1. Textbook Investigation By Jennifer Noel & Christa Fornella

2. The Textbook ◊ Elements of Literature: Essentials of British and World Literature Sixth Course; Holt, Rinehart, & Winston ◊ Used for 12 th grade English ◊ Text is divided into units: one for each major period in British literature history i.e. The Victorian Period ◊ Units are subdivided into collections i.e. The Paradox of Progress

3. Textbook Organization ◊ Consistent formatting; each unit contains: ◊ Literary focus ◊ Analyzing visuals- generally a work of art ◊ Comparing texts & author studies ◊ Writing workshop- varied depending on genre focus i.e. poetry, persuasion, short story, etc.

4. Unit 6 Analysis ◊ Focused on the Modern World 1900 to Present ◊ Collections focus on: ◊ The World at War- authors such as Wilfred Owen & George Orwell ◊ Modern and Contemporary Poetry- authors such as William Butler Yeats & Dylan Thomas ◊ Expectation and Reality- authors such as D.H. Lawrence & James Joyce

5. Writing by Genre ◊ Prior to each literary selection: ◊ Literary Focus: Academic vocabulary- connotation, diction, figure of speech, etc. ◊ Reading Focus: Literary elements- author’s perspective, identifying theme ◊ Writing Focus: “Think as a Reader/Writer” Example Shorter Writing Exercise

6. Writing by Genre ◊ Following each literature selection: “Applying Your Skills” Section

7. Patterns in Writing Focus Exercises Literary FocusReading FocusWriting Focus During Reading: Author’s Perspective Example: Connotations Note the adjectives Yeats uses and their connotations

8. Patterns in Writing Focus Exercises Literary Focus Writing While Reading Application Beyond Literature After Reading: Connotations Adjectives Noted Example: Describe a person who inspires you; use words with powerful connotations

9. Writing by Genre ◊ Writing Workshop: Extended ◊ Each unit contains an extended writing exercise ◊ Works through the writing process ◊ Example: “Nonfiction Analysis” ◊ Analysis essay based on the nonfiction reading selections throughout the entire unit

10. Writing Focus: Extended Example Writing Process Outlined

11. Writing Analysis ◊ Each short and extended writing focus concentrates and utilizes the literature in the section ◊ A variety of tasks are provided: comprehension checks, grammar checks, and vocabulary checks ◊ Extended writing tasks are always presented with each step of the writing process ◊ Writing adheres to PA State Standards for ELA ◊ i.e. Write complex informational pieces: include a variety of methods to develop the main idea

12. Textbook Activities ◊ Appropriate alignment to lessons ◊ Pertain to topics that are discussed ◊ Students can connect with text ◊ Challenge students to think implicitly ◊ Challenge students to find evidence from text to support writing ◊ Example: “Look back at the notes you took about the descriptive details Bowen uses to create an unsettling mood.”

13. Text-Based Writing ◊ Frequently addressed in each collection ◊ Sporadic so that each lesson is not identical ◊ Routine practices during lessons include: ◊ Quickwrites ◊ Use It in Your Writing ◊ Constructed Response

14. Weighing the Pros & Cons ◊ What’s missing? ◊ Specific types of writing tasks to apply in practice ◊ Example: mostly encourages paragraph/essay format ◊ Text to text connections ◊ What is valorized? ◊ Supporting writing with evidence ◊ Emphasis on literary devices

15. Useful Approaches to Support Writing ◊ Many lessons begin with “Meet the Writer” ◊ Introduces backgrounds ◊ Provides connections with the text ◊ Students can think about the purpose of writing ◊ Thinking About the Writer discussions

16. Connection to Class Texts ◊ Graves ◊ “The data show that writers who learn to choose topics well make the most significant growth in both information and skills at the point of best topic” (22) ◊ Textbook provides a strong foundation for choosing topics ◊ Emig ◊ “If the teacher sets too many of the variables for a piece of writing, some students feel too confined, too constricted by the limitations to write ‘well.’ If the teacher does not specify enough variables the task may daunt at least some students by its ambiguity or by its degrees of freedom” (39). ◊ Textbook offers both strict guidelines and more freedom to choose