Students can be taught to interpret and write about literature by emphasizing the thinking skills or strategies involved. A series of activities emphasizes thinking skills since this is where textbook teaching methodologies sometimes get off track. The first activity is designed to find out where students are having difficulty in reading and interpreting literature. The following sequence of activities involves character analysis and attempts to help students learn to make inferences involving character analysis and translate interpretations into effective essays. The next activity, called "evidence extract," is designed to help students learn how to support a conclusion with evidence or data. "Warrant workout," the following activity, shows students the importance of providing a link between conclusions and evidence. In the next sequence of activities, students begin to apply the skills they have learned to an independent writing situation. Peer evaluation is used to help students revise their essays. These sequences of activities have been designed to systematically teach students important critical thinking strategies. (Twenty-nine references and an appendix containing activity sheets are attached.) (RS)