Improve Writing
Skills with
Proofreading
M.U.G. Shots
Semester 2
Mechanics • Usage • Grammar
Welcome to M.U.G. Shot Monday (Semester 2), where students master
Mechanics, Usage, and Grammar by working together to proofread
real-world writing examples. These 19 weekly grammar editing sessions
address the most common errors made by teen writers.
I present these lessons on Mondays because I like alliteration (M.U.G.
Shot Monday has a nice ring, no?), but you can use them anytime you
want. Most semesters run 18 weeks, but I threw in an extra M.U.G. Shot
in case you have an extra Monday (or whatever day) on your school
calendar.
Students write down the flawed sentence and then work together to edit/
make corrections. After the class agrees on all of the edits made by the
student writing at the board, I go over the marks, explaining the rules that
apply. After three sessions, I collect the students’ papers and give points
for accuracy.
You could also print out the sentences for the students from the PDF file,
have them make the corrections, and then show only the slide with the
corrected version. The PDF file is also an excellent quiz tool. Simple to
make (just hit “print”) and easy to grade. Printing the PDF sheet is also a
fast way to help an absent student get make-up notes.
Packet includes:
•19 weeks of 10-minute grammar practice sessions (38 total slides) in
both Notebook (for SMARTBoard users) and Powerpoint (for all users)
• 19-page PDF to use for student handouts and quizzes.
• 38-page PDF of full semester lectures (useful for absent students or
independent study)
SMARTBoard users will find interactive slides with window shades and
digital ink tools, while Powerpoint users can project the slides onto a
regular white board and have the students use regular dry erase pens to
make their edits. SMARTBoard users will be able to alter the sentences.
(For fun, I like to insert the names of current students in the slides.)
All slides come with a corrected version, which you can share with the
class and discuss or use on your own as a key.
Years of marking high school papers have helped me refine these
sentences to hit the most common mistakes made by students. In my class,
the correction of natural, real-world sentences has been far more effective
at teaching grammar rules than exercises from our textbook. Try it and
watch your students naturally apply these lessons to their writing.
This product is a companion to the first M.U.G. Shots lesson bundle
available at my store. Each bundle of lessons can stand on its own,
but buy them together and you’ll have a full year of grammar lessons
ready to share with your classes.
Thanks for your consideration!
Laura Randazzo
Sample lesson:
Sample student handouts: