Making a Great Reaction Paper
To ensure that an interesting article or film show does not go to waste, many teachers assign the class to submit a reaction paper. Here, the student gets to analyze what they read or saw, express how they felt about it, and even submit any recommendations or applications.
Though easier than a research paper, reaction papers can be troublesome to do for those who are not fond of writing or expressing their thoughts. If this is you, read on to learn more about making a great reaction paper.
- Review the source again (if possible)
Rather than relying on memory, it helps to reread the article or watch the film again to recall the important parts. As you review the source, make notes about the key areas as they will be the main content of your paper.
- Outline your plan
If you do not enjoy writing, you may find your paper heading in the wrong direction. To avoid this, you should outline the main parts of the paper, where you briefly write the thoughts you want to share. This then becomes your guide as you write, something you can look at to remember what you want to share.
- Make sure you share your thoughts
As you analyze the material, remember that you need to share your ideas. If you liked something, share what that is. If an area needs improvement, state what you think could have been done. And if you do not like it, do not be afraid to say so.
- Do not stray too far
Although you are supposed to express your opinion, ensure you do not stray too far from the topic. Some students lose their way as they share too many personal anecdotes or rant too much about a particular part.
- Connect it to society
Something teachers like is when you move beyond yourself and connect what you have read or seen to society. This might mean insights about the behavior of people today or how government works. Since the creators of such works probably meant for it to convey a message to us, it is good to point that out.
- Do not try to summarize the whole thing
One thing your paper should not do is to summarize the whole thing. You can briefly discuss certain scenes or parts of the source, but the main assumption is that your reader has an idea of what it is, so you should just discuss your reaction to it.
- Do not be rude or vulgar
Even though your opinion is shared and you may not like it, it is still a school assignment, so you should not be rude or vulgar. Criticize its flaws, call out the clichés, give your recommendations, but do so in the right way.
Summary
As a chance to express yourself in an assignment, make sure you do share what you think about the article you read or movie you viewed in class. Have fun with the process but still keep in mind that your analysis is sound and your language is worthy for school.