Fresh Takes on Teaching Literary Fresh Takes on Teaching Literary Elements: Lessons and Activities Elements: Lessons and Activities

to Deepen Comprehension to Deepen Comprehension

Connecting Life to LiteratureConnecting Life to LiteratureAndAnd

Literature Back to LifeLiterature Back to Life

Jeffrey D. WilhelmJeffrey D. WilhelmBoise State UniversityBoise State University

What are some things all What are some things all teachers teach . . .teachers teach . . .

That can be taught more powerfully?That can be taught more powerfully? That can be taught procedurally instead of That can be taught procedurally instead of

as information?as information? That can make use of generative knowledge That can make use of generative knowledge

from other subjects like social psychology from other subjects like social psychology and cognitive science?and cognitive science?

So, how do people construe of character in So, how do people construe of character in real life? How do settings encourage or real life? How do settings encourage or constrain action? How do we get the gist of constrain action? How do we get the gist of discursive conversations? And how can we discursive conversations? And how can we apply this to literature?apply this to literature?

““I just like being good at I just like being good at itit””

The centrality of developing competence to The centrality of developing competence to engagement and learningengagement and learning

Focus on the HOW (the procedural) vs. the Focus on the HOW (the procedural) vs. the WHAT (the declarative) – getting at the WHAT (the declarative) – getting at the What, the why, when, and where through What, the why, when, and where through the HOW (See the new Common Core State the HOW (See the new Common Core State Standards)Standards)

Build from pre-existing interests and Build from pre-existing interests and capacities to the development of new onescapacities to the development of new ones

Foreground student competence and the Foreground student competence and the development of competence and controldevelopment of competence and control

Buda on drawingBuda on drawing

Drawing is boring because I have Drawing is boring because I have pretty much no talent in pretty much no talent in drawing.drawing.

Bob on a variety of Bob on a variety of subjectssubjects

It [math] is challenging problems and It [math] is challenging problems and something I am extremely good at. On the something I am extremely good at. On the [state[state’’s test] I have gotten like in the top forty s test] I have gotten like in the top forty kids in [the state]. kids in [the state].

I hate writing and I hate dealing with I hate writing and I hate dealing with punctuation and stuff like that. I am extremely punctuation and stuff like that. I am extremely bad at spelling. I have never written a good bad at spelling. I have never written a good report in my life.report in my life.

I like just texture [in hypermedia], little stuff, I like just texture [in hypermedia], little stuff, like extra little movies, and extra little details like extra little movies, and extra little details and extra buttons that do things that most kids and extra buttons that do things that most kids dondon’’t know how to do.t know how to do.

Larry on reading and Larry on reading and teaching as assistanceteaching as assistance

Um, I haven't started reading until this Um, I haven't started reading until this year pretty much . . . . I have been starting year pretty much . . . . I have been starting novels this year because of Mrs. XXXX novels this year because of Mrs. XXXX kinda like assigns the homework and this kinda like assigns the homework and this is the only time it's really been due so I've is the only time it's really been due so I've been reading pretty good novels now and I been reading pretty good novels now and I like John Steinbeck and stuff. A lot of like John Steinbeck and stuff. A lot of novels like that get to me and Mrs. XXXX's novels like that get to me and Mrs. XXXX's been kinda showing me the road and the been kinda showing me the road and the path. I kinda thought reading was dumb, path. I kinda thought reading was dumb, but now I'm kinda getting more into it.but now I'm kinda getting more into it.

Wolf on Two Kinds of Teachers

I mean you are a teacher I assume that you teach, I am going to assume. . . obviously you have some amount of homework that, there is going to be some amount of homework involved in teaching no matter what happens. That is a given, but my teachers will just give out thousands and thousands of pages of homework and expect that to teach you. They don't teach. It is just like do chapters, questions 1 - 5. And then they are going to assume that you know it because you do the questions 1 - 5 and even if you talk with somebody, you aren't going to know it. But if you actually get up there and teach it to people and ask questions they are going to know it. But nobody ever teaches. That is why America is stupid.

General Processes of General Processes of ReadingReading

DecodeDecode Ask QuestionsAsk Questions Make ConnectionsMake Connections Make InferencesMake Inferences Determine Importance/SummarizeDetermine Importance/Summarize SynthesizeSynthesize Plan/Predict and MonitorPlan/Predict and Monitor VisualizeVisualize

But there are also . . . But there are also . . .

