expository essay powerpoint middle school

Expository Writing

The “How and Why” of Writing

What is Expository Writing?

• Expository writing is defined as presenting reasons, explanations, or steps in a process
• Informational writing
• An expository essay should follow a logical sequence and have three different main points
• Logic and coherence is the main focus of an expository essay

How is it different ?

• Expository writing does not tell a story
• Expository writing does not persuade a reader but only gives facts and reasons
• Expository writing can also give the steps of a process
• Introduction of an expository should include the main idea and what the essay is about
• The three main reasons supporting this main idea should also be included in the introduction

Expository writing contd.

• Paragraph two should introduce the first reason and give details to support the first reason
• Paragraph three should introduce the second reason and give details to support the second reason
• Paragraph four should introduce the third reason and give details to support the third reason
• The conclusion should re-state all the reasons

Definition of Terms

• Thesis Statement: The main idea of the whole essay
• Transition words: Words such as first, second, as a result, which make transitions easy in the essay.
• Main Ideas: Each paragraph should have a main point or idea
• Supporting Details: Details support the main ideas

Re-Cap:� Expository writing needs:�

• Reasons supporting that topic
• Details supporting the reasons
• A conclusion re-stating the reasons
• Transition words
• Clear, concise, logical and informative language

Topic: How I Would Change the World

• Three ways in which would like to change the world
• Put these three reasons on the bubble sheet

Topic Ideas:

Topic: No more drugs Details: addictive, hurts families, expensive

Cure Cancer

Details: families are split apart, people die, it is a disease which affects all of us

Equality among people/race/religion

Details: examples of race, religion etc.

Stop pollution

Details: water purity, ozone layer, fish die, people have respiratory diseases

Animal Abuse

Details: animal testing , cruelty to animals, elephant poaching

Child Abuse

Details: neglect, physical abuse, verbal abuse

Family Values

Details: immorality, adultery, faithfulness

Details: school grades, make school fun, scores, learn to read and write

Details: gang warfare, drive by shooting, mafia, robberies

World Hunger

Details: India- starving people, Africa, homeless and starving in America

Government Dictators

Details: Hitler, Hussein, Mussolini

• Can be descriptive
• Can be factual
• Can be from personal experience
• Can be anecdotes

Paragraph One �

• Thesis statement
• Background information on your three topics
• I admire friends with great qualities. Three qualities I admire are: loyalty, honesty, a good sense of humor.

Paragraph 2

• Put main idea for paragraph 2 on the outline
• Add your details
• Personal experiences
• Descriptive details-describe experience
• Facts about the topic-
• Short anecdotes

Paragraph 3

• Put your main idea on the outline
• Description of how the topic works itself out
• Examples of the topic

Paragraph 4

• Add your main idea onto your outline
• Personal examples of how the idea has been experienced by you in your life
• Describe how the idea “ looks” or what the person does
• Re-state all of your ideas in your conclusion

What are the qualities of a good friend?

• Keep Secrets
• Sense of Humor
• Doesn’t suck up to you/ (real, authentic person)
• Common interests
• Add your transition words
• To begin with,
• In addition to….,

Introduction

• Now let’s write the introduction together, now that we know what we are writing about.
• 1. Hook- Hook your reader with a question, quote, short anecdote, or personal experience statement

Introduction –contd.

• Write one “background” or informational sentence about each idea you are going to write about-

Thesis Statement

• The thesis statement can be first in the paragraph, last in the paragraph or implied throughout the paragraph
• Example: I would like to change the world by improving the poverty situation in our world, alleviating crime, and helping the homeless.

