Writers Workshop Comp and Readings Mrs ONeill SAS

Writer’s Workshop Comp and Readings Mrs. O’Neill

SAS Writer Reviser Ensure you’ve enabled (added on) SAS Writer Reviser to your Google drive. Directions on “how to” are in the assignment on Canvas. Remember that you are to email me a screenshot of your add-on (as instructed). Trouble? Ask! Here we go…

Individual Reviser Go to your descriptive writing assignment in your Google drive/docs. Ensure you’ve enabled SAS Writer Reviser. “Open” it (in Add-ons menu, click the name of the program, then click on the diamond arrow to open). Click on the different elements to analyze in your paper: Sentence Economy Sentence Variety Sentence Power Sentence Clarity Support Tools You have to specifically “tell” the program to run a check on the different elements. You may also have to click “Support Tools” (last element) to enable certain analysis. Spend some time digging into what SAS says about your techniques. Go ahead and revise according to suggestions you find helpful or

Peer Revision Pair up (one group of three if necessary). You will need a) your device b) to “share” your (Google doc) essay with your partner(s), making it editable not just viewable For this writing, please focus on these THREE (3) elements: SENSORY DETAILS SENTENCE LENGTHS SENTENCE BEGINNINGS

Sensory Details Call up your partner’s shared-with-you essay. Ensure you share with an ability to EDIT as well as VIEW (otherwise, s/he won’t be able to do any of the following!) Decide on a different color highlight for the five different senses: Yellow = sight Green = touch Blue = sound Orange = taste Pink = smell ? ? ? In comments section (margins off to side with a mini paper signifying comments), list your key for colors. Proceed to highlight your partner’s paper with colors for each use/mention of the different senses. At the end, make a comment evaluating the use of sensory details (or lack thereof). Encourage him/her to use more of one kind? Show that s/he neglected any kind of sensory detail – where might it be incorporated?

Sentence Lengths Go through and count the number of words per sentence. Yes, every single one. In the margin, “comment” with the number of words for that sentence (general area). Add a wrap-up comment that evaluates the extent to which the writer varied his/her sentence length: mostly short, medium, long? Offer ONE suggestion about the type of sentence length to try.

Sentence Beginnings Look back over the paper. Underline the first three words of every sentence. See if you can discern a pattern: Is there too much repetition that it gets boring? Is there always one kind of opening? Consider the effect of the writer’s sentence beginnings. Add another comment in the margin (near the end) that offers analysis of the writer’s sentence beginnings. Explain what you saw and how it looked/sounded. Give the writer an idea of how to vary his/her beginnings.

Discussion Now that you’ve read and responded to your partner’s writing in writing, it’s time to talk about what you saw. Talk about each other’s papers. Focus on the wrapup/summative comments you made throughout the paper. Offer at least two points: Name something the author did well. Name something the author could improve. Remember our characters of good writing list? Incorporate some of those terms into your discussion. In what ways is the writing “good, ” i. e. engaging, original, descriptive, relevant, interesting, coherent, logical, organized, etc. ?

ACTION Now that you’ve looked at someone else’s writing and had someone offer analysis of your own, it’s time to implement some suggested revisions. Look at the comments and highlights your partner made. Revise at will. Depending on time, revise right here/right now. If we get short on time, you may revise at home. Final revisions must be shared with me by midnight tomorrow. Please eliminate all highlight-ings and underlining; leave margin comments alone. I can see edits even after you’ve erased them .

Happy Labor Day Weekend!