ABSTRACT
Teachers build meaning with the classic texts, falling in love with characters and themes by teaching them year after year. Our students, tackling a text for the first time, need help building meaningful connections with the themes and characters. An exemplary method of providing students with opportunities for building connections lies in partnering classic works with contemporary nonfiction reading. Similarly, pairing contemporary or futuristic novels with historical documents and events mirroring the themes present in both empowers students with the knowledge to appreciate the big picture. In order for teachers and students to tackle the big picture, a teacher must accept the necessity of constructing knowledge through choice excerpts. By organizing lessons and units in this way, students are exposed to even more texts. This pacing and variety forces students to draw their own conclusions on the basis of personal comparisons, reading, and research rather than skimmed plot summaries. There are no shortcuts for students when critical thinking is the objective.
