Paying attention to technology: Reviewing a technology
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=838
A lesson plan for grades 9–11 English Language Arts
In this lesson, students review a particular technology–anything from a cell phone to a webcam, or an ink pen to a satellite dish and write a review of the technology. After sharing a technology review with students, the teacher models how to analyze the review by working through a chart. Then, in small groups, students practice analyzing technology reviews using this process. As students share their reviews with the class, the teacher makes a list of common elements and characteristics of reviews. Once students have brainstormed a list of technologies, they select a technology, develop a rubric from their list of review characteristics, and begin a preliminary review based on the information they already know about the technology. Students then research their technologies using information from the library, online resources, and personal experience. Using either the guiding questions or the online interactive tool, students compose first drafts of their technology review. In groups of similar technologies, students read and edit each others’ papers and then work individually to revise and compose the final draft of their review. After a final reflective writing activity where students explore how people respond to technology, the reviews are submitted for assessment. Readwritethink provides helpful graphic organizers, guiding questions for the assignment and links to websites that review products and online interactive tools for reviewing a technology. This lesson suggests an extension activity and provides links to student-friendly, technology-focused web resources.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
English Language Arts (2004)
Grade 9
- Goal 2: The learner will explain meaning, describe processes, and answer research questions to inform an audience.
- Objective 2.01: Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print informational 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 informational environment found in text in light of purpose, audience, and context.
- Objective 2.01: Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print informational texts appropriate to grade level and course literary focus, by:
Grade 10
- Goal 2: The learner will evaluate problems, examine cause/effect relationships, and answer research questions to inform an audience.
- Objective 2.01: Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print informational 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 informational environment found in text in light of purpose, audience, and context.
- Objective 2.01: Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print informational texts appropriate to grade level and course literary focus, by:
Grade 11
- Goal 2: The learner will inform an audience by using a variety of media to research and explain insights into language and culture.
- Objective 2.03: Respond to informational texts by:
- using a variety of strategies for preparation, engagement, and reflection.
- paraphrasing main ideas and supporting details present in texts.
-explaining significant connections among the speaker's/author's purpose, tone, biases, and the message for the intended audience.
- Objective 2.03: Respond to informational texts by:
