Lesson 8: Editing Using All You Know

Connection  Share with a partner anything you know about how to edit or what you do when it comes time to edit.

Connection  Some points you may have made: Use a partner to help you find and fix basic errors, like misspelled words and missing punctuation Be sure your writing isn’t confusing for your reader Know what is expected—use a checklist to “grade” your writing against. Look for ways to make your writing better.

Teaching Point  Today, you want to up the ante by looking for ways to lift the level of your conventions. Writers use all they know and all they have (relying on the resources at their disposal) to put the final touches on their drafts.  When writers edit, they don’t simply fix a misspelled word or add a missing period— they continue to look for ways to outgrow themselves. We are going to try to do that by lifting the level of your conventions.

Teaching  Take at your literary essay rubric. Under Conventions, the checklist expects you to use internal punctuation appropriately within sentences and when citing sources.  What does that mean? Perhaps it means that sometimes writers clarify what they mean by adding more to a sentence with an appositive or by tucking in an aside within parenthesis.

Teaching  Take a look at this sample from the mentor essay. Look for a punctuation move in this example that you may have already done, such as sentence variety. Where could the writer have said more that might clarify what is being said, either by explaining things a bit further or giving a little more pertinent backstory. By the middle of the story, the reader begins to see that the children, in their painful jealousy, hurt Margot with words and with force. First they mock her poetry and her memories, claiming she never did see the sun. Then they shove her. Finally, they lock her in a closet so she won’t see the sun.

Teaching  I’ve found a place where I think an aside would give more insight. By the middle of the story the reader begins to see that the children, in their painful jealousy, hurt Margot with words and with force. First they mock her poetry and her memories, claiming she never did see the sun (even though in their hearts, they know she did, and it is killing them with jealousy). Then they shove her. Finally, they lock her in a closet so she won’t see the sun.

Teaching  Look for where you might use parentheses to quietly tuck a little more information into one of your sentence to further convey meaning; or dashes to add information you want to spotlight; or a colon to add a list of information you want to spotlight.  You may need to rewrite sentences to effectively incorporate new punctuation.  The end goal is not to use new punctuation for the sake of using new punctuation; rather, it is to use new punctuation for the sake of enhancing meaning.

Active Engagement  Switch essays with a partner, read aloud each other’s first paragraph, and discuss any misspellings and punctuation errors you see.  Then study your own piece alongside the conventions section of the checklist, looking for places where you might incorporate new internal punctuation to clarify and emphasize meaning—and to strengthen your position and sound more knowledgeable.

Mid-Workshop  Once you have tried a move to lift your level of punctuation. Take a minute to share your revision with a partner. Read aloud the original sentence and then the revised one, making sure to read in a way that your partner will “hear” the punctuation changes.”

HOMEWORK  Try a punctuation move you haven’t tried before if you haven’t done so already.  Be ready to publish tomorrow!

8a: Publish & Share  Make any final revisions to your digital copy.  Print out a copy and turn it in with your rubric.  Copy and paste your paper on Moodle—Thematic Essay.  Read one other person’s essay that doesn’t have a comment.  After reading, provide a thoughtful response to the paper you’ve just read. What did the essay teach you? What did you notice about that the author did well? ○ Was it a meaningful punctuation move? ○ Stylistic choices? ○ Elaboration in the rationale? ○ What might you do in your next paper that the author did? ○ Any suggestions for improvement?  Reflect on the work you’ve done so far in the unit.  Where have you improved?  What are your strengths?