Editing your essay

• Check that you have all the elements of an expository essay:
• Conclusion that re-states your topic
• Coherence, logic and clearly written

Expository Essay:

There are three different types of expository essays:

1) Essay that is developed with examples and/or facts and statistics

2) Essay that is developed with steps in a process

3) Essay that is in a compare and contrast format

Paragraph 1: Introductory Paragraph

A. Thesis sentence____________________________

B. Background info____________________________

C. Statistics- if relevant__________________________

Paragraph 2: Reason#1 or Process #1 Use a transition word

A. Example/detail #1______________________________

B. Example/detail #2______________________________

C. Example/detail#3_______________________________

Paragraph 3: Reason #2or Process #2 Use a transition word

B. Example/detail#2_______________________________

C. Example/detail #3______________________________

Paragraph 4: Reason #3 or Process #3 Use a transition word

A. Example/detail #1_______________________________

B. Example/detail #2_______________________________

C. Example/detail#3________________________________

Paragraph 5:Conclusion:

Take a reason from each paragraph and RE-STATE it in the conclusion. Add a clincher sentence.

Evaluation:

Do you have a clear logical topic?

Have you introduced your topic in the first paragraph?

Do you have one reason per paragraph?

Do you have three details to support each reason?

Have you used transition words at the beginning of each paragraph?

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by Michelle Boyd Waters, M.Ed.  

28 Expository Writing Prompts for Middle School

October 12, 2014 in  Pedagogy

The ability to provide information in different contexts is essential to effective communication. Students must practice expository writing throughout their academic careers. The sooner they start, the better. Below are some descriptive, sequential, compare and contrast, cause and effect, and problem/solution writing prompts to help you give your students the practice they need.

Descriptive

• Write an essay describing your school to a potentially new student.
• Write an essay describing the appeal of reality TV shows.
• Write an essay describing a rainy night.
• Write an essay describing your first pet.
• Write an essay describing your first memory.
• It’s Christmas morning and there is a package under the tree containing exactly what you requested. Describe the contents of your package..
• Write an essay describing how you feel when you wake up and discover snow on the ground outside — and school has been cancelled.
• Writing an essay explaining the process you use to style your hair in the morning.
• You have invited your two best friends to spend the afternoon at your home. Write an essay telling how your prepare for their visit.
• Everyone has lost something at one time or another. Write an essay telling what you did to find what you had lost.
• Describe how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
• Tell how you wash your hair.
• Describe the plot of your favorite book.

Compare and Contrast

• Write an essay comparing and contrasting ownership of cats and dogs.
• Compare and contrast this year in school to last year.
• Compare and contrast your two favorite characters.
• Compare and contrast your family’s home and the home of your dreams.
• Compare and contrast a typical day in your life today and what you think a typical day in your life will be like when you are 25.
• Compare and contrast your two favorite teachers.

Cause and Effect

• Write an essay telling how peer pressure has affected you this year.
• Write an essay explaining what causes students to drop out of high school.
• Discuss the causes and effects of bullying in schools.
• Discuss the causes and effects of poverty in rural (urban) areas.
• Discuss the causes and effects of drug or alcohol use on families.

Problem/Solution

• Most students do not read or watch news, resulting in a lack of knowledge about the world outside of their immediate neighborhood. Write an essay describing why this is a problem and telling how this problem might be solved.
• Think about the community in which you live. What could you do to make it a better place? Choose one problem that needs to be solved to make your community a better place to live. Write a letter to the editor describing how solving this problem would make your community a better place, and tell what you would do. Give reasons why you think your plan would work.
• Think about what you could do to make your school more beautiful. Think about how you would do this. How could you persuade the people in your school that your idea is a good one? Write a letter to the principal of your school asking for support for your plan for making your school more beautiful. Tell what you would do and how you would do it. Explain why you think your plan is important and why it would work.
• Think about animal abuse. Some people abuse animals by being intentionally cruel to them or neglecting their basic needs; others abuse animals out of ignorance. Think about what could be done to prevent both kinds of animal abuse. Write a letter to leaders in your community describing how you would solve this problem, and how treating animals better would improve the lives of animals and people. Explain why you think your plan will work.

Related topics: Informative Writing , Quickwriting

About the author 

Michelle Boyd Waters, M.Ed.

