Article Teaching Students to Critique
Helping your students learn how to creatively critique each other's work.
Learning to revise is like building a muscle. The more variety in how you use it makes it stronger and more effective. In fact, the revision “muscle” can be even stronger with support from the arts.
The arts and writing engage in parallel processes of revision. In writing, it is called revision and in the performing arts it is called rehearsal. Both lead to a better end product. The writer revises to create a better essay and the performer revises to create better artwork. In addition, both revision and rehearsal teach process. In revising, students build skills in writing and in rehearsal students build skills in their art form.
Here are four useful tips for educators to try in the classroom:
Using the arts to support revising skills can be a powerful differentiation tool when instructing students. Their writing processes can be enriched by exploring ideas through dance or drawing. By complementing writing with the arts, opportunities abound for more thoughtful and meaningful learning.
Writer
Patti Saraniero
Editor
Lisa Resnick
Producer
Joanna McKee
Updated
October 8, 2019
Helping your students learn how to creatively critique each other's work.
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Introduction to self-assessment strategies involving observation and reflection.
In this 9-12 lesson, students will explore different cultures’ supernatural explanations for human existence. They will make comparisons between creation myths then write an original creation myth play script to perform for an audience.
In this 9-12 lesson, students will examine character as a significant element of fictional stories. They will learn methods of characterization, identify supporting details, and critique these methods in works of fiction. Students will apply methods of characterization with a quick write.
In this 6-8 lesson, students will analyze the characteristics of traditional folktales to write an original tale. They will use elements of folktales to develop their story and strengthen work through the writing process.
In this 6-8 lesson, students will engage in the writing process to create original fables and perform a skit. They will review the elements of a fable and develop an understanding of how to create a centralized focus in a narrative.
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