A unique strategy for teaching critical thinking skills as students decode literature, the Practicing Literary Analysis series offers a query-centered, technology-aligned, culture-oriented approach to wholly engage middle to high school students in reading while enhancing their writing skills. Within the first book of the series, retired 30-year veteran high school English teacher and novelist, Cathie Wright-Lewis has embedded a student version of her novel, Passion’s Pride – Return to the Dawning inside her practicing Deconstruction workbook and writing guide to help English teachers to concurrently teach language, literature and writing.
In a world consumed in high tech devices with multi-sensory effects, many students find it difficult to remain engaged in simply reading a book. Within this book, students are enticed into reading, practicing deconstruction and using the figurative language and literary techniques they identify and interpret in their own writing.
Formatting the textbook in this manner also offers students the opportunity to access related websites and videos of historical and cultural references and relevant historical figures portrayed in the text. Within the Teacher’s Curriculum Guide research-based projects are suggested to follow the completion of the reading and writing assignments that are aligned with the embedded novel.
The heart of the text, bearing the responsibility of evoking and maintaining the students’ interest is Passion’s Pride, a speculative journey set in New York City on September 11th 2001. The main character is the spirit of Mecca Freeman, who has been traumatized from the horrific events of the day. Readers are taken back to significant events in 1968 and 1741, which reveal segments of New York City’s shameful history and speculate upon its future. The evident elements of American History, American Culture and African-American culture promise to connect with every American student.
