LESSON TEN: The Personal Narrative-Part Four

LESSON DESCRIPTION

Students participate in the editing stage of the writing process through peer editing groups.  They edit by indicating errors, not correcting them.  Student writers then make the final corrections.

GRADE-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS

W3A      Write a personal narrative that chronicles a sequence of three or more events, using sensory detail.

LESSON MATERIALS

§         Source of Literature

o        None

§         Supplies 

• Student drafts of personal narrative
• Sticky notes (optional)
• Highlighters or colored pencils (optional)

§         Handouts provided

o        None

§         Words to know

o        draft

o        narrative

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

1.  Explain to students they are going to participate in editing groups to edit their papers.  Remind students that during the editing stage of the writing process they are checking for the mechanics of writing:  spelling, capitalization, punctuation, correct usage, etc.

2.  Place students in cooperative groups with pencils and/or sticky notes.  Students decide which element they are going to edit papers for:  punctuation, spelling, grammar/usage or sentence structure.  Each student writes a possible title for the narrative on a sticky note and attaches it to the back of the story.

Students should read each paper in the group, editing for their specific element.  Instruct students to lightly mark in the margin of the paper each line that contains an error.  They should not correct the error or mark on the student writing.

3.  Once all papers have been read by the group, writers can make final corrections to their papers.

4.  Students should now prepare their final drafts.