Writing: Peer Editing
OER PROJECT: WH ORIGINS / LESSON 8.1 ACTIVITYWRITING: PEEREDITINGUnless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “Writing: Peer Editing,” OER Project, https://www.oerproject.com/1PurposeReview and revise a classmate’s essay using the entire OER Project Writing Rubric. Assessing a peer’s essay against the rubric and making suggestions for improvement will help you improve your own historical writing skills.Key informationBefore you start this activity, keep in mind that writing is like anyskill, such as playing an instrument or a sport: You can always get better. The feedback you provide for your peer’s essay will improve their writing, and at the same time, the feedback you receive will make you a stronger writer. Don’t think of feedback as criticism! Even professional athletes have coaches to help them improve. It’s hard to get better at anything without feedback.Process1.Your teacherwill pair you up with a classmate and let you know which essay you’ll be reviewing for this activity. Swap essayswith your partner andread through theirs while they read yours. Then,follow the directions starting on the next page. Note: If there is any aspectof your partner’sessay you feel doesn’t need revision(for example: claim and focus,or analysis and evidence),provide an explanationin which you point out the features of their writingthat make it exemplary(be sure to connect your explanation to specific criteria from the rubric).2.Once you’re done, meet with your teammate and share feedback with each other. Be sure you have some positive feedback to give along with your suggestions for improvement!
OER PROJECT: WH ORIGINS / LESSON 8.1 ACTIVITYWRITING: PEER EDITING2Step 1: Claim and FocusIdentify the major claim in the essay and add it below. Then, rewrite that claim to improve it. Next, pick one area of focus that you think needs improvement and write the original and an edited version of that.Original major claim:Revisedmajor claim:Original focus:Revised focus:
OER PROJECT: WH ORIGINS / LESSON 8.1 ACTIVITYWRITING: PEER EDITING3Step 2: Analysis and EvidenceFind one piece of evidence and one analysis statement you can improve upon (it could even be adding a new sentence if your peer forgot to add evidence or analyze the evidence that was provided). Write the original and rewritten statements. Original evidence:Revised or additional evidence:Original analysis statement:Revised analysis statement:
OER PROJECT: WH ORIGINS / LESSON 8.1 ACTIVITYWRITING: PEER EDITING4Step 3: OrganizationLook at the organization of the essay and find one area that could have been better organized. You might need to add a transition sentence or even rearrange some text. Write your suggestions for improvement below.Original organization text:Revised organization text:Step 4: Language and StyleLookat your classmate’s use of language and style and improve upon one area of the essay. Even if there aren’t any obvious errors, our writing can almost always benefit from more precise language or domain-specific vocabulary to make our arguments even stronger.Original language and style text:Revised language and style text: