Describes students' work during a 12-week course on fantasy offered to talented and gifted high school students. Illustrates how the students learned about metaphor and inference. (SRT)

A detailed account of how a high school playwriting course was developed, with a list of 20 exercises. (RL)

Intended as a handbook for students of curriculum and teaching methods, this booklet surveys two of the three major elements of an English curriculum (goals and content) as defined by the National Council of Teachers of English. The first chapter traces some philosophical options open to the teacher and curriculum developer and offers a short…

Based on the idea that a wide range of individualization in the classroom is necessary to both stimulate the students and to meet their needs, this paper presents a complete course in English Literature based on the learning contract system. Included in the paper are a course outline with the objectives and the rules for the class; a title page…

Thoroughly discusses teaching strategies for a literature packet entitled "Personality Sketch." (DF)

This report is one in a series of reference documents designed especially to assist educators who are directly involved in the revision and improvement of content standards. It presumes a basic understanding of the purposes for standards and the process of standards review and evaluation. This report may be of interest to curriculum directors,…

This book, for grades 9-12, presents primary source materials relating to the poet Nikki Giovanni (including many of Giovanni's poems reprinted in full), easily adaptable lessons and activities, and a resource section for students and teachers wishing to study Giovanni's work further. It is a resource both for teachers already teaching the work of…

Discusses what English teachers should cover in the areas of grammar, spelling, vocabulary, dialects and usage, nonverbal communication, semantics, and etymology. (DD)

In an effort to identify characteristics of effective college composition programs, an examination was made of 19 campuses of the California State University. Each English department chair was sent a "fact sheet" requesting program information on such matters as the use of placement test scores, sequence of and prerequisites for lower…

Proposes that the study of the short story should have a prominent place in any high school English curriculum. Provides suggestions for such a course. (RL)

This paper reports findings from a detailed critical analysis of commonly used curriculum materials and assessment devices for the study of literature in kindergarten through sixth grade. The paper provides descriptive information and suggestions for improved design and use of curricula available to classroom teachers, especially with respect to…

Intended for administrators and policymakers as well as teachers, this digest explores issues affecting high school literature programs. The digest first explores whether a literature curriculum can be based upon the results of limited surveys of high school reading interests. Next, the digest addresses the question of what literature to include…

Developed by classroom teachers, instructional supervisors, school administrators, and personnel from institutions of higher education, this course of study guide outlines the language arts skills and concepts to be taught at each grade level (K-12) in Alabama schools. It is intended as a content outline to be used in planning the language arts…

Developed by teachers to provide a district-wide description of English course content, this curriculum guide is intended for use as a basis for planning instructional activities in a number of areas. The guide consists of four main sections: (1) an introduction, which provides a statement of philosophy, a scope and sequence of skills within…

Focusing on a wide range of interdisciplinary themes and ideas for humanities instruction, the 17 articles in this journal issue discuss the following topics: (1) literature, humanities, and the adult learner; (2) the role of the humanities in educating for a democracy; (3) humanities in the marketplace; (4) literature versus "great books" in high…