Text specific strategies: for reading Text specific strategies: for reading narrative, argument, exposition, narrative, argument, exposition, classification, ironic monologues, etc.classification, ironic monologues, etc.

Task specific strategies: interpreting Task specific strategies: interpreting irony, judging unreliable narrators,, irony, judging unreliable narrators,, interpreting character, setting, point of interpreting character, setting, point of view, themeview, theme

Community specific strategies: for Community specific strategies: for reading scientific arguments like a reading scientific arguments like a scientist, etc.scientist, etc.

ChallengesChallenges Understanding how the strategies are Understanding how the strategies are

employed in different kinds of reading employed in different kinds of reading (become task- or text-specific strategies)(become task- or text-specific strategies)

Teach specific applications of the strategies Teach specific applications of the strategies without minimizing their complexitywithout minimizing their complexity

Teach to transfer:Teach to transfer:

From life to textFrom life to text

From text to textFrom text to text

From text to lifeFrom text to life

Develop and demonstrate competence Develop and demonstrate competence through multiple modalities over timethrough multiple modalities over time

We count on transfer but We count on transfer but it typically does not it typically does not

occuroccur ““Despite the importance of transfer Despite the importance of transfer

to all learning, research findings to all learning, research findings over the past nine decades clearly over the past nine decades clearly show that as individuals, and as show that as individuals, and as educational institutions, we have educational institutions, we have failed to achieve transfer of learning failed to achieve transfer of learning on any significant level (Haskell, p. on any significant level (Haskell, p. xiii).xiii).””

Conditions for TransferConditions for Transfer(Haskell, 2000, Salomon (Haskell, 2000, Salomon

and Perkins)and Perkins) If students have command of the knowledge If students have command of the knowledge that is to be transferredthat is to be transferred

If students have a theoretical understanding If students have a theoretical understanding of the principles to be transferredof the principles to be transferred

If a classroom culture cultivates a spirit of If a classroom culture cultivates a spirit of transfer, and transfer, and

If students get plenty of practiceIf students get plenty of practice If students engage in constructivist If students engage in constructivist

discussions of the discussions of the ““howhow”” and can articulate and can articulate principles (a heuristic) for principles (a heuristic) for ““high road transferhigh road transfer””

So What To Do?So What To Do? Think deeply about how experienced Think deeply about how experienced

readers and writers go about their readers and writers go about their businessbusiness

Think about how strategies (e.g. Think about how strategies (e.g. construing character) play out in real lifeconstruing character) play out in real life

Create a meaningful context of inquiry in Create a meaningful context of inquiry in which developing expert strategies will be which developing expert strategies will be supported and rewarded by helping supported and rewarded by helping students to meet real purposes and do real students to meet real purposes and do real workwork

Give students plenty of practice doing Give students plenty of practice doing what expert readers and writers dowhat expert readers and writers do

Capitalize on the power of sequencing, and Capitalize on the power of sequencing, and foreground Ssforeground Ss’’ developing competence developing competence

“Moves We Can Use” In Teaching Reading for

Transfer Use inquiry contexts Use visual and popular cultural texts Practice with simulated texts (concentrated

samples) Think-alouds: model, mentor, monitor

strategic reading Sensible sequencing: short to long, visually

supported to non-visual, close to home to further from home, concrete to abstract, etc.

Create, name and use heuristics

Teaching characterTeaching characterThe moral The moral and functionaland functional force of literature force of literature

resides in the fact that it provides, in resides in the fact that it provides, in SantayanaSantayana’’s words s words ““imaginative rehearsals for imaginative rehearsals for livingliving”” - connection, i.e. to how we project and - connection, i.e. to how we project and construe character in real life, and how we use construe character in real life, and how we use how we think about literary characters in how we think about literary characters in terms of our lives.terms of our lives.

How have and do literary characters inform your How have and do literary characters inform your thinking, believing, problem-solving, etc.?thinking, believing, problem-solving, etc.?

