Developmental English: Additional thoughts about IHIK

This blog contains many IHIK exercises for elementary and secondary school library media specialists and social studies teachers to supplement their coursework. However, IHIK has also drawn admirers teaching community college or adult education developmental English.

"I picked up your book at Border's yesterday and will read it over break. Congratulations again! The book may work as a supplementary text to my course packet. I would have 3 or 4 assignments in which the students read an article I chose. We would have class discussion and choices of 3 writing topics suggested by the chapter. In ENC 090, I tell my students to NOT do research, so the writing topics would be personal narratives or reflections. For example, if it was about Jane Todd Crawford and Ephraim McDowell, I might ask them to write about a time they remember going to a clinic or hospital for an immunization, to deliver a baby, have a broken arm set, etc.

I also would do 1 or 2 assignments in which the student would choose a chapter rather than read one I picked. "Imagine yourself as a contemporary of _____ (the most important person in the chapter). Based on the chapter and nothing else, describe what you think might be a typical day in your life. Give as many details as you can -- about dress, food, housing, leisure time, work, etc. If you met ______, what do you think you would have talked about?"

Best wishes for the holidays!"

Nancy Gall-Clayton
EES Instructor for JCPS Adult and Continuing Education
Jefferson Community & Technical College Humanities Adjunct in Developmental Writing
Louisville, KY