I am a secondary English Language Arts teacher, a University of Oklahoma student working on my doctorate in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum with an concentration in English Education and co-Editor of the Oklahoma English Journal. I am constantly seeking ways to amplify students' voices and choices.

• Pingback: Writing in the Middle School-Thoughts and Ideas | Teachers Pondering

the prompt should be harder,and including a think about and quote.

Thank you very much for your input, Amelia!

this info is very helpful and all but right now at school (i am in middle school) i have to write an expisitory essay on any topic i am really having trouble finding a topic but it has to be something u can argue like for example: football: people think it is a dangerous sport but the rules have changed more saftey… yeah stuff like that something u can argue ur opinion and so far i have nothing i was really hoping this would help but no but thx anyways i am gonna go to another website but in the future this could really help thx!!!!

But it makes your teacher happy to know what your input is for example what your input is about bullying and drugs.

Thank you so much for this. I need to give my 8th-grader, reluctant writer, some options for what he writes as practice on spring break. This is a great list. I added one about describing the appeal of the YouTube videos he watches, and another about the cause-and-effect of DOnald Trump’s candidacy, since my son is very interested in Trump.

Thank you this helped a lot when I didn’t know what to write for my essay.

I really like this website because i like writing essays for practice and these are a little difficult but It is good for it to be a little diffcult because it is more challenging.

These are great! I will be using these suggestions with my 6th graders! I love expository writing!!!! 🙂

Comments are closed.

Expository Writing: Interactive Activities and Lesson Plan

Kellie Hayden

• Categories : English lesson plans for middle school
• Tags : Teaching middle school grades 6 8

Review How to Write Essay Type

Before beginn

ing the lesson, teachers may need to review expository writing. Some students may not be clear what this type of writing encompasses, which is informing, explaining, clarifying, defining an/or instructing.

Because this type of writing is so versatile, it can be found in magazines, newspapers, newsletters, catalogues, manuals, etc. Students may have written this type of essay in the past and not even known it. For example, student may have written a research paper, report, 5 paragraph essay , definitions, instructions, etc.

A Lesson with Menus

If the Internet is not readily available for students, interactive activities still can happen in the classroom. Giving students a topic and turning them loose with a notepad is not one.

Teachers can be “interactive” through the whole writing process, which means discussion with the whole class and small groups. For example, teachers can create a menu to choose from in the classroom for topics, organizational patterns and graphic organizers.

On the Internet, there are many websites that have ideas, such as PowerPoint presentations on the Lee’s Summit R7 School District website, the PPPST.com website or the Teachers.Scholastic website. The Read Write Think website has an essay map for students to use.

Paper Menu Suggestions

Students should choose one topic to write the essay. Teachers can, of course, add to the list:

• school rules
• current fads
• conflicts with friends
• video games

Example Organizational Patterns

Expository essays can be organized into several organizational patterns. Students need to choose one and stick with it.

• cause and effect
• description
• problem solution
• sequential order
• news article

Example Graphic Organizers

Once students know their organizational pattern, they can choose a graphic organizer to help them brainstorm and organize ideas for their papers.

• Venn Diagram Graphic Organizer & Five Paragraph Essay Graphic Organizer (comparison and contrast essay)
• News Article Graphic Organizer (news writing)
• Word Web Graphic Organizer & Onion Graphic Organizer (descriptive writing)
• Herringbone Graphic Organizer (cause and effect essay)
• T-chart Graphic Organizer (gathering information for a report or research paper)
• Problem & Solution Chart (problem & solution essay)

The websites Education Oasis , Educplace.com and Freeology.com have many great examples of these types of graphic organizers that teachers and students can use.

