ENGLISH  

TWELFTH GRADE

Module - Lesson 4

Skill: Writing (Critique two forms of writing)

Instruction:

1.    This lesson will introduce you to critic literature forms.

2.    Read the information given on diverse types (forms) of writing.

3.    Complete the exercises given.

4.    If you need assistance ask your instructor.

HOW TO WRITE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY

When writing an autobiography, you focus on three major things: who you are in life, what life means to you and what your outlook on the future is.

"Autobiographies have been written since A.D. 400 when an early Christian leader, Saint Augustine, wrote his." An autobiography is information about one's own life written by that one person. In it, it tells what that person's life is all about. When writing your own autobiography, use interesting facts to explain as much about yourself as you can.

The first thing you do when writing an autobiography is start off with a lot of facts about your life; for example, when and where you were born, where you live (city and state), where you go to school and who you live with. You have to give a lot of information so your reader can clearly understand what is going on. Once you have written this introduction, you are ready to start your first paragraph of the autobiography.

Who you are in life?

The best way to start an autobiography is to state your name. When you are writing this paragraph, you usually explain the type of person you are; use facts about yourself such as: have you won any awards? What types of awards have you won? Did you finish school? Do you plan on going to college?

What life means to you?

This is now your second paragraph. In this paragraph you should state how you see life--what does life mean to you. Are you happy or sad? Do you have a lot of friends or just a few? How do you make your school days go by? Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend? What are your favorite places to go on dates? How long have you been dating? If you are involved in a relationship, do you think it will last forever?

What is your outlook on the future?

In this paragraph you should explain what you think the future will be like. Pick a year and explain how it will be but explain it through your eyes. Where will you be? How will you be living? Will you be married? Will there be any kids? Who will you be married to? What is he/she like? How long will you have been together?

Conclusion

The conclusion is the last paragraph of your autobiography and an important one, too. In the conclusion you usually try to re-word the introduction and add some type of closure to bring the whole autobiography together.

(Taken from: http://www.sarasota.k12.fl.us/bhs/bryan/bryan_auto.html )

MOVIE REVIEW

A movie review serves the purposes of telling people a movie's storyline, what characters are in the film, and whether or not people should see it.

To do a movie review you first have to see the movie. Sometimes it is a good idea to see it twice. This is so you can fully understand the film and can provide an accurate review. You should bring with you a pen and notebook for notes. This is so you can identify and quote characters. You can also write down the plot as it develops.

A movie's storyline is very important. If it is too complicated people will lose interest; likewise, if it is not complicated enough, people will also lose interest. That is why people want to know what the plot is about. So say you are doing a review. For example, we will use I Know What You Did Last Summer. People want to know what the plot is, so you are going to tell them. In this case, the plot is about four close friends who accidentally kill a man. At least they think they killed him. A year later someone finds out what they did "last summer" and is going to make them pay.

Characters can make or break a movie. If there is someone famous or well-known in a movie people will most likely go see it. For example, Scream 2 starring Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courtney Cox will probably be a hit just because of the characters. That is why people want to know who is in the film. If a movie starring unknown characters came out, who would want to see it? (Well, some may!) It is very easy to get the names of the characters in a movie. After the movie is over you can copy their names from the credits.

Last but not least is the critic's opinion of the movie. This is probably the most important part of the review. People want to know whether or not the movie is worth seeing, and that's what the critic ends the review with. To do this go back to your notes. Ask yourself the following:

1. Does the movie keep your attention? (This is where the plot comes in.)

2. Give your opinion about the acting. Was it good or bad?

3. How was the action or special effects?

4. Would you see the film again?

You could probably ask more questions; however, you don't want to get too complicated. These questions, your notes and your opinion are all you need to make a movie review.

(Taken from: http://www.sarasota.k12.fl.us/bhs/bryan/bryan_movie.html )

Exercise I

Write an autobiography. Remember to go back to the information given at the beginning of this lesson for any help.

Exercise II

Write a movie review on any movie that you have seen. Remember to go back to the information given at the beginning of this lesson for any help needed.

Movie title: _______________________________________________

A biography is a written account of the series of events that make up a person's life.

Every student will write a biography at some point, but the level of detail and sophistication will differ. A fourth grade biography will be much different from a middle school-level biography or a high school or college-level biography.

However, each biography will include the basic details. The first information you should gather in your research will include biographical details and facts. You must use a trustworthy resource to ensure that your information is accurate.

Using research note cards, collect the following data, carefully recording the source for each piece of information:

Basic details include:

·        Date and place of birth and death

·        Family information

·        Lifetime accomplishments

·        Major events of life

·        Effects/impact on society, historical significance

While this information is necessary to your project, these dry facts, on their own, don't really make a very good biography. Once you've found these basics, you'll want to dig a little deeper.

You choose a certain person because you think he or she is interesting, so you certainly don't want to burden your paper with an inventory of boring facts. Your goal is to impress your reader!

You'll want to start off with great first sentence.

It's a good idea to begin with a really interesting statement, a little known fact, or really intriguing event.

You should avoid starting out with a standard but boring line like:

"Meriwether Lewis was born in Virginia in 1774."

Instead, try starting with something like this:

"Late one afternoon in October, 1809, Meriwether Lewis arrived at a small log cabin nestled deep in the Tennessee Mountains. By sunrise on the following day, he was dead, having suffered gunshot wounds to the head and chest.

You'll have to make sure your beginning is motivating, but it should also be relevant. The next sentence or two should lead in to your thesis statement, or main message of your biography.

"It was a tragic end to a life that had so deeply affected the course of history in the United States. Meriwether Lewis, a driven and often tormented soul, led an expedition of discovery that expanded a young nation's economic potential, increased its scientific understanding, and enhanced its worldwide reputation."

Now that you've created an impressive beginning, you'll want to continue the flow. Find more intriguing details about the man and his work, and weave them into the composition.

Examples of interesting details:

·        Some people believed that Lewis and Clark would encounter elephants in the western wilderness, having misunderstood the wooly mammoth bones discovered in the United States.

·        The expedition resulted in the discovery and description of 122 new animal species and subspecies.

·        Lewis was a hypochondriac.

·        His death is still an unsolved mystery, although it was ruled a suicide.

You can find interesting fact by consulting diverse sources.

Fill the body of your biography with material that gives insight to your subject's personality. For instance, in a biography about Meriwether Lewis, you would ask what traits or events motivated him to embark on such a monumental exercise.

Questions to consider in your biography:

·        Was there something in your subject's childhood that shaped his/her personality?

·        Was there a personality trait that drove him/her to succeed or impeded his progress?

·        What adjectives would you use to describe him/her?

·        What were some turning points in this life?

·        What was his/her impact on history?

Be sure to use transitional phrases and words to link your paragraphs and make your composition paragraphs flow. It is normal for good writers to re-arrange their sentences to create a better paper.

The final paragraph will summarize your main points and re-assert your main claim about your subject. It should point out your main points, re-name the person you're writing about, but it should not repeat specific examples.

As always, proofread your paper and check for errors. Create a bibliography and title page according to your teacher's instructions. Consult a style guide for proper documentation.

Biography Research Tips

· How to Paraphrase

· Research Timeline

· Choosing a Topic

Parts of a Biography Paper

· Five First Sentences

· Introductory Paragraph

· The Last Paragraph

Exercise III

Write a biography of an important political figure.

Exercise IV

Write an essay that states the differences between a biography and an autobiography.