Justifying your evaluation
Sometimes we express a judgement without giving our reasons.
For example:
Your speech was creative and entertaining.
However, in this subject you will often be asked to explain or justify your evaluations of texts.
For example:
Your report was disappointing because it was incomplete.
In the book review below, the evaluation of the novel Blueback as 'great' is justified by evidence about the characters, writing and plot.
Tim Winton's novel Blueback is a great novel which explores the idea of living in tune with our environment. The characters are realistic, the writing is lyrical and poetic, and the simple, gentle friendship between Abel and the blue groper of the title touchingly illustrates Winton's conservation message.
Explore (analyse) how some writers explain, or justify, their evaluations of texts.
Examine reviews on the 'Kids Book Review' website www.kids-bookreview.com.
- Open the 'reviews' tab then select a review from the alphabetical listing. Consider the reviews of 'Turtle's Song' by Alan Brown (illustrated by Kim Michelle Toft) 'Last Tree in the City' by Peter Carnavas or 'The Amber Amulet' by Craig Silvey.
Or, examine reviews of computer games on the ABC 3 website.
- Go to www.abc.net.au.
- Select the link 'ABC3' under the heading 'TV channels' at the bottom of the page.
- Select the 'GAMES' icon in the top menu, then scroll down to the green 'spawn point' portlet and select the 'CHECK OUT THE GG SPAWN POINT WEBSITE' link, then select 'Reviews' from the menu on the left.
When you have selected a review, copy and paste it into the appropriate section of the 'Evaluative language' worksheet at the link below (you may find it easier to start selecting the text from the bottom and scrolling to the top).
- Choose a colour to highlight each evaluative word/phrase, then change the text/font of the matching explanations or justifications to the same colour.
- Write a short paragraph explaining how the evaluative words in the review help to shape a reader's/listener's response to the text.
- Look at the example at the link below.
Next, write a short paragraph evaluating a text you are familiar with (book, song, poem, film, game or poster). Remember to justify your evaluation (opinion).
Download and/or print and use the paragraph revision sheet and organiser at the links below to help you write a good paragraph.
