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15 Explanatory Writing

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Write for College

Explanatory Writing Chapter Opener

Start-Up Activity

Pick a photo from The 50 Most Powerful Pictures In American History, explain it to your class, and give three reasons why it matters. Then have students browse the collection, choose their own photos to analyze, and present them. (Warning: Some images are graphic.)

Point out that the process students followed is similar to the process of writing an explanatory essay. Explanatory writing seeks to explain a topic to readers by analyzing and evaluating information. Students will need to research and interpret information rather than simply report on it. They will need to form new understandings rather than simply give the facts. Encourage students to approach the explanatory forms in this chapter with a genuine interest in the topics and with the patience to explore them carefully and thoroughly.

Think About It

“The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. [Don't be] a cuttlefish spurting out ink.”

—George Orwell

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.A

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.B

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.5

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.C

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.D

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.E

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.F

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.8

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.1

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.3

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.6

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.10

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.1

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.2

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

LAFS.1112.W.1.2

LAFS.1112.W.2.4

LAFS.1112.W.2.5

LAFS.1112.W.3.8

LAFS.1112.RI.1.1

LAFS.1112.RI.1.2

LAFS.1112.RI.1.3

LAFS.1112.RI.2.5

LAFS.1112.RI.2.6

LAFS.1112.RI.2.4

LAFS.1112.W.4.10

LAFS.1112.L.1.1

LAFS.1112.L.1.2

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

110.38.c.9

110.38.c.10.B

110.39.c.9

110.39.c.10.B

110.38.c.9.A

110.39.c.9.A

110.38.c.5.C

110.38.c.9.C

110.38.c.9.D

110.39.c.9.C

110.39.c.9.D

110.38.c.9.B.i

110.39.c.9.B.i

110.38.c.2

110.38.c.5.F

110.38.c.9.B.ii

110.39.c.2

110.39.c.5.F

110.39.c.9.B.ii

110.38.c.11.E

110.38.c.11.F

110.38.c.11.G

110.39.c.11.E

110.39.c.11.F

110.39.c.11.G

110.38.c.4.F

110.38.c.7.D.i

110.39.c.4.F

110.39.c.5.C

110.39.c.7.D.i

110.38.c.4.G

110.38.c.5.D

110.39.c.4.G

110.39.c.5.D

110.38.c.7.D.ii

110.39.c.7.D.ii

110.38.c.7.E.i

110.39.c.7.E.i

110.38.c.8

110.39.c.8

110.38.c.8.D

110.39.c.8.D

110.38.c.10

110.39.c.10

110.38.c.1.C

110.39.c.1.C

110.39.c.39.D

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

Page 162 from Write for College

Quick Guide: Explanatory Writing

Before assigning specific forms of explanatory writing, give students a sense of the goals and objectives of this major mode. Explanatory writing seeks to inform readers about a topic or explain how something works. It requires high-level thinking to analyze and evaluate a topic both closely and broadly. Typically, explanatory writing asks students to compare, contrast, classify, define, connect, evaluate, and so on.

Next, lead students through the quick guide for PAST questions and the trait-based recommendations for explanatory writing.

Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

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Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Explanatory Essay
21st Century Skills:
Writing
English Language Arts:
Traits of WritingWriting

Page 163 from Write for College

Details That Explain

Stress the importance of gathering a variety of supporting details for explanatory writing. The best explanatory writing elaborates ideas with multiple levels of supporting details. After reviewing the types of the details on this page, have students practice elaborating with the following minilessons:

Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Explanatory EssayCause-EffectComparison-ContrastDefinitionProcessProblem-Solution
21st Century Skills:
Writing
English Language Arts:
PrewritingWriting Process

Page 164 from Write for College

Guidelines: Writing a Process Essay

A process is a sequence of events that leads to a specific outcome. Processes make up the fabric of daily life—from buying groceries to growing braids to developing research papers. Help students effectively analyze processes by using the following strategies:

  1. Focus on how to do something (instructions), how something works (operation), or how something develops or happens (natural phenomenon).
  2. Provide an overview of the process and point to the outcome; break down the process and show links between the various stages.
  3. Carefully explore the process and develop an expertise that you can share with the reader.

When your students are ready to write their own process essays, lead them through this page. Download and distribute the Time Line to help them organize their details for writing. After the first drafts are done, distribute the Checklist for Revising and Editing Process Essays.

