Craft Minilesson:
Editing Versus
Revision: This lesson was created to teach sixth graders the differences
between editing and revision. They will
use these tools not only in class, but also throughout their academic careers
and their lives. Writing is a
communication skill that all of us need and use on a daily basis, and editing
and revision help authors create the best, most clear writing possible.
Objectives: Sixth Grade NC Standard Course of
Study Curriculum Goal 6.02, students will “Identify
and edit errors in spoken and written English by . . . applying proofreading
symbols when editing, (and) producing final drafts that demonstrate accurate
spelling and the correct use of punctuation and capitalization.”
NCTE standards 4,
“Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g.,
conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of
audiences and for different purposes,” and 5, “Students employ a wide
range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements
appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of
purposes.”
« Students will understand what editing is and what revision is.
« Students will understand the differences between the two.
« Students will learn why authors use editing and revision.
« Students will know why editing and revision are important in creating clear writing.
« Students will edit and revise their own writing.
Strategies: Students will learn by class discussion, a group activity, and by examining first drafts of their own works. Then students will use editing and revision skills in their writing.
Time Required: Two 45 minute periods.
Materials Needed: Blackboard & chalk, easel & markers, or overhead & markers; Handout #1 (attached), Handout #2 (attached), students’ first drafts of current or recent work, colored pens.
Day 1(the first 45
minutes):
Script (Opening) 15 minutes: Gather students around your blackboard, easel, or overhead (anything you can write on), and begin your discussion. “Now that you are all beginning to work on second and third drafts, we should discuss the differences between editing and revision because, in my mind, they are not the same thing. We are going to learn about editing and revision because they are skills you will need in order to do well in this class and because they are skills you will need in order to be effective communicators and writers throughout your entire lives. Editing and revision help you, the author, to create the best, most clear writing possible. However, since we do both to a piece of writing, editing and revising can seem pretty similar and sometimes they overlap.” Draw two columns on your board and, with marker in hand, ask students what they think editing is and write down their answers in the first column. Then ask students what they think revision is and write down those answers in the second column. When you are done with this exercise, the board will probably resemble this:
Editing Is: Revision Is:
Punctuating Rewriting (not recopying!)
Changing punctuation Changing or modifying
Using correct punctuation Making clear
Correcting Correcting
Making clear Adding
Proof reading
When everyone agrees that the columns are finished, ask, “What do editing and revision share?” Then further explain and define editing and revising (Note--do not erase these columns because you will need them for tomorrow’s lesson):
Class discussion, 5 minutes: “First, let’s talk about editing. Often, my students will tell me that editing is something to be done when an author has finished writing a piece. However, I think editing is something to be done throughout the entire writing process: at the end of every draft, as you are writing every draft, every time you reread part of your piece. When I write, I find myself editing constantly. I do this because it keeps me organized and it keeps my writing clear. Some editing symbols that I use are” (these should be given in a handout to students so that they can keep them with their writing materials at all times):
« Insert something, like a comma, word, or sentence
« Insert a large piece of writing, like a whole paragraph or page
« Insert apostrophe or single quotation mark
« Insert double quotation marks
« Use a period
« Delete
« Transpose
« Close this space
« Insert space here
« Capitalize
« Use lower case
« New paragraph
« No paragraph
« Awkward wording
« Fragment
« Look this rule up because it might be wrong
Class Activity, 15 minutes: “When I read your next-to-final drafts, I will use these symbols, so make sure that you understand them and know how to use them. Let’s edit a piece together on the overhead.”
Now place Handout #1 on the overhead. Give students a chance to read it silently, then read it aloud to them. “Can someone come up to the projector and make a correction using one of the editing symbols we just discussed? There are fifteen errors in this paragraph.” Have students volunteer to come to the board and make corrections. If they need help toward the end, you can give them clues. “Tomorrow, we will continue to make corrections like these on our own drafts and we will learn about revision.”
Independent Practice: Give students time, at least 10 minutes at the end of the lesson to start to use the editing symbols in their first drafts (provide colored pens if students do not have them). Ideally, these ten minutes would be the beginning of writing workshop for the day if you have block scheduling. If not, then you may assign this for homework, but try to give students some time in class to begin.