The importance of learning about others to The importance of learning about others to foster personal growth and interpersonal foster personal growth and interpersonal understandingunderstanding

Work Before (and Work Before (and during) Reading to during) Reading to Develop and Name Develop and Name

CompetenceCompetence Think of a time that you didnThink of a time that you didn’’t t

understand a joke . . . understand a joke . . . If our students donIf our students don’’t have a good t have a good

experience with a text experience with a text asas they are they are reading it, itreading it, it’’s impossible to s impossible to rehabilitate it, no matter how good rehabilitate it, no matter how good our post-reading instruction. our post-reading instruction.

Inquiry Contexts that Make Understanding Character

Matter What makes a good parent (or

teacher, or friend)? What makes a hero? What is bravery (or loyalty or any

other governing trait)?

How might you reframe a unit you already teach to make it an inquiry into character or character traits?

Understanding Character:Understanding Character:How Do We Come to How Do We Come to

General Impressions of General Impressions of people in real life? people in real life?

Interpreting individual Interpreting individual traitstraitsWhatWhat’’s your impression of a person s your impression of a person

who displays these traits?who displays these traits?

intelligent—industrious—impulsive—intelligent—industrious—impulsive—critical—stubborn--envious critical—stubborn--envious

First Impressions; First Impressions; coherent interpretationscoherent interpretations

The person is intelligent and fortunately he The person is intelligent and fortunately he puts his intelligence to work. That he is puts his intelligence to work. That he is stubborn and impulsive may be due to the stubborn and impulsive may be due to the fact that he knows what he is saying and fact that he knows what he is saying and what he means and will not therefore give what he means and will not therefore give in easily to someone else's idea which he in easily to someone else's idea which he disagrees withdisagrees with

BUT students typically respond to literary BUT students typically respond to literary characters with a list of traits (characters with a list of traits (““SheShe’’s blonds blondee””) or states () or states (““HeHe’’s happys happy””) and are ) and are rewarded for doing sorewarded for doing so

How about these?How about these?

envious --stubborn – critical – envious --stubborn – critical – industrious - intelligentindustrious - intelligent

Reversing the order of Reversing the order of first impressionsfirst impressions

(in reverse order) This person's good (in reverse order) This person's good qualities such as industry and qualities such as industry and intelligence are bound to be intelligence are bound to be restricted by jealousy and restricted by jealousy and stubbornness. The person is stubbornness. The person is emotional. He is unsuccessful emotional. He is unsuccessful because he is weak and allows his because he is weak and allows his bad points to cover up his good bad points to cover up his good ones.ones.

Relative value of Relative value of different traitsdifferent traits

Overall impression of person being Overall impression of person being interviewed for a position in your interviewed for a position in your school? To be a flatmate?school? To be a flatmate?

intelligent, skillful, industrious, intelligent, skillful, industrious, warm, determined, practical, warm, determined, practical, cautious cautious

Intelligent, skillful, industrious, cold, Intelligent, skillful, industrious, cold, determined, practical, cautiousdetermined, practical, cautious

So, a character So, a character ““gut gut checkcheck”” We get an overall impression, not a list of We get an overall impression, not a list of

characteristicscharacteristics Our overall impression supersedes and goes Our overall impression supersedes and goes

beyond offered information (we are always beyond offered information (we are always inferring – or inferring – or ““figuring forthfiguring forth””))

The most accurate interpreters continually The most accurate interpreters continually modify interpretations, keeping original modify interpretations, keeping original judgments judgments ““categorically tentativecategorically tentative”” and fluid and fluid

Some Personality Traits are superordinate Some Personality Traits are superordinate and color all other traits: Warm and cold – so and color all other traits: Warm and cold – so we must figure out how traits interrelate, and we must figure out how traits interrelate, and which ones are most important in particular which ones are most important in particular situationssituations

Group Membership vs. Group Membership vs. individualindividual Gender as super-ordinate category of Gender as super-ordinate category of

identity (West and Zimmerman)identity (West and Zimmerman) ““AA ”” list of cultural markers: gender, race, list of cultural markers: gender, race,

nationality, ethnicity, religion and gender—nationality, ethnicity, religion and gender—Fishman (1995). Fishman (1995).

