Prewriting: Expository Essay Writing Prompts

Unit 4

Writing Workshop RETEACH

Prewriting: Expository Essay Writing Prompts

Choose your own issue for your expository essay, or use one of the following prompts.

Careers

Every career or job requires specific skills for a person to perform job-related tasks. A veterinarian requires knowledge of animal anatomy and a mechanic must know how the engine of a car works. What career or job are you interested in? Do you know what skills are needed to perform that job? Research a career or job you are interested in and write an expository essay about what skills you would need and how you would learn those skills.

School

Is your school named after someone? Many schools are named after a person in history, a person who founded the school, or a person from the local community. Those people may have led lives that exemplified qualities the school would like to represent, or they may have created the school to fill a specific need in the community. Write an expository essay relating why your school was named after that person and what that person did that caused the school to be named after him or her.

Art

Think of the many kinds of arts and crafts forms in the world: painting, sculpture, photography, weaving, metalworking, woodworking, and so on. Choose one form that you think you might be good at or enjoy doing. Gather information about the techniques, materials, or styles of various artists who use this form, and write an expository essay that could be published in the newsletter of a local art museum.

Social Studies

The foods students eat, the clothes they wear, and the music they enjoy vary throughout the world. The family and school life of a student in China, for example, may differ greatly from yours—but there may be similarities, too. Choose a country that interests you, and write an expository essay that describes the everyday activities of a student your age who lives in that country.

Government

Every state and community has elected officials who make the laws that govern their lives. Who is the congressman, representative, or governor in your area? How did they get into politics? Research an elected official from your area and tell how they got into politics and what they have done in their elected position.

Unit 4

Writing Workshop guided practice

Prewriting: Investigate a Topic

Use the chart below to help you organize your ideas and investigate a topic for your expository essay. Use additional paper if necessary.

· Choose a topic that can be investigated and will provide information to
your reader.

· Answer the questions below to help you organize your thoughts and note areas about which you need to find more information.

Your Topic:

What do I already know
about the topic?
What do I need to research about the topic?
What does my audience need to know about my topic?
How can I present this topic fairly, without bias?

Unit 4

Writing Workshop guided practice

Prewriting: Organize Your Expository Essay

Use the graphic organizer below to help you organize your expository essay.
Use additional paper if necessary.

· Draft a thesis statement about your topic.

· Record three main ideas you will discuss in the body of your essay.

· Write down the evidence, facts and examples, you have to support each main idea.

Thesis statement:
Main idea 1: / Main idea 2: / Main idea 3:
Evidence: / Evidence: / Evidence:

Unit 4

Writing Workshop template

Drafting: Organizing and Writing Your Essay

Complete the graphic organizer below, and use it to help you write your first draft. Use additional paper if necessary.

Introduction

Attention grabber:
Thesis statement:

Body

Main Idea: / Main Idea: / Main Idea:
Evidence: / Evidence: / Evidence:

Conclusion

How will you summarize your ideas or restate your thesis?
What conclusion about your topic will you include?

Unit 4

Writing Workshop reteach

Evaluating: Student Model Think Sheet

Answer the questions below to get a better understanding of the structure of an expository essay. Use additional paper if necessary.

· Re-read “Urban Sprawl: Austin, Texas.” The notes in the margin will help you identify important elements of an expository essay.

· As you respond to the questions, think about the use of language, the organization of information, and the strategies used for developing ideas and elaborating on them.

QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES

1. How does the introduction grab the readers’ attention?

2. How does the writer introduce the topic?

3. What is the thesis of the expository essay?

4. What is one main idea that supports the thesis?

5. How does the writer support that main idea?

Unit 4

Writing Workshop Peer- and Self-evaluation Form

Evaluating: Expository Essays

Use the following questions to evaluate your expository essay or that of one
of your classmates.

· Make brief notes to answer the questions.

· Rate the parts of the essay. The lowest score is 1, and the highest is 4.

· Make at least three suggestions for improving the essay.

1. Does the essay begin with a “hook” to grab the readers’ attention?

Rating: 1 2 3 4

Suggestion:

2. Does the introduction identify the topic and include a clear thesis statement?

Rating: 1 2 3 4

Suggestion:

3. Does each body paragraph explain one main idea?

Rating: 1 2 3 4

Suggestion:

4. Are facts, examples, and quotations used to support each main idea?

Rating: 1 2 3 4

Suggestion:

5. Does the conclusion restate the thesis and summarize the main ideas? Does the final comment leave a lasting impression?

Rating: 1 2 3 4

Suggestion:

Unit 4

Writing Workshop think sheet

Revising: Improve Your Expository Essay

Use the rubric in this chart to help you improve your expository essay.

Questions / Do This / Changes You Made
1. Does the introduction grab the reader’s attention? / ______Put a star by sentences that get the reader interested.
2. Does the introduction contain a clear statement of the topic and the thesis? / ______Circle the topic of the essay.
______Draw a box around the thesis statement.
3. Does each paragraph in the body of the essay develop one main idea? / ______Label the margin of each paragraph with the main idea it develops.
4. Does each paragraph contain supporting evidence, such as facts, examples, and quotations? / ______Highlight the facts, examples, and quotations that elaborate the main ideas.
5. Does the final paragraph adequately restate the main ideas and include a final thought? / ______Underline the sentence that summarizes the thesis and main ideas.
______Double-underline the final thought or the sentence that leaves a lasting impression.

