Since you have more recently experienced the undergraduate curriculum of English Education than Ric, he would most appreciate your thoughts on how to teach these students in a way that both draws on current best practices and that aligns with his philosophy regarding the teaching of literature and language. To help him, and his students out, work through the tasks below.

Task One:
Think about current literature, fiction and non-fiction, that you might incorporate into Ric's class, Current Language and Literature. Choose a single text that could anchor a critical inquiry unit in this class. To complete Tasks Two and Three, it will be best to choose a text that everyone in your group is familiar with; perhaps you might choose a text read for one of your methods or literature courses in common. After deciding on a single text to anchor a unit, brainstorm a list of supplementary texts visual, audio, text, or otherwise that you might incorporate into this unit.

Task Two:
Now that your group has selected an anchor text, discuss the rationale you would share with Ric regarding your selection. What critical inquiry approaches would you employ to teach this unit? What questions, ideas, themes, and/or issues would ground the unit? Why did you choose to incorporate the supplemental texts that you did? In discussing your ideas, bear in mind the demographic of students in Ric's class, along with Ric's and your own vision for the course, and discuss how the course will service these students. Focus on the why of teaching in this discussion.

Task Three:
It is now time to focus on the how of teaching. Discuss the particular strategies and activities you would use in teaching this unit to this demographic of students. Ultimately, share with Ric how you would scaffold and sequence the unit, as well as how you would employ at least three different areas of inquiry in the teaching of the unit. Be sure to offer your rationale as to why these strategies and activities will likely work well with this demographic of students.

As you complete this task, know that you helped a teacher and many students! Thank you!