Inquiry II Seminar

Context and Theoretical Framework

For our group inquiry, we have chosen to undertake multiple studies concerning different literary texts that we will be teaching respectively on our upcoming practicums. We have taken different political, social, and theoretical avenues to explore the texts that are in high school classrooms today. The significance of this approach becomes evident in each individual study through the exploration of the politics behind the publishing, censoring, and teaching of novels. Further, through unpacking a range of literary criticism, we have developed a deeper understanding of the texts that we seek to teach, while simultaneously researching different methods of presenting critical theory at the secondary level. Although we have chosen to use specific texts as the foundation of our collective research, these themes and outcomes can be applied to a range of different works that can be found in high schools across North America.

Individual Projects

• Shannon — Selection and Censorship
• Ellis — The Catcher in the Rye: Theory and Reception
• Annie — Into the Wild: The merits of non-fiction in English classrooms
• Ashlee — Strategies and Methods for Teaching Holocaust Literature
• Melanie — Indigenous Knowledge Frameworks in ELA Classrooms
• Ilana — To Kill a Mockingbird: Criticism and Pedagogy
• Natasha — Much Ado About Nothing: A catalyst for the exploration of gender inequality