English 10 - Quarter 3 - Lesson 6: The Art of the Critique (Beyond "I Liked It")

English 10: Quarter 3

Lesson 6: The Art of the Critique

Lesson 6: The Art of the Critique (Beyond "I Liked It")

I. Objectives

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Knowledge: Define "critique" and identify its key components (summary, analysis, and evaluation/judgment).
• Skill: Analyze a short selection by applying specific criteria and compose a one-paragraph critique that evaluates the work's effectiveness.
• Affective: Value the difference between a simple, unsupported opinion (e.g., "It was boring") and a structured, evidence-based critique.

II. Introduction

Good morning, class. Have you ever read a review for a movie or a video game? Did the reviewer just say, "It was bad," and that was the end of it? Probably not. A good review explains why it was bad. They talk about the bad acting, the confusing plot, or the boring-level design.

Today, we are learning how to write those "good reviews." It’s called a critique. This is a skill that moves you from being just a consumer to being a thinker. We are learning to move beyond "I liked it" or "I hated it" and learning to explain why something works or doesn't work, using evidence to back it up.

III. Definition (Key Terms) - Part 1

1. Selection: The thing you are critiquing. It can be any work (novel, movie, song, painting, video game).

2. Critique: A formal analysis and evaluation of a selection. It is not just a summary. It is not just an opinion. It is an informed judgment backed by evidence.

The Difference:

• Summary: Just says what the work is about.
• Opinion: Just says how you feel.
• Critique: Explains why you feel that way, using evidence.

III. Definition (Key Terms) - Part 2

3. Analysis: The "breaking it down" part. Before you can judge something, you have to take it apart to see how it works (e.g., plot, characters, theme).

4. Criteria: The standards or questions you use to judge the work. (e.g., "Does the poem use strong imagery?", "Is the report accurate?")

5. Evaluation (or Judgment): The "verdict." After analysis, you make a judgment on the work's overall quality or effectiveness.

IV. Spring Board: The Fable of the Digital Squirrel

Read the modern fable below.

Once, there was a young squirrel named Squeaky who was brilliant at finding nuts. He could smell an acorn from a hundred yards away. One day, he found a lost smartphone in the park. He saw the humans using it and quickly learned to use the "Nuts-Near-Me" app.

Instantly, his life was easy. The app told him where the biggest, best-stacked piles of nuts were. He got fat and lazy, and his foraging skills grew dull. He forgot how to climb, how to listen for predators, and how to tell a good nut from a bad one.

One cold afternoon, the phone's battery died. Squeaky was in a part of the park he didn't recognize, and the app was blank. He was lost, cold, and for the first time, hungry. He had no idea how to find his way home or how to find food on his own. He was found, shivering, by his "old-fashioned" grandfather, who had to teach him all over again how to be a real squirrel.

V. Essential Questions

Analyze the fable you just read.

1. What is the basic summary of this fable?

Answer: A squirrel finds a smartphone, becomes dependent on it for food, and forgets his natural skills. When the phone dies, he is helpless and must be rescued.

2. What is the main idea or moral the author is trying to teach?

Answer: The main idea is that technology (the phone) can make you weak, lazy, and dependent, and that it's dangerous to forget traditional skills.

3. What is the criterion the author seems to care about most?

Answer: The criterion is "teaching a strong lesson" or "sending a moral message."

4. This is a critique question: How effective is the fable at teaching this lesson?

Answer: (Varies) "It is effective because it's simple/clear." OR "It is not effective because it's unrealistic and one-sided."

VI. Exercise: The Critique Sandwich

Compose a single "critique" paragraph of "The Fable of the Digital Squirrel" using the sandwich model.

1. Top Slice (Context): Summarize story/purpose in one sentence. 2. The "Meat" (Analysis & Evaluation): Your judgment supported by evidence. 3. Bottom Slice (Conclusion): A final judgment.

VII. Generalization

Today, we learned that a critique is a powerful tool. It's not just a summary (that's 'what'), and it's not just an opinion (that's 'how I feel'). A critique is an evaluation (that's 'why it works or doesn't work').

A summary tells you what's in the box. A critique tells you if the box is well-made and worth opening.

This skill is vital. You use it every day to decide what movies to watch, what products to buy, and, most importantly, what ideas to believe. It is the skill of being a thinker, not just a follower.

VIII. Evaluation

English 10 - Short Quiz No. 6

Instructions: Choose the best answer for each question.

Full Name:

Result: English 10 - Short Quiz No. 6

Name:

Score:

Attempts:

IX. Additional Activity (Enrichment)

Assignment: Compose an independent critique. Choose one selection you know well (song, movie, ad, etc.).

Write one solid paragraph using the Critique Sandwich model:

1. Briefly introduce the selection.
2. Provide your evaluation (is it effective, good, or bad?).
3. Support your evaluation with at least two specific pieces of evidence (analysis) from the selection itself.

Congratulations! You have completed Lesson 6.