Overview

This text was developed by three experienced English teachers, who also happen to be lawyers. The law provides a new dimension to popular literary themes, like justice, fairness and equality. These legal documents will enhance the discussion in the English/Language Arts classroom. With the Common Core State Standards' emphasis on incorporating primary documents of historical and literary significance, literature teachers have more opportunity than ever to use case law and other legal documents as texts. Each thematic unit includes essential questions, familiar fiction and nonfiction selections with connections to the theme, teaching notes, and relevant cases with before, during, and after-discussion questions. The text demonstrates not only the importance of the thoughtful selection of legal documents to meet state and national standards, but also includes new approaches to classic texts. With an easily accessible format, teachers will overcome any intimidation of case law and embrace the use of legal documents to enhance the literature in a new, insightful way.

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9781475822564

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Reviews

I was amazed that these three English teachers were also practicing attorneys. I was astounded when this unique trio merged the provocative elements of literature with actual law. Talk about real and relevant! Literature helps us ask and discuss difficult questions, and the law addresses what to do when someone makes a mistake. This textbook bridges the two fields in a fascinating, thought-provoking way that will enliven secondary classrooms across America. -- Joan F. Kaywell, PhD, Professor of English Education, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL Authors Oltman, Graff, and Maddux have written a masterful textbook for English teachers to use both as a supplemental source, but also as a main text in the high-school classroom. Law and Literature: A Novel Approach for the English Classroom calls upon the elements of fiction and non-fiction (character, plot, theme, tone, mood, diction) through the lens of contemporary legal themes: justice and injustice, fairness, mental illness, punishment, the concepts of freedom and reasonability, and others. Although the three authors are trained as lawyers, all have been teachers in the high-school English classroom; therefore, their ability to comingle legal cases, non-fiction writings, and traditional literature (including A Clockwork Orange, The Book Thief, The Bell Jar, A Raisin in the Sun, Native Sun, and others, plus contemporary fare, such as Hunger Games) is apt and provocative. With a writing style that is direct, easy-to-follow, and, at the same time, engaging, this textbook is a compelling resource for twenty-first century students faced with mass-media visuals of police-versus-populous unrest. -- Anne M. Cognard, PhD, Recipient of U.S. year-long Christa McAuliffe fellowship; Nebraska Teacher of the Year; U.S. State Department Teacher Ambassador to the Republic of Georgia; U.S. Education Department representative to Japan Law Meets Literature is a practical and inspiring resource that teachers can put to work immediately in their classrooms. As a retired litigator and current English teacher, I am impressed by the thoughtful work they've done organizing challenging material and diverse texts to tackle timeless American dilemmas. As an ELA coach, I am thrilled to have such deeply nuanced lessons so clearly set forth that I can confidently give them to any teacher and trust that they'll be meaningful in the classroom. -- Heather Eastwood, English Teacher, Mt. Eden High School, Hayward, CA

I was amazed that these three English teachers were also practicing attorneys. I was astounded when this unique trio merged the provocative elements of literature with actual law. Talk about real and relevant! Literature helps us ask and discuss difficult questions, and the law addresses what to do when someone makes a mistake. This textbook bridges the two fields in a fascinating, thought-provoking way that will enliven secondary classrooms across America. -- Joan F. Kaywell, PhD, Professor of English Education, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL

Author Information

Gretchen Oltman, JD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Leadership at Creighton University. She is a lawyer, author, and former high school English teacher. Johnna Graff, JD, is a 2004 graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Law. She is currently an English department chair and teacher at Lincoln Southeast High School and adjunct faculty at Nebraska Wesleyan University. Cynthia Maddux, JD, is a former practicing attorney and non-profit executive director. She is currently an English teacher at Lincoln North Star High School and adjunct faculty at Nebraska Wesleyan University.

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