1. EWRT 1A Week 1:
The Hybrid hour
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2. Agenda
Preparing for
Essay 1 in-class
essay
Review: The
Directed
Summary
New: Your
tentative
Judgement
Reading
3. Reread your directed summary: Here is a student example so
you can see if you are going in the right direction.
Drawn into the world of magic, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, directed by
Chris Columbus, Warner Brothers, in 2001, enchants us to dive into a realm of
black art and sorcery. We are introduced to the star of our story, Harry Potter, a
famous wizard who lives an unwanted life. At only several months old, Harry was
discovered placed on the front doorstep of 4 Privet Drive. He lives an unfortunate
life in the cupboard underneath the stairs for 10 years, where he is mistreated by
the Dursley family. This is until Harry receives his first letter revealing he is a wizard
and is qualified to attend the next school year at Hogwarts, school of Witchcraft and
Wizardry. At this school, our character develops as an individual and slowly learns
of his full potential as a wizard. A story of family, friendship, and good versus evil,
Chris Columbus presents to us Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived.
4. A Second Example
Bringing a whole world to life based on a book is not an easy task. In the movie Harry Potter
and the Sorcerer's Stone, directed by Chris Columbus in 2001, this was accomplished and
very successful. Chris brings to life the magic, the goblins, the trolls, the dragons, and the
wizards and witches that are all included inside the book of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling.
Many people have read the books of the three students who grew up in the wizarding world
and attend school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However, not many could
imagined that everything they pictured while reading the books was able to be projected
onto a movie screen. This film not only shows the students lives in the wizarding world but
includes everything from their adventures into the forbidden forest, to the game of quidditch
where Harry survives a curse put on his broomstick by a teacher. After watching the movie,
the viewer is left stunned, wishing they too could live in the alternate world of magic. Even
the loyal fans who read the books first were thoroughly pleased with the outcome, being
everything they imagined and more. When an audience feels like this after a movie, you
know the director did something right, but what? Chris does a great job at bringing the book
of Harry Potter to life by picking an accurate cast, using special effects, and an accurate
storyline.
5. Essay #1: Justifying an Evaluation: The
Assignment
◦ Write an essay evaluating the film Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s
Stone. Examine your subject closely, and make a judgment about
it in a clear and concise thesis statement. Give reasons for your
judgment that are based on at least two widely recognized criteria
or standards for evaluating a film like this one. Support your
reasons with examples and other details from your subject.
◦ Your final essay should be between 500 and 1000 words. Your
only source for this essay is the film Harry Potter And The
Sorcerer’s Stone. You may copy quotes from the movie into your
outline if you so choose. You can find a link to the screen play
under “pages,” “all pages,” and “The Sorcerer’s Stone: The Screen
Play” and under the class 4 presentation.
See the complete assignment under
“Assignments” and “Essay #1”
6. Discussion: Evaluation Criteria
Story line: Does the movie have a plot that tells both an intriguing and
unusual story? Does the plot make sense? Is the story line logical? Is the
narrative arc well shaped; does it stay focused on the climax? Or is it
drawn out and boring with time-killing pointlessness? Are the character’s
actions justified? Are their motives reasonable? Do characters behave
with consistency? Or do some words, thoughts, or actions ring false?
Casting and Acting: Do the actors convince the audience they are the characters they are
portraying. Do they meet the expectations dictated by the plot and other story elements? If
not, is it their own acting deficiencies that hold them back? Or are they hampered by a poor
script? What could the actors have done differently to make the movie work better?
Special Effects: Do film visuals maintain a professional quality and stimulate the
audience? Or are they phony looking and unbelievable? Are special effects used
appropriately? Do they compliment the emotions of a scene and support the setting?
Pick two of these to explore. Why
do these criteria make the film
good or bad?
7. Write your own
thesis now. There
are examples on
the next slide.
Write a few sentences stating your current judgment of the film. Try
answering these basic questions:
• In what ways is it a good film? The acting and casting? The
special effects?
• OR?
• In what ways does it fall short?
Then, write several sentences that could serve as your thesis
statement. Think about how you should state your overall
judgment—how emphatic you should make it, whether you should
qualify it, and whether you should include in the thesis a forecast of
your reasons and support.
Remember that a strong thesis statement should be clear, arguable,
and appropriately qualified. As you consider your overall judgment,
keep in mind that readers of evaluative essays expect writers to
present a balanced evaluation of a subject by pointing out strengths
as well as weaknesses. At the same time, however, readers expect to
encounter a definitive judgment, not a vague, wishy-washy, or
undecided judgment.
8. Theses Examples: Use these as a
model for your own thesis
◦ Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is both a compelling and exciting movie
because of the good vs. evil story line and the terrific special effects.
◦ Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone promises much more than it delivers: A
predictable story line and bad casting make it both unoriginal and uninteresting.
◦ While Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone offers some excitement via special
effects, it falls short of being a great movie because of the inexperienced child-actors
and the very basic story line.
*Support criterion are bolded
