Writing a

Reaction Paper
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-Miss Son
 These are the learning competencies:
⬤ Use appropriate critical approaches* in writing a critique such as

formalism, feminism, etc.

⬤ Apply the principles of writing effective reviews and critiques

⬤ Write an objective/balanced review or critique of a work of art, an

event or a program
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 Truth is, without even knowing it,
you react to almost everything you
have experienced in your daily life.
Who says writing a
reaction paper is difficult?
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 REACTION PAPER/REVIEW/CRITIQUE

A reaction or a response paper

is a specialized form of writing
in response to something that
has been read or viewed.
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 REACTION PAPER

● a response paper
● avenue for a student to share
their feelings or thoughts/ideas
about a topic.
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 REACTION PAPER

● gives opportunities for students to

answer different questions about
their feelings agreement or
disagreement, evaluation of the topic
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 REACTION PAPER
Specialized form of writing in which a reviewer or reader
evaluates any of the ff:
● A SCHOLARLY WORK (e.g., academic books and articles)

● A WORK OF ART (e.g., performance art, play, dance, sports,

film, exhibits)
● DESIGNS (e.g., industrial designs, furniture, fashion design)

● GRAPHIC DESIGN (e.g., posters, billboards. Commercials, and

digital media)
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 REACTION PAPER

● Reaction paper, reviews, and critiques usually range in

length from 250 to 750 words. They are not simply
summaries, but are critical assessments, analyses, or
evaluation of different works
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 WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN A DIARY ENTRY AND A
REACTION PAPER?
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 WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DIARY ENTRY AND A REACTION PAPER?

A diary entry is more preoccupied with the

significance of an occurrence to an individual,
while a reaction paper is more preoccupied with
the significance of an occurrence to society.
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 A diary entry is less
A diary A diary entry is
formal, less descriptive,
entry is written for the
and does not endeavor
personal in enlightenment to persuade or to make
significance, of the self, while another person
while a a reaction understand, while a
reaction paper is written reaction paper is more
for the formal, more descriptive,
paper is
enlightenment and often uses the
societal.
of one’s fellow rhetorical devices of
human beings. description and
narration in order to
prove a point.
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 What is the importance of
the reaction paper to society?
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 Reaction papers help us in our everyday decisions.

It helps people to process their experiences. It

also helps people to gauge whether or not they
want to experience something.
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 Why do students need to learn how
to write a reaction paper?
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 Why do students need to learn how to write a reaction paper?

Reaction paper allows the students

value, evaluate, and process certain
experiences, which illustrate their
critical thinking skills.
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 What makes a good reaction paper?
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 What makes a good reaction paper?
✓ A good reaction paper has a strong stand on whether one
thing is good or not.
✓ It takes into account personal, societal, and political
implications.
✓ A good reaction paper is informative. A reaction helps one
to be aware of certain events happening in the world.
✓ A good reaction paper makes people understand through
their own experiences and thoughts about what the writer
is reacting to.
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 What makes a good reaction paper?

Writing a reaction paper is not just an expression of one’s

opinion or take on something but it can be a reasonable
response to the world. By writing one, you can lend a helping
hand to those people who are looking for answers and are
confused on what to do or what to choose. You help them
process their experience and come up with a good decision. A
reaction paper can also be an eye opener to the readers. It
helps them get a view at something from a different
perspective and get meaning to what seems unimportant.
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 What is a reflection paper?
How does it differ from a reaction paper?
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 What is a reflection paper?
How does it differ from a reaction paper?
▪ Reaction papers and reflection papers are two
types of essays often considered as synonymous.

▪ Both types of papers feature a student’s reaction

or thoughts regarding a certain topic, book, or film.

▪ The primary difference lays in the type of focus the

student places on the topic about which he is writing.
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 What is a reflection paper?
How does it differ from a reaction paper?
➢ REFLECTION paper will be more focused on how much a certain
recollection has impacted you as a person, as a son, daughter to
your mother.. You can also write your realizations or learnings
and apply it to become a better child to your parents or person.
➢ REACTION paper will be more focused on your agreement or
disagreement perhaps to the ideas and lecture of the facilitator,
or comment about the food served to you, or the kind of service
that the resort has rendered.. Similar to writing a journal because
this is more opinionated than factual.
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 REFLECTION PAPER
It’s an avenue for students to focus on
what they have learned rather than their
feelings or thoughts about the topic.
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 REFLECTION PAPER
It gives an opportunity for
students to express how an article,
lesson, lecture or experience shapes
their understanding
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 REFLECTION PAPER
This can pave the way for
students to apply their faith and
belief in connection to what is being
reflected.
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 GO PLACIDLY amid the noise and the haste, and remember what
peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without
surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to
the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the
spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain
or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than
yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in
your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the
changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of
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trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many
persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.
 Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for
in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of
youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not
distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and
loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the
universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it
should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And
whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace
in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful
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world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

By Max Ehrmann © 1927
 After reading the poem “Desiderata,” answer
directly the questions in unlimited sentences.

1. What was the poem about?

2. Did you like the poem? Why or why not? List
the reasons below.
3. What line struck you most? Why?
4. Would you suggest others to read this poem?
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Why or why not?

