English Journal, Vol. 95, No. 3, January 2006

Table of Contents

Issue Theme: Teaching Texts and Authors

• Call for Manuscripts - English Journal

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  Abstract: Abstract for this article is currently not available.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• From the Editor - English Journal

  Louann Reid

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  Abstract: Abstract for this article is currently not available.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• From the Secondary Section: Novel Choices, Pun Intended

  Roger W. Shanley

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  Abstract: Members of the Secondary Section Steering Committee comment on topics of importance to English language arts educators.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Speaking My Mind: The Sentence-Structure Dilemma

  Walter H. Johnson

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  Abstract: “Speaking My Mind” invites readers to speak out about controversial issues relevant to the teaching of English language arts.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Teacher to Teacher: What Text Have You Found Most Successful with Your Students?

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  Abstract: “Teacher to Teacher” provides a forum for teachers to share ideas, materials, and activities.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• EJ Extra: Falling Out of Like

  Maureen O'Leary Wanket

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  Abstract: Abstract for this article is currently not available.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Unveiling Students' Perceptions about Women in Islam

  Lori Cohen and Leyna Peery

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  Abstract: The authors describe a literature unit using texts by and about Muslim women. Studying women’s roles through a variety of genres—short story, essays, graphic novel, film—helped students broaden their understanding of women in the Islamic world.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Killing at Close Range: A Study in Intertextuality

  Jeffrey Fischer

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  Abstract: As an introduction to intertextuality, Jeffrey Fischer presents three similar texts about war to students and discusses the relationships between texts and experiences.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Film as Film: Using Movies to Help Students Visualize Literary Theory

  Valerie Muller

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  Abstract: Focusing on lighting, camera angles, and framing in a film version of Moby-Dick, high school teacher Valerie Muller discusses Dark Romanticism, archetypal theory, and deconstruction. Since multimedia texts are so prevalent in students’ lives, learning to read film as a distinct art form may help students better understand complicated literary theories.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Reading Aloud: The Moby-Dick Marathon

  William David Ross, Alyce Hunter, and Leon Chazanow

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  Abstract: William David Ross, Alyce Hunter, and Leon Chazanow describe a unique high school literary event: an all-day read-aloud of Moby-Dick, organized and run by the students. The authors discuss the challenges and benefits of undertaking such a project.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary, Reading

• Getting Inside S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders

  Joanne S. Gillespie

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  Abstract: The Outsiders continues to be relevant to adolescents, opening discussions on acceptance, rejection, and stereotyping. Middle school teacher Joanne S. Gillespie describes her unit on the novel, which includes art projects, blogging, and student-generated questions.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary, Reading

• "Indefinable Stirrings and Longings": Research on Writing through Student Letters to Authors

  David Ward

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  Abstract: David Ward addresses the interactive role that the writer plays in developing readers’ literacy. Students’ letters to authors reveal their engagement with the texts on a variety of levels, and authors’ responses show their concern with developing young readers and writers.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary, Writing

• "Talk to the Hand, Girl": Using Texts to Explore Student Voice

  Lane W. Clarke

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  Abstract: Through a unit on voice, Lane W. Clarke helped students recognize how people are marginalized through texts. By studying novels that used multiple narrative viewpoints, she was able to give students a “context for self-understanding and improved interpersonal relations.”

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Teaching Warriors Don't Cry with Other Text Types to Enhance Comprehension

  Fenice B. Boyd and Deborah Regan Howe

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  Abstract: The authors describe a unit for seventh-grade students on desegregation of public schools. Showcasing different perspectives through multiple texts and text types, such as film and photographs, added credibility to the lessons and allowed students to understand events that were distant from their experience.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary, Reading

• How Tashjian and Le Guin Encourage Social Activism in Young Adults

  Jean Boreen and Sandra Raymond

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  Abstract: Using texts by Janet Tashjian and Ursula K. Le Guin, Jean Boreen and Sandra Raymond show how high school students can be brought into discussions that promote social and political activism and help students understand the steps in these processes.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Learning to View Literature Instruction with Literary Lenses: One Group's Story

  Pamela Sissi Carroll with English Education Graduate Students at Florida State University

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  Abstract: A group of teachers tested the literary lenses framework proposed by Pamela Sissi Carroll. Finding it to be an effective tool, they offer a number of lesson ideas to use with middle school and high school students.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary, Literature

• High School Teaching and College Expectations in Writing and Reading

  J. P. Patterson and David Duer

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  Abstract: These two authors report survey results about the importance secondary and postsecondary educators place on specific writing and reading skills. While differences in the value of grammar instruction between the two groups are noted, the most significant issue raised may be the different types of instruction in high school classrooms of college-bound and non-college-bound students.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary, Writing, Reading

• Research Matters: What is Engaged Learning?

  Rick VanDeWeghe, editor

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  Abstract: “Research Matters” provides teachers with review and application of research that illuminates the daily concerns and activities of English language arts teachers and classrooms.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• New Voices: Why I Detest Nancie Atwell

  Bud Hunt and Tiffany J. Hunt, editors

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  Abstract: “New Voices” raises questions, offers insights, and provides a forum for novice teachers to engage in the professional conversation surrounding the teaching of English.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Teaching English in the World: Languages We Don't Understand: Considering America through Words Born of Ashes

  Kenneth Lindblom, editor

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  Abstract: “Teaching English in the World” examines the teaching of English in a global context.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Taking Time: Harry Potter as a Context for Interdisciplinary Studies

  Tonya Perry, editor

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  Abstract: “Taking Time” addresses challenges in teaching and curriculum that affect middle level education through focusing on the middle child in urban, rural, and suburban settings.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Tools for Teaching: Help! Reflections, Research, and Resources about Authors and Their Texts

  Colleen A. Ruggieri, editor

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  Abstract: “Tools for Teaching” "Tools for Teaching" helps you find the best print and electronic resources for teaching English language arts.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Bold Books for Teenagers: Why Not Short?

  Don Gallo, editor

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  Abstract: “Bold Books for Teenagers” provides dynamic, informative viewpoints on important issues in publishing and teaching contemporary literature, especially literature for adolescents. Reviews of young adult literature also appear in this column.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

• Poetry: English Journal, January 2006

  James Brewbaker, editor

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  Abstract: “Poetry” features poems by teachers and professional poets.

  Keywords: Middle, Secondary

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