Steps to Create an Essay

• Before students begin writing, teachers can share how the students will be assessed. One way to assess the writing is by using a rubric. The criteria could be the following: flow, voice, writing conventions, organization, word choice, etc.
• Through large group classroom discussion, students can discuss the topics, organizational structures and graphic organizer.
• After each student selects a topic, organizational structure and graphic organizer, the students will need to fill out the graphic organizer. Students can work with a partner to help develop ideas on the graphic organizer.
• Then, students need to write a draft. Depending on the age of the student, teacher can assign a length. Elementary students may be working on the basic paragraph. For most middle school students, a three to five paragraph essay is great. High school students can be longer.
• After the rough draft is complete, students need to share their work with another person. If the teacher handed out a rubric, the peer should use it to assess the student’s writing strengths and weaknesses.
• Next, students should write their final copy.

The expository activities should help students to write strong essays and to be interactive. How the interaction occurs is up to the teacher.

Resources/references:

Expository Writing and Language, https://writing.pppst.com/expository.html

Information about Expository Essays, https://www.stanford.edu/~arnetha/expowrite/info.html

The Expository Essay, https://library.thinkquest.org/10888/expos.html

Photo credit:

• Preferences

Expository Writing Mrs. Swiggett 8th Grade Language Arts - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Expository Writing Mrs. Swiggett 8th Grade Language Arts

Expository writing mrs. swiggett 8th grade language arts crystal river middle school parts of an expository essay introduction body paragraphs conclusion no-no s ... – powerpoint ppt presentation.

• Mrs. Swiggett
• 8th Grade Language Arts
• Crystal River Middle School
• Introduction
• Body Paragraphs
• Do not use the word reason(s) in any part of the essay.
• Do not use the word you.
• Do not piggyback words (repeatedly using the same word throughout the essay).
• The first paragraph of an essay is called the introduction.
• The introduction should funnel ideas from general/broad to specific/narrow.
• The introduction should be at least three sentences in length.
• The last sentence in the introduction should be the topic (the general issue/item being addressed) and position (the writers opinion on the topic) sentence.
• Under no circumstance should there be reasons to support your opinion in the introduction!
• Throughout my life I have met many people that everyone seemed to admire. There was my high school football coach, my college English professor and even my cousin Steve. However, the most well liked person I have ever met is my close friend Pastor Ottis.
• Throughout my life I have met many people that everyone seemed to admire.
• Body paragraphs are the meat of any essay.
• The body paragraphs are where supporting details/reasons belong.
• In timed writing, there should only be two body paragraphs.
• Body paragraphs include each of the following four elements
• Transitions
• One time whens (OTW)/anecdotes
• Thesis tie-in
• Transitions These words/phrases help writing flow and connect ideas together.
• Use the following transitions
• To begin with, (body paragraph 1)
• Furthermore, (body paragraph 2)
• Statements These are the topic sentences of body paragraphs.
• Statements let the reader know what each body paragraph will be explaining.
• Statements must be very specific. The more specific the statement, the easier it is to support.
• One time whens (OTW)/anecdotes These are little personal stories told to illustrate a point being made.
• Thesis tie-in This is a sentence that ties a body paragraph back to the topic and position sentence in the introduction.
• These are the most difficult and most easily forgotten component of a body paragraph.
• Without a thesis tie-in, writing is off task.
• To begin with, Pastor Ottis is extremely friendly. I remember the first time that I met him. My wife and I had just moved here from New York and we didnt have many friends yet. We were standing around in the parking lot after church hoping someone would come and say hi when he approached us. Hello, he belted out as he smiled and introduced himself. He shook hands with my wife Chris and then gave a little hug to each of my children. I remember feeling the weight lift off my shoulders as we finally made a new friend in Florida. I know many other people who have had a similar experience with Pastor Ottis. He is constantly going out of his way to meet new people and welcome them with his friendly smile. Its no wonder so many people have such high regard for him.
• Identify the body paragraph components in this example.
• Furthermore, Pastor Ottis is the most excellent listener I have ever known. One time when I became really discouraged over a misunderstanding at work, Ottis offered to come over to my house and discuss the situation with me. After he arrived he sat on the couch and like a sponge he soaked up every word I said. I recall being impressed with his genuine concern for my dilemma. Instead of rushing me and cutting me off when I was talking, he gave me all the time I needed to articulate the peculiar predicament I had found myself in. When he finally did speak, he encouraged me significantly and the key points that he brought up told me that he had heard every word I said. I have found very few people who will give others that kind of attention when they need it. I think thats why he is so well liked.
• The conclusion paragraph wraps up the essay briefly.
• The conclusion should quickly sum up the point of view and lightly brush upon the support (reiterating the statements in the body paragraphs).
• The conclusion starts with a transition (ultimately,) and restates the topic and position similar to a thesis tie-in.
• An extra sentence or two added after the reiteration of support adds voice (spice it up).
• Ultimately, it is worth reiterating that Pastor Ottis is an outstanding listener and an unusually friendly person. Its simple to see why everyone who meets him finds him such an easy person to look up to.

