"Teaching English by Design" is two books in one: a primer for teaching secondary English and a comprehensive guide to creating and using four to six-week instructional units. Peter Smagorinsky shares important insight about students, how they learn, and what kinds of classrooms support their achievement in reading and writing. Then he uses those findings to open up the key ideas of unit design to every teacher. Smagorinsky's units are organized around key concepts in English, such as reading strategies; writing strategies; genres; periods, regions, and movements in literature; themes; and the works of a significant author. From original idea to construction, to implementation and beyond, Smagorinsky's practical advice supports teachers in extending, connecting, and integrating their units to increase the cohesion and power of the curriculum. After a foreword by Leila Christenbury, this book is organized into three sections: (1) Teaching with Students in Mind; (2) Teaching Writing within a Unit Design; and (3) Designing the Conceptual Unit.