““BB ”” list: age, geography, education, list: age, geography, education, occupation, family status, economic status occupation, family status, economic status and sexual orientation and sexual orientation

Top-down (group) integrates with bottom up Top-down (group) integrates with bottom up (individual info (Kunda and Thagard ). Good (individual info (Kunda and Thagard ). Good interpreters are always interpreters are always ““connecting the dotsconnecting the dots””

Developing a heuristicDeveloping a heuristic To understand characters, we recognize not only To understand characters, we recognize not only

a charactera character’’s particular traits but also how those s particular traits but also how those traits interact to form an overall conception of traits interact to form an overall conception of the character. In developing that impression, the character. In developing that impression, some traits matter more than others.some traits matter more than others.

First impressions are powerful, but we have to First impressions are powerful, but we have to test them against additional information we gain test them against additional information we gain (cf. schema theory research about difficulty of (cf. schema theory research about difficulty of modifying)modifying)

Generalization about group membership inform Generalization about group membership inform our understanding of people. We have to test our our understanding of people. We have to test our generalizations against the individuating generalizations against the individuating information that we develop.information that we develop.

Character is revealed through physical data, Character is revealed through physical data, what the character and others say, through what the character and others say, through comparison, actions, language, settingcomparison, actions, language, setting

If students are to experience the greatest If students are to experience the greatest possible benefit from reading, then they possible benefit from reading, then they need to try on, at least provisionally, the need to try on, at least provisionally, the various perspectives of the characters various perspectives of the characters about whom they are reading, especially about whom they are reading, especially those who are different from them.those who are different from them.

Students need general heuristic strategies Students need general heuristic strategies that help that help them notice and interpret them notice and interpret vs. vs. questions that are only applicable to a questions that are only applicable to a particular story – who is doing the work? particular story – who is doing the work? How is our work helping students do the How is our work helping students do the work? To overcome typical shortcomings?work? To overcome typical shortcomings?

Worries about traditional Worries about traditional instructioninstruction

It emphasizes declarative rather It emphasizes declarative rather than procedural knowledge. than procedural knowledge.

It doesnIt doesn’’t lend itself to transfer, t lend itself to transfer, neither functionally as a reader nor neither functionally as a reader nor to a personal growth agenda.to a personal growth agenda.

It doesnIt doesn’’t reflect the way we t reflect the way we understand people in our lives.understand people in our lives.

Personality tests/ checklists – what do we Personality tests/ checklists – what do we most want to know about other people? If most want to know about other people? If they are a friend? Romantic partner? they are a friend? Romantic partner? Teammate? Hero?Teammate? Hero?

How do I/would a character respond to How do I/would a character respond to personality test? (Myers-Briggs)personality test? (Myers-Briggs)

Develop a personality test for a flatmate, Develop a personality test for a flatmate, colleague, et al – which characteristics are colleague, et al – which characteristics are most important and why? Could be part of most important and why? Could be part of culminating projectculminating project

Ads/iconic images – Ads/iconic images – Family of ManFamily of Man Rankings: Who is the best parent?Rankings: Who is the best parent?

First impressions? First impressions? Group membership?Group membership?

Challenging Challenging individuating individuating information?information?

Explain and justify your Explain and justify your inferences.inferences.

Practice, practice, Practice, practice, practicepractice

Reading and writing Reading and writing activitiesactivities

Roommate activity, etc.Roommate activity, etc.

Understanding Understanding characters enriches our characters enriches our

liveslives Wayne Booth notes that stories typically center on Wayne Booth notes that stories typically center on

the charactersthe characters’’ efforts to face moral choices and efforts to face moral choices and argues that "In tracing those efforts, we readers argues that "In tracing those efforts, we readers stretch our own capacities for thinking about how stretch our own capacities for thinking about how life should be lived." life should be lived."

When I have some big moral issue, some question to When I have some big moral issue, some question to tackle, I think of [characters in books I've read]. tackle, I think of [characters in books I've read]. Those folks, they're people for me . . . they really Those folks, they're people for me . . . they really speak to me—therespeak to me—there’’s a lot of me in them, or vice s a lot of me in them, or vice versa. I don't know how to put it, but they're voices, versa. I don't know how to put it, but they're voices, and they help me make choices. I hope when I decide and they help me make choices. I hope when I decide "the big ones" they'll be in there pitching. (Coles, p. "the big ones" they'll be in there pitching. (Coles, p. 203)203)