explanatory essay for 4th grade

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Journal Buddies Jill | December 27, 2023 November 17, 2021 | Prompts by Grade , Writing by Grade Level

33 Excellent Expository Writing Prompts

Hooray! Our list of expository writing prompts was created with younger writers in mind, but these ideas are actually very useful good for writers of many ages and stages of life.

You see…

The basics are a fantastic starting point regardless of the writer’s age. So take a look now and enjoy!

A Few Words on Expository Writing

This form of writing is a method of writing in which the author describes, informs, or explains a topic to the reader.

Learning how to write an expository paper (or essay) is one of the most important skills that students can develop from an early age. Of course, it is also a skill one may develop or refine at any age or stage in school or life.

Expository writing is a lifelong skill that will serve students not only throughout the rest of their school years but also throughout their entire lives.

Great Topic Choices for Your English Classes

Again, our list of expository prompts while created with younger students in mind is also appropriate for writers of all ages.

Some of the ideas to write about are listed below ask your students and writers to explain a concept (such as why it’s so important to eat healthy foods).

Other expository topic ideas allow them to practice their expository writing skills by explaining why they hold a particular viewpoint or belief (such as why a person they find heroic should be admired by others).

As students and their classmates go through these descriptive prompts, they’ll improve their descriptive writing skills and will gain a better understanding of what it means to explain or teach something to another person.

33 Expository Writing Prompts for Everyone

Use this fantastic list of prompts with your writers today!

• Think of your most valued possession. Explain why it is so important to you.
• Explain why it is so important for kids to attend school.
• Think about a time when you did something that you didn’t want to do. Explain why you did it anyway.
• Think of a person whom you consider to be a hero. Explain why other people should admire this person.
• Explain three ways that people can do nice things for one another.
• Explain what you would do if a friend got mad at you for something that you didn’t do.
• Think about a famous person whom you would like to meet and explain why you would want to meet them.
• Choose an important tool that can be found in our classroom. Explain how it has made an impact on teachers and students.
• Think about a time when you couldn’t stop laughing and explain what happened.
• Explain why it is important to eat healthy foods.
• Explain why you shouldn’t have too many sweets or snacks.
• Think of something your parents always tell you and explain why it is or isn’t true.
• Are you the oldest, middle, or youngest child in your family? Explain what you like or dislike about your position.
• Think about what you want to be when you grow up and explain why you think that would be the best job.

• Choose your favorite holiday and explain why people celebrate it.
• Think about one of your best friends and explain why you like them.
• Explain what it means to be a good person.
• Explain what you would do if you were at a store and couldn’t find your grownup.
• Choose a type of transportation (car, bike, plane, etc.) and explain why it is beneficial for people who use it.
• Explain what you like most about living in our city.
• Think of one of your family’s traditions. Explain why it matters to your family and how you perform the tradition.
• Explain why it is important for students to learn how to do math.
• Think of something that you know how to do well and explain how to do it as if you were teaching someone who didn’t know.
• Explain why it is important for students to follow our classroom rules.
• Explain what you would do if you saw someone being bullied.
• Choose a food that you love and explain what you like about it.
• Think of your favorite TV show and explain why you like it better than other programs.
• Explain what you like most about summer vacation.
• Choose your favorite book and explain what elements made it a good book.
• Think about how you feel when someone notices something you’ve done well. Explain what kinds of feelings you get.
• Choose one of your favorite activities and explain what you like most about it.
• Explain why it is important to help people who are less fortunate than us.

Bonus List of Simple Ideas Expository Essays or Compositions

Write about your:

• Favorite movie 
• Favorite toy
• Favorite music
• Favorite animal or
• A particular animal

and explain in detail what you like most about it. 

We hope your writers enjoyed this bonus list of things to write about for youngsters.

Maybe they’ll even share them with a good friend who isn’t in their English or writing class. Now, wouldn’t that be a hoot!

A Few Final Thoughts

These all-new expository writing prompts are full of interesting topics and ideas that writers will be excited to describe.

Use these ideas with your students and kids. By doing so, you’ll help your students learn the valuable skill of narrative writing, composition, and expository writing skill development.

Now is the perfect time for your young students to pick a good topic they enjoy and practice this form of writing. Doing so will help them refine their writing skills and help give them a boost when they have to write more elaborate essays later on in life (such as I in middle school, high school, college and beyond).

