The Art of Close & Critical
Reading and Writing
The following activity will help you enhance close reading and writing skills, moving your writing from that of detailed analysis (AOW--article of the week) to a concise summary (Precis--four sentence summary).
Simply follow the steps in order.
Simply follow the steps in order.
Step 1: Click on "The Lottery" button and read the article closely, completing tasks A & B as you read.
Task A: While reading, locate and note the five (5) "like" similes Abani uses (underline them). How do they enhance his purpose?
Task B: Abani appeals to the senses (Sense Appeal). Pay close attention to any mention/use of the five senses (circle what you notice).
Task A: While reading, locate and note the five (5) "like" similes Abani uses (underline them). How do they enhance his purpose?
Task B: Abani appeals to the senses (Sense Appeal). Pay close attention to any mention/use of the five senses (circle what you notice).
Step 2: Do you know what a compound word is? Look at the word you were given when you came in today and find its mate--your compound word partner. With your partner, discuss:
A: How each "like" simile enhances the author's purpose...
B: Abani's use of sense appeal. Does one sense dominate?...add to the story's format?...distract from it?
A: How each "like" simile enhances the author's purpose...
B: Abani's use of sense appeal. Does one sense dominate?...add to the story's format?...distract from it?
Step 3: Open the following link and complete all it requires.
CCR Rubric | |
File Size: | 31 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Step 4: Now consider what a Rhetorical Précis is by reading the attached document that explains its approach.
Rhetorical Précis explanation | |
File Size: | 30 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Step 5: Compose your own Précis summary. Download the following template and use it as a guide.
Précis Rubric | |
File Size: | 35 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Step 6: Compare yours to these student Précis summaries:
Student 1
(1) In the article, "The Lottery," Chris Abani describes, in detail, an event that occurred in his childhood that impacted him as a person. (2) Abani uses the following to help display to the reader the intensity of the event: similes, syntax, and sense appeal. (3) The purpose of this article was to demonstrate how conforming to society can cause a loss of innocence, which in turn will impact the future of society. (4) This article is intended for the regular person so that, hopefully, it will make people think about what they are doing instead of following blindly.
Student 2
(1) In "The Lottery," by Chris Abani it is suggested that mob justice is unfair and cruel. (2) To develop the article further, Chris references to nature to develop the plot, he uses words like "fanaticism" to get the reader to analyze the article, and he also uses similes to create imagery. (3) The purpose is to explain through a childs view point that mob justice is cruel and bias towards law breakers. (4) This article relates to all walks of people because mob justice is still areound today and it is frequently shown on the next from middle eastern countries.
Student 3
(1) In "The Lottery" by Chris Abani, implies the dangers of mob mentality. (2) In the narrative essay Abani uses similes, antithesis, and imagery to support his thesis and create an intense emotional reaction. (3) The author is doing this to allow people to realize the dangers of mob mentality. (4) The author's intended audience are Americans, to learn appreciation for our rights and liberties, and to the families affected by the mob, to help them get peace.
Student 4
(1) In "The Lottery," Chris Abani implies how his innocence was lost through a story of his childhood. (2) Chris Abani develops his story with the use of rhetorical strategies such as simile, sense appeal, and syntax & diction techniques. (3) To convey the purpose of the story, Chris Abani establishes his lesson on his innocence stripped from his childhood. (4) Chris Abani intends to do this so the citizens in Nigeria can be informed of how they handled crimes and taught kids lessons.
Student 1
(1) In the article, "The Lottery," Chris Abani describes, in detail, an event that occurred in his childhood that impacted him as a person. (2) Abani uses the following to help display to the reader the intensity of the event: similes, syntax, and sense appeal. (3) The purpose of this article was to demonstrate how conforming to society can cause a loss of innocence, which in turn will impact the future of society. (4) This article is intended for the regular person so that, hopefully, it will make people think about what they are doing instead of following blindly.
Student 2
(1) In "The Lottery," by Chris Abani it is suggested that mob justice is unfair and cruel. (2) To develop the article further, Chris references to nature to develop the plot, he uses words like "fanaticism" to get the reader to analyze the article, and he also uses similes to create imagery. (3) The purpose is to explain through a childs view point that mob justice is cruel and bias towards law breakers. (4) This article relates to all walks of people because mob justice is still areound today and it is frequently shown on the next from middle eastern countries.
Student 3
(1) In "The Lottery" by Chris Abani, implies the dangers of mob mentality. (2) In the narrative essay Abani uses similes, antithesis, and imagery to support his thesis and create an intense emotional reaction. (3) The author is doing this to allow people to realize the dangers of mob mentality. (4) The author's intended audience are Americans, to learn appreciation for our rights and liberties, and to the families affected by the mob, to help them get peace.
Student 4
(1) In "The Lottery," Chris Abani implies how his innocence was lost through a story of his childhood. (2) Chris Abani develops his story with the use of rhetorical strategies such as simile, sense appeal, and syntax & diction techniques. (3) To convey the purpose of the story, Chris Abani establishes his lesson on his innocence stripped from his childhood. (4) Chris Abani intends to do this so the citizens in Nigeria can be informed of how they handled crimes and taught kids lessons.