Today we had our first peer review. I gave students a handout: "Questions for Discussing Essays" to use in conjunction with other questions we spoke about in class such as whether or  not the writer employs the rhetorical moves we practiced in They Say.

We start with an essay about the importance of audience for our writing and how the writer can shape the nature of the peer review. This essay, Chapter 7 1/2: "Office Hours: Revision: Help from the Audience" comes from the book, Writing with a Thesis, A Rhetoric and a Reader, Ninth Edition by Skwire and Skwire (121).

After a brief discussion students then read the student essay first quickly then more slowly with a pencil in hand. Write your responses on the handout. Add more questions at the end if you like. Be certain to discuss the response with the student. I hope we can get at least two responses in half an hour. This might be too optimistic. We shall see.

For the second part of the class, we will have our freewrites about the object we brought in to share. We close with the party (smile).

Homework is to write a narrative plan for the next step in the essay writing process. Bring today's draft and the planning to class April 1 for all classes. The final draft is due on Wednesday, April 3.