Grade 6 Spring — Rhetorical Devices, Sentence Craft, and Formal Multi-Pass Peer Revision Protocols
Lesson 18 60 min eng.g6.s.lesson_18.pass_three_mechanics_peer_revision

Pass 3 MECHANICS peer revision — pronouns, semicolons, colons (12 criteria)

Skills targeted
Objectives
  • Students conduct Pass 3 MECHANICS peer revision focused on pronouns, semicolons, colons, and other mechanics.
  • Students use MG-16 Pass 3 12-criterion check-off sheet.
  • Students apply at least one semicolon and one colon correctly in their argument.
Vocabulary
pass 3mechanicspronoun casesemicoloncolonantecedentaudit

Lesson plan

Warm-up

5 min

Audit your revised draft: do you have at least ONE semicolon used correctly? At least ONE colon used correctly? If not, where could you ADD them?

Teacher moves
  • Push for adding (not just having) — semicolon + colon are Pass 3 spring requirements
  • Note placement options (semicolon between independent clauses; colon to introduce a list)

Direct instruction

12 min

Pass 3 MECHANICS has 12 criteria. Look at MG-16 Pass 3: (1) pronoun case correct; (2) intensive pronouns correct; (3) pronoun consistency; (4) vague-pronoun antecedents clear; (5) semicolon used correctly (at least once); (6) colon used correctly (at least once); (7) commas for nonrestrictive elements; (8) commas in compound sentences; (9) spelling clean; (10) capitalization clean; (11) quotation punctuation; (12) italics for titles. Pass 3 is the FINAL DISCIPLINE — and the one most students rush. Mechanics matter because they shape READER ATTENTION. A misplaced comma can derail a paragraph. A vague pronoun can hide the meaning. A missing semicolon between two long independent clauses turns a compound sentence into a run-on. Watch MG-21 segment 3:00-5:00 for the Pass 3 model.

Key examples
  • Pass 3 comments name the rule (MG-10 Rule 1), name the specific location, suggest the specific fix.
    model 'In body 2, sentence 4 — you wrote: "Maya brought cookies, Sara brought juice." This is a comma splice (two independent clauses joined by only a comma). Try a semicolon (MG-10 Rule 1): "Maya brought cookies; Sara brought juice."'
    prompt Sample SBAR Pass 3 comment.
  • Colon = promise of explanation. Find a moment in your argument where you promise something — that's a colon spot.
    model Common opportunities: introducing a list of reasons in the intro ('There are three reasons schools should require uniforms: cost, fairness, and focus.'); introducing an appositive ('There is only one rule: respect.'); before a long quotation.
    prompt Where could a colon be ADDED to your argument?
  • Cumulative review of fall pronoun rules. MG-26 review card if needed.
    model Highlight every pronoun in body 2. For each: check case (subjective/objective/possessive), check antecedent (specific noun within 1 sentence), check consistency.
    prompt Cumulative pronoun audit move.
Checks for understanding
  • Cold Call: name 3 Pass 3 criteria
  • Cold Call: convert comma splice to semicolon correctly
  • Thumbs: I have at least one semicolon AND one colon (up) / I need to ADD them today (down)
Media
M-6-S-WR-18-A Video Physical / non-image

MG-21 video 3:00-5:00. Partner conducts Pass 3 catching pronoun-case slip, missing semicolon between independent clauses, vague pronoun. Caption track on. Highlight box tracks which criteria are checked.

MG-21 Video Physical / non-image

5:00 model of a Grade-6 three-pass peer-revision conference. 0:00-1:30 PASS 1 CONTENT — partner reads the draft cold, names whether the claim is arguable, whether the evidence supports it, whether the warrant explains. Quotes a line. Uses MG-16 Pass 1 checklist. 1:30-3:00 PASS 2 SENTENCE — partner re-reads looking for rhetorical devices applied. Highlights anaphora in red, parallelism in blue. Suggests one more device to add. Uses MG-16 Pass 2 checklist. 3:00-5:00 PASS 3 MECHANICS — partner re-reads with proofing eye. Catches a pronoun-case slip, a missing semicolon between two independent clauses, and a vague pronoun. Uses MG-16 Pass 3 checklist. Closing 30 seconds: writer summarizes top revision target from EACH pass. Real-feel middle-school classroom.

Guided practice

35 min
Tasks
  • Conduct Pass 3 MECHANICS peer review with partner. Use MG-16 Pass 3 check-off sheet. Apply SBAR. Stay ONLY on mechanics. 15 minutes per partner.
    scaffold MG-16 Pass 3 sheet, MG-10 + MG-11 + MG-26 anchors at desk
  • Add at least 1 semicolon AND 1 colon to your argument if not already present. Use MG-10 and MG-11 rules.
    scaffold Semicolon-colon rule card at desk
Media
M-6-S-WR-18-B Interactive Physical / non-image

Printable check-off sheet. 12 rows for 12 criteria. Each row: YES/PARTLY/NO + notes + quote. Bottom: TOP 2 MECHANICS REVISIONS. Print-ready 8.5x11.

Formative assessment

6 min
Exit ticket
  • Submit your Pass 3 check-off sheet. Did you add a semicolon? A colon? Mark both in your draft.
scoring Pass 3 complete + semicolon + colon = mastery; 2 of 3 = practicing; 1 = reteach

Closure

2 min
Moves
  • Restate: Pass 3 = mechanics only; semicolon AND colon required this spring
  • Preview tomorrow's rhetorical-performance script preparation

Homework

25 min
Tasks
  • Final revision incorporating all 3 passes. Bring publication-ready argument tomorrow for performance-script preparation.

Differentiation

Scaffolds
  • MG-16 Pass 3 at every desk
  • MG-10 + MG-11 + MG-26 anchors at desk
  • Pre-checked first 3 criteria
Extensions
  • Apply all 4 colon rules + all 3 semicolon rules across the argument
  • Find a comma-splice in a classmate's draft and propose a multi-option fix (semicolon OR period OR coordinating conjunction)
English Learners
  • Bilingual MG-16 Pass 3
  • Pronoun-case bilingual chart
  • MG-10 + MG-11 with examples in target language
Ieps 504s
  • Reduce to 8 criteria instead of 12
  • Teacher conducts Pass 3 instead of peer
  • Allow audio-record review

Teacher notes

Pass 3 is the discipline most students rush. The semicolon + colon requirement is the spring teaching point — students must apply at least one of each correctly. Watch for the comma-splice + semicolon-conversion opportunity in every draft. Use MG-21 segment 3 to model the discipline. Pass 3 is the LAST pass — after this, drafts are publication-ready.