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Suggestions on How to Write an ALO
Suggestions, in no particular order (These are geared towards film reviews, but you can apply the suggestions to any of the options):
+Use an ABCD intro and topic sentences. Other more creative methods will work, but the ABCD method is a good system to make sure your review does what it needs to.
+You are assessed on the content and style of your written report, not the viewing of the movie or website (the points are for your ability to communicate your experiences and thoughts, and to do the three requirements - review the source, include relevant information, make connections between the two).
+Your ALO report should mimic the style of a newspaper review. For examples, look in the local paper, at a reputable on-line movie review, or the New York Times. Notice how they usually do two things: review the film as a film and review the content of the film. A review of the movie Glory, for example, should both describe the Civil War and assess the film's portrayal of the Civil War. Draw the connections!
+You should write your review as if it were to appear in one of these newspapers. In other words, avoid first person (“I really liked this movie”). Instead, just write what you liked about this movie (“The film Dr. W. Saves Irvington shows how one teacher can save a small town during a time of crisis”).
+Describe and be specific. Avoid phrases that do not describe, such as “This movie shows what it was like back then and how the people had to live.” Such a phrase only makes the reader wonder, “What was it like back then? How did the people have to live?”
+Include bibliographic information, following I.H.S. guidelines. For a film, you might need to look at the video or DVD cover, and you may even need to consult a website. For a historical site, you should indicate the original date of construction or use, as well as the current agency that manages it.
+Consider literary components: setting, characters, plot.
+Consider literary and film techniques: foreshadowing, symbolism, irony, flashbacks, camera panning, camera angle, background music or soundtrack, etc.
+You can review a “silly” film, but you may find it more challenging to do than one that is about the topic. For example, you can review Wild Wild West for our unit on the 19th Century American West. The film itself does not provide any information on the historical reality, however, so you will have to provide it and compare it with the events depicted in the film.
+Do some research. Don't just watch the movie and give it a thumbs up or down based on how you felt about it as entertainment. Look at your notes and the textbook so that you can write a critical review. Even better, find a website that describes or reviews the film and include that website in your review. Make connections! A write-up that does not make connections won't get better than a +5 or +6.
+Compare and contrast. Find a second film or website to compare yours to. Your potential to receive points definitely goes up for introducing a comparison. You can't do two ALO's in one unit, but you can do one ALO which compares two films (or reviews one film but includes a reference to another). Make connections!
+Find out what else the producer/director/actor has done previously and use that information in your review. For example, compare Mel Gibson's character in The Patriot to the one in Braveheart. If you don't mention the obvious connections, a reader who knows about both films will be wondering why you didn't compare them. If the connections are not so obvious but you show that they are valid, you will score points with your readers and on your ALO score.
+Add pictures, diagrams, maps, charts, or a rating scale to your review.
Resources:
ALO Film list, distributed by Dr. W. for each unit - see the class website
Roger Ebert's film reviews. http://www.suntimes.com/index.ebert.html
Mr. Cranky's film reviews. http://www.mrcranky.com
Internet movie database. http://www.imdb.com
PBS website. http://www.pbs.org
History Channel website. http://www.historychannel.com
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