Mastering the Art of Review Writing

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

"Mastering the Art of Review Writing"

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to understand the basic rules of writing a review of a novel and know how to distinguish a good review.

Introduce the learning objective of the lesson to the students.

What do you already know about writing a review of a novel?

What is a book review?

1. A review of the author's personal life.
2. A list of characters in a book.
3. A critical evaluation of a book's content, style, and value.
4. A summary of a book's plot.

The Basic Structure of a Review

A review should have an introduction, a brief summary of the book, an analysis of the book's strengths and weaknesses, and a conclusion.

Explain the basic structure of a book review and the importance of each section.

Introduction

The introduction should grab the reader's attention and provide some background information about the book. It should also include the author's name and the title of the book.

Explain how to write an effective introduction and provide examples.

Summary

The summary should be brief and provide an overview of the book's plot and characters. It should not include any spoilers.

Explain how to write a summary that is concise and informative.

Analysis of Strengths

The analysis of strengths should highlight what the reviewer liked about the book, such as the writing style, characters, or plot. Use examples from the book to support your opinion. 

Also: feel free to exaggerate (/ lie a little).

Provide examples of how to analyze the strengths of a book and encourage students to share their opinions.

Analysis of Weaknesses

The analysis of weaknesses should identify what the reviewer did not like about the book, such as confusing plot points or unlikable characters. Again, use examples from the book to support your opinion.

Provide examples of how to analyze the weaknesses of a book and encourage students to share their opinions.

Conclusion

The conclusion should summarize the reviewer's opinion of the book and offer a recommendation to potential readers. It should also tie back to the introduction.

Explain how to write a conclusion that effectively summarizes the review and provides a recommendation.

Distinguishing a Good Review

A good review is well-written(*), offers insightful analysis, and provides a clear recommendation to potential readers.

(*)tip: add humour/personality 

Explain the characteristics of a good review and encourage students to identify these characteristics in sample reviews.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Common mistakes in writing a review include giving away spoilers, summarizing the book too much, and not providing enough analysis.

Highlight common mistakes to avoid and provide tips for how to fix them.

Time left?

Have students read example reviews from literary websites. Links will be shared in Magister/Teams/Classroom (depending on the teacher). 

Encourage them to pay attention to the basic structure and analysis of strengths and weaknesses.

Provide time for students to work on their reviews and offer feedback and guidance as needed.

Right, let's get to it!

During the next two English classes you're asked to bring a charged laptop and - if possible - your English reading book.

You will have 2 x 50 minutes to write a dashing personal review of your novel. No ChatGPT, but actual thoughts from your actual brains transfered to a document. 

Provide time for students to share their reviews and offer feedback and guidance as needed. Encourage discussion and dialogue.

Good luck!

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.