Agenda: Evaluative WritingGoal 1: Understand evaluative thinking and writing organizationActivity: Observe, listen, question, take notesGoal 2: Apply and synthesize all writing skills necessary in evaluative writingActivity: Write evaluative process essay on topic of choice; peer- and self-assess
Evaluative thinking is the deepest level of thinking.
Bloom’s TaxonomyKnowledge
ComprehensionApplication
AnalysisSynthesis
Evaluation
Evaluative ThinkingStep 1: Determine criteria
(expectations, requirements, standards)
Evaluative ThinkingStep 2: Rank criteria by importance
Evaluative ThinkingStep 3: Compare-contrast item
(literary selection, medicine, machine) with each criterion
Evaluative ThinkingStep 4: Come to a decision about
how closely the item fits with criteria
Evaluative writing combines other types of writing.
Comparison-contrast expository writingAnalytical writing
Argumentative writing
The format for an evaluative essay is much the same as for other essays, including argumentative, analytical and expository: compare-contrast essaysIntroduction: hook + explanation of evaluative criteria + statement of evaluative decision [claim, thesis]
Each body paragraph: comparing and contrasting the item to each criterion + analytical examples [reasons, details]
Conclusion: further statement of evaluative decision (claim, thesis) + recommendation (full or with limitations) or not [call to action, wrap-up]
Evaluative essays might be called reviews, assessments, or performance evaluations or performance reports. The criteria used to compare and contrast with the item are determined by the particulars of the item. As examples, • a review of a poem may include criteria about such topics as audience, purpose, diction, syntax, rhythm, rhyme, and figurative language and other literary devices. • an performance evaluation of a medicine might include criteria about such topics as targeted population, impact on health condition of patient, side effects, and price.
Choose either ascending or descending order of importance for the order of each body paragraph with its criterion. Consider audience, purpose, and original ranking of importance when deciding which paragraph order to use.
Each body paragraph should compare and contrast the item with one criterion and should be filled with examples about the item that show the writer’s statement about the criterion and the item.
After website research, the next steps on website evaluation project:
1.Compute totals for each website2.Sort in ascending or descending order of importance3.Group (3 per paragraph?) to create body paragraphs4.Write body paragraphs5.Write introduction and conclusion6.Write works cited final draft7.Edit, write final, proofread 8.Hand in with research info. on bottom, edited rough draft in middle, final draft on top, and rubric on top of that with 2 evaluations in different pencil colors, signed
Thesis statement:
When researching the topic of ______, a student can find _____
websites. However, ten are worth considering. Of these ten, ___
(findings) (ratings) criteria that includes (criteria).
Body paragraph:
(Transition), under the topic of __________ at (URL) is a site created
by _______. This site (doesn’t/begins to/meets/exceeds)
expectations [concerning _(criterion)___ __]. [ Enough evidence that
discusses all criteria, using examples from the site, to create at least
a 150-word paragraph and to support the researcher’s evaluation.]
Sample thesis: The women’s movement changed many laws. Few websites explain the movement well.
Second body paragraph (note the transitional dependent clause before the topic sentence:
Besides the poor-quality websites, I found websites that do an average job of explaining the women’s movement in the 1970’s. One average-quality website, angelfire.com/ca/HistoryGals/Wesley.html, described how the women organized to change laws. They researched the laws to find the inequities, marched and experienced rude sexist comments from observers , and met with legislators. The website exceeded my first criterion for pictures because it was filled with photos of marching women. It did not, however, even meet my criterion for correctional comments as none were provided; however, that may be because the source is reliable, so it earned full points for that criterion. (continue about this website; then transition into discussion of new website of average quality in the same paragraph)
Expository Sentences: no or limited opinions
Evaluative Sentences: clear opinion statements based upon criteria
THESIS STATEMENT: Our Town is about simple life in a simple time.
THESIS STATEMENT: Our Town was a horrible story, because it does not meet reasonable criteria for a quality novel for teenagers today. The criteria include lively characters, an inventive setting, strong internal conflicts, and high-octane plot.
THESIS STATEMENT: On the Beach is a novel about life after nuclear war, a topic and plot of interest to high school students.
THESIS STATEMENT: On the Beach is a novel that I can highly recommend to high school students due to a plot full of action, universal characters, strong internal conflicts ,and a unique, interesting setting on post-apocalyptic earth.
TOPIC SENTENCE: In Wicked, Gregory McGuire used language that is easy for high school students to read.
TOPIC SENTENCE: McGuire’s language was invigorating to the reader’s mind, filled with imagery yet fast to read.
The Language of Evaluation (from high school sophomores)
(Sample: all 10+ in alphabetical order)
Works Cited
angelfire.com/ca/HistoryGals/Wesley.html
britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/647122/womens-movement