Downloads:
Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
ProcessHow-ToExplanatory Essay
21st Century Skills:
Writing Project
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPrewritingWritingRevisingEditing

Page 165 from Write for College

Process Essay

Have volunteers read each paragraph of the sample process essay. After they have finished, ask the following discussion questions:

  • How does the writer grab readers' interest at the beginning of the essay? (By presenting shocking statistics about the topic.)
  • What primary pattern of organization does the essay follow? What other pattern is used in the essay? (Chronological, cause-effect)
  • What types of details are included in the final paragraph? (Facts and statistics, analyses)
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
ProcessExplanatory Essay
21st Century Skills:
Reading
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 166 from Write for College

Guidelines: Writing a Classification Essay

Classifying organizes and clarifies knowledge by grouping things based on similarities and differences (for example, kinds of hair styles, genres of music, types of Chinese cuisine). The essay of classification, then, takes what is scattered or all mixed together, discovers patterns or categories, and creates a framework for understanding. To introduce the form, help students understand these key objectives:

  1. Consider different principles of grouping to create different understandings of the material. For example, different classification schemes for cars could include horsepower, weight, use, size, or image.
  2. Create categories that are consistent (criteria are applied to all items) and complete (all items fit somewhere).
  3. Establish a purpose for the classification to determine the kind of grouping needed. Whether giving the big picture or putting elements in a larger context, classification makes sense of information.
  4. Avoid isolating items within categories. Show the connections between the example items (parts) and the whole.

Before students begin working on a classification essay, lead them through the writing guidelines on this page.

Download and distribute the Classification Diagram and Checklist for Revising and Editing Classification Essays.

Downloads:
Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
ClassificationExplanatory Essay
21st Century Skills:
Writing
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPrewritingWritingRevisingEditing

Page 167 from Write for College

Classification Essay

Have volunteers read each paragraph of the sample classification essay. Help your students see that the writer explains individual categories in separate paragraphs. When you finish reading the essay on the next page, lead a discussion about it, using the suggestions on page 168 of this Teacher's Guide.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
ClassificationExplanatory Essay
21st Century Skills:
Reading
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 168 from Write for College

Classification Essay (Cont.)

Have volunteers finish reading the sample classification essay. Then lead a discussion, prompting student responses with the "Reading for Better Writing" questions and other questions like these:

  • How does the writer get the reader's attention in the first paragraph? (with interesting background information about the topic)
  • What is the main idea of the first body paragraph? What types of details support the main idea in this paragraph?  (For one group of orchids, the traditional smell factor takes a completely different twist; examples, explanations)
  • What transition words or phrases connect each body paragraph with the next? ("one group," "other types," "while some orchids lure pollinators through mimicry," "another group")
  • What type of orchid do you find most interesting? Why?
  • What final thought does the writer leave with the reader? (a clever quotation that directly relates to the topic)
  • What strategy used in the model could help improve your own classification essay?
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
ClassificationExplanatory Essay
21st Century Skills:
Reading
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 169 from Write for College

Guidelines: Writing a Definition Essay

The essay of definition explores the significance of a difficult concept, idea, or ideal and shares that deeper understanding with the reader. To kick off your discussion of this particular explanatory form, read out loud or listen to this professional example from linguist Geoff Nunberg: As Fissures Between Political Camps Grow, 'Tribalism' Emerges As The Word Of 2017. Discuss how the essay delivers more than a dictionary definition of the word, exploring its origins, evolution through time, and current context.

Help your students select their own words to define. Review the writing guidelines and have students read the sample definition essay that starts on the next page. Note that this model and the professional one include many types of details: quotations, facts, negative definitions, dictionary definitions, word origins (etymology), and synonyms and antonyms. As students gather information about the terms they wish to define, they should find these same sorts of details (and perhaps more).

When leading students through the guidelines for creating strong beginnings, middles, and endings, help them realize that this structure is not simply academic. It's about helping readers become interested in the topic, understand what you want to say about it, learn the details you have to share, and carry the information away with them.

Downloads:
Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
DefinitionExplanatory Essay
21st Century Skills:
Writing ProjectWriting
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPrewritingWritingRevisingEditing

Page 170 from Write for College

Definition Essay

Have volunteers read each paragraph of the sample definition essay. Help your students see that the writer goes beyond a simple definition (which could occur in a single sentence). When you finish reading the essay on the next page, lead a discussion about it, using the suggestions on page 171 of this Teacher's Guide.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
DefinitionExplanatory Essay
21st Century Skills:
Reading
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 171 from Write for College

Definition Essay (Cont.)

