What you’ll do today in class:
- Workshop drafts of Essay 2
- Discuss the revision process
Connection to course goals:
These activities emphasize the recursive nature of the writing process
and the importance of revision in producing a text that meets the context and
accomplishes the writer's goals. Also, the discussion of revision is designed
to produce a clearer and more constructive idea of what revising a text
actually entails. Here students begin to see that revision means not only the
words on the paper but the ideas they're trying to communicate through those
words.
INTRODUCTION:
1.
Workshop
Essay 2 drafts (60-70 minutes):
-
You
can find a workshop sheet in the appendix or make your own, but definitely make
sure that you have a sheet with specific questions to guide them. Open response at this point in the semester
is usually not productive.
-
For
this workshop, try to have students work in groups of three, so they get more
than one set of feedback.
2.
Have
students read the feedback they received on their draft and begin writing a
revision plan (5-10 minutes)
CONCLUSION: Remind students
that as they revise their Essay 2 draft for Thursday they should keep in mind
that revision is about “re-seeing” their ideas and making larger changes in
terms of purpose, focus, development and organization. Let them know that at the beginning of class
Thursday they’ll write Postscript responses, which give them an opportunity to
think back over their writing process and discuss what revisions they made and
why.
Optional Activity—if time: Discuss revision. Your goal here is to demonstrate to students that an important
part of revision is re-thinking the ideas and the focus of an essay, not just
correcting grammar and mechanics or changing a few words around.
-
Hand
out the E.B. White essays (see the appendix).
-
Have
the students read through the drafts, and then use the following discussion
questions:
·
How
does the first draft differ from the last?
·
What
is the first draft about? How would you summarize its main point to a reader?
What is the main point?
·
What
is the last draft about? Summary/main point?
·
What
changes do you see through White's various drafts?
Assignment for Day 12:
- Revise
your Essay 2 draft and be ready to hand in your final draft with all process
work.