 CRITICAL APPROACHES
IN WRITING A CRITIQUE
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pp. 166-169
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 Formalist Criticism looks into the following aspects:
▪ Author’s techniques in resolving contradictions within the work
▪ Central passage that sums up the entirety of the work
▪ Contribution of parts and the work as a whole to its aesthetic
quality
▪ Contribution of rhyme and rhythm to the meaning or effect of
the work
▪ Relationship of the form and the content
▪ Use of imagery to develop the symbols used in the work
▪ Interconnectedness of various parts of the work
▪ Paradox, ambiguity, and irony in the work
▪ Unity in the work
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Read the sample formalist critique of “Dead Stars” on page 167 of your book.
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 Feminist Criticism looks into the following aspects:
▪ How culture determines gender
▪ How gender equality (or the lack of it) is presented in the text
▪ How gender issues are presented in literary works and other
aspects of human production and daily life
▪ How women are socially, politically, psychologically, and
economically oppressed by patriarchy
▪ How patriarchal ideology is an overpowering presence

Read the sample feminist critique of “Dead Stars” on page 168 of

your book.
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 Reader Response Criticism looks into the following aspects:
▪ Interaction between the reader and the text
in creating meaning
▪ The impact of reader’s delivery of sounds and
visuals on enhancing and changing meaning

Read the sample reader response critique of

“Dead Stars” on page 169 of your book.
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 - relating to or denoting
the political and
economic theories of
Karl Marx
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 Marxist Criticism looks into the following aspects:

▪ Social class as represented in the work

▪ Social class of the writer/creator
▪ Social class of the characters
▪ Conflicts and interactions between economic classes

Read the sample Marxist critique of “Dead Stars” on

page 169 of your book.
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 NOTE: These are not the only critical approaches you can
use. Other approaches in writing a critique include:
▪ Postmodern Criticism
▪ Post-colonial Criticism
▪ Structuralism
▪ Psychological Criticism
▪ Gender Criticism
▪ Ecocriticism
▪ Biographical Criticism
▪ Historical Criticism
▪ Mythological Criticism
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▪ Deconstructionist Criticism
 STRUCTURE OF A
REACTION PAPER
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pp. 170-171
 Structure of a Reaction Paper, Review, Critique

▪ Introduction (5% of the paper)

▪ Summary (10% of the paper)
▪ Review/Critique/Interpretation (75% of the paper)
▪ Conclusion/Evaluation (10% of the paper)
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 INTRODUCTION
(5% of the paper)

• Title of the work

• Writer’s name
• Thesis statement
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 SUMMARY
(10% of the paper)

• Objective or purpose
• Methods used (if applicable)
• Major findings, claims, ideas or
messages (academic researchIarticles)
• Simple description of the work
• Gist of the plot (literary piece)
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 REVIEW/ANALYSIS
(75% of the paper)

• Discussion and analysis of the work

• Coherence of ideas
• Sufficiency and soundness of explanation in relation to
other available information and experts
• Other perspectives in explaining the concepts and ideas
• It is best to ask the questions (see p. 170)
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 CONCLUSION
(10% of the paper)

• Overall impression of the work

• Scholarly or literary value of the reviewed
article, book, or work
• Benefits for the intended audience or field
• Suggestions for future direction of research
• Recommendation of the material
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 GUIDELINES IN WRITING
A REACTION PAPER
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pp. 171-172
 1. For articles or journals:
a. Read, view, or listen to the work to be reviewed
carefully to get the main topic or the concepts
presented. Then revisit the work to further identify its
arguments or message.
b. Relate the content of the work to what you already
know about the topic. This will make you more engaged
in the article or book.
c. Focus on discussing how the books treats the topic
and not the topic itself. Use phrases such as this
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book/work presents and the author argues.

 1. For articles or journals:
d. Situate your review. This means that your
analysis should be anchored on the theories
presented by the writer or creator.
e. Report the type of analysis or mode of
presentation the writer used and how this type
of analysis supports the arguments and claims.
f. Examine whether the findings are adequately
supported and how the connections between
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ideas affects the conclusions and findings.

 1. For articles or journals:
g. Suggest points for improvement of the reasoning,
explanation, and presentation of ideas, as well as
alternative methods and processes of reasoning.
h. Compare the writer’s explanation of the topic to that
of another expert from the same field of study.
i. Point out other conclusions or interpretations that
the writer missed out. Present other ideas that need
to be examined.
j. State your agreement or disagreement to the
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writer’s ideas along with an explanation for it.

 2. For artworks and other media:
a. When critiquing artworks or posters, make sure to use
speculative verbs such as evoke, create, appear, and
suggest to show that your interpretation of the artist’s
work is just that – an interpretation.
b. Presume that the reader has not yet seen the material
you are reviewing, so make sure to describe it to them.
For viewers of films or plays, make sure not to spoil key
events unless they figure in your review, in which case
always add disclaimer.
c. For artworks, describe the material in simple terms to
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help your readers visualize it; refrain from being vague

or abstract.
 3. On a general note, your reaction paper’s conclusion
may focus on the answers to the following questions :
a. Did the work hold your interest?
b. Did the work annoy or excite you?
c. Did the work prompt you to raise questions to the
author or creator?
d. Did the work lead you to some realizations?
e. Did the work remind you of other materials that you
have read, viewed or listened to in the past?
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 Checking for Understanding (P. 173)
Write T if the statement is true and F if it is false.
1. A review or a reaction paper involves higher order thinking skills. TT
2. A reaction paper, a review, and a critique generally use the same
organization of idea. TT
3. A review must always be organized using a structure. TT
4. Feminist criticism relates to conflicts between classes. TF
5. Marxist criticism involves the analysis of the intrinsic features of a text. TF
6. More than half of a review or critique should be devoted to the summary. TF
7. The name of an author and title of the reviewed article are placed at the
end of the review or critique. TF
8. The reviewer’s overall impression of the material being reviewed should
be placed in the introduction. TF (can be placed at the end as a creative writing style)
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9. When writing a review, a reaction paper, or a critique, only one

perspective should be used. TF
10.Writing a reaction paper, a review, or a critique is exclusive for scholars. TF
THANK YOU!
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