I only assign 2 journal entries for the novel unit, and I usually find this one of the most interesting assignments as I get to have a bit of a dialogue with you about your novel. Please keep the following in mind when it comes to journal writing:
1. Writing in response to reading without a goal of deeper understanding is a waste of time (yours and mine)
2. Your goals are to:
a) personalize the story (make it more meaningful for you)
b) gain insights about characters
c) see the world in a different way
3. The main point of journal writing is to clarify your thoughts by committing your thinking to paper.
Please choose a quote or a passage from your novel (include page number) and explain the connection you have made to it. How does the connection you have made help you understand more about the book?
Today you need to post your own journal entry, and respond to two other people in your LIT circle group. As always, proper grammar, spelling, punctuation etc. applies. Finally, make sure you are linked to everyone else who is reading the same novel.
Please include your novel title in your blog title. Example: Journal #1: The Kite Runner
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Writing a Review
Your blog topic today is to write a review for a book, movie, television series, song, album, video game,website, or for the performance of your favourite sports team this season. Below are some tips on how to approach your review. For more details you can go to the sites that these ideas were taken from. Links to both sites are on this blog under "helpful websites". You are allowed to write a positive or a negative review.
1. Know what a review is. A review is not a recap of a TV episode or the plot of a book. It isn't just listing the different features in a PC game or what songs are on a new CD. Those things might be included in your review, but they are not the main event. Writing critically means you must tell people what is good or bad about your subject matter, and you need to provide specific evidence to back up your opinion.
2. As yourself "what does the reader want to know"? Think of the questions that a reader is likely to ask themselves about a movie, book, or song.
3. Decide on the overall point that you want to get across to the reader. Decide on an overall basic opinion of the product, such as "A hilarious, if overly long movie. Just don't expect anything groundbreaking"...and use this as a frame for your review. Hang everything else off this one idea. How does the movie's acting influence this opinion? Why isn't the plot that groundbreaking?
4. Don't write about yourself; the review is about the band, book, movie, or whatever you're reviewing.
5. Ask yourself, "what makes my review unique?" What is your unique selling point for this particular "product"?
6. Compare to other similar products, but not too much!
7. Be specific. What is unique about the experience of watching this movie, cheering for this team, reading this novel, or listening to this band?
8. Don't be afraid to state the obvious. Your readers might not be as familiar with your subject as you are. Don't be afraid to give a little extra description about things that you already know.
9. Be honest.
1. Know what a review is. A review is not a recap of a TV episode or the plot of a book. It isn't just listing the different features in a PC game or what songs are on a new CD. Those things might be included in your review, but they are not the main event. Writing critically means you must tell people what is good or bad about your subject matter, and you need to provide specific evidence to back up your opinion.
2. As yourself "what does the reader want to know"? Think of the questions that a reader is likely to ask themselves about a movie, book, or song.
3. Decide on the overall point that you want to get across to the reader. Decide on an overall basic opinion of the product, such as "A hilarious, if overly long movie. Just don't expect anything groundbreaking"...and use this as a frame for your review. Hang everything else off this one idea. How does the movie's acting influence this opinion? Why isn't the plot that groundbreaking?
4. Don't write about yourself; the review is about the band, book, movie, or whatever you're reviewing.
5. Ask yourself, "what makes my review unique?" What is your unique selling point for this particular "product"?
6. Compare to other similar products, but not too much!
7. Be specific. What is unique about the experience of watching this movie, cheering for this team, reading this novel, or listening to this band?
8. Don't be afraid to state the obvious. Your readers might not be as familiar with your subject as you are. Don't be afraid to give a little extra description about things that you already know.
9. Be honest.
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