Date of Award

1989

Type

Thesis

Major

Specialist in Education

Degree Type

Special Degree in Education

Department

Teacher Education

First Advisor

Dr. Anita Whitman

Second Advisor

Dr. Jim Brewbaker

Third Advisor

Dr. Lenemaja Friedman

Abstract

This project provides teachers a method of teaching thinking skills to students through the use of specific adolescent novels. Thirty novels were selected with an attempt at an even distribution between male and female protagonists, first and third person point of view. A large number of novels were examined to determine the presence or absence of protagonists whose thinking abilities determined their actions .

Thirty novels were found to have protagonists who demonstrated good thinking abilities in several of the ways targeted by the NCTE publication "Essentials in English." Characters' demonstration of specific thinking skills was noted on an identification scale. Another section of the assessment consisted of noting male or female protagonist, first or third person point of view, and finally, the reading level of the novel as determined by applying the Fry Readability Graph. An annotated bibliographical entry for each novel provides the teacher a plot summary and a notation of the specific thinking skills exhibited by the protagonist of each novel as well as reading level, sex of protagonist, and point of view.

In the study, targeted characters were found to exhibit the use of good thinking processes which could make them positive role models for students learning to think logically and productively. The bibliography provides several examples for each of the eight kinds of thinking skills chosen for inclusion in the identification scale.

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