Lesson Materials:
Worksheets: 1. Rhetorical Analysis peer review worksheet
Templates for formatting papers: 1. MLA template; 2. Cover letter template
Lesson Objectives: 1. Introduce peer review worksheet and what, specifically, peers are looking for in an analysis essay. 2. Complete peer review and give authors concrete examples of how they can improve their analysis essays.
Connection to Major Paper/Project: Activities focus on identifying strengths and areas of development in the analysis essay. Students will be able to adjust their essays according to questions and suggestions from their peers.
Connection to Course Goals: Students will achieve the following course goals: Develop strategies for reading, drafting, collaborating, revising, and editing and Engage in the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes.
Activities Day 1:
- Review goals of the analysis assignment.
- Review peer review worksheet. But consider what would be most important to include in a peer review worksheet. This is similar to creating a class charter. Consider what feedback you want, what feedback you DON’T want, and write out rules of peer review.
- Give a copy of your essay to a partner to read. Partners will read and respond to the piece using the review worksheet. The review worksheet can be shared with the paper author for them to make edits.
Homework, to be completed before next class:
—Using peer feedback, edit the analysis essay. ALSO, flip the essay into first person. The second draft should read as if you were the author and you were the one explaining your work to the reader. Write your cover letter. Return the second draft with the cover letter in one document to the Blackboard assignment dropbox.
—This is a template for the cover letter. Answer the questions in 2-3 sentences. When you’ve answered the questions, then remove the questions, leaving just the answers. Edit it together so it is more like an essay (not just a Q&A).
—Sign up for the midterm check in for next week. This is a casual meeting of 10 minutes only so that we can chat about what’s going well for you & also look at the rhetorical analysis essay together. When you sign up, let me know if you prefer to meet via Zoom or in person at NAC 6/318D (upstairs and on the other side of the building my office).