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Examples of Expository Essays in Middle School

SAT Essay Score: Does It Affect Your SAT score, How Many Points is it ...

Middle school students write expository essays to demonstrate their knowledge in their core classes. For this essay, they conduct research, formulate an argument related to the topic and support their analysis with evidence. Prompts for these essays range from literary and historical analysis to making comparisons in science or explaining an equation in math.

Language Arts Essay

The expository essay in a language arts classroom often revolves around a literary analysis. For a literary analysis, language arts teachers ask questions related to characterization, conflict, theme or literary elements. For instance, an essay prompt asks whether a character is flat or round. Middle schoolers answer the question in a thesis statement in the introduction, which also includes the specifics of the story. They spend one to three paragraphs supporting their answer with support from the text. In the conclusion they restate their thesis, summarize the evidence and generalize the importance of their topic. This format is fairly consistent across content areas, with some distinctions.

Science Essay

Students usually conduct more research or base their essay on comparisons in the science classroom. For instance, middle schoolers may see the following prompt: "Compare four organelles of a eukaryotic cell to four parts of something organized such as a factory or computer." For this essay, they write a statement of purpose, or sentence declaring their comparison, in the introduction as well as definitions of relevant terms. Since the prompt specifies four organelles, they include four body paragraphs, each drawing comparisons between the organelle and counterpart in the chosen example. The conclusion includes the student's analysis of how similarly the organelles function as related to the comparison.

Social Studies Essay

Social Studies offers many opportunities for expository essays. Teachers testing for enduring understanding may ask the following: "Identify the Compromise of 1850 and analyze how it contributed to the sectional crisis." For this essay, the introduction includes brief background information and the statement of purpose describing the analysis. Middle schoolers then spend a paragraph identifying the Compromise of 1850 in detail and one to two paragraphs explaining its contribution to the sectional crisis. The conclusion summarizes the points and explains the significance of the issue to the wider topic of the Civil War.

Middle schoolers are sometimes asked to write expository essays in math classes. They solve an equation, explaining in a process essay how they reach their solution. An example prompt is, "If 1 percent of your bill for lunch is 18 cents, and you want to leave a 15 percent tip, how much money should you leave? Explain how to reach the answer and why the method works." The purpose of this essay is to clarify the process of solving a math equation. In a math essay like this one, the introduction consists of the student's restatement of the problem in their own words as well as one sentence that states the solution. One body paragraph explains how the student arrived at the answer; another body paragraph explains the rationale for using that method. The conclusion consists of the problem's significance to mathematics or the world in general. For more complicated equations, students may use graphs or diagrams in the explanation of the solution.

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School Project Ideas on the Order of Operations

• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Expository Essays
• Boulder Valley Public Schools: Middle Level Language Arts Curriculum Resources
• Miami-Dade County Public Schools: Social Studies Lesson Plan – SS.912.A.2.1

Nadia Archuleta has a B.A. in English writing. She spent five years working abroad and has traveled extensively. She has worked as an English as a Foreign/Second Language teacher for 12 years.