Canadian Content has a long history as one of Canada?s leading composition readers and is known as the respected standard in the market. This book is designed to develop the reading, analytical, and writing skills of post-secondary students who are studying composition for practical purposes: they need to write academic papers now, and they will need to write professional prose in the workplace. Unlike its competitors, Canadian Content arranges the readings within each unit in ascending order of difficulty, so instructors can easily identify readings appropriate to their students? skill levels. All of the pieces are well written, relevant to student interests, and engaging. Some are humorous, some are serious, and a few are provocative. Two-thirds of the readings are by Canadian writers, and many touch on the experience of being Canadian. These essays range across the Canadian geographical, cultural, and demographic maps. Each reading is preceded by a short biographical note and followed by contextual definitions of unusual words and phrases and by two sets of analytical questions: the first set ("Structure and Strategy") leads students to an understanding of the essay?s structure and style; the second set ("Content and Purpose") leads them to a deeper understanding of the essay?s meaning. These questions can be used to guide class discussion, small-group work, or independent analysis. In addition to the 63 readings, Canadian Content includes instruction on reading and writing to be understood, and instruction in seven rhetorical modes as well as additional essays that combine modes.