Day 2 (the second 45 minutes):
Script (Opening) 20 minutes: Display the columns that the class created yesterday. “Yesterday we talked about editing, but now let’s talk about revision. Referring back to our columns from yesterday, can someone tell me what revision is?” Wait for answers, respond, and continue. “Revision is what authors do. All authors revise.” To show that all authors revise, you can share the following quotations (found at http://www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com/writing/general/quotes.html#Qrevision). You can read these aloud or have student volunteers read them:
"I enjoy writing and it is hard. But then it's
hard for everyone to write well. I have to rewrite over and over again so that
on average it takes me a year to write a book." -Avi (Crispin:
The Cross of Lead, The True
Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, as well as others)
"The first draft is a skeleton--just bare
bones. It's like the very first rehearsal of a play, where the director moves
the actors around mechanically to get a feel of the action. Characters talk
without expression. In the second draft, I know where my characters are going,
just as the director knows where his actors will move on the stage. But it's
still rough and a little painful to read. By the third draft, the whole thing
is taking shape. I have enough glimmers from the second draft to know exactly
what I want to say. There may be two or three more drafts after the third to
polish it up. But the third is the one where it all comes together for
me." - Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (
"I'm a rewriter. That's the part I like best . .
. once I have a pile of paper to work with, it's like having the pieces of a
puzzle. I just have to put the pieces together to make a picture." -Judy Blume (Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, as well as others)
“These are authors of
books that you might be familiar with (I highly recommend Avi’s Crispin: The Cross of Lead). So you see, even great authors have to revise—it
is a natural part of the writing process.
Nothing comes out perfect on the first try. This is why revision entails rewriting, not
just recopying. I know it can be
frustrating for authors, but if you want to produce your best work, revising is
necessary. I know that revising is
something that I love to do because it always makes my writing better . . . or
at least it moves my writing along toward a final draft. It is sometimes difficult to look at your own
writing with a critical eye, but you will soon be very good at it.”
“Revising means that you
add more, sometimes words, sentences, paragraphs, pages, or chapters, to make
your writing more clear. It means
subtracting (yes, getting rid of!)
parts of your draft that you do not like or that do not belong. Sometimes it means writing your piece in a
different genre. For example, maybe you
cannot quite express your thoughts and feelings accurately about a certain
topic in an essay, and you feel the topic would work best in a poem. There are so many genres to explore . . . but
that is another lesson altogether!”
Guided Practice, 20 minutes: Have students get the drafts they worked on
yesterday and colored pens, then have them get into pairs. Together, they will discuss revision and will
explore options for revision in their own drafts. Pass out Handout #2 to each student. This will guide their discussions and their work
for the next twenty minutes.
Closing, 5 minutes: “What I want for you to
have all taken away from these past two minilessons is knowledge about editing
and revision. Now we know the
differences between the two. Can someone
explain the differences for me?” Wait
for a thorough student response, and allow students to help each other so that
they offer the correct answer. You may
want to record this answer so that you can go back to it later. “Good.
I want you to use the editing symbols and revision techniques in all of
your writing this year. I never said it
was easy to be a real writer, and I know that editing can be meticulous and
that revision can be frustrating.
However, if you work hard and are thoughtful and mindful of what you
learn in here, what you learn from me, from your classmates, and from
yourselves, then you will be well on your way to success!”
Conclusion/Debriefing: Editing and Revision are
two skills that students will (hopefully) use
and will improve throughout the school year; however, you will need to
revisit this lesson whenever students need it.
Additional Resources:
A resource I find helpful when I edit my own work is A Commonsense Guide to Grammar and Usage by Larry Beason and Mark
Lester.
http://webster.commnet.edu/writing/symbols.htm
-- A useful website to find editing/proofreading symbols.
http://www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com/writing/general/quotes.html#Qrevision
-- Where I found the quotations about revision.
Handout #1: Editing symbols
To be transferred to an overhead.
Last weekend I went to the NC Zoo in
Handout # 2: Revision Guided Practice
To be made into a handout for each student.
Revision:
What to do with your partner—
1. Tell each other your ideas for revision
within your first drafts. If you are not
sure how to start, ask yourself the following questions:
« What do I really like
about this piece? What do I not
want to change?
« What parts are
confusing? What parts need more
elaboration?
« Are there any unnecessary
parts that I can delete?
« Is my writing clear?
« What audience am I writing
for? Will this audience understand what
I am trying to say with this writing?
« Would this piece be better
if I wrote it in another genre?
2. After sharing with each other your ideas
for revision, trade drafts and read each other’s work. The reader should be paying special attention to the areas in which
the author has ideas for revision and needs clarification on. Your goal is to help the author revise
his/her work. Some other points to be
looking for:
« What do you really like
about this piece? What are some parts
that you would not change?
« What parts are
confusing? How can the author clarify
this?
« Are there any unnecessary
parts that can be deleted?
« Is the writing clear? Is any of the wording awkward or confusing to
the reader?
« What is the audience of
this piece?
« Would this piece be better
in another genre?
« What questions do you have
about the piece that the author can answer?
Do you have any suggestions as to where this information can be added?
3. When you are done reading, please discuss
the points above. Remember to be
POSITIVE and be HELPFUL. We are here to
help each other. All writers have people
read their writing for them because authors know that their writing will
benefit from the outside eye, perspective, and ideas.