Links & Resources

• 30 Expository Writing Prompts for 4th Grade
• Explanatory Writing: 22 Writing Prompt Ideas for Students
• Opinion Writing Topics for 2nd Grade
• What is Expository Writing?

Well, that’s all for today.

Until next time, write on…

If you enjoyed these Expository Writing Prompts, please share them on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest. I appreciate it!

Sincerely, Jill journalbuddies.com creator and curator

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4th Grade Writing Prompts

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Students in fourth grade need varied practice developing their writing skills. According to the Common Core State Standards Initiative , fourth-grade writing should include opinion pieces, informative or explanatory texts, and narratives about real or imagined experiences. Additionally, a fourth-grade writing curriculum should include short research projects. 

These writing prompts offer diverse forms of inspiration for every student.

Opinion Essay Writing Prompts

In an opinion essay , students must state their opinion and back it up with facts and reasons . Ideas should be organized logically and supported by details.

• Best Friends Forever. Write an essay explaining what makes your best friend the best best friend. 
• Awesomeness.  Describe the most awesome thing about being in fourth grade.
• New Worlds. Would you rather help start a colony on a new planet or a city under the ocean? Why?
• School Food. Name one thing you would like to change about your school’s menu and explain why.
• Someday. If you could be a race car driver, an astronaut, or president of a country, which would you choose and why?
• Cityscapes . If you had a friend visit from another state, what is the one place in your city you would insist he or she had to see? What makes this place so special?
• Shipwrecked. You find yourself stranded on a deserted island with only three items in your backpack. What would you want those items to be and why?
• Flat Earth. Some people still believe that the Earth is flat . Do you agree or disagree? Include supporting facts.
• Extra! Extra! Name one class, sport, or club you wish your school offered and explain why it should be available.
• Seasons. Which season is your favorite and why?
• One-star . What is the worst book you have ever read and what made it so terrible?
• Fandom. Who is your favorite TV, movie, or music star? What makes him or her the best?
• Progress.  Identify a way in which you would like to improve as a student this school year. Explain why you would like to get better and list some steps you can take to make it happen.

Informative Essay Writing Prompts

When writing an informative or explanatory essay, students should introduce the topic clearly, then develop the topic with facts and details. When explaining a process, students should outline the steps in a logical order.

• Bullied. Explain how you would handle being bullied and the steps you would take to stop a bully.
• Mad Skills. Describe an unusual talent, hobby, or skill that you possess.
• Cuisine. Describe a food that is unique to your family or area of the world to someone who has never tasted it.
• Role Model. Think of a person who has made an impact on your life and describe the role they’ve played.
• Pay It Forward. What is one thing you would like to do—either now or in the future—to make the world a better place?
• Packing. Explain the most effective way to pack for a trip to ensure that you have everything you need.
• Wild Kingdom. Of all the animals wild or domesticated, write about your favorite. Include interesting facts about this animal in your essay.
• Gaming. Explain how to play your favorite video or board game to someone who has never played it before.
• Problematic. Describe a problem you’re facing and three ways you could possibly solve it.
• Extreme Weather. Choose an extreme weather condition or a natural disaster such as a tornado or a volcanic eruption. Explain its causes and effects.
• Sweet Treats. Explain the process of making your favorite dessert.
• Learning Styles. Think of the way you prefer to learn, such as by reading, listening, or doing. Explain why you think you learn best that way.
• Edison. Thomas Edison said that he didn’t make mistakes, he just learned 10,000 ways not to make a light bulb. Describe a mistake you made and the lesson you learned from it.

Narrative Essay Writing Prompts

When writing narrative essays about real or imagined experiences, students should use descriptive details and logical sequence. They can use dialogue and sensory details to develop their essay .

• Microscopic Details. Imagine being microscopic. Describe an adventurous trip through your body.
• Alone. You find yourself locked in your favorite store alone overnight. Where are you and what do you do?
• Homeless. A friendly stray dog follows you home from school. What happens next?
• Time Travel. Imagine you could travel back in time to when your mom or dad was your age. Write an essay about your relationship with your fourth-grade parent.
• Mismatched. Write a story about someone your age. The story must include a giraffe, a mouse, a flying carpet, and a large birdcage.
• Pet Peeve.  Recount a moment when something really got on your nerves. Describe the experience and why it irritated you so much.
• Surprise! Think of a time your teacher surprised your class. Describe what happened and how the class reacted.
• Special Moments. Think of a specific day or event that you will always remember. What made it so special?
• Travel Through History. Imagine you could travel back in time to live through one event from history . Describe the event and write about your experience.
• The Most Terrible Day. Write an essay about a day when everything went wrong. How did the day start and end, describe the experience.
• Road Trip. Write about a favorite family vacation or road trip. Where did you go? What made it special?
• Funny Pet Tricks.  Can your pet do a funny or unusual trick? Describe it.
• President. If you could be president for a day (or the principal of your school), what would you do?

