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[Author Prev][Author Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Author Index][Thread Index] Re: Literary Essay
The Reading Zone is an excellent book!! You might also look at Gretchen Bernarbei's Reviving the Essay. It's published by Discover Writing, which is Barry Lane's company. You can order if off the website, www.discoverwriting.com . But here's something else to chew on. Just because the high school teachers want you to do this doesn't mean it is appropriate for your students. They have no more power than you do in determining curriculum. If you think your students are not ready to do high school type essays, then say so. This kind of thing happens all the time, where teachers of older students make demands on teachers of younger students. Their hearts are in the right place, but it's easy to play the blame game. I found myself doing that when I taught high school, and then when I taught middle school. Ultimately you run out of people to blame, and the problem never really gets solved. We seem to be imposing higher and higher expectations on younger and younger children, and it's not always appropriate. That doesn't mean we shouldn't have high expectations, of course. But just remember that you know your students best. And your qualifications are just as good as those of high school teachers. Nancy Nancy Patterson, PhD Literacy Studies Program Chair College of Education Grand Valley State University 920 Eberhard Center 301 W. Fulton Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504 616-331-6226 patterna@gvsu.edu http://faculty.gvsu.edu/patterna >>> "Heather Brumbaugh" <hbrumbaugh@learningcommunity202.org> 6/5/2008 3:54 PM >>> Hi Laurie, I was really happy this year with using the letter essays described in Nancie Atwell's "The Reading Zone". I found them a great bridge to the higher-level, critical analysis my kids will have to do in high school, while still working within a form that is fun and comfortable. The Reading Zone has a few sample essays that I shared with my own kids at the start of the year, and I created a rubric that uses the language of our state extended response rubric. All in all, it went great! Heather 6th/IL "When they tell you to grow up, they mean stop growing." - Tom Robbins >>> <jazmyn@nycap.rr.com> 06/02/08 5:22 AM >>> Hello all, It seems in my disrict that there is a big push to have the students write literary essays (critical analysis of a text). I think it might originate from the high school, where this is their bread and butter. I find myself at a loss. I know what I want to teach, but I dont want to go out and reinvent the wheel. Does anyone know of a good text to teach the elements of literary essay, perhaps one with some good examples as well? Thanks, Laurie --------------------------------------------------- Archives-> http://interversity.org/lists/middle-lit/archives.html --------------------------------------------------- Archives-> http://interversity.org/lists/middle-lit/archives.html
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