Full Description
"This book is fuel for igniting curiosity and creativity. Wesley Phillipson has a knack for encouraging original thinking and writing, and his essay prompts are a gift to teachers, students, and everyone who believes in the power of the pen." - Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of THINK AGAIN and HIDDEN POTENTIAL, and host of the podcast Re:Thinking.
Teaching the Anti-Essay helps secondary school English Language Arts (ELA) teachers introduce literary nonfiction and creative nonfiction essay writing to their students, demonstrating how writing is a fun and engaging activity where students can see tremendous value in "thinking on paper." Meaningful essays are also, by default, analytical.
This book offers English teachers and their students 18 different essay prompts that challenge student writers to take calculated risks on paper, leading to essays that students can write and want to write, allowing them to add something new to the conversation in the process. Each chapter explores a unique essay prompt, along with rationale, the targeted skills, teacher models, student models, and reflections. The book is intended to be a tool for change in the English classroom at large by motivating students through tried and tested prompts, demonstrating that anyone can write like a journalist, a professional blogger, a creative nonfiction essayist, becoming an author with one's own voice and style.
This is a great resource for in-service middle school and high school ELA teachers, and beyond.
Contents
Meet the Author
Author's Note: Teaching the Anti-Essay
Preface by Toby Rosewater, Managing Sports Editor, The Amherst Student
Acknowledgments and Shout-Outs
Introduction by James Treadway, CEO of GrowthWise Tutoring
Chapter One: The Wax Pack: Breaking Wax
Chapter Two: The Philosophy of You: Your Students Are Deeper than You Think
Chapter Three: Consider the Lobster
Chapter Four: When the Hitmakers Knock, You Answer
Chapter Five: The Unicorn College Essay
Chapter Six: Emily's Way and How to Wrangle a Guest Speaker
Chapter Seven: My Lipogram: The no "E" paper
Chapter Eight: The Usual Suspects: A Dialogue Essay from England with Love
Chapter Nine: The Living Artists Literary Research Paper
Chapter Ten: Nice to Meet You and Goodbye: 7 Intros and 7 Outros
Chapter Eleven: Ranting and Raving: Why Complaining Is Good for Your Students
Chapter Twelve: Dave's Way: The Humor Essay a la Dave Barry
Chapter Thirteen: The Poetry Forgery Unit: How Imitation Breeds Greatness
Chapter Fourteen: The Feature Article: Journalism Your Classroom Needs
Chapter Fifteen: The Autopsy of You: When Students Metacognate Good Things Happen
Chapter Sixteen: Ebert's Way: Lessons From a Late-Great Film Critic
Chapter Seventeen: The Video Essay Is Not Just For YouTubers
Chapter Eighteen: The Interrogative Mood: Questions Only, No Answers
Chapter Nineteen: Grading Essays Means Never Having to be Alone Again
