Modeling the Writing Process

This lesson usually comes at the beginning of the semester in most of my writing courses. The activity models process-based writing in a contextualized way and introduces students to giving and receiving feedback to improve their work. 

Part 1: Writing Journal Prompt

Write for 5-10 minutes describing your writing processes now. How do you approach a new writing task? What strategies do you use? What works?

Part 2: Modeling the Process Activity

Materials: Play-doh, sticky notes, index cards, pencils or pens (Note: I provide magnetic tiles or construction paper for students who are uncomfortable touching the clay)

Plan:

1. Handout clay (or alternative materials) to each student. 

Turn and Talk: Have you used these materials before? When?  What might you create today?

2. Instruct students to "make something" with the clay. Allow 3 to 5 minutes. 

Turn and Talk: What did you make? Was it what you'd planned? Something different?

3. Instruct students to take a picture with their phones. Alternatively, walk through the room and snap pictures. 

4. Instruct students to "add something" to their sculptures. Allow 2-3 minutes. 

5. Instruct students to "remove something" from their sculptures. Allow 2-3 minutes. 

6. Instruct students to "change something" about their sculptures. Allow 2-3 minutes. 

Turn and Talk: How did your sculpture change? Did it become completely different? How did you refine it?

7. Instruct students to fix anything that has come loose and put away unused play-doh. (Emphasize "unused" here - some students have destroyed their sculpture before the end of the activity because they do not hear the full instruction.)

8. Instruct students to take a picture of their sculpture and compare the before and after images. 

9. Handout index cards and sticky notes. Instruct students to write a title for the sculpture on the index card.

10. Go on a gallery walk. Look at the sculptures and leave feedback for peers. The goal is for every student to have 3 or more comments on their sculpture at the end. 

Part 3: Discussion and Writing

1. Class Discussion: Examine the comments from peers and discuss what's helpful, what makes those comments helpful, and how those comments might help revision. 

At this point in the class, students usually receive a mixture of "great" or "cool sculpture" comments interspersed with "I don't know what this is" or "could you make this part different to make the sculpture more recognizable" comments. The discussion is meant to bring out the difference and show how quality feedback can help revision. Students often fear critique, but through the discussion, they begin to see critique as useful. 

If time allows, give students an opportunity to select one piece of feedback use it to revise their sculptures. 

2. Independent Writing: Reflect on the creative process you used in class. What strategies did you use to get started on your sculpture? What strategies helped make the sculpture better? How is making a sculpture like writing?