Have volunteers finish reading the sample definition essay. Then lead a discussion, using the "Reading for Better Writing" questions and questions like these:

  • How does the writer get the reader's attention in the first paragraph? (with an intriguing question)
  • How does the writer define "eclectic"? (choosing elements from different sources or systems, implying variety)
  • What detail most powerfully supports the definition?
  • What final thought does the writer leave with the reader? (returning to the eclectic items from the first paragraph)
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
DefinitionExplanatory Essay
21st Century Skills:
Reading
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 172 from Write for College

Guidelines: Writing a Cause-Effect Essay

The cause-effect essay explores causal links within a chain of events, developments, or conditions. Students should probe their topics by asking “why?” and testing out “because” answers. To get them thinking about cause-effect relationships, place students in small groups and instruct them to . . .

  1. Brainstorm a list of trends they've noticed in a certain arena: school, politics, technology, fashion, music, movies, sports, etc. (Economics)
  2. Speculate on the causes behind and the effects of one such trend. (The rise in cryptocurrency)
  3. Fill out a cause-effect chart with plausible causes and important effects. (Causes: Desire for secure online purchases; dissatisfaction with traditional banking; technology capability  Effects: Unregulated exchanges, decentralized banking, massive energy consumption from "mining," new investment strategies)
  4. Report your topic and conclusions to the class.

Make sure students know they can trace the links in the cause-effect chain in either of two directions: forward from an initiating action to its various results, or backward from an event or a condition to its possible causes.

After you complete the activity, lead students through the writing guidelines in the handbook. Because two-part essays can be difficult to organize, introduce three common organization patterns students can follow in their middle paragraphs. An effect-focused essay names a single cause and follows with its many effects (as in the example essay on pages 173–174). A cause-focused essay introduces multiple causes and leads to one effect. A combination approach deals more evenly with causes and effects. Students should choose an approach that works well for their topics.

After they finish their first drafts, help students revise and edit. Download and distribute the Checklist for Revising and Editing Cause-Effect Essays.

Downloads:
Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Cause-EffectExplanatory Essay
21st Century Skills:
Writing ProjectWriting
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPrewritingWritingRevisingEditing

Page 173 from Write for College

Cause-Effect Essay

Ask volunteers to read each paragraph of the sample cause-effect essay. Have students track the causes and effects in a cause-effect chart as the volunteers read. After finishing it on the next page, lead a discussion about it, using the "Reading for Better Writing" questions on the following page.

Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.RI.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.4.F, 110.38.c.5.C, 110.38.c.7.D.i, 110.39.c.4.F, 110.39.c.5.C, 110.39.c.7.D.i
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.1.6.g, LA 12.1.6.k, LA 12.1.6.n

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Cause-EffectExplanatory Essay
21st Century Skills:
Reading
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 174 from Write for College

Cause-Effect Writing (Cont.)

After volunteers have read to the end of the essay, ask students to share the details they gathered in their cause-effect organizers. What were the main cause and two main effects discussed in the essay? Then lead a discussion focused on the "Reading for Better Writing" questions.

Make sure to point out the way the writer integrated outside sources into the essay. Let students know they will likely need to conduct research to learn the nuances of the cause-effect relationship discussed in their essays. Make sure they cite sourced material to support their main ideas.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.RI.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.4.F, 110.38.c.5.C, 110.38.c.7.D.i, 110.39.c.4.F, 110.39.c.5.C, 110.39.c.7.D.i
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.1.6.g, LA 12.1.6.k, LA 12.1.6.n

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Cause-EffectExplanatory Essay
21st Century Skills:
Reading
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 175 from Write for College

Guidelines: Writing Comparison-Contrast Essays

After the discussion, invite students to compare two topics. Start with apples and oranges. Despite the conventional wisdom, you can compare them. Both are sweet fruits grown on trees and available in grocery stores, with Vitamin C. Both are colors founds on the rainbow spectrum (red, yellow, or green apples; orange oranges). However, apples have a thin skin and oranges have a thick rind, apples grow in the north and oranges grow in the south. Apples taste great with caramel, but oranges less so.

