Life of Pi Essay: Peer Review of Draft

Step 1: Read the paper through in its ENTIRETY

Do not skip this step! This is important to ensure you have a sense of the direction the paper is going before you start your review.

Step 2: First impressions

1. Rate the strength of this paper’s thesis. Is the thesis merely a declaration of fact or, is it an arguable statement. It should be an arguable statement!

1)  Very weak 2) Weak 3) Fair 4) Strong 5) Very strong

List any suggestions for improvement:

2. Does this paper sustain a coherent point of view? (Do the body paragraphs and quotations work toward arguing the thesis or, do they ramble off track and lose focus?)

Explain why or why not?

Step 3: A closer look at paragraph structure

Now that you have read through your partner’s essay and provided some feedback on your first impressions, return to the beginning of the paper to take a closer look:

Measure the success of the essay’s introduction using the following scale:

1) Very weak 2) Weak 3) Fair 4) Strong 5) Very strong

Does the Introduction follow the designated format?

Opening: The purpose of the opening is to pique the reader’s interest and to ease them in to the essay. It should be a general statement that does not necessarily relate to the novel

Narrowing focus statement: The sentences following this opening statement gradually narrow the discussion before presenting a thesis statement. These sentences outline the points you intend to use to argue your thesis.

Thesis: The thesis is the topic sentence for the paper. This statement contains the paper’s main idea.

List any suggestions for improvement:

Do the Body Paragraphs follow the designated format?

Topic Sentence: This sentence states what the paragraph will be about. It is like a mini thesis that will highlight one point of your argument.

Support & evidence: This is the example and/or quotation from the novel to support the idea expressed in the topic sentence.

Explanation: This is the heart of the analysis or argument. The explanation should clearly and thoroughly demonstrate how the support and evidence supports the main idea. It must include a discussion of the quotation and explain how it relates to the topic sentence.

Body Paragraph #1:

Measure the success of Body Paragraph #1 using the following scale:

1) Very weak 2) Weak 3) Fair 4) Strong 5) Very strong

List any suggestions for improvement:

Body Paragraph #2:

Measure the success of Body Paragraph #2 using the following scale:

1) Very weak 2) Weak 3) Fair 4) Strong 5) Very strong

List any suggestions for improvement:

Body Paragraph #3:

Measure the success of Body Paragraph #3 using the following scale:

1) Very weak 2) Weak 3) Fair 4) Strong 5) Very strong

List any suggestions for improvement:

Measure the success of the essay’s conclusion using the following scale:

1) Very weak 2) Weak 3) Fair 4) Strong 5) Very strong

Does the conclusion follow the designated format?

Restated thesis: The thesis is restated differently from that which is found in the introduction.

The points of discussion: The sentences following the restated thesis reiterate the points outlined the points you intend to use to argue your thesis.

General statement: Leaves the reader with something to remember; something that will leave them with a lasting impression. This is not the time for something new. The general statement is aligned with the thesis.

List any suggestions for improvement:

Step 4: A closer look at spelling and grammar

Now that you have read through your partner’s essay and provided some feedback on your first impressions and on the essay’s structure, return to the beginning to take a closer look for:

a)  Run-on Sentences (underline any run-on sentences)

b)  1st person voice (formal papers should always be written in the 3rd person, circle any inconsistencies of voice)

c)  Contractions (formal writing shouldn’t include any contractions!)

d)  Make note of any other issues you notice

Writer’s signature ______

Reviewer’s signature ______

Ms. Gledhill’s signature ______