This document provides instructions and information about turning in assignments, peer reviewing student work, and the benefits of peer review. It discusses how to conduct a peer review session by having students read their paragraphs aloud without comments, then passing their work to the left to be reviewed by others. Reviewers are asked to highlight their comments in their assigned color and provide feedback focused on content. The document concludes by assigning a final draft of Paragraph #2 as homework.

1. September 15, 2011

2. Turn in your rough draft

3. Quiz Make sure you circle the prepositions and line out the prepositional phrases!!!!!

4. Discuss Dog

5. 1. Why is Christopher fascinated with illustrations, diagrams and maps? How do they help us understand him?

6. 2. List three things Chris likes and three things he dislikes. Explain his reasons for each like/dislike listed.

7. 3. How does Christopher’s father show him love?

8. 4. What makes Chris feel safe? What makes him feel unsafe?

9. 5. Why does Christopher find people confusing?

10. Christopher asserts, “I am not a spazzer.” Do you agree/disagree and why. Give examples to support your view.

11. Peer Review? What is that? Objective feedback Seeing someone’s text from your own perspective Explaining to them how you ‘see’ it Being kind, yet honest, in the process From Purdue OWL: Peer Review Presentation (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/712/1/)

12. The ‘Why’ of Peer Review Why does peer review work? We see our writing ‘through’ another person We see how other students think and write We see others’ writing strengths and weaknesses We see new ideas and new ways of explaining ideas We learn to look at our own writing in a different way From Purdue OWL: Peer Review Presentation (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/712/1/)

13. The ‘How’ of Peer Review Ways you can respond as a helpful reader: If you get confused or lost Mark an ‘X’ in the text where you are confused Ask the writer to explain his or her ideas From Purdue OWL: Peer Review Presentation (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/712/1/)

14. The ‘How’ of Peer Review Ways you can respond as a helpful reader: If you cannot see the point: Ask the writer ‘So what?’ questions. In other words, ask the writer ‘What does this point have to do with this paragraph?’ Offer more examples and details to the writer Leave the final decisions to the writer From Purdue OWL: Peer Review Presentation (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/712/1/)

15. Peer Review Read your paragraph aloud. You are allowed to stop and write all over your paper. The rest of the group is not allowed to comment whatsoever (even after you are finished). Everyone reads aloud first. Decide which color highlighter will represent you in the group. Decide as a group how much time you have for each paragraph. Remember, you will need time at the end to discuss. Pass your paragraph and peer review sheet to the left. Peer review the paragraph in front of you concentrating on content, not surface errors. Highlight your comments in your color. Pretend the author of the paragraph is nowhere near you. All comments/questions/critiques should be written. Fill in the “Editor #1” section of the peer review sheet. Highlight your name in your color. Pass left again and repeat steps four and five using the appropriate editor section. Repeat step six. Review the comments on your paragraph and your peer review sheet. Make a note of any questions you have. Take turns being in the mush pot of your groups for a couple of minutes and discuss each paragraph.

16. Homework Paragraph #2 final draft typed with rough draft, peer review, and rubric stapled behind it