With this sample comparison, embolden students to compare and contrast any two subjects, whether they have a lot in common (hip-hop and R&B) or almost nothing in common (a pencil and a surgery).

Use this page to support your students' writing of comparison-contrast essays. After they select their topics and prepare to gather details, provide them either a T-Chart or a Venn Diagram to help them gather and organize details for their writing.

After students have selected topics and gathered details about them, point them to the comparison-contrast section of the "Text Structures Revealed" infographic to help them decide on methods of organization. Then have them begin drafting.

Download and distribute the Checklist for Revising and Editing Comparison-Contrast Essays to help them revise and edit their work.

Downloads:
Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Comparison-ContrastExplanatory Essay
21st Century Skills:
Writing ProjectWriting
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPrewritingWritingRevisingEditing

Page 176 from Write for College

Comparison-Contrast Essay

Have volunteers read each paragraph of the sample comparison-contrast essay. Use the side notes to help students talk about what they are reading, and encourage them to record comparison details in a Venn diagram or T-chart. Continue the reading onto the next page, and then lead a discussion using the suggestions on page 177 of this Teacher's Guide.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Comparison-ContrastExplanatory Essay
21st Century Skills:
Reading
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 177 from Write for College

Comparison-Contrast Essay (Cont.)

Finish the read-through of the sample comparison-contrast essay. Then lead a discussion, prompting students with questions like the following:

  • How did the writer get the reader's attention at the beginning of the essay? (With a provocative question: "Who is the greatest American athlete of all time?")
  • What organizational pattern does the writer use to compare the two athletes—subject-by-subject, similarities-differences, or point-by-point? (Point-by-point)
  • What detail was most interesting in the essay?
  • Comparison-contrast is the primary organizing pattern in the essay. What secondary pattern does the essay follow—problem-solution, chronological, or cause-effect? (Chronological)
  • What final thought does the writer leave with the reader? (The writer reiterates the main comparison—both athletes overcame poverty and prejudice—and sums up their impact on sports and culture.)
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Comparison-ContrastExplanatory Essay
21st Century Skills:
Reading
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 178 from Write for College

Guidelines: Writing a Problem-Solution Essay

“A problem well defined is a problem half solved.”

—Proverb

Like a cause-effect essay, the problem-solution essay explores a causal chain reaction; however, it seeks to break a link in the chain to end a harmful situation. This assignment helps students analyze problems and how they were (or could be) solved. Discuss these key points to help students develop problem-solution essays:

  1. Explore a real problem—demonstrating a concrete, detailed, and personal understanding of it.
  2. Present a creative, reasonable, and well-supported solution—attacking the problem’s root causes. (No bandages allowed!)
  3. Develop a simple structure: describe the problem and analyze possible solutions. Deciding how to combine and balance these elements, however, is complex. Should the problem be simply described or carefully explicated? Should one solution rise to the top of the possibilities?
  4. Use a tone that fits the seriousness of the problem.

When your students are ready to write their own problem-solution essays, help them find topics. Hand out problem-solution webs to use as they gather details for their essays. Point out that this writing activity will require thorough research to understand all parts of the problem. Then review the remaining writing guidelines on this page.

Downloads:
Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Problem-SolutionExplanatory Essay
21st Century Skills:
Writing ProjectWriting
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPrewritingWritingRevisingEditing

Page 179 from Write for College

Problem-Solution Essay

Have volunteers read each paragraph of the sample essay. After each paragraph, ask your class, "What is the writer doing in this paragraph?"

  • Beginning paragraph: "Getting the reader's attention (with a surprising statistic) and identifying the problem"
  • First middle paragraph: "Providing background information to introduce the problem"
  • Second middle paragraph: "Showing what happens when cells develop antibiotic resistance"
  • Third middle paragraph: "Focusing on another effect of antibiotic resistance"
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Problem-SolutionExplanatory Essay
21st Century Skills:
Reading
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 180 from Write for College

Problem-Solution Essay (Cont.)

Continue having volunteers read each paragraph. After each, ask, "What is the writer doing in this paragraph?"

  • Fourth middle paragraph: "Providing historical context about the problem"
  • Fifth middle paragraph: "Reporting on the seriousness of the problem"
  • Sixth middle paragraph: "Explaining a solution but identifying its drawback"
  • Seventh middle paragraph: "Outlining a multi-step solution and discussing the first step"
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Problem-SolutionExplanatory Essay
21st Century Skills:
Reading
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 181 from Write for College

Problem-Solution Essay (Cont.)

