Return to Unit Two:TR |
Class Plan -- Unit Two, Day 17 |
Assignment for Day 18
Reading - [For their homework, have students read ahead in preparation for the text
analyses they will be doing on their own. In other words, assign the two readings from the course
packet which will be the topics of discussion for Day 19. You might also ask students to
annotate these readings, particularly in terms of some of the things that come to mind after having
practiced text analysis in class using the handout.]
Activities
Discussion of Mainstream Magazine Article Begin by discussing the answer to the questions you gave students for homework for today. Focus particularly on how they came up with their answers. Emphasize aspects of the text as well as other parts of the publication (table of contents, cover, ads) that help them answer the questions. The main goal is to get them to think about who the target audience is, what underlying values and assumptions the text and its context reveal, and how this text/context might differ from other texts/contexts dealing with similar (or the same) subject matter.
In this discussion, you might also emphasize that their ability to respond to at least SOME of the homework questions indicates that they already know something about how to analyze a text. On one level, they do it intuitively every time they decide to read (or not to read, as the case may be) a piece of writing. This process of text analysis becomes more complicated and difficult as students' familiarity with the type of text lessens. Explain to them that they will be looking at different types of texts, all of them arguably more complex than this one. DailyLook again at the second article you read for today [the more academic piece]. What is the purpose of this piece of writing? Who is the intended audience? (In other words, to what particular TYPE of person does the author seem to be writing?) What are some of the details in the articles that clued you into this?
General Discussion of Article Spend a few minutes checking comprehension of the article your students have read for today, based on the daily they have just written and any other questions you have prepared which ask them to talk in very general terms about the topic and purpose of the text. This is so that everyone will be on the same page at the beginning of the text Anaysis.
Group Activity: Text Analysis Explain that today (and in the next class),
you will be practicing text analysis as a class. Review (briefly) the sections of the text analysis
handout, then put up instructions like the following.
(Give students at least 20 minutes to work in groups.)
While students are working, you will want to circulate among their groups and try to help them with any problems they are having with particular questions or with the whole process of text analysis. Toward the end of the period, try to gauge how much time the different groups are going to need next class to finish this activity.
Discussion of Questions/Problems So Far. Ask students which questions so far were hard to answer and why. Try to help them to understand what the questions are asking. Explain once again that they will spend a few minutes completing this analysis in groups next time (if necessary).
Explain reading assignment (and absence of writing assignment) for next class.