Whole Student Techniques to Accompany an Analysis-Evaluation Unit

1. In groups of two, three, or four, practice quoting from texts using overhead pens and transparencies.  Make sure that the student’s (students’) own words are used as well as quoted words (see example).  Check on each effort before it is put on the overhead.  If possible, use multiple colors, possibly using a different color for the parenthetical documentation and the Works Cited. ** If you have enough board space, this can be done on the boards, using colored pens or chalk. If you can do this, include a contest to get every single one perfect. Make students responsible for helping each other until all the quotes are perfect.
   
2.  You can use one of these techniques for paraphrasing – either on overheads or on the board. 
3. Practice paraphrasing using a film clip or song lyrics relevant to the articles discussed.
4. Trampoline analogy.  Possibly bring in a mini-trampoline.  The trampoline is the article analyzed and the gymnast is the student – idea is to focus on the primacy of the student’s ideas over those of the text analyzed.
5. Standing on chairs and desks.  Same issue – we stand on the shoulders/ chairs of others.  You can do a Dead Poets’ Society thing and have them stand on the teacher’s desk if you like.
6. Apples, oranges, and lemons demo.  Juggle apples, oranges, and lemons (or have a student do it) to show use of two texts and one’s own opinion (lemon).  Then show “real analysis” by cutting up the apples and oranges to show a neat strategy for side-by-side comparison of sub-points.  Squeeze lemon over the top to show your opinion.