Instructions
On Thursday, April 19, we will spend our class time on peer critiques of each other’s short rough drafts for the final paper. Your rough draft should consist of three pages from the body of your paper. Do not include your introduction. Our goal is to practice working with the sources to build an argument. If you can’t get started on your paper without writing an introduction, that’s okay! Just make sure you have three pages of your body section, and do not include the introduction in the part you share for peer critique. To ensure that our peer critiques are maximally useful for everyone, remember to send your draft to your group on time, read and analyze your group members’ drafts before class, and come to class ready to share your ideas.
Here is how this assignment works:
Step 1: Write three pages of the body section of your paper. Do not include your introduction.
Step 2: Email this draft to your group members and to me! no later than 5:00pm on Wednesday, April 18. Because of the way we’re working with our drafts, do not share yours as a Google doc. Convert it into a Word document before you email it. *Groups and email addresses are listed on the second page of this assignment sheet.
Step 3: READ your group members’ drafts thoughtfully and carefully. As you read, consider the following exercises and questions:
- What is the main point of each paragraph? Underline the specific sentence in each paragraph that encapsulates that point. If you read only these sentences, do they flow smoothly from one paragraph to the next? If not, how would you advise the author to revise their work to ensure better logical flow?
- What is the main argument of this section of the paper? How does the text lead you to identify this as the main argument?
- How does the author use evidence in this draft? Does the evidence support the point the author is making? Has the author drawn a clear connection between evidence and argument?
- Is the author’s writing style easy or difficult to read? If it is difficult, how would you advise the author to revise to make their work more readable?
- What works well in this draft? What could the author do to improve it?
Step 4: Bring your own and your colleagues’ drafts with you to class! You can print them out or bring them on a laptop or tablet.
Peer Critique Groups
*Please remember to ALSO email your rough draft to me: goldmanl@reed.edu
Group 1
Alystair Augustin (ajaugust@reed.edu)
Misha Lerner (lernerm@reed.edu)
Shauna Switzer (shaswitz@reed.edu)
Group 2
Connor Cantrell (cantreco@reed.edu)
Jacob Shaw (jacshaw@reed.edu)
Isaiah Silvers (issilvers@reed.edu)
Group 3
Nick Chaiyachakorn (nicchaiy@reed.edu)
Corey Magruder (magrudec@reed.edu)
Colin White (whitec@reed.edu)
Group 4
Dagan Douglas (douglasd@reed.edu)
Teo Rogers (teorogers@reed.edu)
Isa Velez (isagvelez@reed.edu)
