Critical Literacy: Women in 19th-Century Literature

Overview

Featured Resources

From Theory to Practice

 

OVERVIEW

Introduce students to fundamental ideas of critical literacy through a reading and critical analysis of two pieces of literature from the 1800s, focusing on each author's intent and intended audience. Students first read and discuss two chapters from a story by Louisa May Alcott. Each student then chooses a literary piece for individual analysis from the online archives of a popular magazine from that era. After reading and studying the two selections, students write an essay in which they compare each author's purpose and voice.

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FEATURED RESOURCES

• Interactive Venn Diagram: This handy online tool allows students to easily sort information into a visual aid.
  
  
• Compare & Contrast Map: This map provides an additional way to visually plot out the information students find within the text.

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FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

McLaughlin, M., & DeVoogd, G. (2004). Critical literacy as comprehension: Expanding reader response. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 48(1), 52–62.

• Critical literacy helps teachers and students expand their reasoning, seek out multiple perspectives, and become active thinkers.
  
  
• Critical literacy focuses on issues of power and promotes reflection, transformation, and action. It challenges the ideal or commonplace for the purpose of relieving inequity and injustice.
  
  
• Critical literacy recognizes the complexity of problems, rather than accepting simple explanations or solutions.
  
  
• By examining texts from a variety of viewpoints, students learn to appreciate multiple points of view and develop their ability to read from a critical stance.
  
  
• Students can learn to become active, critical readers and thinkers.

 

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