LAC 101- The Latino Experience in the USA
WRITING A RESPONSE TO A READING, VIDEO OR ARTICLE
Professor Ana M. Lopez FALL, 2022
(ASSIGNMENTS 30% of Your GRADE)
How to Write a Reaction
Paper or Reader
Response.
(A Quick Introduction to Reading and Writing critically)
Analyze the text as an individual reader. This process is as much
about YOU as it is about the text you are responding to. As a scholar
you stand in judgment over the text.
DO NOT use the standard high school-level approach of just writing:
"I liked this book (or article or document or movie) because it is so cool
and the ending made me feel happy", or "I hated it because it was
stupid, and had nothing at all to do with my life, and was too negative
and boring." In writing a response you may assume the reader has
already read the text. Thus, do NOT summarize the contents of the
text at length. Instead, take a systematic, analytical approach to the
text.
---First of all, be sure to mention the title of the work to which you are
responding, the author, and the main thesis of the text, using correct
English for the first sentence of your paper!
Then, try to answer ALL of the questions below.
a. What does the text have to do with you, personally, and with your
life (past, present or future)? It is not acceptable to write that the text
has NOTHING to do with you, since just about everything humans can
write has to do in some way with every other human.
b. How much does the text agree or clash with your view of the
world, and what you consider right and wrong? Use several quotes as
examples of how it agrees with and supports what you think about the
world, about right and wrong, and about what you think it is to be
human. Use quotes and examples to discuss how the text disagrees
with what you think about the world and about right and wrong.
c How did you learn, and how much were your views and opinions
challenged or changed by this text, if at all? Did the text communicate
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with you? Why or why not? Give examples of how your views might
have changed or been strengthened (or perhaps, of why the text failed
to convince you, the way it is). Please do not write "I agree with
everything the author wrote," since everybody disagrees about
something, even if it is a tiny point. Use quotes to illustrate your points
of challenge, or where you were persuaded, or where it left you cold.
d. How well does it address things that you, personally, care about
and consider important to the world? How does it address things that
are important to your family, your community, your ethnic group, to
people of your economic or social class or background, or your faith
tradition? If not, who does or did the text serve? Did it pass the "Who
cares?" test? Use quotes to illustrate.
e. Reading and writing "critically" does not mean the same thing as
"criticizing," in everyday language (complaining or griping, fault-
finding, nit-picking). Your "critique" can and should be positive and
praise the text if possible, as well as pointing out problems,
disagreements and shortcomings.
f. How well did you enjoy the text (or not) as entertainment or as a
work of art? Use quotes or examples to illustrate the quality of the text
as art or entertainment. Of course, be aware that some texts are not
meant to be entertainment or art--a news report or textbook, for
instance, may be neither entertaining or artistic, but may still be
important and successful.
g. To sum up, what is your overall reaction to the text? Would you
read something else like this, or by this author, in the future or not?
Why or why not? To whom would you recommend this text?
Your first draft is just that, and you should expect to re-write your
work several times before you consider it completed. This means
you should start your writing project in advance of the due date, in
order to allow yourself enough time to revise your work. Ask someone
else to read your draft(s) and write their comments and suggestions on
how you might improve the work directly on your drafts.
The goal is to present a coherent essay with a clear argument. ...[Y]ou
should state your general argument (your thesis) in an introductory
paragraph and then use the rest of the essay to support your position,
making sure that you deal carefully with each of the issues the
questions raise somewhere in the paper.
1.) You don’t need to use footnotes. When quoting or citing from the
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documents or your textbook, simply put author and page numbers in
parenthesis. Ex. (Gorn, 52) or (Jones, 167). There is absolutely no need
to refer to other, outside sources for this assignment—this is a critical
essay, not a research paper...
2.) Be very careful to avoid plagiarism. Do not use words or ideas
from the internet, from any publication, or from the work of another
student without citing the source. Also, if you use more than three
words in a row from any source, including the document you’re writing
about, those words must be enclosed in quotation marks.
