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Lesson 5

We will read a movie review of Blackfish to learn more about the language of film criticism and model writing mentor sentences based on the review.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I closely read and analyze a complex text?

  • Can I use a variety of strategies (e.g., context clues, word study, and vocabulary resources) to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words, phrases, and figurative expressions?

  • Can I analyze and emulate powerful and interesting sentences in a complex text?

Texts

Core

  • Multimedia
    • Blackfish, Gabriella Cowperthwaite, Magnolia Pictures, 2013

Optional

  • Digital Access
    • “A ‘Psychological Thriller’ About SeaWorld’s Resident Killer,” Tomas Hachard, NPR, 2013

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read

We read a new movie review to identify the main evaluative claims developed by the reviewer in his criticism of Blackfish.

With a partner, read "A 'Psychological Thriller' About SeaWorld's Resident Killer" by Tomas Hachard and discuss the following questions:

  1. According to the review, what is the movie about?

  2. Does the author think the story the movie tells is worth telling?

  3. Does the author think the movie tells the story in a way that is compelling and successful? Why or why not?

Activity 2: Read – Discuss

We will reread the review of Blackfish and use the Vocabulary in Context Tool to determine the meaning of Unknown words.

Some of the vocabulary words below have enough context to determine their meaning; some of them do not. How will you know when to use context clues and when to try another strategy?

Work with a new partner to determine the meaning of the following words:

  • misnomer (Paragraph 2)

  • disenfranchised (Paragraph 3)

  • anthropomorphism (Paragraph 7)

  • conjecture (Paragraph 9)

Some of these words’ definitions can be figured out by context clues; others cannot.

You might use a Vocabulary in Context Tool for words you can decipher from the text; for others, you might use morphology to decipher the meaning, or a reference resource to check if your meaning is accurate.

Discuss each word and the strategy you will use to determine the meaning.

Record the words and definitions in your Vocabulary Journal. For each word, identify the vocabulary strategy (e.g., context, morphology, reference resource) you used to determine its meaning.

Activity 3: Read – Write – Discuss

We will interact with the words we defined to cement our understanding of their meaning.

Work with a partner or group to respond to the vocabulary exercises, as directed by your teacher.

Activity 4: Read – Discuss – Write

We will analyze the structure of a sentence from the review to determine how understanding the sentence deepens our understanding of the author’s critical analysis of the film.

Step 1

Use the Working with Mentor Sentences Tool to work through the following steps for this mentor sentence from "A 'Psychological Thriller' About SeaWorld's Resident Killer."

More to the point, the stories of cruelty that Blackfish recounts are disturbing enough that even if orcas don't have a sense of self, even if they don't form social bonds "much stronger, much more complex than in other mammals," as one interviewee suggests, the whales' treatment at the hands of SeaWorld—for the mere purpose of human entertainment—would still be unacceptable.

Read the sentence aloud. Unpack any unfamiliar vocabulary using your vocabulary strategies. Then, determine what the sentence is saying, and paraphrase the sentence to convey its meaning based on your initial understanding.

Step 2

Deconstruct the whole into parts. Split the sentence up into parts as directed by your teacher; sometimes your teacher will give you the parts, and sometimes you will have to split the sentence on your own. Complete the following for each part:

  • Determine the parts of speech and function.

  • Note other observations about the part, such as examples of effective diction or changes in verb tense or point of view.

Step 3

Follow along as your teacher reviews the relevant grammatical terms and concepts of specific phrases and clauses, punctuation, syntax, mood, and tone.

Step 4

Analyze the concepts. Review, discuss, and revise your deconstruction notes. Then, respond to the following questions:

  1. Which parts make up the main clause? The main clause is the main subject and predicate that expresses the central idea of the sentence. Write down the sentence, underlining the main clause.

  2. How do the other parts of the sentence (e.g., phrases, clauses, modifiers) enhance the main clause?

  3. How could you restructure this sentence so that it relays the same message to the reader? What is the impact of the different structures on your understanding?

  4. What revisions need to be made to your initial paraphrasing now that you have increased your understanding of the sentence?

Step 5

Analyze mood, tone, and meaning. Discuss the following questions:

  1. What mood does the author create in this sentence? How is this mood created?

  2. What tone is conveyed by the author in this sentence? How is that tone conveyed?

  3. What does this sentence contribute to the author’s ideas in the text? How does it expand your understanding of the text or author?

Step 6

Use your deconstruction analysis to write your own sentence, mimicking what the author does in terms of structure, style, grammar, and punctuation. The specific content of your sentences is your choice. Be prepared to share your sentences with your peers.

Step 7

Identify another sentence from the text that you find interesting in terms of its language and sentence structure.

Copy the sentence into your Mentor Sentence Journal and explain what makes it an interesting or strong example of language use.