Language Arts 6-1 Ms. Hayes

Assignment: Writing An Expository Essay

Objective: Students will write a five-paragraph report on a topic about Ancient Greece or the ancient Greeks.

Guidelines for Evaluation:

q Should be legibly written in black (blue) ink or typed

q Suggested length: 5 paragraphs

q Should contain an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

q Should include facts that develop the argument or position of the paper.

q Should employ correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation

q Should demonstrate unity and coherence (refer to pg. 677, Elements of Literature and writing rubric)

The Structure of An Expository Essay

An expository essay explains or informs your reader about your topic. To be effective, the essay must have a clearly stated and developed topic that is not too broad or narrow. Regardless of the topic, the essay should have three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. By utilizing the writing process, you will insure the success of your report.

The Writing Process

Prewriting:

With any report, you should always begin by making sure you understand the topic or question. In this report, your subject is Ancient Greece and its people. Review your reading responses, online study guides, and notes about the ancient Greeks. What categories can you construct? List as many as you can on a sheet of paper. (e.g. geography, wars, and literature). After listing as many as you can, narrow each by writing a more specific topic.

You may use a graphic organizer such as a table or a cluster. Based on your knowledge and interest, select one topic to pursue for your report. List all the facts or points of interest that you can. Then, choose three of your strongest points to develop. If you need additional information, think of the resources that may be most useful. Go to the library or the library’s website to find articles or books.

Subject Topic 3 Main Points Supporting Details

Greek Education	Education in Ancient Athens	Integral part of Athenian life	Part of daily life
			Intelligence valued greatly
			Preparation for peace and war
		To produce a cultured male citizenry	Rich males taught at home by mom or slave until 6 or 7 yrs.
			At age 14 poorer males apprenticed
			18 military training
		Celebrated literature and the arts	Homer and music
			Writing
			Books expensive and scarce; read aloud

Keep an organized record of your sources as you collect information so that you can cite them when you construct your draft.

Writing a draft: The Introduction ~ Paragraph 1.

You should begin by writing a grand sweeping statement about the main purpose of your report in a complete sentence. The statement or question should indicate your purpose and hook your reader’s attention. It is important to remember who your audience will be, probably your teacher and peers. What do you want them to understand? Think of three ways to state your topic in an interesting way. You can enhance it with an anecdote, a statistic, or a question.

Grand sweeping statement #1

Grand sweeping statement #2

Grand sweeping statement #3

A start with one of the previous statements is an interesting way to begin the response or it may come at the end of the first paragraph. This statement is referred to as the thesis statement. You should briefly state the three main ideas that you constructed in your prewriting. These points will provide the framework for writing the body of your paper.

Choose your best statement above and add your three main points to write an introductory paragraph.

Writing a draft: The Body of the Paper ~ Paragraphs 2, 3, and 4.

The information provided in the body should support the thesis or main focus of the paper. Each of the paragraphs in the body should have one major point that is supported by two or three supporting details.

First major point:

Second major point:

Third major point:

Writing a draft: The Conclusion ~ Paragraph 5.

The conclusion should restate the thesis statement that was articulated in the introduction. It may include a summary of the arguments presented, but no new information should be presented. The conclusion should contain a statement that clinches the argument or emphasizes the main point in a memorable manner.

The following outline may be used as a guide to construct the paragraphs in your response:

Paragraph One: Introduction

I. Hook  _______________________________________________________

First Major Point: _______________________________________________________________

Second Major Point: _______________________________________________________________

Third Major Point: _______________________________________________________________

Thesis Statement _______________________________________________________________

II. Paragraph Two: First Major Point (Topic Sentence) ________________________________________________________________

Supporting Argument ________________________________________________________________

Example or detail _________________________________________________

Supporting Argument ________________________________________________________________

Example or detail __________________________________________________

Supporting Argument _________________________________________________________________

Example or detail __________________________________________________

Transitional Statement _________________________________________________________________

III. Paragraph Three: Second Major Point (Topic Sentence) __________________________________________________________________

Supporting Argument __________________________________________________________________

Example or detail ____________________________________________________

Supporting Argument ___________________________________________________________________

Example or detail _____________________________________________________

Supporting Argument ____________________________________________________________________

Example or detail ______________________________________________________

Transitional Statement _____________________________________________________________________

IV. Paragraph Four: Third Major Point (Topic Sentence) _____________________________________________________________________

Supporting Argument _____________________________________________________________________

Example or detail _______________________________________________________

Supporting Argument ______________________________________________________________________

Example or detail ________________________________________________________

Example or detail _________________________________________________________

Supporting Argument ______________________________________________________________

Example or detail ___________________________________________________

Transitional Clincher ___________________________________________________________________

Paragraph Five: Conclusion ~ Thesis Statement Restated ___________________________________________________________________

1st Major Point _________________________________________________________________

2nd Major Point _________________________________________________________________

3rd Major Point _________________________________________________________________

Clincher ________________________________________________________________________

Practice designing your own paragraph outlines. It will help improve your writing.

Evaluating and revising:

Read over your draft to see if what you have written is consistent with the guidelines for evaluation. Are your ideas clear, organized, and logical? Is your choice of words effective and interesting? Have a writing conference with your parents, your friends, or another writer. Use their reactions to help you evaluate your work. You may always return to the previous stages when revising to improve the draft.

Proofreading and publishing:

When proofreading your draft, read the entire selection several times. Look for specific types of errors each time. For example you might check for all the words that are possibly misspelled or all the sentences that might not express a complete thought. Check for usage errors that have been identified in your previous writings that you may need to target. Consider what you might do to enhance the presentation of your work. Is the writing legible? Is the final draft written in ink or typed. Is the heading present and the paper neat overall?

For further guidance see the following: http://www.oocities.org/mshayes611/essaylinks.html

Student’s signature________________________________ Date________

Parent’s signature _________________________________ Date________

Language Arts 6-1 Ms. Hayes

Celebrated literature and the arts