lesson plans (selected-more available on request)

• zora neale hurston: a power point lecture on this author who is one of my favorites. emphasizes criticisms leveled at her by some of the other harlem renaissance (male) writers, her work in folklore, and her rediscovery by alice walker.
• sandra cisneros: especially focuses on how an understanding of la llorona & la gritona enhances "woman hollering creek."
• anne sexton: "her kind and self image." discusses suicidal self-image for the poet. can also be used for women's studies, modernism or post modernism, and/or confessional poetry. Used in comp II class, fall 2007; spring 2008; spring 2009.
• a rose for emily: students in a lit class read faulkner's short story and then hold a mock "trial" for emily, based on the faux newspaper article I print out for them. they have to split into "defense," "prosecution" and "witnesses." this lesson plan gets students very involved, they really enjoy it, and teaches them to close read the story very carefully so they can "win" the case. requires adobe pdf.
• how to begin an essay: students are given this handout as a lesson plan wherein we discuss good strategies for opening a formal essay.
• student work: three power point presentations. one that a student created for the "cultural practices" assignment where they must research & present information about a culture other than their own and two others on an author's major theme within that author's body of work.
  japanese fashion hemingway joyce carol oates
• my grading rubric: this rubric tells them what my expectations for each project will be, and as part of the grading process