Research Project Essay Writing Prompts

Fourth-grade students should also complete short research projects using books, magazines, and online sources . Students should take notes and provide a list of the sources they used in their research.

• New Puppy. You want a new puppy. Do some research to determine the best breed for your family and write about it.
• Battles . Research and write about what you consider the most significant or famous battle in history.
• Famous People. Choose a famous person from history or science and write about their lives and contributions.
• Animal Kingdom. Select an animal to research. Include facts about its behavior, habitat, and diet.
• Countries. Choose a country. Investigate its culture and holidays, and find out what life there is like for kids your age.
• States. Pick a state you’ve never visited. Learn three to five unique facts about the state to include in your essay.
• Inventions. What do you think is the greatest or most useful invention of all time? Find out who invented it and how and why it was invented.
• Native Americans. Choose a Native American tribe. Learn about where they lived, their culture, and their use of natural resources in their area.
• Endangered Species. Research and write about an animal that is endangered. Include facts about why it is endangered and any changes that people can make to help increase its population.
• Fine Arts. Learn more about an artist or composer. Include facts about their life and death and most well-known works.
• Authors. Research an author whose books you enjoy. Include facts about what inspired him or her to start writing.
• Dig Deeper.  Research something you’ve studied in history, science, or literature but would like to know more about.
• State Standouts. Choose a famous person from your state. Learn about his or her life and contributions.
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• 49 Opinion Writing Prompts for Students
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Breadcrumbs

Informative Writing Practice for Grade 4

Clear purpose

Clearly define the purpose of your writing. Know what information you want to convey and what you want your audience to learn or understand.

Audience awareness

Understand your target audience. Consider their background, interests, and level of familiarity with the topic. Tailor your writing to meet their needs and expectations.

Clearly state the main idea early in your writing. This provides readers with a roadmap for what to expect and helps maintain focus.

Logical organization

Organize your information in a logical and coherent manner. Use a structure that makes sense for the content, such as chronological order, cause and effect, or problem-solution.

Introduction

Grab the reader's attention with a compelling introduction. Introduce the main topic and provide context for the information you're about to present.

Body paragraphs

Each paragraph should focus on a specific subtopic or idea. Start with a topic sentence, provide supporting details, and use transitions to guide the reader smoothly from one point to the next.

Evidence and examples

Support your points with relevant and credible evidence. This could include statistics, studies, examples, anecdotes, or quotes from experts.

Clarity and simplicity

Use clear and concise language. Avoid unnecessary jargon or complex sentences that might confuse your readers. Aim for simplicity without sacrificing accuracy.

Variety in sentence structure

Vary your sentence structure to maintain reader interest. Mix short and long sentences, use different sentence beginnings, and employ transitions for smooth flow.

Summarize the main points and restate the importance of the information presented. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion.

Revision and proofreading

Review and revise your writing for clarity, coherence, and accuracy. Check for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and ensure that your writing is polished.

Grade 4 informative writing worksheets

We’ve created an entirely new section of informative writing worksheets for grade 4 students.

Practice writing introductions

In this first set of worksheets, students practice writing introductory paragraphs on given topics.

Work on supporting details

In these worksheets, students are given a main idea and asked to write supporting details to support that main idea.

Writing informative paragraphs

Using a graphic organizer, students plan out an informative piece .

Writing informative essays

These worksheets outline the structure for writing informative essays on various topics.

Compare and contrast worksheets

Students write essays by comparing and contrasting two things in these worksheets.

Research writing

Next, students learn to write notes and record sources for their research.

Biography writing

Students research and write about a famous person with an emphasis on note taking and the recording of sources.

Prompts for informative writing

The last page of worksheets contain writing prompts on a wide range of topics for students to practice writing informative essays.

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