Have volunteers complete the reading of the sample essay. After each paragraph, ask, "What is the writer doing in this paragraph?"

  • Eighth middle paragraph: "Explaining the second step of the solution"
  • Ninth middle paragraph: "Explaining the third step of the solution"
  • Ending paragraph: "Summarizing the argument and giving a call to action"

When you've completed the reading, discuss the "Reading for Better Writing" questions at the bottom of the page.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Problem-SolutionExplanatory Essay
21st Century Skills:
Reading
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 182 from Write for College

Guidelines: Response to an Explanatory Prompt

Often, on-demand writing prompts focus on explanatory topics. Lead your students through the guidelines on this page, helping them understand how to read the prompt, ask and answer the PAST questions about it, and create a quick list. These activities should take about 5 minutes at the beginning of the writing period. Then show students how to use their quick lists to organize their responses: write a beginning paragraph based on the focus and write a middle paragraph for each main point in the list.

After bringing their work to a close, students should spend about 5 minutes revising and editing their work. If you wish, you can download and distribute the Checklist for Revising and Editing Explanatory Prompt Responses to support them as they practice.

Then give them a time frame (usually between 35 and 50 minutes) and provide them this explanatory prompt:

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. claimed, "A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus." How would you define a leader? What traits or qualities does a leader have? In a definition essay, explain what a leader is and how to become one.

When students do their own PAST analyses for this prompt, they should come up with responses like these:

  • Purpose: To define what it is to be a leader
  • Audience: General audience
  • Subject: Aspects of a good leader
  • Type: Definition essay

Download and distribute the Explanatory Assessment Rubric to help students self-assess their essays.

Downloads:
Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Explanatory EssayResponse to PromptDefinition
21st Century Skills:
Writing
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPrewritingWritingRevisingEditing

Page 183 from Write for College

Prompt Response

Demonstrate how one student read the explanatory prompt from page 182, analyzed it using the PAST strategy, and wrote a quick list to organize the response. Then have volunteers read aloud each paragraph of the response.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.RI.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.4.F, 110.38.c.5.C, 110.38.c.7.D.i, 110.39.c.4.F, 110.39.c.5.C, 110.39.c.7.D.i
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.1.6.g, LA 12.1.6.k, LA 12.1.6.n

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Response to Prompt
21st Century Skills:
Reading
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 184 from Write for College

Sample Explanatory Prompts

Refer students to this page when they need to practice on-demand writing. Periodically assign different prompts from the page to help students become more comfortable with on-demand writing assessments.

Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Response to Prompt
21st Century Skills:
Writing ProjectTaking Tests
English Language Arts:
Writing Process

Page 185 from Write for College

Using Graphic Organizers

Refer students to the sample graphic organizers when they are gathering details for their explanatory essays. As you can see, the page shares organizers for each explanatory form from this chapter. The same organizers can also help students pick out key details in the explanatory texts they read. 

Downloads:
Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9.A, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9.A, 110.39.c.10.B, 110.38.c.5.C
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2.a, LA 12.2.2.b

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Explanatory EssayProcessClassificationDefinitionCause-EffectComparison-ContrastProblem-Solution
English Language Arts:
Prewriting

Page 186 from Write for College

Evaluating Explanatory Writing

Download and distribute the Assessment Rubric for Explanatory Writing when it comes time for students to evaluate their work. (You might also provide this rubric at the beginning of the writing process so that students know the target they are shooting for.) Assign a grading scale, such as 1 (Not at all) to 6 (Completely). The cumulative score can then be multiplied by 3 to reach a percentage (with a perfect score of 108—an A+, or 8 points of extra credit). As an alternative, you can divide the cumulative score by 6 and round the result to reach an overall letter grade: 6 = A+, 5 = A, 4 = B, 3 = C, 2 = D, and 1 = F.

Downloads:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.1112.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.38.c.9, 110.38.c.10.B, 110.39.c.9, 110.39.c.10.B
NE ELA Standard:
LA 12.2.1.b, LA 12.2.2, LA 12.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 11Grade 12
Mode:
Explanatory Writing
Form:
Explanatory Essay
21st Century Skills:
Improving
English Language Arts:
RevisingEditing