Peer Review Essay of Definition

25 points

Due: Thursday, Jan. 31, midnight _ Length: 1-1.5 pages per memo
Each of you will provide constructive feedback to each of the members of your group. The feedback will take the form of a memo to each of your group members about his or her definition essay. The idea is to provide insight, support and advice for improvement before the writers turn the essay in to me for a grade. First, read the content item on Encouraging Peer Editing. Note the benefits this type of activity provides for the writer and reviewer. Remember, you are not proof-reading the piece. Although grammar/spelling/punctuation problems may be addressed, it is not the primary goal of your feedback. The big picture issues of content and clarity should be your priority. Begin your review by reading the authors note your peer partner has left, calling your attention to any concerns the author has about the piece. Then, read the essay itself all the way through before writing anything. Now, based on the following prompts in order, write a memo to the author. Then, in your memo, address the following items, in order: 1) Begin with a statement pointing out something successful in the essay. 2) Respond next to the authors note and any particular area of concern. 3) Does the essay show dictionary study of the word? Are the definitions used relevant, showing significant difference? 4) Does the essay define the word from the writers own experience? What particular experiences does it touch on? Which is strongest in terms of defining the term? Do any seem off-topic? Are more real-life examples needed? 5) Is the thesis stated clearly at the beginning or end of the essay? 6) Does the essay seem complete and easy to follow? Where in the essay can the author improve the piece? What could be added or removed to make this stronger? 7) Are spelling, grammar or punctuation issues a problem anywhere? 8) Any other suggestions for improvement/Close with a positive. Post the memos in the discussion board to each author. I will evaluate your efforts based on how thorough, helpful, and adherent to instructions your memo is. See sample memo below.
TO: Haley Frontiera FROM: Matthewklammer DATE: Jan. 31, 2013 SUBJECT: Peer Review of Your Essay Defining the Word Christian Hi Haley, It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and I must confess that I very much like your choice of topic. Had I not first seen your paper the word Christian would have also been my word. I like this topic so much because it alows so much thought and introspection. Other words may be ubiquitous, but cristian is a word that will

have a very deeply personal meaning to every individual. No two people will tell you it means the same thing. As to your concerns on grammar and sentence structure I am afraid my help is limited. As you can likely determine from reading my paper, I am a poor user of the grammatical niceties of the English language. I can however tell you that any errors that may exist do not detract from my ability to understand the essay, which is of coarse the main concern of grammar. Concerning the grading rubric you seem to be in the clear. Multiple definitions of your word can be found in the paper including your own definition. Your thesis seems very clear, and provides many good leads for thought and discussion in the later half of the paper. One interesting path you might take with the essay is to examine why the word christian has come to define more of a organization than a way of life. This would help to flesh out your paper and give your audience more views to work from. I look forward to seeing more, Matt