The popular arts are useful resources in college composition courses both because of their appeal for students and because they embody the fundamental patterns, or archetypes, found in myths, fairy tales, and classic literature. The nine basic archetypes examined in certain composition classes at Queens College (Flushing, New York) are the Shadow,…

Describes a philosophy course with an expanded writing component. Includes samples of writing assignments. (HTH)

Recommends teaching journalism as an English course or in combination with an English course to ensure the continuation of journalism education in the face of more stringent graduate requirements. Describes such a course, which includes literature, a research paper, and regular composition assignments. (HTH)

This is an inventory of exercises enhancing dialogue and written composition to be used with comic strips in first- and second-year French courses. (Text is in French.) (TL)

Notes that syllabus requirements for British secondary school literature courses tacitly create a course in writing as well. Presents ways in which this writing component can be implemented, without isolating it from the literature component. (HTH)

Outlines a basic writing skills course organized around the process of transcribing reading and lecture notes from students' other classes. (HTH)

Describes the methodology and results of a survey of technical writing teachers. Respondents indicated whether their institutions offer a course in lower division technical writing and how they believe such a course should be taught. They also rated the appropriateness of various types of writing exercises. (HTH)

The practical nature of technical writing is one of several concepts illustrated by the feasibility report assignment used in a technical writing course at Central Maine Vocational Technical Institute. As much as possible, the class is set up to simulate a work environment, including handouts printed as memos on letterhead paper. Students are…

Describes a writing assignment for business writing courses in which the class investigates a problem that affects them not as students but as members of a larger community. The assignment is a feasibility study for developing Athens, Ohio, as an arts and entertainment center. (HTH)

An upper-division graduate level course at a Northwestern university teaches storytelling by using a rhetorical approach. Students submit three story summaries in assigned format at each class session. Each summary includes a statement of the point or moral of the story, a complete bibliography, and a listing of the story's source. The assignment…

This anthology contains 21 articles on teaching methods and assignments in technical writing. The anthology is divided into three major sections. The first section, "Courses," presents plans for alternative approaches to the teaching of technical writing. The second section, "Components," offers a variety of activities for major segments within a…

Describes a method for using the press release to introduce basic technical writing principles and increase students' writing confidence. Includes lecture format and writing assignment. (HTH)

Based on a year's work with 16 second grade students, this two-part paper reports the successful use of the Marathon Writing (continuous writing for short periods on a regular basis) strategy in encouraging beginning writers to write independently. The first part of the paper explains the technique of marathon writing, and notes that even though…

This handbook is offered to help content area teachers in their efforts to extend the development of writing skills beyond the English classroom and to help students prepare for the New York State Regents Competency Test in Writing. Two sections of the book discuss ways of introducing writing into the content area classroom and responding to…

Explains how a writing course with lyric poetry as its subject matter, when designed according to cognitivist principles, provides an environment in which students can grow as writers and also mature in their ability to respond to literature. (HOD)