Describes two professional development activities for teachers: writing an autobiographical sketch (which helps construct personal meaning); and action research projects (which bring teachers together to solve problems). (SR)

"Teaching for Joy and Justice" is the much-anticipated sequel to Linda Christensen's bestselling, "Reading, Writing, and Rising Up." Christensen is recognized as one of the country's finest teachers. Her latest book shows why. Through story upon story, Christensen demonstrates how she draws on students' lives and the world to teach poetry, essay,…

Discusses how teachers and parents can help children turn everyday experiences into topics to write about, whether in the form of personal journals, autobiographical essays, or poetry. (MDM)

Autobiographical sketches of four Australians living with physical handicaps are presented in this Australian early childhood resource booklet. Life experiences in school and out are reported by a blind man, a young woman who was brain damaged due to injuries in an automobile accident, a mother of a child with spina bifida, and a Doctor of…

Based on the idea that a personal history is a gift to share and can restore the connection between generations, this book is animated by the belief that life has value and knowledge for others. The book traces the writing process of producing a personal history with supportive coaching, stimulating questions, shared memories, and evocative…

This article provides a teaching guide to the effective use of biographies and autobiographies with gifted students. Fifteen learning activities are suggested such as conducting an eminent people news conference, creating a biography collage, writing a fictionalized biography, and completing a family tree. (Contains three references and a reading…

Based on the idea that telling personal life stories can be a voyage of self discovery, freeing up images and memories that have long remained hidden, this book explains techniques to help individuals learn to write vivid autobiographical stories and life narratives. Whether used at home, in a classroom, or in a therapy environment, the techniques…

Describes four types of book talks based on the aspect of the book that is the most important--plot summary, character description, short story or excerpts, and mood-based. (Author/EM)

This lesson plan introduces students to one of the most widely-read genres of 19th-century American literature and an important influence within the African American literary tradition today. The lesson focuses on the "Narrative of William W. Brown, An American Slave" (1847), which, along with the "Narrative of the Life of Frederick…

Describes the Nebraska Literacy Project, a 5-week workshop for K-12 teachers modeled after the Nebraska Writing Project. Shows how teachers can encourage students to look closely at their own literacy histories and their daily practices as readers and writers. Presents the literacy histories as recorded by some participants. (HB)

This article argues for the inclusion of narrative literature in college social science courses, since such literature can enhance students' understanding of scientific content by elucidating theoretical and empirical concepts with concrete examples. Evidence of the effectiveness of autobiographical literature is presented, and suggestions for…

A humanities teacher describes various methods of teaching humanities to the elderly: the reading of autobiographies, group writing exercises, and the taping of a script about students' memories of their pasts. The author encourages the teaching of all subjects to the elderly. (CT)

This book, part autobiography and part manual for teaching dyslexics to read, argues that dyslexia can be more a gift than a handicap. It recounts the life of a dyslexic reader who became an educator, i.e., how "luck" enabled him to learn to read, and how "ignorance" and "stubbornness" enabled him to teach other…

Lifewriting is a form of autobiographical composition in which the non-expert, or even the beginning writer, tries to capture on paper the raw experiences of a lifetime. The intersections between family history and social or political events provide one set of starting points for the lifewriter who sets out on the neverending journey to capture a…

By examining two autobiographies by Victorian women, the role of editors in the composing and publishing of autobiographical texts can be explored, and questions can be raised about the way personal writing is assigned, edited, and evaluated in classrooms today. The autobiography of Margaret Oliphant, a prolific Victorian novelist and critic, was…