Lesson Details

Peer Review

2014-2015

Freshman Literature, Fall 2014

Date

Oct. 1, 2014

Additional Info
Learning Target: Students will assess the effectiveness of a piece of writing.

Literary Term #22: Connotation
Connotations are the emotions we associate with various words. A word's connotative meaning can be either positive, negative, or neutral.
Examples:
emaciated: means thin, but has negative connotations of sickness and being unhealthy.
thin: has neutral connotations; it has neither positive nor negative associations
slender: means thin, but has positive connotations of being fit or beautiful and healthy.

Allusion #22: Icarus (pictures here, here, and here)
Icarus, the son of Daedalus, was given a pair of wings, the feathers of which were held together by wax. Daedalus taught Icarus how to fly and warned him not to get too close to the sun. Icarus loves flying and flies higher and higher. He eventually gets too close to the sun, the wax melts, and he tumbles back to earth, dying in the process. This allusion often refers to someone who believes he or she is invincible despite being warned.
Example: "Here's the keys, Son. Just make sure you obey the speed limit" 
"Yeah, Mom. I got it. I'll be fine."
Son LOVES driving, speeds, loses control of the car and crashes into a tree.
Dad says later on, "Hopefully our little Icarus has learned his lesson."

Example: "So what do you think of Janet getting a hint from a friend and selling off every single share of stock she has?"
"If you ask me, I'd say she's flying a little too close to the sun."


The remainder of class will be spent in your small groups reading your rough drafts out loud. Groups for this should be about the same size, so there might be a little bit of shuffling happening. 
Please take out a piece of paper and tear it in to five pieces of approximately the same size. Write your name on each piece. These are where you will write your suggestions to the reader.
Revisions will go as follows:
  • The person with the nearest birthday will read first. Reading will continue clockwise from that person.
  • Readers should read their entire essay slowly and with good volume so they can be heard.
  • Listeners should focus on CONTENT ONLY. Do not critique grammar, incomplete sentences, etc. Focus on ideas and how those ideas are being presented.
  • In the intro, listen for the various parts as we have talked about them. Is there an effective hook? Does the intro go from general to specific? Does it mention the story or Odysseus too soon?
  • In the body paragraphs, is there always a good topic sentence that tell you which trait that paragraph will deal with? Is each piece of evidence given enough context? Does the evidence have a direct quotation? Does that quotation fit seamlessly into the writer's own words, or does it stick out awkwardly? Does each piece of evidence have a justification as to how it proves the thesis?
  • In the conclusion, does the writer restate the thesis keeping in mind all the new information he or she has just presented? Is there some sort of final thought? Are you satisfied with the conclusion as an ending for the essay?
  • Write concrete, specific comments and suggestions on your slips of paper. Read these OUT LOUD to the writer, and then give the piece of paper to the writer to use as he or she writes his or her next draft.