Digging In: Literature for Developing Writers
This book was written with the belief that teaching developmental composition with literature offers exciting possibilities for both students and instructors. Featuring poetry and short stories in addition to essays,DIGGING INwill engage your students like no other text. An introductory chapter on reading literature and a glossary following the last chapter give students all the resources they need to be successful.Most of the readings are contemporary, and the topics cover a broad extent of human experience. The chapters—Family History. GrowingUp/Growing Old, Learning and Teaching, The Emotional Side, Work and Dreams, and Issues/Positions—offer instructors an opportunity to teach within a theme.For each of the over 60 selections, the author has included:Ashort biographyof the author.ABefore Readingprompt. This prompt will start students thinking about the topic of the piece before they encounter the author's treatment of that topic, engaging them more thoroughly in the work.To Understandquestions. Some of these test a student's basic understanding of what has happened in the piece. Others require more critical thinking and ask students to ponder particular parts or aspects of the work.To Writequestions. These ask for personal responses to the literature.Ideas for Writing.These writing prompts address the general theme of the chapter (though not one particular work) and are meant to offer opportunities for formal paper writing.