1. Composing Expository Writing Day 1
Prompt: Everyone has a favorite holiday. Think about the holiday you enjoy more than any other one. Tell what your favorite holiday is and explain why.
Christmas plays
Christmas decorations
Teacher models focusing on prompt.
cold weather
Christmas
helping needy people
Some students especially our ELL students need to see it grouped together so may want to color code each category.
Teacher brainstorms reasons for this choice.
delicious
food
trees and
tinsel
Students complete their own Circle Maps.
family gatherings

2. Composing Expository Writing Day 1
Teacher models selecting three best reasons from the Circle Map and placing on the Flow Map.
Just the sound of “Jingle Bells triggers happy thoughts in my head! Christmas has to be my favorite holiday. There are several reasons why this is true—relatives visit from far away places, we eat lots of food, and I receive presents.
Students select three best reasons from their Circle Maps and place on their Flow Maps.
family
gatherings
numerous
presents
delicious food
Teacher models opening paragraph.
Students write their opening paragraphs.

3. Composing in Expository Writing Day 1
Teacher models adding at least 2 details for each reason (explanations and examples).
Just the sound of “Jingle Bells” triggers happy thoughts in my head! Christmas has to be my favorite holiday. There are several reasons why this is true—relatives visit from far away places, we eat lots of food, and I receive presents.
family
gatherings
delicious food
numerous
presents
Students add at least 2 details to their Flow Maps.
piled high
under Christmas
tree
relatives from
far away places—
Pennsylvania
lots and
lots of food
aromas from
turkey,
dressing, green
beans,
red velvet cake
grandparents,
cousins, and
uncles visit
with us
bike, cd’s, tennis
shoes, cd player,
books

4. Composing in Expository Writing Day 2
Teacher models “think aloud”.
Just the sound of “Jingle Bells” triggers happy thoughts in my head!! Christmas has to be my favorite holiday. There are several reasons why this is true—relatives visit from far away places, we eat lots of food, and I receive presents.
Students do “think alouds”.
Teacher adds transition words/ phrases.
The most significant
My initial reason
Furthermore
Students add transition words/ phrases.
delicious
food
family gatherings
numerous presents
Teacher models closing paragraph.
lots and
lots of food
relatives from
far away places—
Pennsylvania
piled high
under Christmas
tree
aromas from
turkey,
dressing, green
beans,
red velvet cake
Students add closing paragraphs.
bike, cd’s, tennis
shoes, cd player,
books
grandparents,
cousins, and
uncles visit
with us
Students work in pairs to orally rehearse their essays using their Flow Maps.
Christmas is indeed the best holiday of the year. Family gatherings, delicious food, and numerous presents put a smile on everyone’s face. What a meaningful time of year for young and old alike.

5. Composing Expository Writing Day 3 - Taking it off the map
Just the sound of “Jingle Bells” triggers happy thoughts in my head! Christmas has to be my favorite holiday. There are several reasons why this is true—relatives visit from far away places, we eat lots of food, and I receive presents.
Teacher models circling each part of the map in a different color.
My initial reason
Furthermore
The most significant
family gatherings
numerous presents
delicious
food
piled high
under Christmas
tree
Students circle each part of their maps in a different color.
relatives from
far away places—
Pennsylvania
lots and
lots of food
aromas from
turkey,
dressing, green
beans,
red velvet cake
bike, cd’s,
tennis shoes,
cd player,
books
grandparents,
cousins, and
uncles visit
with us
Christmas is indeed the best holiday of the year. Family gatherings, delicious food, and numerous presents put a smile on everyone’s face. What a meaningful time of year for young and old alike!

6. Just the sound of “Jingle Bells” triggers happy thoughts in my head!
Christmas has to be my favorite holiday. There are several reasons why this is
true—relatives visit from far away places, we eat lots of food, and I receive
presents.
My initial reason is that Christmas is the one holiday of the year when my relatives gather for special moments together. Relatives from far-away places, like Pennsylvania, come to our house for the Christmas celebration. Last year, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins visited for three days, and we enjoyed our fun times and discussions together.
Furthermore, Christmas is a time for filling our stomachs with delicious foods. Food at Christmas is not regular food; no, it seems to be so special, like the hands of my mother were given a new talent on that day. The smells from roast turkey, cornbread stuffing, green beans, and red velvet cake reach out and pull us into the kitchen. My mouth waters at the thought!
The most significant reason why I love Christmas is because of the presents people receive at this memorable time of year. I mean every year the gifts are piled high under our tree, and everyone gets excited. I never know whether I will receive a book, tennis shoes, cd’s, a cd player, or a bike. I also like to give gifts as much as I enjoy receiving them.
Christmas is indeed the best holiday of the year. Family gatherings, delicious food, and presents put a smile on everyone’s face. What a meaningful time of year for young and old alike.