Synthesis Second Draft Review
Lesson Materials: For the student-facing pedagogical materials needed to teach today’s class, please open the following page: Synthesis Second Draft Review Lesson Materials.
Lesson Objectives: 1. Understand how word choice can be modified to generate more specificity; 2. Identify moments when word choice is insufficiently descriptive/accurate in our own composing; 3. Make revisions to writing so that word choice more accurately describes what the writer is attempting to convey on the page; 4. Engage in peer review to provide feedback as a reader using a guide of key criteria, and make revisions accordingly in one’s own writing
Connection to Second Major Paper/Project: This lesson is connected to the Synthesis and Annotated Bibliography assignment because it provides students an opportunity to receive feedback and revise their second draft. The lesson also assists students in revising their vocabulary, learning strategies to regularly make academic word choices.
Connection to Course Goals: This assignment reinforces the goal of writing as a process, by focusing on one aspect of writing (language and conventions) in the second draft process. It also introduces students to the conventions of academic writing, through focus on developing academic vocabulary items.
Sequence of Activities: 1. Word Choice, Summary, and Analysis in “Captain Fantastic”; 2. Describing and Analyzing Images with Specificity; 3. Developing Academic Vocabulary with the Corpus of Contemporary American English; 4. Peer review; 5. Revision
Description of Activities: All activities are designed with a Think-Pair-Share active learning model.
1. Warm-up: Greet and welcome students to class, asking if they have any questions. Provide an overview of today’s lesson. Take attendance.
2. Word Choice, Summary, and Analysis in “Captain Fantastic” (20 min): The instructor will pull up a clip from the film, “Captain Fantastic” that reiterates the purpose of clarity in word choice and how it relates to analytical/descriptive writing. The film is about a deeply political father who raises his children off the grid in the Pacific Northwest. The family takes their values from Plato’s Republic and the children are being raised to be “philosopher kings.” They each speak multiple languages, and have a deep understanding of science, government, and philosophy. The clip in question features an exchange between the father and one of his daughters. The daughter is reading, Lolita. The father asks for her analysis of the book. She starts by saying that the book is “interesting.” Her younger brothers and sisters immediately tattle on her for using an “illegal word.”
5 min: The instructor should play the clip twice (about two minutes) and ask students to draw a connection between this scene and the students’ main assignment; 5 min: Have students write down their answers after watching; 5 min: Have students share their answers with a partner and prepare to share with the class; 5 min: Discuss as a class, as the professor emphasizes the difference between summary and analysis through word choices in the film.
3. Describing and Analyzing Images with Specificity (30 minutes): The instructor will use an example to distinguish between summary, analysis, and synthesis using precise vocabulary to describe images. The practice will be done with the aid of images. Each set of images features two images that could be similar. Students pick one set and try to describe the two images as specifically as possible. They then share their descriptions and analyses with a partner. Students will work in pairs here. The instructor will circulate to facilitate. Students will get to see the example and will be asked to model it. Follow the step-by-step instruction in the handout in the course site to complete this activity.
4. Developing Academic Vocabulary with the Corpus of Contemporary American English (50 minutes):
- 10 min: Have students create a COCA account with their Baruch Mail address. Do a warm-up asking students to share their existing strategies for improving their vocabulary.
- 10 min: Pull up the COCA corpus. Demonstrate how students could also use the corpus to upgrade their language choices using reporting verbs. Examples that can be shown are in the student’facing activity instructions.
- 10 min: Have students practice with their own writing.
- 10 min: Have students share their answers with a partner and help each other use a thesaurus and COCA to improve their vocabulary choices.
- 10 min: Share with the class. Highlight successful examples of word choice revision.
5. Peer Review (30 minutes): Students follow the protocol for peer review as they give one another feedback on their drafts with special emphasis given to language issues and APA citation practices. A handout guide is provided to guide students in this regard.
6. Implementing Revision: Using remaining class time, students implement changes suggested during the peer review portion of the lesson. The professor answers any questions students may have. Students will continue revising at home ahead of the final draft due date after individual conferences.