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Lesson
Builder: Resources
Use the resources below to assist you in the renewal of your
classroom lesson. Consider using the Lesson Builder Template
as a framework for your lesson analysis and restructuring. In
addition, use the links below as a springboard for your own
creative thought.
 Envisionment
Building Online Resources:
The Center on English Learning & Achievement (CELA)
The Center on English Learning & Achievement's site is rich
with reports on their current research on topics such as envisionment
building and ways to support it in your classroom. Use their
search
feature to uncover the basics of Dr. Langer's work. Some
terms you can use for your searches include "envisionment" and
"Langer." You might also want to look at the links
this site suggests to find additional resources.
Many of CELA's publications are also available at this site.
For example, "Guidelines
for Teaching Middle and High School Students to Read and Write
Well: Six Features of Effective Instruction," is an especially
pertinent article which was rated as one of Middle Web's "Top
Twenty Articles for Folks Interested in School Reform and the
Middle Grades" in 2000.
Some additional notable articles and reports from the CELA web
site include "Envisioning
Literature — In the Classroom and Out," where
Betty Close, a participant in Dr. Judith Langer's study, reflects
upon her experiences in the classroom, how envisionment building
impacted her own teaching and students' learning experiences.
Envisionment
Building
Visit this link for additional reports and articles on envisionment
building.
The National
Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
The National Council of Teachers of English site provides many
resources for language arts teachers at all grade levels. The
search feature on the homepage will help you locate resources
related to envisionment building and Dr. Langer. You might want
to explore the NCTE
Reading Initiative portion of their site, which includes
valuable links, leading to current research and professional
development and curriculum resources related to reading literature.
Strategic
Literacy Initiative (SLI)
A non-profit organization based in California, SLI offers research
and resources focusing on the improvement of student literacy
at the secondary level.
Think
Aloud: Consider using this steam-of-consciousness approach
to responding to literature out loud [click here for a PDF
version].
Literary
Community Discussion Guidelines: Utilize this suggested
list of discussion guidelines
to begin building a classroom literary community [click here
for a PDF
version].
Literature
Circles: This is a cooperative approach to literature discussion,
where students take ownership of literary dialogue in small
groups.
Reader's
Theater: Consider using this creative and dramatic approach
to literature instruction, where students' interpretations affect
their read alouds, from voice inflection to body language and
the use of props. The possibilities are endless. Visit the following
links to learn more about reader's theater:
Sample
Stance-Framed Questions: As you reflect upon your classroom
discussions, consider the types of questions you ask your students.
Are you requiring students to use critical thinking skills,
moving beyond their initial hunches of a reading? Consider framing
discussion questions around the four stances, so that students
have the opportunity to respond to a text from a variety of
positions and perspectives.
Click here to access sample questions
that can be utilized to develop a literary discussion [click
here for a PDF
version].
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