Analyzes the role of both classic texts (e.g. Sophocles' Antigone, Homer's The Odyssey) and contemporary short fiction (e.g. Junot Diaz's Drown, Sherman Alexie's The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, Gloria Naylor's The Men of Brewster Place) in promoting adolescents' contemplation of important moral and ethical issues. Also includes selections from these primary texts as well as from education scholars such as Noddings, Tatum, Damon, and others. Class discussion will focus on both the primary texts themselves and relevant educational research, and attempts will be made to synthesize the two into a refined literary pedagogy. 4 cr, 2nd sem.