Teaching to Wonder: Responding to Poetry
in the Secondary Classroom
Carl Leggo
This exciting new book on teaching the often-intimidating genre of poetry is intended for new and practising secondary English literature teachers and teachers of creative writing and composition. It is organized around a selection of important contemporary literary theories explained in accessible fashion and linked to teaching strategies in a practical way. It emphasizes contemporary poetry forms that are sure to engage young readers-for example, sound poems, found poems, concrete poems, and poems that deal with relevant, current issues and the experiences of marginalized groups such as Native people and women. Poetry by Canadian, American, European, and South American poets is included. Margaret Atwood, bill bissett, Sylvia Plath, Richard Brautigan, Julia de Burgos, Dorothy Livesay, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, and Peter van Toorn are just some of the poets represented. Each poem is accompanied by a discussion of teaching techniques and suggestions for student activities.
Carl Leggo teaches in the Language Education Department at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Education. He received a distinguished teaching award in 1996, and is the author of two volumes of poetry.
"Every secondary English department should buy at least one copy and maybe two. ... This is a book which is both thoughtful and thought provoking."-Jon Terpening, Update
CONTENTS
Introduction: Poetry in the Classroom
Chapter 1: What Is a Poem?
Chapter 2: Reader Response
Chapter 3: Semiotics
Chapter 4: Deconstruction
Chapter 5: Cultural Criticism
AfterwordFor students in teacher education programs and practising teachers
Paper, 144 pp, 6 x 9
Index, bibliography
ISBN 1-895766-31-1 $19.95
On the Write Track!
A Guide to Writing, Illustrating,
and Publishing Stories
Margriet Ruurs
On the Write Track! will help teachers put their students on the right track with their creative writing. This practical guide will help teachers develop their students' imaginative talents and their practical writing skills. It can be the basis of a unit on creative writing, or it can be used to enhance other subject areas. Students learn to understand the entire writing process, from the original creative idea all the way to publishing a book and holding a book launch. Aimed at children in grades 3 to 6, the book contains material that can easily be adapted for younger or older students.
Margriet Ruurs writes with an engaging, accessible style and her book is sure to make children enthusiastic about writing. She is a children's author and graduate student in education at Simon Fraser University.
"Margriet Ruurs is definitely on the right track! Her enthusiasm for books and for writing is bound to be catching."-Ainslie Manson, author of A Dog Came, Too
"This writing mini-course leads students and teachers methodically through the necessary steps to creative writing. This will be very useful to teachers since they never have enough time!" -Margaret Montgomery, Teacher-Librarian
"An attractive classroom resource."-BCTLA Reviews in B.C. Bookworld
On the Write Track! features
A teacher resource for grades 3-6
Paper, 84 pp, 8-1/2 x 11
28 b&w illustrations
50+ reproducible masters
ISBN 0-88865-086-8 $16.95
Pacific Educational Press
Faculty of Education
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z4
CANADA
Telephone: +604-822-5385
Fax: +604-822-6603
