The autobiography "I, Rigoberta Menchu" is a complicated text--the conditions of its production, the complexity of its subject matter, and the wide range of possible responses among North American readers create challenges for composition students and instructors. A week of taped interviews with Rigoberta Menchu, a Guatemalan Indian…

This sampler discusses California's English-language arts assessment program and presents examples of middle grades reading assessments, writing assessments, and writing prompts. The first section of the sampler takes an integrated look at the changes which make up the new English-language arts assessment. The second section presents the scoring…

This curriculum guide presents the core standards and objectives for level 7-12 language arts instruction in Utah. The curriculum guide begins with a statement of the elementary and secondary school program of studies and high school graduation requirements. After a brief statement on the importance of language arts and core curriculum standards…

A "write to learn" collaboration between a business professor and a writing teacher at Indiana University's School of Business improved both student writing skills and knowledge of international economic policy issues. As part of a larger Indiana University project to improve undergraduates's writing skills, a course titled…

An undergraduate course in rhetorical criticism at Wilkes University incorporated a major component on the rhetoric of the American Woman's Suffrage Movement. Considerable time was devoted to critiquing "traditional" approaches to rhetorical criticism from a feminist perspective and to questioning the appropriateness of various…

Students from science, engineering, and technology programs should be able to work together as members of project teams to find solutions to technical problems. The exercise in this paper describes the methods actually used by a project team from a Biomedical Instrumentation Corporation in which scientists, technicians, and engineers from various…

This paper offers a model for Writing-Across-the-Curriculum (WAC), for faculty and students at Union County College (UCC). The paper summarizes the history of WAC at UCC, which was introduced at the college in 1978, but did not become institutionalized. It also explores faculty views on the teaching of writing and the role of writing in the…

For several years, one educator has taught Charles Dickens's "Great Expectations" to eighth and ninth graders. She recently discovered a woman writer of the 18th century whose novel could be taught using the same format used to teach Dickens's novel. Fanny Burney's "Evelina" is an exceptional book, effective not only for teaching the epistolary…

For an educator who teaches English in a multicultural setting, the best way to accommodate marked features of African-American vernacular English (AAVE) in black students' freshman essays is to preserve these features in teaching students narrative writings and guide African-American students to avoid these features in expository (academic)…

In this lesson plan, each student acts as a Member of Parliament (MP) in England in 1832 who must analyze the effects of what some people are referring to as the "Industrial Revolution." Students will write a bill, write a speech, and participate in debates. Students are provided with background information, detailed instructions, online…

Presents a syllabus for an undergraduate introductory course on political science. Includes an analysis and rationale of the course organization and materials from the instructor. Discusses the educational goals and objectives of the course and how these are met. Reprints instructions for the final required paper. (MJP)

Addresses some of the practicalities in doing a senior paper on sexual geographies (gay neighborhoods, heterosexual clubs, women's work areas), from choosing a topic to selecting a relevant methodological framework. Considers ethical issues inherent in the independent research including confidentiality and objectivity. Briefly reviews recent…

Outlines a working model of the 10 elements that make up the teaching method, "instructional conversation." Profiles the use of this method to teach moral education and reading comprehension to an elementary class making the transition from Spanish-reading instruction to English. (MJP)

Investigates the efficiency of a novel addition to the routine of note taking, writing brief summaries of the lecture material during four-minute breaks within the lecture. A group of students wrote three sets of summaries during a 21-minute lecture and showed significant improvement in understanding over other groups. (MJP)

Describes assignments which engage students and are suitable for end of year: (1) a video or booklet for incoming students describing what the grade they are about to enter is all about; (2) a book of poetry for a special person; (3) a research packet for next year's students; and (4) a letter from parents explaining their feelings for their…