Teaching Strategies for Interpreting and Writing about Literature.

This teaching model, involving character analysis in literature, illustrates effective instruction that engages students in an interpretive problem, helps them make complex interpretations, and enables them to transform their conclusions into effective literary analysis. The introductory activity in the model is a discussion of a student opinionnaire which uses opinions to create interest in a work of literature and helps with problems students will encounter in trying to interpret character. Next is small group work and ensuing class discussion based on a character questionnaire which gives students practice in making inferences about a character, gathering and selecting evidence, and explaining how evidence supports a conclusion about a major character. This is followed by an activity sheet in which students must consider and weigh many possibilities as they rank an extensive list of values and argue their positions to reach a consensus with respect to a particular character's values in a group discussion. The follow-up assignment asks students to do in writing exactly what they have done orally in discussing the character. Appendixes include student activity sheets, opinionnaires and questionnaires, and a sample student essay. (KEH) ******************************************************x************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * *********************************************************************** TEACHING STRATEGIES FOR INTERPRETING AND WRITING ABOUT LITERATURE Larry R. Johannessen Saint Xavier College 3700 West 103rd Street Chicago, Illinois 60655 Mailing Address: 1682-E Williamsburg Court Wheaton, Illinois 60187 National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention Saint Louis, Missouri November 19, 1988 BEST COPY AVAILABLE 0ti "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY LarYki R. Jo 1160111 e s-.)en TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." U DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Orrice c Iticational Research and Improvement EDUCA )NAL RESOURCES INFORMA,)ON CENTER (ERIC) r MS document has been reproduced as received IrOm Ise person or organization originating A r Minor changes have been made to improve reproduCtion quality Point S ol view Or Opinions staled in doctr meet do not necessarily represent oll.c.al OER1 position or policy Teaching Strategies for Interpreting and Writing About Literature Larry R. Johannessen National Council of Teachers of English 1988 Fall Convention Saint Louis, Missouri