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last.updated 2.5.06

Literacy & Literature

Purpose

In the language arts class, literature is often the medium teachers use to develop students' literacy skills. But, as Alsup & Bush ask, why? What does the teaching of literature offer to students' understanding of the language arts? And what are the best ways to teach with literature? By the end of today's class you should have been exposed to different opinions on these issues that you can use to develop your philosophy and pedagogy.

Before Class

• Read Soven, Chapter 7 (157-195)
• Read Alsup & Bush, Chapter 1 (1-38)
• Submit Teaching Philosophy to the instructor as a hard copy at the beginning of class.

Discussion–Soven and Alsup & Bush

• What questions do you have about these chapters?
• Why use reading to prompt writing?
• Other than literature what other types of texts would be appropriate for the language arts classroom?
• What are the reasons for specifically teaching literature?
• What are the benefits of having students write about literature? what are the limitations?
• What are the best texts for teaching literature? why?
• What are the best pedagogical strategies for teaching literature? why? (draw upon the two chapters and pedagogies that you have learned about or experienced in other classes)

Activity–Responding to Literature Narratives

Form groups of four students. You will be assigned one of the four narratives in chapter 1 of Alsup & Bush. As a group...

• review the narrative and the responses
• develop your own response to this narrative. You can pull from what you found valuable in the two responses, draw upon what you have learned in other education courses, and/or work from your experiences as a student. Be ready to justify your response
• if your group is having problems developing a response, answer the "For Further Discussion" questions at the end of the narrative

At the end of class, you will share your work. But this work will not be submitted.