47 Module 6: Drafting and Revising
During this module, you’ll outline, draft, and revise a definition/evaluation essay.
Step 1 – Read About the Essay Assignment
Read the description of the Definitional Argument Essay.
Read the description of Outlining.
Step 2 – Discussion Activities
Discussion 6A – Outline Your Paper
A definition or categorical evaluation argument is an easy style of essay to organize because you can structure your paragraphs around the criteria you chose to define the term or category.
For this discussion assignment, create an outline for your essay. Your outline should include the following points:
- the topic (the term you will define)
- the main idea
- the definition criteria you will discuss
- important supporting points
- sources/quotes from sources
- potential rebuttals to the main idea/supporting points
Your outline should present your ideas in the same order you anticipate for your essay.
Step 4 – Draft the Essay
Re-read the description of the Definitional Argument Essay.
Then, draft your essay.
Step 5 – Discussion 6B – Peer Feedback
After you submit the initial draft of your essay through the Assignments tool, post a copy of it in the Discussion 6B forum.
You will then provide feedback to two classmates. Ideally you will respond to the person who posted before you and after you (although if you are the first or last to post you will have to pick others).
At this point, do not address spelling, punctuation, or grammar. Remember these are initial drafts that may not have been proofread yet.
Use the Peer Review Form to provide your feedback. The questions on this form will guide you to consider the paper’s strengths, as well as ways it might be made stronger. You will learn about what makes an essay effective through considering these points, and you may even decide that you want to complete the form on your own essay, in addition to the two essays of your classmates.
Step 6 – Revise your Essay
Considering the feedback from your instructor and classmates, revise your essay.