Revision Exercise:

Ask the students to:

Free write about something you care about--an issue or incident--for ten minutes. Some assign a particular topic, but I prefer not to. You might give some choices of topics you think would be common to the students. After they have written for ten minutes, say, “Stop. Draw a line under what you have written.  Begin again.  Write about the same issue or problem. in a different way.” You might need to give them some examples or ideas. After they have written for about seven minutes, stop them again and direct them to   Draw a line.  Begin a third time.  Write about the same issue or problem. [They may groan, but insist.]

Ask the students why you asked them to do that and what they learned from it.

Discuss how revision can mean writing again.  You are not committed to what is already on the page.