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I'm looking for essays or short stories on what makes a place a community and/or a home. It will be assigned high school juniors and seniors in NYC for a seminar on displacement and gentrification. Ideally fiction, and preferably by a black author or another author of color. Does not necessarily have to be set in a city. Tx!
posted by anthropoid on Sep 2, 2018 - 4 answers

I'm teaching a unit on American horror fiction to 11th graders, and the curriculum I inherited is made up of 100% white, 100% male authors. I would like to to supplement that with other voices. I'm looking specifically for contemporary short horror fiction by American authors who are not dudes and / or not white. Again, we're talking high school kids, so nothing too graphic / inappropriate, but I am also willing to consider at least rubbing up against the boundaries of propriety. This is not an area in which I am at all well-read, so no suggestion should be considered too "obvious."
posted by dersins on Jan 28, 2017 - 28 answers

What are some short stories, books and movies that feature robots or artificial intelligence in prominent roles? Looking for accessible conversation starters; could be classic sci-fi or more contemporary stuff. This is for a high school class of students with a wide range of English skills and cultural backgrounds. We'd like to come up with a list that would have something appealing for everyone, and would be appropriate for a school setting. [more inside]
posted by beandip on Jan 12, 2014 - 32 answers

What are some interesting, unique, different and effective ways to teach figurative language to high schoolers? [more inside]
posted by guster4lovers on Oct 3, 2011 - 12 answers

I'm looking for fiction that is short(ish) and has happiness as a theme. By happiness, I mean any of the following: factors influencing happiness, someone gaining/losing happiness, pondering the meaning of happiness, money causing/preventing happiness, thinking something will make you happier and it does or doesn't, etc. Snowflake details inside. [more inside]
posted by guster4lovers on Aug 19, 2011 - 18 answers

a short story by a continental european writer that directly addresses or suggests conflicts within human nature-- the desire to perform "good" acts vs. our tendency (the temptation) to commit "evil" ones? [more inside]
posted by ronv on Mar 8, 2006 - 10 answers