12/1/15 PEER PARAGRAPHS TP: Good readers are able to analyse texts Bell work. Put this PEER into order: ‘The red sauce trickled down from his lips, down over his chin on to his black jacket.’ It could be because he is in a rush to get food as he hasn’t eaten for a long time, or perhaps he is not used to other people watching him. This shows that he eats in a disgusting way and gets food all over himself. Skellig has no table manners and is a messy eater. Point Evidence Explanation Response

Skellig has no table manners and is a messy eater. ‘The red sauce trickled down from his lips, down over his chin on to his black jacket.’ (Page 27) This shows that he eats in a disgusting way and gets food all over himself. It could be because he is in a rush to get food as he hasn’t eaten for a long time, or perhaps he is not used to other people watching him eat. Point Evidence Explanation Response

INTRODUCTION: USING POINT, EVIDENCE, EXPLANATION AND RESPONSE (PEER)  When you are writing about a text or discussing a text it is very important that you use quotes to back up what you are saying.  Using PEER is a way of writing about a text making sure that you include textual evidence.  Using PEER will help you get a better level in reading.  It proves you understand and can write about what you have read.

IDENTIFY THE POINT, EVIDENCE, EXPLANATION AND RESPONSE In pairs, look at the paragraph below and decide what is the Point, Evidence, Explanation and Response. When you’re done, write this out and label it in your books: It seems like it must be really bad for Michael to react that way. ‘I tried not to breathe, not to smell him.’ Michael thinks that Skellig smells awful. Even though Michael is helping Skellig, he doesn’t want to smell the horrible smell coming from him.

IDENTIFY THE POINT, EVIDENCE AND EXPLANATION (Point) Michael thinks that Skellig smells awful. (Evidence) ‘I tried not to breathe, not to smell him.’ (Explanation) Even though Michael is helping Skellig, he doesn’t want to smell the horrible smell coming from him. (Response) It seems like it must be really bad for Michael to react that way.

COPY THE FOLLOWING DOWN TO HELP YOU USE PEER  Point – What does the quote show in very simple terms?  Evidence – This is a ‘quote’ taken from the text to prove or support what it is that you are saying.  Explanation – This is where you give a more detailed explanation of the point.  Response – include your own personal opinion here.

WHAT’S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN?  There are some great descriptions of people in the story “What’s the Worst that Can Happen?” which tell us something about the characters the writer’s describing.  Murphy: “Sometimes I think Murphy’s law – you know, ‘If something can go wrong, it will’ – was invented just for me.”  What do you think this quote tells us about Murphy?

Now it’s your turn  Write a PEER paragraph about Murphy, based on the quote we have been looking at.  You don’t have to use all the quote, just the bit which is important to the point you’re making.  What does this quote reveal about Murphy?  Don’t forget to add your personal response.  NOTE: Don’t just repeat your point in your explanation! “Sometimes I think Murphy’s law – you know, ‘If something can go wrong, it will’ – was invented just for me.”

Exemplar PEER Murphy believes he is unlucky. At the beginning of the story, Murphy says, “Sometimes I think Murphy’s law – you know, ‘If something can go wrong, it will’ – was invented just for me.” The fact Murphy shares his name with this law and thinks it was ‘invented’ for him shows that things never go right for him. I feel sorry for Murphy because it must be difficult to always deal with things going wrong.

Individual Task  Decide which story – Sammy’s Choice or What’s the Worst that Could Happen? – you want to write about for your essay.  Look back at the points and evidence you gathered for that story.  Pick the best two for each of the three tasks and turn them into PEER paragraphs.

13/1/15 Critical Essay TP: Good writers are able to use the PEER technique effectively to write critically Bell work: What does PEER stand for? Why is the PEER technique useful when writing an essay?

14/1/15 Critical Essay TP: Good writers are able to use the PEER technique effectively to write critically Bell work: Identify whether each group of words is a complete sentence, fragment, or a run-on. 1. Yellow is a soothing colour. 2. Catching the school bus. 3. Before she left for school. 4. The crowd cheered. 5. Today is a beautiful day there is no chance of rain. 6. The boy plays soccer, his best friend is on the team.

15/1/15 Critical Essay TP: Good writers are able to use the PEER technique effectively to write critically Bell work: Identify whether each group of words is a complete sentence, fragment, or a run-on. 1. Karen plays the drums, she practices everyday. 2. That I remember when I was a child. 3. If it is raining, we will not be able to go outside. 4. Listening to the speaker, I started to daydream.

18/1/15 Critical Essay TP: Continue working on our essays Bell work: COPY the sentences, adding commas where necessary. 1. Students without funds for example may now borrow money easily. 2. While I enjoy reading most stories I am particularly interested in historical fiction. 3. Both Francis Bacon the philosopher and Francis Bacon the painter have contributed to mankind. 4. Carl Monroe the chairman of the board of directors was once a well known television personality

19/1/15 Critical Essay TP: Continue working on our essays Bell work: Write out the CORRECTED version of each sentence. You may need to add punctuation, remove or add words/letters or correct the grammar. 1. Give the money to Rawya and I. 2. My cats they love to sharpen their claws. 3. My favourite colours are red orange and green. 4. Mourad my best friends likes to play pranks on people.

20/1/15 Critical Essay TP: Continue working on our essays Bell work: Write out the CORRECTED version of each sentence. You may need to add punctuation, remove or add words/letters or correct the grammar. 1. Whose turn is it to babysit she and he? 2. Lets eat Grandma. 3. I was born on April and she was born two years later. 4. When it get’s cold I cant not get out of bed.