Abstract: “Nothing Stranger†is a collection of dystopian short stories concerned with themes of motherhood and violence submitted for consideration as a creative dissertation at the University of Tennessee.
This project investigated the connection between literature circles and student engagement in middle school English classes. This study shows that literature circles can cause increases in students' behavioural, emotional and cognitive engagement in reading, and English. It adds to existing local and international research into effective middle school pedagogies, student voice, and reading strategies.
Ultimately, the English language arts classroom seeks to help make students “literate†members of society. Due to the dominance of images in twenty-first century communication, the term “literate†has also slowly shifted to include an individual’s ability to...