Chris Street

Teaching with the Newspaper

he newspaper is a source of up-toT date and compelling information that teachers can use to teach current events. While textbook publishers are scrambling to add information about the terrorist attacks of September 1 1 and their aftermath to new editions of social studies textbooks, many of the millions of Americans who turn to their daily papers as sources of news are students, eager to learn more about the events that have shaken our country. Now more than ever, newspapers supplement the traditional textbook, serving as “living textbooks” from which students can learn the “concepts and generalizations underlying the social studies program” (DeRoche 1991, 131). Reading newspapers can help students to develop their reading, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills. In this article, I discuss why it makes sense for social studies educators to use newspapers in their classrooms. I also present information about the Newspaper in Education (NIC) program and explain how interested teachers can get reduced cost-or even free-newspa-

A Reluctant Writer's Entry Into a Community of Writers

By drawing upon numerous real-world experiences with reluctant writers, the author illustrates how tapping their interests can lead to improved writing skills and attitudes toward writing. The critical link between identity and writing is emphasized. Though the experiences in this article are drawn from the authors work with basic writers at the community college level, the article is applicable for writing teachers of all levels. The author presents both practical applications and research-based responses to many of the issues facing teachers who are charged with the task of improving the writing skills of reluctant writers.