Lesson Plan #12
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for offline reference.
Critical Writing: Arts Reviews
GRADE LEVEL
Grades 7 to 12
CURRICULUM
Language Arts, Journalism, Arts, Music
OVERVIEW OF LESSON PLAN
Each year, English teachers will ask their students to write
book reports, essays that review and critique a novel that they
are studying in class. If your students approach book reports
with limited enthusiasm, you might want to try another way to
introduce the concepts of critical writing. Using the SchoolNet
News Network's website: http://www.snn-rdr.ca/snn/
with this lesson plan will encourage your students to become
arts and entertainment writers!
MATERIALS AND PREPARATION
ACTIVITIES/PROCEDURES
1. Give out copies of Comparison of Book Review
and Arts/Entertainment. List points to be covered in a book
report. Compare that with what needs to be covered in doing an
article.
2. Handout reviews by SNN Student Reporters. Ask student
to review the article and discuss whether the article follows
the guidelines as outlined in Comparison of Book Review and
Arts/Entertainment.
3. Ask students to select a book/cd/art/performance
of their choice (or teachers choice). Do assignment sheet for
students. Review with students the components of writing an article
(see SNN Writing Guide).
Their article should answer the 5 W's: Who, What, When, Where,
Why (and sometimes How). Tell them about the inverted pyramid.
This means that articles should be written with the most important
information first and the least important last.
4. WRAP-UP/ HOMEWORK: Students are to do
a review on subject chosen by them on the assignment sheet. They
are to use the information provided in Comparison of Book
Review and Arts/Entertainment and SNN Writing Guide.
Reviews can be submitted to their own school newspaper or an online youth
ezine for publication.
EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT:
Students will be evaluated on in-class participation and their
written book/entertainment review.
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