Only students who have completed the full text of their essay and included appropriate citations may proceed to this level. Students who need additional time may continue drafting in the library.

Introduction

• Sharing comments with your classmates is a useful way to improve your writing. This is a valuable skill that can help you at university and in your future career and creative pursuits.
• Some quick advice on best practices:
  • A note to reviewers: Your main purpose is to help the writer produce a better paper. No paper is beyond criticism. At the same time, there is always a kind way to offer any criticism, and you should choose this way. Everyone who cares about their writing also feels deeply insecure about it. 
  • A note to writers: The natural first reaction to any criticism is defensiveness and sometimes anger at the commentator. It is better not to express this. Use the feedback constructively and assume it was meant in kindness. At the same time, write something that you want to take responsibility for, since in the end it is your name at the top of the page.
• This exercise is worth 5 points. It will be evaluated based on evidence of you having completed the survey and providing meaningful spoken feedback to your peer.

Process

1. Share your essay using Google Docs as "view only."
2. Read your partner's essay once through without commenting.
3. Based on your partner's essay, complete the Google Forms survey (shared by teacher). Most questions on this survey are multiple choice. For questions that are open response, 1-2 sentences should be sufficient for each.
   
4. When you are done, press "submit." A copy of the survey will appear in your inbox. Please forward a copy of this to your partner.
5. Once you and your partner have both completed the survey, take turns using the survey to discuss one another's papers with a focus on how you can both improve your writing.

Review rubric

• Access the Humanities and Social Sciences Grading Rubric (PDF) through this link or the “H&SS Grading Rubric” button to the right.
  
• Take a few minutes to compare the “Superior Paper” and “Needs Help paper” columns. Consider:
  
  • What is the difference between evidence that is “well-integrated” and “plopped-in”?
    
  • How does one “defuse counter-arguments” in a paper like this?
    
  • Is anything here unclear or in need of further elaboration?
    

Review due dates

• Access the Unit 1 Process-Based Essay (Google Doc) through this link or the “Constitution Essay” button to the right.
  
• Scroll to the bottom to identify due dates. Please note that these are fixed and at this point you should take initiative to ensure you are using your time as efficiently as possible. These due dates allot you two homework sessions (total 1 hour) and the bulk of two class session (75-80 minutes) to complete a polished draft of your paper, and then another in-class session and homework assignment to revise your paper.
  
• From this point forward the onus is on you to communicate early and often if you are struggling with this assignment.
  

Next steps

• Continue transforming your outline into written draft form. Before next class, you should aim to:
  • Have a polished introductory paragraph.
  • Started substantial work on at least one other paragraph.
    
• ​If you have additional time, please use it efficiently to continue the drafting process.

While you are working, I will circulate to provide feedback on outlines as needed.

Homework #114

Structure

• Discuss possible organizational strategies
• A few words on writing strong paragraphs:
  • Led by a strong, argumentative topic sentence that logically advances your thesis.
  • Contain robust supporting arguments, analysis, and supporting evidence.
  • An average of 8-10 sentences in length (note that this may be different from other types of writing you have done).

Academic honesty

• Take 5-7 minutes to read the full Humanities and Social Sciences Department Statement on Academic Dishonesty (Google Doc).
• Thoughts:
  • Any surprises here?
  • What points you think are relevant for this paper?
• Students sign indicating that they have read and understood the document before proceeding.

Outlining

• Build an outline in Noodle Tools, including:
  • Your working thesis
  • Topic sentences for each body paragraph, and
  • The evidence used as support in each body paragraph (i.e. notecards).

​Homework: #113

Introducing Noodle Tools
A special thanks to Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Gnerre, and Ms. Davis from the library for leading this session. 

• Signing In: Are there any problems?
• How to share your work with Mr. Hall
• Your sources: How to list them
• How to create a notecard
• How to create an outline
• How to create a citations and bibliography and what is Chicago style?

Gathering evidence

• At the end of last class and last night, you began considering possible evidence to respond to the question. Now is the time to take an informed position.
• Use Noodle Tools to begin creating notecards from your evidence. In this process we will be emphasizing quality and relevance over quantity, so you will not be assigned a specific number of notecards. That said, it is recommended that you consider preparing 10-12 notecards to give yourself flexibility further along in the process. Be sure to complete all three boxes in Noodle Tools:
  • Direct quotation: What does the text say?
  • Paraphrase/summary: Put it in your own words?
  • Relevance/significance: How does it relate to your argument?

Feedback

• As students dig for evidence and create notecards, Mr. Hall will provide individual feedback on thesis statements and answer questions on evidence collection.

Homework: #112

Dissect the essay prompt/question:

• Together on board based on last night’s homework:
  • Interpret the question: what is the question asking?
  • Essay prompt:
    
    • Using the American Revolution lessons from this unit, answer the following prompt in an academic essay: “How well did the United States Constitution address the ideals of natural rights and liberty voiced in the Revolutionary era?”
      
• Pair and share:
  • Envision a proper answer:
    • What essential parts will your essay need to completely answer the essay prompt?
    • What decisions will you need to make in order to answer this question?
  • Diagram the relationship between these essential parts
    • Visualize out what you have found.
    • Explain your diagram.

Remaining tasks:

• Log in or register on Noodle Tools (external link).
• Use remainder of class time to begin searching for evidence.

Homework: #111.