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last.updated 11.25.07

Presentation 4–Abstracts

Felicia

How to Critically Analyze a Text
For this pedagogical presentation I will be giving a mini lesson designed for 12th grade students. This particular lesson focuses on teaching students how to actually critically analyze a text by probing for specific information found within the text. Students will work together in groups to critically analyze images that I will provide them with. Students will put into practice key concepts and skills that have been introduced to them prior in the unit about the process of critical analysis.

My goals for this lesson include that students are able to:

• Understand what critical analysis is and apply it within lesson
• Critically think and read beyond the literal meaning of text
• Analyze the text in a systematic manner
• Analyze texts of different genres (for this lesson images)

Prior to this lesson, students will have defined critical analysis as well the key concepts: logic, argument, thesis, evidence, purpose, and style. These terms will be used within this lesson. Also, students were taught five simple steps to begin to critically analyze a text and were given a handout for further aid with analysis that will be used in conjunction with this lesson.

This lesson fits into my overall unit plan which is entirely about critical analysis with an emphasis on writing a critical analysis and film review paper at the end of the unit because it acts a building block within the unit. This lesson occurs early in the unit, on day three, and since the components of critical analysis are apart of the Virginia SOLs for 11th and 12th grade students, my unit is not introductory. Instead my unit acts as refresher in the beginning and later focuses on exposing students to many different genres of texts such as film to sharpen their critically analysis skills.

Steven

This unit, geared toward 10th Grade English, will concentrate on persuasive writing in which the student will write in a variety of forms, edit writing, and critique peer writing. A focus will be placed on persuasive rhetoric that will be applicable in social and business communities. In order to draw on students’ personal experiences and expose them to practical applications, the class will receive related assignments in journal writing, their responses of which will provide pre-writing for the informal and formal letter writing assignments they will receive in this unit..

The part of the lesson that I will be presenting will take place after the journal writing assignment, to give details about something previously given to them, whether a material object or an act of kindness that they appreciated, has been completed. I will begin with a review of the previously taught dynamics of persuasive writing which include: knowing your audience, setting and maintaining the desired tone, and establishing credibility.

Using today’s journal response as a starting point, the students will each write a “Thank You” note for the material object or act of kindness they received. While maintaining a tone of complete sincerity, the notes are to include personalized greetings and language that indicates that the gifts were truly appreciated. The students will be advised that these notes will be peer-edited and read aloud to the class for critical review.

Tia

The lesson plan that I will be using from my unit is Week 2, Day 2 and it will be taught to a classroom of 6th grade Language Arts students. My lesson will be following VA-SOL.ENG.6.4.D: Describe how word choice and imagery contribute to the meaning of the text. My goal is to illustrate to my students the importance of imagery and word choice when writing a story or composition. I want them to be able to understand how it affects the reader’s perception. I will begin by stating the class objectives: learning about imagery, reviewing Flowers for Algernon, and creating a different setting for Charly, the main character of the novel, by using imagery. I will provide the class with a handout about the importance of imagery and word choice in writing. I will also use “A Civil Rights Poem” as a good example of how important imagery is to writing. For this lesson, I and my class will need the whiteboard, an Imagery handout, an Instructional handout, a lesson plan, and visuals about imagery. This lesson will fit into my overall unit because it a significant element of comprehending narrative text. This helps the student understand what is needed in their writing to accomplish proper comprehension from its readers. It is also a subdivision of VA-SOL.ENG.6.4: The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The lesson aids in improving comprehension in reading and writing and also corresponds with the curriculum.

Tiffany