This article draws on the experiences of two young adults, Sean and Jerome, who participated in a writing workshop at a juvenile detention center. The young adults composed screenplays to explore how writing could call on their unique perspectives and life experiences to amplify their beliefs. While some educators emphasize a skills-based…

According to the authors, teachers often read about inspiring lessons in which historically marginalized students find their voices through assignments and projects that centralize issues of importance to the student. This article describes the authors' revision of a persuasive writing unit to scaffold not only writing skills but also students'…

"A Natural Dialogue Unit" by Vincent Wixon and "Introducing Simile" by Patty Stone are provided as examples of successful techniques for helping students draw upon their knowledge of language. (DD)

Presents "fail-safe" lessons for emergencies and substitutes. Describes an experimental design with six steps, designed to help teachers teach students some things about themselves, such as whether boys are better spellers than girls. Offers other examples from the classroom. (EL)