--Best to do this activity with later paper, such as paper 4 or paper 5--
Materials Needed:
Variety of colored pencils/highlighters (yellow, green, blue, and pink)
Each student needs two drafts of his/her paper
Purposes:
To allow multiple readers to view and offer suggestions for papers
To assign different readers specific areas to review
To try to cover four different areas of revision with any given paper.
Instructor will group students into fours. Each group of four will then arrange their desks to form a circle. Each student will keep one draft for him/herself so that they leave with a clean draft. Give each group four jobs that need to be dispersed amongst the students (e.g. content editor; grammar editor; thesis editor; organization editor, or whatever you choose to focus on during this session). Also, give each student a different colored pencil.
Say “go,” and have students pass their papers to the left. When the student gets a draft, they will print their name in their color on the top of the page. Then, that student will be responsible for reviewing the draft in front of him/herself. For example, if student A is the content editor, he will read each paper that gets passed to him with that “lens” on, writing marginal notes and suggestions as he reads. If student B is the grammar editor, she will read each paper looking for grammatical/mechanical issues that she thinks should be addressed.
Give each rotation 10-15 minutes. Also, provide each editor with a set of questions (specific to her job) that she can ask herself when looking at each paper.
Leave 10 minutes at the end of the session for students to discuss and clarify their responses. When students submit their final drafts, have them attach the packet.
Author’s name: ______
Thesis Editor’s name: ______
Does the paper have a strong, explicit thesis statement? What is it?
If the thesis is not placed at the end of the introductory paragraph, where is it located?
Would it be more effective in another location (e.g. the first sentence of the introduction?, etc.)
Does the paper prove the thesis by the end of the paper? If the paper ends in a different direction than it began, how can the author revise the thesis statement?
Can the thesis statement be clearer and more concise? Rephrase the thesis here:
Does the title communicate the thesis? If not, how should the title (or maybe the thesis) be revised?
Content Editor’s name:______
Does this paper use textual examples that are appropriate and relevant to the argument? (Illustration) Do you know of better examples to use? If so, add them here:
Does this paper make a compelling and unique argument? (E) Summarize that argument.
Is the introduction compelling and relevant? If not, how could the author improve it?
Does the concluding paragraph do more than simply restate the thesis? Is it interesting? How so?
Organization Editor’s name: ______
Does each paragraph cohere around a central idea that also supports the thesis? What is that central idea?
Does each paragraph include PIE and in that order? Highlight P = pink; I = green; yellow = explanation
Do the paragraphs follow a logical sequence? If you would reorder them, give that new order here:
Highlight in blue the paper’s transitions. Do they work? Are there missing transitions? If so, write “LEAP” on the paper.
Grammar/Usage Editor’s name: ______
Circle vocabulary or diction that is vague or unclear.
Cross through unnecessary words.
Identify any grammar errors such as fragments, run-ons, or ineffective sentences?
Identify any punctuation errors.
Mark any incorrect MLA citations, both in the parenthetical citations and in the works cited.
In what ways can the paper improve its meaning with clearer grammar?