How to Write a Critical Lens Essay

How to Write a Critical Lens Essay How to Write a Critical Lens Essay In a critical lens essay you write upon a quote and express your critical opinion about it. The quote can be from a book or can be a universally known one. Examples of universally known quotes are: â€Å"Be yourself everyone is taken†, â€Å"Two things are infinitive: the universe and the human stupidity; and I am not sure about the universe†, â€Å"Be the change you wish to see in the world†, â€Å"Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans†, etc. Writing a critical essay is easy as long as you pick the right quote on that you can write best or research well the ones you cannot. It is called a critical lens essay because you are supposed to view the quote you have chosen as if through critical lens; analyze and defend it. Basically, those kinds of essays are literature analysis papers and analyses requiring extensive research. How to write a critical lens essay In the final paragraph of the introduction you should state the quote you have chosen and its author, title and genre. The thesis statement must connect the quote with your work. Your whole essay will be determined by what you state in the introduction. It is important to write whether you agree or disagree with the quotation you have chosen or given to you. In order to form the right opinion on the quote, you should research facts and examples that either prove it or not. It will be good if you draft your conclusions before starting to write the actual essay. Prioritize your evidence by its convincing strength and reliability to the quotation. Brainstorm. The interpretation of the quotation is vital to making a good critical evaluation. You can try to conflict it, reason with it, even humor it but whatever the critical opinion on it will be, it has to be strong, well researched and with correctly developed examples and ideas. It is essential to interpret your quote and explain what it means to you. If necessary you can restate it and write it in your own words. Body of a critical lens essay In order to have a well-developed critical lens essay your body should consist of at least three paragraphs. It is precisely in the body of the essay where you state what you have researched so far and drafted. In that part of the essay you must convince the audience that your interpretation of the quote is logical, reasonable and acceptable. In the introduction you introduce the reader to the quote you are going to examine in a clear and short manner, you also introduce to the reader your critical opinion and attitude towards it, but it is in the body of the essay that you have to prove your point. A well-written body will make your work sound reliable and trustworthy; if it is not done well from the research to putting it down in written form, your whole essay will lack sense of completeness and trustworthiness. So, once again, research and draft not only parts of your critical lens essay but as a whole. In the first paragraph you should write about the fact, idea or character that illustrates your critical opinion on the quote best. If you are writing on a quote from a specific book you may pick up a character that best suits it and examine how he or she relates to the quote. Do not forget to connect the fact, idea or character to the critical opinion and attitude you have up to the quote. In the second paragraph focus on what the author of the quote has meant. If it comes from a book, what is its purpose and meaning in the book? For example, let’s say you have to write a critical lens essay on the quote â€Å"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.† from the book â€Å"To Kill A Mockingbird†. The message is simple: you can never understand what the person next to you is experiencing until something similar does not happen to you. And here you can examine how this quote relates to the book itself. In the third paragraph you can write about a personal story that proves your critical attitude towards the quote or state another fact or idea you have researched. If you have more than three facts or ideas that prove your theory, keep writing as each of them is stated in a different paragraph. Conclusion of a critical lens essay In the conclusion you restate your critical opinion about the quote and the information you have given in the introduction. Make it sound strong and convincing. Always proofread your essay at least once.

The IB Primary Years Program

The IB Primary Years Program In 1997, just one year after the International Baccalaureate Organization introduced their Middle Years Program (MYP), another curriculum was launched, this time targeting students ages 3-12. Known as the Primary Years Program, or PYP,  this curriculum designed  for younger students echoes the values and learning objectives of its two predecessors, including the MYP and the Diploma Programme, the latter of which has been in existence since 1968. A globally recognized program, the PYP is today offered in nearly 1,500 schools worldwide - including both public schools and private schools -  in more than 109 different countries, according to the IBO.org website. The IB is consistent in its policies for all levels students, and all schools wishing to offer the IB curriculums, including the Primary Years Programme, must apply for approval. Only schools that meet strict criteria are granted the label as IB World Schools.   The goal of the PYP is to encourage students to inquire about the world around them, preparing them to be global citizens. Even at a young age, students are asked to think about not what is happening just inside their classroom, but within the world beyond the classroom. This is done through embracing what is known as the IB Learner Profile, which applies to all levels of IB study. Per the IBO.org site, the Learner Profile is designed to develop learners who are inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced, and reflective. According to the IBO.org website, the PYP provides schools with a curriculum framework of essential elements - the knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes, and action that young students need to equip them for successful lives, both now and in the future. There are several  components that are used to create a challenging, engaging, relevant and international curriculum for students. The PYP is challenging in that it asks students to think differently than many other programs do. While a number of traditional primary school courses of study focus on memorization and learning tactical skills, the PYP goes beyond those methods and asks students to engage in critical thinking, problem solving, and to be independent in the learning process. Self directed study is a crucial part of the PYP. The real world applications of  learning materials allows students to connect the knowledge they are presented with in the classroom to their lives around them, and beyond. By doing so, students often become more excited about their studies when they can understand the practical applications of what they are doing and how it pertains to their daily lives. This hands-on approach to teaching is becoming more common in all aspects of education, but the IB PYP specifically incorporates the style in its pedagogy. The global nature of the program means that students arent just focusing on their classroom and local community. They are also learning about global issues and who they are as individuals within this greater context. Students also are asked to consider where they are in place and time, and to consider how the world works. Some supporters of the IB programs liken this form of study to philosophy or theory, but many simply say that we are asking students to consider, how do we know what we know. Its a complex thought, but directly targets the approach of teaching students to inquire about knowledge and the world in which they live.   The PYP uses six  themes that are part of every course of study and are the focus of the classroom and learning process. These transdisciplinary themes are: Who we areWhere we are in time in placeHow we express ourselvesHow the world worksHow we organize ourselvesSharing the planet By connecting courses of study for students, teachers must work together to develop investigations into important ideas that require students to delve deeply into subject matter and question the knowledge they have. The holistic approach of PYP, according to IBO, combines socio-emotional, physical and cognitive development by providing a vibrant and dynamic classroom setting that embraces play, discovery and exploration. The IB also pays close attention to the needs of its youngest participants, as those children ages 3-5, need a thoughtful curriculum designed for their development progress and ability to learn.    The play-based learning is deemed by many as a crucial component for success for younger students, allowing them to still be children and age-appropriate but challenge their ways of thinking and ability to comprehend complex thoughts and issues at hand.