Evaluating Texts!


Evaluating texts allows you to expresses your opinion about a piece of writing.  It is NOT a Summary! Unlike PI CASPer when you were given the categories to use, YOU must decide what categories/criterion you will use to develop your opinion.  


Remember our example in class today:  One was our story about being a food critic evaluating a restaurant. 
What will you be looking for to make a decision about whether or not the restaurant is a good one?? 

Think about CRITERIA (categories)
Service; Tasty Food; Cleanliness of place; Popular or not; Variety of food; Price to value; Looks like; smells; appearance of store; Healthy food?

Next, you prioritize your categories! What are the most important categories in making your final decision about the restaurant?  As an evaluator, you make that decision about what will explain why you've come to your opinion.   

Once you have categories to think about your opinion, you can back up your opinion with Proof—proper nouns, “quotes”, facts, numbers, dates, names, vocab. Take notes about the Details! Such as Service: The waiter brought us snails when we ordered shrimp. Waiter was rude—he did not seem interested in us at all. He was grumpy. Cleanliness: Roach in the booth. Gum under the table. Hair in the food..  




If you parents ask you, "How was your day?"  Respond with, "By what criteria would you like me to evaluate it?  Would you like me to choose the category of friends on the playground, what I learned, or the food in the cafeteria--or all of the above?"  Get the idea?