Noting that teachers sometimes fail to draw on students' prior knowledge, this guide focuses on helping teachers both to think about the cognitive processes involved in learning and to design activities that provide students with a solid introduction to various learning tasks. The first section briefly discusses current theory and research in secondary literature and composition as they relate to learning processes. The second section contains four parts and comprises the bulk of the document. The first part describes reading comprehension activities intended to spark students' interest while enhancing their reading comprehension of various types of frequently taught literature. These activities include opinionnaires, scenario-based activities, studying cases, and role playing simulations. The second and third parts present a series of high-interest, introductory writing activities concerning particular rhetorical concepts, which are introduced in terms familiar to students from their past experiences. In addition, ways in which teachers can use these activities as a first step in developing students' writing abilities are examined. The final part discusses reading comprehension activities that promote writing ability and how teachers can prepare students to think and write about issues raised in literary texts. Appendixes include various opinionnaires, worksheets, case studies, and supplemental materials pertinent to the activities presented. (JD)