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28 Other Responses to Literature

Page
235
from
Write Ahead

Other Responses to Literature Chapter Opener

Start-Up Activity

Share with students some scathing first responses to classic fiction:

  • "The shape of For Whom the Bell Tolls is sometimes slack and sometimes bulging. It is certainly quite a little too long." The New Republic

  • "Scott Fitzgerald’s new novel, The Great Gatsby, is in form no more than a glorified anecdote, and not too probable at that. . . . This story is obviously unimportant." The Chicago Tribune

  • "Miss Lee’s problem [in To Kill a Mockingbird] has been to tell the story she wants to tell and yet to stay within the consciousness of a child, and she hasn’t consistently solved it."

Ask if any students have read any of those books, and if so, what opinions they had. Help students realize that different readers respond to literature in different ways. Students will explore some of those ways in this chapter.

Also share with students other responses to literature.

Think About It

“[Walt] Whitman is as unacquainted with art as a hog is with mathematics.”

—The London Critic

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.5

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.A

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.B

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.C

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.D

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.E

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.F

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.5

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.1

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.3

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.5

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.6

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

LAFS.910.RL.1.1

LAFS.910.RL.1.2

LAFS.910.RL.1.3

LAFS.910.RL.2.5

LAFS.910.W.1.2

LAFS.910.W.2.4

LAFS.910.W.2.5

LAFS.910.RI.1.1

LAFS.910.RI.1.2

LAFS.910.RI.1.3

LAFS.910.RI.2.5

LAFS.910.RI.2.6

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

110.36.c.4.F

110.36.c.6

110.37.c.4.F

110.37.c.6

110.36.c.6.A

110.37.c.6.A

110.36.c.6.B

110.36.c.7.A

110.37.c.6.B

110.37.c.7.A

110.36.c.6.C

110.36.c.8.B

110.37.c.6.C

110.37.c.8.B

110.36.c.9

110.36.c.10.B

110.36.c.9.B.i

110.37.c.9.B.i

110.37.c.10.B

110.36.c.10.C

110.36.c.9.B.ii

110.37.c.10.C

110.37.c.9.B.ii

110.36.c.5.H

110.37.c.5.H

110.36.c.9.A

110.37.c.9.A

110.36.c.9.C

110.36.c.9.D

110.37.c.9.C

110.37.c.9.D

110.36.c.5.C

110.36.c.7.D

110.36.c.7.E

110.37.c.5.C

110.37.c.7.D

110.37.c.7.E

110.36.c.5.D

110.36.c.7.D.i

110.36.c.7.E.i

110.36.c.4.G

110.37.c.5.D

110.37.c.7.D.i

110.37.c.7.E.i

110.37.c.4.G

110.36.c.8.A

110.37.c.8.A

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

Page 236 from Write Ahead

Sample Fiction Review

Help students understand that some responses to literature explore the work deeply (literary analyses), while others provide a high-level view to interest other readers (fiction review). Then have volunteers read aloud the paragraphs in this review. Afterward, lead a discussion of it:

  • How does the first paragraph praise the book and make readers interested in it? (It says the Color Purple is "excellent" and "heartbreaking" and "heartwarming.")
  • What detail about Celie is most interesting to you?
  • Why should readers care about the dark side as well as the bright side of life?

 

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.6, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.6
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.d, LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Response to Literature
Form:
Book Review
English Language Arts:
ReadingWriting

Page 237 from Write Ahead

Writing Guidelines

Help your students think through the short stories and novels that they have recently read and choose one they care about. Then have them gather details about the novel, focusing on character, plot, and theme.

When they are ready to begin drafting, lead them through the tips for building strong beginnings, middles, and endings.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.6, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.6
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.d, LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Response to Literature
Form:
Book Review
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPrewritingWriting

Page 238 from Write Ahead

Revising and Editing

Use the "In Action" features on this page to show how revising involves big changes to ideas and organization, while editing involves specific corrections to conventions. Download and distribute the Book Review Revising Checklist and the Editing and Proofreading Checklist to guide their efforts.

