So what do you think? Writing a review
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=876
A lesson plan for grades 9–12 English Language Arts
In this lesson that can be used at the conclusion of any in–class reading assignment, students study sample reviews of movies, music, restaurants, and books in preparation for writing their own critical review of literature. Students evaluate professional reviews of familiar books in order to understand author’s tone and voice, word choice, sentence structure, use of detail, and the skill of combining informative writing with personal narrative. After discussing these reviews, students produce their own original review of a book read in class and present it to classmates. Lesson offers a variety of options for publication of student work.
Goals of this assignment include:
- reading a variety of reviews on multiple topics.
- determining the qualities and characteristics of an effective review.
- using critical thinking skills to formulate individual opinions about a writer’s work.
- applying personal knowledge to write original reviews.
- comparing student ideas and work to that of professional reviewers.
ReadWriteThink provides handouts that explain components of a review, methods for effective classroom discussion, example student reviews, guidelines and checklists for reviews, and self-reflection resources.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
English Language Arts (2004)
Grade 9
- Goal 4: The learner will create and use standards to critique communication.
- Objective 4.02: Read and critique various genres by:
- using preparation, engagement, and reflection strategies appropriate for the text.
- identifying and using standards to evaluate aspects of the work or the work as a whole.
- judging the impact of different stylistic and literary devices on the work.
- Objective 4.03: Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print critical texts appropriate to grade level and course literary focus, by:
- selecting, monitoring, and modifying as necessary reading strategies appropriate to readers' purpose.
- identifying and analyzing text components (such as organizational structures, story elements, organizational features) and evaluating their impact on the text.
- providing textual evidence to support understanding of and reader's response to text.
- demonstrating comprehension of main idea and supporting details.
- summarizing key events and/or points from text.
- making inferences, predicting, and drawing conclusions based on text.
- identifying and analyzing personal, social, historical or cultural influences, contexts, or biases.
- making connections between works, self and related topics.
- analyzing and evaluating the effects of author's craft and style.
- analyzing and evaluating the connections or relationships between and among ideas, concepts, characters and/or experiences.
- identifying and analyzing elements of critical environment found in text in light of purpose, audience, and context.
- Objective 4.02: Read and critique various genres by:
Grade 10
- Goal 4: The learner will critically interpret and evaluate experiences, literature, language, and ideas.
- Objective 4.03: Analyze the ideas of others by identifying the ways in which writers:
- introduce and develop a main idea.
- choose and incorporate significant, supporting, relevant details.
- relate the structure/organization to the ideas.
- use effective word choice as a basis for coherence.
- achieve a sense of completeness and closure.
- Objective 4.03: Analyze the ideas of others by identifying the ways in which writers:
