Much of the clamor about instructional relevance today results from student dissatisfaction with (1) the narrow and anachronistic definition of literature commonly given by teachers, (2) the artificial compartmentalizing of literary works, and (3) the assumption that literature can only be apprehended through analysis. Rather than concentrating…

This independent study module treats those Americans who have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. They include Sinclair Lewis, Eugene O'Neill, T. S. Eliot, William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, and Pearl Buck. Selections from the writings of these authors are included. Their works represent many literary genres and also…

This paper proposes that the personal theme is a solution to the problem of motivating high school students to write better. The author, a high school English teacher, found that his students wrote poorly because they were writing on topics of which they had no intimate knowledge and because the theme assignments pleased the teacher, not the…

A collection of thirty royalty-free one-act plays for young players, using a wide range of dramatic forms, imaginative settings and colorful characters, is presented. A variety of subjects is included in these comedies, dramas, spoofs and programs: science fiction, ecology, history, storybook classics, and glimpses into life and folklore of other…

The program outlined in this document suggests that all secondary school students have continuous composing experiences in four major areas of written discourse: sensory/descriptive, imaginative/narrative, practical/informative, and analytical/expository. This document contains a chart detailing a plan of instruction in written composition for…

This article discusses the use of books, concrete experiences, and poetry as springboards to creative writing in the foreign language classroom. Examples are given for each of the three techniques. (CFM)

Discusses research on verbal creativity conducted in Rome, Italy, which analyzed 320 free compositions written by children between the ages of 8 and 11. (CFM)

Describes how a variety of science topics could be used to encourage elementary school children to write creatively. A list of books to stimulate discussion is provided. (CP)

Adapted from the forthcoming book, "The Teachers & Writers Handbook of Poetic Forms," defines forms, summarizes their histories, quotes examples, and offers teachers, students, and beginning writers suggestions on how to read and compose in each form. Discusses free verse, ghazal, epic, prose poem, line, spoonerism, imitation, and villanelle. (JG)

Reviews automaticity, effortless writing that enjoys freedom from excessive conscious interference, in terms of its origins in automatic writing and growth into contemporary techniques. Characterizes automaticity as a (1) form of dissociation from consciousness; (2) succor to spontaneity and creativity; and (3) key to understanding why some…

Stresses that books used to teach about a specific subject area (e.g. history, science, geography) should be judged not only for their focus on the subject but also for their literary quality. (SRT)

Provides teachers with instructions on effectively using student journals in classes at all levels. Gives examples of different types of personal writing students can engage in, suggests ways to respond to them, and lists benefits of and reservations about using journals in writing classes. (SKC)

Minerva Allen, Assinibone tribal historian and mediator in dealings with off-reservation entities, talks about her poetry, prose, and songs; and her efforts to secure the continuance of tribal languages and traditions. Her role as an educator and writer of textbooks is also discussed. Selected poetry is included. (JMM)

Suggests that reluctant learners can be motivated to read and write if the teacher writes a story in which the student is the hero. Notes that students may be persuaded to write their own stories with themselves as heroes and share them with friends. (JC)

Describes methods for producing collections of student writing, including such aspects as anthology book covers, layout, artwork, lettering, print runs, headlines and editorial philosophy. Also provides tips for successful collecting, and alternatives to an actual anthology, such as broadsides, poetry postcards, tiny books, videotaped readings,…