Downloads:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.9, 110.36.c.10.B

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Response to Literature
Form:
Book Review
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessRevisingEditing

Page 239 from Write Ahead

Sample Nonfiction Review

Many students may not know who the Marx brothers were. Before reading this review, give them some context by playing one or more of the following videos:

Afterward, have volunteers read each paragraph of the nonfiction review.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RI.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.5.C, 110.36.c.7.D, 110.36.c.7.E, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.5.C, 110.37.c.7.D, 110.37.c.7.E
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Response to Literature
Form:
Book Review
English Language Arts:
ReadingWriting

Page 240 from Write Ahead

Sample Nonfiction Review (Cont.)

Have volunteers finish reading each paragraph of the sample nonfiction review. Then lead a discussion of it, using questions such as these:

  • What did you know about Harpo Marx before reading this review?
  • What was most surprising to you about his life?
  • How did the writer organize the details in the central part of the review? (In chronological order, following the time line of Harpo's life.)
  • What theme does the writer emphasize? ("If more people took life as it came along and had the ability to sit and listen, the world would be a more enjoyable place for everyone.")
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RI.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.5.C, 110.36.c.7.D, 110.36.c.7.E, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.5.C, 110.37.c.7.D, 110.37.c.7.E
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Response to Literature
Form:
Book Review
English Language Arts:
ReadingWriting

Page 241 from Write Ahead

Writing Guidelines

Lead students through the guidelines for selecting a nonfiction title and gathering information from it.

When they are ready to draft, present the tips for strong beginnings, middles, and endings.

Afterward, download and distribute the Nonfiction Review Revising and Editing Checklist to support the process of improvement. You can also provide students the Response Sheet to facilitate constructive peer response sessions.

Downloads:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RI.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.5.C, 110.36.c.7.D, 110.36.c.7.E, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.5.C, 110.37.c.7.D, 110.37.c.7.E
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Response to Literature
Form:
Book Review
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPrewritingWritingRevisingEditing

Page 242 from Write Ahead

Responding to a Literature Prompt

Often, writing tests include a prompt about a short piece of literature, asking students to read and respond. Lead them through this material to prepare them for such tests. Have a volunteer read the prompt aloud. Then have another volunteer read the poem. Afterward, have the first volunteer read the prompt again. On the next page, you will see how one student analyzed the prompt, planned a response, and wrote it.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.6, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.6
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.d, LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Writing for AssessmentResponse to Literature
Form:
Literary Analysis
English Language Arts:
ReadingWriting

Page 243 from Write Ahead

Responding to a Literature Prompt (Cont.)

Show how the student writer analyzed the prompt using the PAST questions and then created a quick list to plan the response.

Afterward, have volunteers read each paragraph of the response on this page and the next.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.6, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.6
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.d, LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Writing for AssessmentResponse to Literature
Form:
Literary Analysis
English Language Arts:
Writing

Page 244 from Write Ahead

Sample Response (Cont.)

After volunteers finish reading the sample response, lead a discussion about it, using questions such as these:

  • What theme does the writer address? (That humans are powerless to resist time and nature.)
  • How does the writer set up and interpret direct quotations from the source? (The writer introduces an idea, gives a quotation as an example, and then explains the significance of the quotation.)
  • Why does the writer use present-tense verbs? (Present-tense verbs work well to speak about a piece of literature as a living document, with continuing relevence.)
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.6, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.6
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.d, LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Writing for AssessmentResponse to Literature
Form:
Literary Analysis
English Language Arts:
ReadingWriting

Page 245 from Write Ahead

Writing Guidelines

Help your students understand the (abbreviated) process of responding to a literature prompt in an on-demand situation. They should begin with a PAST analysis of the prompt so that they can provide an on-target response. Then they should form a quick list to plan their responses. All of this should happen in the first 5 minutes or so.

For the bulk of their time, students should draft their responses. Lead them through the tips for beginnings, middles, and endings.

They should spend the final 5 minutes or so revising and editing their work. You can provide them the Literary Response Revising and Editing Checklist to help them understand the types of issues they should consider.

Downloads:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.6, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.6
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.d, LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Writing for AssessmentResponse to Literature
Form:
Literary Analysis
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPrewritingWritingRevisingEditing