Presents creative ways to integrate social studies and language arts while teaching content and examining historical personalities. Students can read biographies then deliver first person reports while standing behind billboards, write letters in the character of famous people, read poetry with historical perspective, and keep journals from…

Describes two writing assignments that may be used to make Shakespeare more approachable and understandable: first a paraphrase of a passage, and second a memo to an actor interpreting the same passage. (TB)

Describes a three-week project in an English classroom in which students in small, mixed-ability groups used PowerPoint to enhance a unit on British literature. Outlines the lesson itself and discusses its positive results, including peer-teaching and learning, improved student motivation to understand themes in poetry, positive socialization, and…

Provides four techniques for teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. These include a newspaper scramble, a focus on learning styles, learning vocabulary through poetry, and an in-class survey. (Author/VWL)

Examines three principles of the poetry of two Latinas, Sandra Cisneros and Judith Ortiz Cofer: the expression of dual language heritage, the highlighting of women's issues as a means of self-affirmation, and the importance of creating time and space for writing. Explains that writing is a way of disrupting learned and expected roles and allows…

Contends that autobiographic writing, specifically copy change poetry, helps developmental students to connect prior experiences with present identity, to become more aware of their feelings, to think about decisions and their consequences, and to construct meaning based upon personal choices. Describes copy change as a simple procedure involving…

Preservice teachers read poetry by Langston Hughes and an Arab American student about being American, then composed and discussed their own poems. Poems helped them reflect on their own cultures and attitudes, thus developing a caring community of learners who valued diversity and human rights. Investigating cultural characteristics,…

Reviews 43 recently-published collections of poetry for children that were considered by the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Committee. Groups them in terms of: evoking an image or idea; visual poetry; word play; and the voice. (SR)

Describes how two simple poetry activities used with high school students offered the author insights into several of the students. Notes that students gained some insight into themselves as well as their classmates, and even learned to enjoy poetry. (SR)

Examines how poetry can be used in the integrated curriculum at the middle school level to introduce themes, bring attention to critical issues, and offer alternative perspectives, as well as provide a way for students to respond to issues. Considers the value of poetry for adolescents and suggests the use of language charts to guide exploration…

Explains that didaction is an expressive action in search of internal consistency. Analyzes the didactic implications of the poetic transposition into action and the construction of a postmodern action literature through poetry. Presents the process of poetic emergence in Francophone Switzerland and Ontario. (CMK)

Notes that the author/educator noticed that his efforts at teaching poetry were failing. Describes how he decided to make poets out of his students--to start by showing how they can be affected by language. Notes that students started with just a word, then wrote poems, and then began to demand forms, which the teacher then introduced to the…

Describes a successful unit on poetry, characterized by collaborative planning, creation of the collection of poems used as the text, variation of the approaches and types of assignments, use of recorded music and poetry collected, use of local poets who read and performed for the students, online sharing and critiquing of students' poetry, and a…

The author has worked in education for almost 30 years in the UK and internationally. Since 1987 when she cofounded an international theatre company called CETTIE (Cultural Exchange Through Theatre In Education), the author has worked as an arts practitioner and arts education consultant in parallel with her teaching career. She has consistently…

Every month, "Leadership" features articles written in an informal, conversational style that provide practical information for school administrators. This issue of "Leadership" contains the following titles: (1) "The Artistry of Communication: No Vision Is out of Reach when a School Leader Commits to Understanding the Power of Skillful, Poetic…