HISTORY TEACHERS OBVIOUSLY assign writing in order to evaluate students' understanding of course content. But writing also promotes an opportunity for students to organize historical information into some coherent shape and thus to understand essential relationships: "Writing to Learn," the technique is called by Barry K. Beyer and others.1 No one disputes the value of writing in a history class, nor its abysmal level, which more practice would surely raise. Students can benefit all around by more opportunities to write, perfecting an essential skill and learning history at the same time. More writing? But does that not mean the bleak prospect of more work: more papers for the instructor to take home, read, and comment on? Not necessarily. Classroom activities can be structured so that students edit and revise their own writing, no matter what length-a single paragraph or an essay. The instructor is not the only one who can read and respond helpfully to student writing. Students, too, can provide informed audience response for each other, which not only lightens the burden on the instructor but is pedagogically sound since criticism from a peer can sometimes be more acceptable and effective than an instructor's comment. Students, however, cannot do this on their own. They need guidance, which can be provided in the form of dittoed worksheets. What follows is a recommended lesson sequence for two class periods, based on two sample editing guides.2 Students work on the first individually, and on the second in groups. These samples come from an introductory American colonial social history class, and