Practice Peer Review

Do not begin this discussion until you have thoroughly reviewed all areas and resources in Unit 5. In this discussion, you will post a rough draft of your Explanatory Essay for your peers to review. You will also write a brief explanation of your writing process for your classmates. You will then review the papers of at least two of your classmates.

To complete your posts, follow these steps very carefully and thoroughly:

Carefully review all areas of Unit 5.
Compose your Explanatory Essay draft in full APA format, with your two required sources cited in text and in a References page at the end.
Use your prewriting materials from Unit 4 and the feedback you received from your instructor to write a full draft of 3–4 pages. (This page length requirement does not include the title page, the reference page, or the revision statement.)
Your Explanatory Essay should explain your topic using rich information from your two sources and from your own understanding of the topic. Integrate quoted and paraphrased information from both sources (your choice from the List of Approved Articles for Writing and your scholarly, peer-reviewed library article) throughout your essay. Incorporate source materials smoothly into your paragraphs, and fully cite the articles in text and in a reference page at the end of your essay.
For instructions and examples related to in-text citation and end referencing of articles from your book and from the library, please refer to the Explanatory Essay Sample resource. Refer also to the APA section of A Writer’s Reference, under Article or Chapter in an Edited Book or an Anthology, and Article from a Database, and/or to The Prentice Hall Guide for College Writers, page 527, Work in an Anthology, and the two options for Article from a Journal, at the top of page 529.
After you have completed these steps, write a main discussion post in which you give your classmates some information about your paper.
Explain which techniques for explaining (definition, process analysis, or causal analysis) you used, what plans you have for revisions, and what questions you would like your reviewers to answer.
Then attach your draft to the post. Do not write your draft in the text field for the message. Be sure to return to the discussion to find out what your peers and instructor have said about your draft.
You are also strongly encouraged to make use of Smarthinking during this drafting and revision stage of your Explanatory Essay. Smarthinking is a free service provided to you as a Capella learner that allows you to submit any writing assignment for a free review from a qualified tutor. If you would like to use this excellent tool, click the link in the Resources section.
Do not begin reading and reviewing your classmates’ essays until you have thoroughly reviewed the media piece, Performing Peer Review: Explanatory Essay.
Response Guidelines
Read the drafts of at least two of your peers. Answer these questions in your response:

Which parts were clearest to you? Name these specifically, and discuss why they were clear.
Which parts could use more clarity in explaining this concept to a reader? Name these parts specifically, and explain why they could use more clarity and what might be done to achieve that.
Where does the writer use credible supporting evidence (specific examples, facts, statistics, and citations from sources)? Is the evidence integrated smoothly and correctly, so that you always know who is speaking—your classmate or a source? Note any problem areas here, and explain. If you feel the evidence is integrated smoothly and correctly, explain how the writer has accomplished this.
Is the organization clear and easily identifiable as definition, process analysis, or causal analysis? Where and how does the writer utilize these organizational methods?
In general, going beyond the above categories of review, tell the writer what you like best about the paper and what you think could be improved.
Remember that you are simply responding as a reader, not attempting to rewrite the paper for the writer. Respond to the essay’s features, not so much to the topic of the essay.

Make your full main post, according to the instructions above, by Thursday of Unit 5 at midnight CST, and post your thorough peer reviews by Sunday of Unit 5.