The Movie Critic

Writing a 3-Paragraph Video Review

3 guided paragraphs  •  sentence frames  •  watching + writing practice

Name: Date: Video title:
How to use this worksheet. You are going to build a video review one paragraph at a time. It is easier than it looks — you already did the hard part by watching the video!
PART 1

The Introduction (Paragraph 1)

The job of the introduction is to tell the reader WHAT you watched and WHO it was about.

1.Title of the video:
2.Type of video (circle one):   Movie  |  Documentary  |  TV Episode  |  YouTube Video
3.Release year (when did it come out?):
4.Main topic / character (who is this video about?):
Clarify — The introduction only tells what and who. Do not review it yet — save your opinion for Part 3. Not sure of the "type"? Think about where you watched it and how long it was.
📝 Draft Paragraph 1 (The Setup) — use your answers above to fill in the blanks.
"Recently, I watched a video titled . It is a (type of video) that was released in (year) . The main focus of the video is (main character) ."
PART 2

The Summary (Paragraph 2)

The job of the summary is to explain WHAT HAPPENED. We need 3 details.

5.The beginning — how did the video start? (What was the character doing?)
6.The middle (the big moment) — what was the most important thing that happened?
7.The end — how did it finish? (Did they solve the problem? Did they learn a lesson?)
Clarify — Tell it in order: beginning → middle → end. One or two sentences each is plenty. You do not have to include every detail — pick the most important thing that happens.
📝 Draft Paragraph 2 (The Story) — use these transition words to connect your sentences.
"The story began when (answer #5) . Later on, (answer #6) . By the end of the video, (answer #7) ."
PART 3

The Review (Paragraph 3)

The job of the review is to say what YOU think and how you FEEL.

8.How did watching this make you feel? (Happy, Curious, Bored, Excited):
9.Why? (Because it was funny? The music was loud? It was too long?)
10.Who should watch this? (circle one):   Everyone  |  People who like Action  |  People who like Comedy  |  Nobody
11.My rating (color in the stars):   ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Clarify — This is where your opinion belongs. The word because is your best friend: every feeling needs a reason. "I felt excited because…" is a 5-star sentence.
📝 Draft Paragraph 3 (My Opinion) — tell us your final thoughts.
"Watching this video made me feel (answer #8) because (answer #9) . I recommend this video to (answer #10) . Overall, I give this video (answer #11) stars."

💡 Tips for You: How to Write a 5-Star Review

Reflection

Which paragraph was the easiest to write? Which was the hardest? Name one thing you will do to make your next review even better.

FOR MENTOR USE — STUDY THIS TOGETHER

Mentor Guide

How to work through this video review with your student

1. What this worksheet builds

It teaches the shape of a review — WHAT/WHO (intro) → what happened (summary) → my opinion (review) — and uses sentence frames so a hesitant writer always has a way to start. The goal is a complete, organized paragraph set, not perfect spelling. Confidence first.

2. Run it with gradual release: I do → we do → you do

3. Using the Clarify hints

Let the student attempt each part first; read the Clarify box only if they stall. The hints coach strategy ("tell it in order," "use because"), never the content. Over time, ask the student to say the hint back to you before they read it — that is the skill becoming their own.

4. Supporting the writing

5. Reviewing it together