Focus Plan
Texarkana Independent School District
GRADING
PERIOD:
Teacher:
1st 6 Weeks
PLAN CODE:
W7.1.3
Ables
Course/subject:
English Language Arts
Grade(s):
7
Time allotted
for instruction:
2 hours
Title:
Writing Workshop: Peer Editing Groups
Lesson TOPIC:
Establishing peer editing groups
TAKS Objective:
Objective 6
The student will proofread for correct punctuation, capitalization, and
spelling in written text.
FoCUS TEKS and
Student Expectation:
7.18
Writing/writing processes. The student selects and uses writing
processes for self-initiated and assigned writing. The student is
expected to:
(H)
proofread his/her own writing and that of others (4-8).
Supporting TEKS and
Student Expectation:
7.18
Writing/writing processes. The student selects and uses writing
processes for self-initiated and assigned writing. The student is
expected to:
(E)
edit drafts for specific purposes such as to ensure
standard usage, varied sentence structure, and
appropriate word choice (4-8);
(F)
use available technology to support aspects of
creating, revising, editing, and publishing texts (4-8).
Concepts
Processes
Enduring Understandings/Generalizations/Principles
The student will understand that
Writing is a process that includes prewriting, drafting, editing, and revising.
Proofreading
Effective writers examine their work for correct capitalization, punctuation,
and spelling.
Proofreading
Proofreading the writing of others can help an editor to identify ways to
improve his/her own writing.
Capitalization
Capitalization and punctuation marks take the place of the pauses, stops,
and intonations used to convey meaning in oral communication.
Punctuation
Accuracy in mechanics helps the reader hear nuances and better
understand what the writer is trying to communicate.
Spelling
Correct spelling is necessary for accurate meaning.
 Division of Curriculum and Instruction  School Improvement Department  Texarkana Independent School District
I.
II.
iii.
Sequence of Activities (Instructional Strategies)
A.
Focus/connections
1.
Ask students to punctuate the following sentence correctly:
“woman without her man is nothing”
2.
Illustrate how punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence by inserting the
following punctuation:
"Woman, without her man, is nothing."
"Woman: Without her, man is nothing."
B.
Instructional activities
(demonstrations, lectures, examples, hands-on experiences, role play, active
learning experience, modeling, discussion, reading, listening, viewing, etc.)
1.
Objectives: The teacher will explain the purpose of proofreading and the
importance of standard capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
(See Enduring Understandings.)
2.
Procedures: The teacher will explain the procedures and the forms that will be
used during the editing sessions. (See Handouts 1 and 2.)
3.
Modeling: The teacher will use the overhead projector, a transparency of a
model paragraph, and the Peer Editing Response Form to demonstrate the
process of editing and to solicit student responses to editing questions.
C.
Guided activity or strategy
The teacher will distribute copies of a second modeling paragraph. Students will use
proofreading marks to identify errors in capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. The
teacher will lead a class discussion of why the identified changes are needed.
D.
Accommodations/modifications
E.
Enrichment
STUDENT PERFORMANCE
A.
Description
1.
Before the class session, the teacher should assign students to the peer editing
groups and should select the group leaders. Each group should consist of four
students (when possible) and should be balanced in regard to student skill level.
2.
When announcing the groups, the teacher should assign students to tables or to
clusters of desks.
3.
Students will then follow the procedures outlined in Handout 1.
B.
Accommodations/modifications
Students requiring modifications may be paired with a peer to edit each paper together.
C.
Enrichment
Students requiring enrichment may serve as editing group leaders. They also may serve
on a paired team as the leader in editing a paper with a student who requires
modifications.
Assessment of Activities
A.
Description
Students should be assessed in each step of the writing process. In a previous class
session, the students should have been evaluated for creating a composition draft that
will be used in the peer editing workshop. In this lesson, students will be assessed based
on their performance as editors in the peer editing workshop.
 Division of Curriculum and Instruction  School Improvement Department  Texarkana Independent School District
During the editing workshop, the teacher will perform an informal assessment by
circulating through groups and talking with students to keep them focused on their
papers, to ask questions, and to provide quick feedback.
At the conclusion of the editing workshop, students will be evaluated based on the Peer
Editor Rubric.
Students also will evaluate their own work as a peer editor by completing the Peer Editing
Self Evaluation Form.
IV.
B.
Rubrics/grading criteria
See Peer Editor Rubric for the grading criteria.
C.
Accommodations/modifications
D.
Enrichment
E.
Sample discussion questions
1. Why is a comma needed here?
2. When do you place a comma before “and”?
3. Where do periods go when you use quotation marks?
4. How does this punctuation change the meaning of the sentence?
5. What is the spelling rule that applies here?
6. How do you know when to capitalize a noun?
TAKS Preparation
A.
Transition to TAKS context
Sentence Lifting Exercises: The teacher will identify the most common errors made by
students on the assigned compositions. From the compositions, the teacher will select
sentences which contain samples of these errors and will prepare transparencies of the
sentences. After a review of the skill, the teacher will lead a group discussion, and with
the use of an overhead projector, students will correct the sample sentences.
B.
Sample TAKS questions
A sample writing passage in the TAKS format should be provided (approximately two
pages long, sentences numbered in parenthesis at the beginning of the sentence, some
sentences containing errors in punctuation, capitalization, and spelling). At the end of the
passage, the following question should be asked about various sentences:
What change, if any, should be made in sentence 1?
Note: TAKS Objective 6 uses this question stem only. Change the sentence
number as appropriate.
Answer choices should be formatted as follows:
a. Change years to year’s
b. Change wrote to writes
c. Change under the sea to Under the Sea
d. Make no change
V.
Key Vocabulary
Writing process, pre-writing, drafting, peer editing, revision, intonation, nuance, transpose,
copy (as in “a piece of text”)
VI.
Resources
A.
Textbook
 Division of Curriculum and Instruction  School Improvement Department  Texarkana Independent School District
BK English, Grade 7
 “Proofreading Symbols,” p. C28
 Chapter 16: End Marks and Commas, pp. L523-L553
VI.
B.
Supplementary materials
 Handout 1: Peer Editing Group Procedures
 Handout 2: Peer Editing Response Form
 Transparency: Model Paragraph 1
 Handout: Model Paragraph 2
 Student compositions
 Transparencies: Sentence Lifting
 Handout 3: Peer Editing Self Evaluation Form
 Rubric: Peer Editor Rubric
C.
Technology
 Word processing program (student composition and revision)
 Overhead projector (sentence lifting)
Teacher Notes
 Prior to this lesson, students should have received instruction in the following:
o The Writing Process: Prewriting
o The Writing Process: Drafting
o Using End Punctuation Marks and Commas
 Although this lesson is planned for two hours, once students are familiar with the
process, future editing sessions could be completed in a 45-60 minute period.
 The first time students use peer editing groups, they should be focused on editing for one
particular skill. For example, this session is based on instruction in the use of end
punctuation marks and commas. As additional skills lessons are taught and as students
develop proficiency in the editing groups, the focus should expand to cover all concepts
and skills listed under TAKS Objectives 2, 5, and 6.
 TEKS 7.18H also is listed under TAKS Objectives 2 (producing a piece of writing) and 5
(standard usage and appropriate word choice).
 Division of Curriculum and Instruction  School Improvement Department  Texarkana Independent School District