Warm-Up10/26/11 Please write a paragraph telling me

what you should look for when editing a piece of writing.

If you DO NOT have your “This I Believe” essay printed off, but have it completed, please come and see me.

Today’s Objective10/26/11 Know: How to effectively edit a piece

of writing

Understand: Editing is an essential and necessary part of the writing process.

Do: You will edit your “This I Believe” essay.

Today’s Agenda10/26/11 “This I Believe” Seven Layer

Editing Workshop “This I Believe” Peer Editing

Workshop

Homework:– “This I Believe” Essay Due

Thursday/Friday

Seven Layer Editing

Mr. Thomas

You will need:

7 different colorsYour rough draftA legend on your paper

Step 1: HOOK AND OPENING Color: Circle the hook or attention-getter in

the introductory paragraph.– Will this grab the reader’s attention? Is

this general? Does this make sense?

Step 2: THESIS STATEMENT/STATEMENT OF BELIEF

Color:

Underline the thesis statement/statement of belief in the essay. This DOES NOT have to be in the introductory paragraph

Step 3: NO EXCUSES WORDS Color:

Highlight all NO EXCUSES WORDS even if they are correct

their, there, they’re, too, two, to ,its, it’s, cause, because, were, where, which, witch, weather, whether, a lot, does, dose, have vs. of, loose, lose, than, then

Step 4: APOSTROPHES

Color:

Circle ALL APOSTROPHES (possessive and contraction).-possessive example: That is John’s ball-contraction example: He isn’t going with

us.

Step 5: COMMAS

Color:

Circle all commas used. Then read your essay and highlight where you feel commas may be necessary where you tend to pause.

Step 6: SENTENCE STARTERS

Color:

Look over the beginning words of all your sentences, circle similar beginnings and connect.

Do the same for paragraphs Make sure that you aren’t repetitive

in your writing. Did you include transitions?

Step 7: INTENSIFIERS, OVERUSED WORDS AND JUNK Color: Be specific! Avoid words such as things or stuff. Intensifiers: word used indicating increased emphasis

or force. Weak Intensifier Examples:

– She was real nice to us. – I liked that car a lot.– That was a wicked bad exam. – It’s pretty late.

Cross out words like stuff, things, a lot, anyway, gonna, really, fun, get, very, quite, pretty, too, awful, real, so.

Circle your two best words that you used in your essay (do you have high quality word choice?)

Peer Edit

Now that you have edited your own paper with the seven layers, switch papers with a partner.

Look over your partner’s paper with the Writer’s Workshop/edit sheet provided. On the rubric make at least one comment for each of the sections to be graded.

Peer Edit #2

Trade papers with a new student Read the paper without marking it

and at the end summarize the essay in two sentences. Do not use the author’s “I Believe” statement in your summary

Write down two things that stand out about this essay: word choice, an example, explanation, hook, etc..

Discuss what you found with your partner