Title: Choose Your Side
Rationale: As a teacher, I would at sometime like to have students write reviews of a show, a movie, a meal, or something that they are passionate about, positively or negatively. This activity will give students the opportunity to read a few well-written reviews of the movie Avatar, which I assume they will have all seen, and see where people divide on their opinions of it. If by the time that we are teaching a movie has come out that gets the amount of hype as Avatar did (did someone say Avatar Part Deux?) use that instead to avoid being called a 26 year old dinosaur.
Procedure: At the beginning of class, ask students what movies they have seen recently, theater or elsewhere. Then ask them to give their review of it in 30 seconds or less. Do this for two or three students. Next, ask students if they have seen Avatar, but be sure to emphasize that you will not be watching it before the barrage of whining starts. Have students hold up as many fingers on one hand that they feel Avatar deserved. You will probably get a lot of fours and fives. If you do get a one or a two, put that student on the spot and encourage them to voice their opinion, assuring them that many people disliked the movie for a number of reasons. Next, ask one student to offer their favorable review.
Next, hand out the reviews pasted below and have students read them closely highlighting where the reviewer hails the movie, and where they assail the movie. The first review is positive, the second negative.
Bring the reviews the the big group and discuss the differing opinions. Next, bring up a few debatable issue/things (issues could include open lunches, things could include bicycles/bicycles on the road)
This should lead you nicely into an assignment on taking a stance on something whether it be for a review or any other argumentative essay.
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091211/REVIEWS/912119998/1023
http://moviechopshop.com/2009/12/31/most-overrated-movie-of-2009-avatar/
Idea retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com/list_6373895_fun-reading-activities-high-school.html
Rational for use: I had already planned on using a similar activity for film and theatre reviews in my class, but I love that Ted also incorporates food and other passions of the student. That would not be the first thing that came into my mind. This idea opens up all kind of possibilities for activities surrounding opinion based work.
ReplyDeleteFor a pre-reading activity, I think this would be an excellent scaffolding exercise for a post reading assignment where students would be asked to write an opinion editorial about a text after finishing the text.