3.) Please just staple your papers in the upper left hand corner. You
may use a title page if you like, but please avoid plastic covers.
4.) Your essay should be based primarily on evidence drawn from a
close, careful reading of the documents. You can also use appropriate
background information from the textbook and lectures, but you
should use most of your space to discuss the documents.
5.) Writing style counts. You need to edit your paper multiple times to
be a successful writer.
Written Response Rubric
Basis for Scoring
Score
Superior responses begin with a topic sentence which restates the question or
states the topic
Ideas are fully developed with a sense of completeness
Specific details from book or passage support the topic, thoughts, ideas, and
4 or opinions
A Organization is structured clearly, and is easy to understand
Sentence structure is correct and effective
Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization is correct
___________________________________
Proficient responses begins with a topic sentence which restates the question
or states the topic
Ideas are well developed and supported
Details from the book or passage relate to the topic, thoughts, ideas, and
3 or opinions
B Organization is structured and understandable
Sentence structure is correct and effective
Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization is mostly correct
---------------------------------------------------------
4
Response begins with a topic sentence which restates the question or states
the topic
Ideas are clear and somewhat address the topic
At least one specific detail from the book or passage that relates to the topic
2 or Organization is unclear
C Sentence structure has errors
Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization has occasional errors
___________________________________
Response begins with a sentence which doesn't restate the question
or state the topic
Ideas are not developed with limited support
1 or May not have details from the book or passage that support answer
D Organization is unclear and difficult to follow
Sentences have errors, fragments, and run-ons
Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization has mistakes
Written Response Rubric
Basis for Scoring
Score
Superior responses begin with a topic sentence which restates the question or
states the topic
Ideas are fully developed with a sense of completeness
Specific details from book or passage support the topic, thoughts, ideas, and
4 or opinions
A Organization is structured clearly, and is easy to understand
Sentence structure is correct and effective
Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization is correct
___________________________________
Proficient responses begins with a topic sentence which restates the question
or states the topic
Ideas are well developed and supported
Details from the book or passage relate to the topic, thoughts, ideas, and
3 or opinions
B Organization is structured and understandable
Sentence structure is correct and effective
Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization is mostly correct
---------------------------------------------------------
Response begins with a topic sentence which restates the question or states
2 or the topic
C Ideas are clear and somewhat address the topic
At least one specific detail from the book or passage that relates to the topic
Organization is unclear
Sentence structure has errors
Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization has occasional errors
5
___________________________________
Response begins with a sentence which doesn't restate the question
or state the topic
Ideas are not developed with limited support
1 or May not have details from the book or passage that support answer
D Organization is unclear and difficult to follow
Sentences have errors, fragments, and run-ons
Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization has mistakes
Written Response Rubric
Basis for Scoring
Score
Superior responses begin with a topic sentence which restates the question or
states the topic
Ideas are fully developed with a sense of completeness
Specific details from book or passage support the topic, thoughts, ideas, and
4 or opinions
A Organization is structured clearly, and is easy to understand
Sentence structure is correct and effective
Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization is correct
___________________________________
Proficient responses begins with a topic sentence which restates the question
or states the topic
Ideas are well developed and supported
Details from the book or passage relate to the topic, thoughts, ideas, and
3 or opinions
B Organization is structured and understandable
Sentence structure is correct and effective
Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization is mostly correct
---------------------------------------------------------
Response begins with a topic sentence which restates the question or states
the topic
Ideas are clear and somewhat address the topic
At least one specific detail from the book or passage that relates to the topic
2 or Organization is unclear
C Sentence structure has errors
Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization has occasional errors
___________________________________
Response begins with a sentence which doesn't restate the question
1 or or state the topic
D Ideas are not developed with limited support
May not have details from the book or passage that support answer
Organization is unclear and difficult to follow
6
Sentences have errors, fragments, and run-ons
Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization has mistakes
