Review a Movie

Review a movie.  Give a summary of its plot, analyzing the characters as you go.
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What is an analysis? 

An analysis is what the reader thinks or feels about the piece. 

A Paragraph Has a Purpose

Paragraphs: The purpose of the paragraph is to develop one idea. Therefore, a paragraph should focus on a single main point.  It must include enough explanation to make your point clear without overwhelming your reader with unnecessary detail.

Unity: Your paragraph should have a topic sentence, which usually comes at the beginning of the paragraph, but does not have to.  If a paragraph has more than one idea, rewrite the paragraph so that each main point becomes the focus of a separate paragraph.  Any sentences that do not support the main idea should be rewritten to support the topic sentence or deleted.

Focus: Just because a paragraph has a subject does not mean it has focus. Your topic sentence should express your attitude or opinion toward your topic, and each supporting detail sentence should prove your topic sentence.

 

Quote

"Things turn out the best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." -- John Wooden

"Usher" Essay Requirements

"The Fall of the House of Usher" essay requirements:

Paragraph 1: Summarize the story in 5-7 sentences.  Use a powerful lead, and make sure you list specific evidence from the story.

Paragraph 2:  Analyze the piece in 5-7 sentences.  Use a powerful lead. Talk about specific parts and what you thought/felt about them.  Discuss the meaning of the story.  Is there a hidden message?

5 Rules for Writing a Summary

1. Collapse lists.  If there is a list of things, supply a word or phrase for the whole list.  For example, if you saw swimming, sailing, fishing, and surfing, you could substitute water sports.

2. Use topic sentences.  Sometimes authors write a sentence that summarizes the whole paragraph.  If so, use that sentence in your summary.  If not, you'll have to make up your own topic sentence.

3. Get rid of unnecessary detail.  Sometimes information is repeated or is stated in several different ways. Some information may be trivial and unnecessary.  Get rid of repetitive or trivial information. Summaries should be short.

4. Collapse paragraphs. Often, paragraphs are related to each other.  For example, some paragraphs simply explain or expand on other paragraphs in a selection.  Some paragraphs are more important than others.  Join the paragraphs that are related.  Important paragraphs should stand alone.

5. Polish the summary.  When you collapse a lot of information from many paragraphs, the resulting summary sometimes sounds awkward and unnatural. There are several ways to remedy this: add connecting words such as like or because, or write introductory or closing statements.  Another method is to paraphrase the material; this will improve your ability to remember what you read and enable you to avoid plagiarism- using the exact words of the author.

The Fall of the House of Usher- Gothic Architecture

• Pointed arches
• Very high towers and spires and roofs
• Clustered columns: tall columns that looked like a group of thin columns bundled together
• Ribbed vaults: arched ceilings made of stone. In the Gothic style they were held up by stone ribs.
• A skeleton of stonework with great big glass windows in between.
• Tracery: carved stone lace in the windows and on the walls
• Stained glass: richly colored glass in the windows, often with pictures telling stories
• Buttresses: narrow stone walls jutting out from the building to help hold it up
• Flying buttresses: buttresses that help to hold the vault up. They are made with an arch that jumps over a lower part of the building to reach the outside wall.
• Statues: of Saints, Prophets and Kings around the doors
• Many sculptures, sometimes of animals and legendary creatures. Gargoyles spout water from the roof.