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Unit 4

Writing Workshop Peer and Self-Evaluation Form

Proofreading Checklist

Guidelines for Proofreading
Yes / No / Needs Work
Is every sentence complete, not a fragment or a run-on?
Are punctuation marks—such as end marks, commas, semicolons, colons, dashes, and quotation marks—used correctly?
Are proper nouns, proper adjectives, and the first words
of sentences capitalized?
Does every verb agree in number with its subject?
Are verbs and tenses used correctly?
Are subject and object forms of personal pronouns
used correctly?
Does every pronoun agree with its antecedent in number
and in gender? Are pronoun references clear?
Are frequently confused words (such as fewer and less,
affect and effect) used correctly?
Are all words spelled correctly? Are the plural forms
of words correct?
Is the paper neat and correct in form?

Unit 4

Writing Workshop Extension

Framework for Expository Essays

Use the following framework to help you evaluate your own writing
and the models on the following pages.

· Includes a thesis supported by evidence, including facts and details
· Accurately and coherently conveys information
· Presents complete information in a clear, objective fashion
· Anticipates readers’ questions and biases
· Maintains a clearly organized structure

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Unit 4

Writing Workshop Extension

Expository Essay: Score Point 4

Read the student model below. With the Framework as a guide,
write an evaluation of the model in the commentary box,
explaining why the model received the score shown above.

Model / Commentary
The cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world. It can sprint at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour over short distances. Built for speed, the cheetah’s body is slender, with long, muscular legs. Its spine is flexible, and it has special pads on its feet for traction and a long tail for balance. The cheetah is the only cat that cannot fully retract its claws. The claws work much like a football player’s cleats, providing traction for running.
You can identify a cheetah by its tan color and black spots. They are also distinguished by their small size, small heads and ears, and “tear stripes.” Cheetahs are only about 2.5–3 feet tall at the shoulder and 44–53 inches long with a tail length of 26–33 inches. They can weigh between 110 and 140 pounds, the size of an average adult woman. The cheetah’s “tear stripes” are black lines that stretch from the corners of their eyes to the sides of their noses. Observers of the animal believe these tear stripes function as an antiglare mechanism much like the eye black many football players use.
Unlike lions and other large cats, cheetahs do not roar. They purr, hiss, whine, and growl. They can also make a birdlike chirping sound to contact other cheetahs. They are solitary animals. Occasionally brothers from the same litter will live together, but female cheetahs spend most of their time alone or with their cubs. They teach their cubs to hunt by bringing back small animals like antelope so the cubs can practice chasing and catching them.
Cheetahs prey on small animals like antelopes, gazelles, and wildebeests. A cheetah tracks its prey and then goes in for the kill. In a burst of speed, the cheetah overtakes the animal and pounces on it, knocking it to the ground. A bite to the neck suffocates the animal. The cheetah eats fast because other, larger animals are apt to take the meal away.
Cheetahs have historically been found across Africa and Asia from South Africa to India. Because of human encroachment and other factors, however, most cheetahs now live only in parts of eastern and southwestern Africa. Today, the species is endangered, with only an estimated 9,000–12,000 living in the wild in Africa.

Unit 4

Writing Workshop Extension

Expository Essay: Score Point 3

Read the student model below. With the Framework as a guide,
write an evaluation of the model in the commentary box,
explaining why the model received the score shown above.

Model / Commentary
The cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world. It run up to 70 miles per hour and is built for speed. It has a slender body, long legs, a long tail, a flexible spine, and good traction. The cheetah is the only cat that cannot fully retract it’s claws. You can identify a cheetah by its tan color and black spots. Many people confuse leopards and cheetahs. You can tell the difference between the two by looking at their spots. They are also identified by their small size, small heads and ears, and “tear stripes.” These are black lines that stretch from the corners of their eyes to the sides of their noses. The purpose of these tear stripes is to reduce glare.
Unlike lions and other large cats, cheetahs do not roar, they purr, hiss, whine, and growl. They can also make a birdlike chirping sound to contact other cheetahs. They like to live and travel alone. Occasionally brothers from the same litter will live together, but female cheetahs spend most of their time alone or with their cubs. They teach their cubs to hunt by bringing back small animals like antelope so the cubs can practice chasing and catching them.
Cheetahs prey on small animals like antelopes, gazelles, and wildebeests. A cheetah tracks it’s prey and then goes in for the kill. In a burst of speed, the cheetah outruns the animal and pounces on it, knocking it to the ground. A bite to the neck kills the animal. The cheetah eats fast because other, larger animals might take the meal away.
Cheetahs have historically been found across Africa and Asia from South Africa to India. Because of humans settling the land and other factors, however, most cheetahs now live only in parts of eastern and southwestern Africa. Today, the species is very endangered.

Unit 4

Writing Workshop Extension

Expository Essay: Score Point 2

Read the student model below. With the Framework as a guide,
write an evaluation of the model in the commentary box,
explaining why the model received the score shown above.

Model / Commentary
The cheetah is the fastest animal in the world, running up to 70 miles a hour. The cheetah is built for speed. Cheetahs are tan with black spots. Many people mix up cheetahs and lepards. But Lepards are bigger and stronger. They are so strong that they drag there prey into a high tree to keep it safe! Also lepards spots look different from cheetah’s spots.
They also have a small size head and ears and “tear stripes,” black lines that stretch from their eyes to the sides of their noses.
Cheetahs do not roar. They purr, hiss, whine, and growl. They also make a chirping sound. They always live alone. Except sometimes brothers from the same litter will live together. But female cheetahs spend most of their time alone or with their babies. They teach their babies to hunt by bringing back small animals like antelope. Then they can practice chasing and catching them.
Cheetahs prey on small animals like antalopes, gazelles, and wildabeests. A cheetah chases the other animal. Then the cheetah knocks it to the ground. Then the cheetah kills the animal. The cheetah eats really fast because other larger animals might sneak up to take the meal away.
Cheetahs used to live across Africa and Asia. But now most cheetahs live only in parts of eastern and southwestern Africa. Today the species are endangered.