopstick quatrains, poetry shirt, poem wrapping the school, word beads, and a haiku…

Describes how one English teacher used exciting and stimulating reading materials about the "old West," including excerpts from Davy Crockett's diary. Describes a series of interdisciplinary activities in which students examined Crockett's life in their English class and history class. (HB)

Describes oral presentations and writing assignments for an upper-division course in management information systems. Presents students' reaction to these activities. (MM)

Uses Chris Crutcher's "Chinese Handcuffs" and several other pieces of young adult literature to show how to teach literary elements and writing and reading skills. Notes that prominence is given to students' responses to reading and writing. (RS)

Describes a unit of instruction in the ESL classroom in which students conceive, develop, and complete anthologies of proverbs from around the world. Details the logistics and the student reactions to such an assignment. (HB)

Describes a range of classroom writing activities to go along with three books for children or adolescents: "On My Honor" (Marion Dane Bauer), "Knots on a Counting Rope" (Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault), and "Piggybook" (Anthony Browne). (SR)

Presents the writing-intensive design for a retailing management course developed by its instructor in accordance with writing-across-the-curriculum principles. Provides an overview of the semester-long project. Details project procedures for preparatory activities, field research, and writing the marketing plan. (SR)

Describes the approach used with high school advanced placement English classes to a nature-writing project based on the work of Henry David Thoreau and Annie Dillard. (SR)

Describes a successful unit of study on poetry in a fifth grade class that ended with students each writing a sonnet as a final project. (SR)