1. Essay 4: Response Essay
Responding to Reading

2. Start by Reading Critically
Not about finding fault with author
Rather engaging author in a discussion by asking questions as you read an article or essay
Requiring author to meet certain demands that employ good writing techniques:
Take GOOD NOTES

3. Author’s Name and title of Article
Summary: List main ideas, key features, examples, and evidence the author may provide
Response:
Log your reaction to each main point, record your comments, and questions

4. Purpose of this Essay
To understand an author’s main idea and purpose for work
To recognize the main points that support that main idea
To be able to summarize(paraphrase) author’s main ideas
To be able to respond or react to what the author has to say (to support or defend your point of view)

5. Preparing the Summary Cite the author and the title of the text
Indicate the main ideas of the text
Paraphrase and Quote main ideas; quote sparingly, use key words, phrases, and sentences
Be objective

6. Response Your opinion of the author’s ideas Do you agree or disagree
How well is the essay or article written?

7. Structuring Your response
Requires your reaction to the text and your interpretation of the text
A response of this nature will react to the ideas or the argument
Simply, do you agree with the author?
Why or why not?
Provide evidence based on your experiences to support your reaction

8. 3 ways to provide evidence to support your response
Your response requires that you provide evidence to support your opinion, whether you agree or disagree with the author
Consider what sort of evidence will best support your statements: personal experience, evidence from text, outside sources

9. 1. Personal Experience
Use personal experience as examples to demonstrate why you interpret the text the way you do, why you react the way you do, why you agree or disagree
I strongly disagree with so and so’s first point based on my own high school experience, especially in my History class.
Look at Abramowitz’s essay for examples of her personal experiences.

10. 2. Evidence from the text
Cite specific phrases or sentences from the text to support your:
explanation of the text
analysis of the effectiveness of the text
response to the text (why you agree or disagree)

11. 3. Evidence from other texts
Acceptable to bring in ideas and information from other texts
Your prior knowledge
No research required for this assignment
Cite sources if you do use borrow material from other sources
Look at Abramowitz’s essay for examples of her using outside texts or sources.

12. Introduction Brief introduction that will state these items:
Title of the article or essay; Name of author; Place of publication
Any key information you might know about author to help establish author’s credibility
State author’s main idea
Thesis: a well thought out statement stating your main point about the article or essay.

13. Body Organization: Block
Pattern 1
I. Introduction with thesis
II. Summary of main point
III. Points You agree with
IV. Points you disagree with
Conclusion

14. Body Organization: Point by Point
I. Introduction with thesis
Summarize point 1; agree or disagree
Summarize point 2; agree or disagree
Summarized point 3; agree or disagree
Conclusion
Note: you do not need to agree or disagree with all points

15. Conclusion End essay with a summary of your response
You can add a new perspective about the article, author, or topic

16. Important things to remember
Make sure to give reasons why you disagree
Give examples, personal experience, facts, any previous experience or knowledge you can draw upon to support your opinion
Based on my experience with boys in class in high school
Try to avoid over using “I agree” and “I disagree”

17. Respond to major points:
Points you agree with(Students will list) 1 2 3
Experiences or knowledge that support your agreement

18. Respond to major points:
Points you disagree with 1 2 3
Experiences or knowledge that support your agreement