1. The Expository Essay Process
An expository essay is an essay in which you explain something. It is not an argument, and it is not a comparison. Your objective is to give the information in an objective way, without taking sides.
The Expository Essay Process
Research/Pre-Writing/Videos – In Your Writing Journal or on Your Computer
Compile Notes – Graphic Organizer
Construct Outline
Draft 1 - Copy from Outline
Draft 1 - Create a great lead - question, analogy, statistic, quote, unusual fact
Draft 2 - ELABORATE your 2 points of analysis (bottom slice)
Edit for grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, agreement, etc.
Final Draft

2. How to Do Research for a Paper
Videos:
Techniques for video note-taking
Watch the video all the way through once
Watch it through again, pausing to note down main ideas on the left side of your two-column notes.
Watch it through a third time, pausing to note any supporting details that go with the main ideas.
Compile Notes:
Select two of the green solutions from the videos you watched.
Review all the notes you have taken on those solutions.
Use the graphic organizer provided analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each solution described in the videos.
Make sure you have noted down the times in the videos for each of the ideas you will be using in your paper.

3. Videos - The Two Column Note-Taking Strategy
1. Divide your paper into two columns – make the right column wider and the left column narrower.
2. On the left side list main ideas – be sure to put the time stamp from the video so you can find it easily again!
3. On the right side, list supporting details that go with the main ideas.
In your writing journal or on your computer: Create a two-column page for each text you will be reading and use the method above to take notes.

4. What is Analysis?
Making Inferences
Seeing what is NOT there and should be
Connecting two ideas
Looking at how details support main ideas
Why is analysis important?
It shows your thinking. It shows that you can do more than just repeat back something that you have memorized or understood.
Example:
Basic Understanding – It takes builders 3 months to pack 1000 tires full of dirt to build an Earthship wall.
Analysis – It is very labor intensive and takes much longer to build than a regular house.

5. Strengths/Weaknesses Analysis
Video Title/
Solution
Strengths
Weaknesses

6. The Important Parts of an Essay
An essay can be thought of in 3 parts:
Say what you’re going to say
Say it
Say what you said
Lead
Thesis Statement
Claim
Avenues
In this essay you will analyze the strengths and weaknesses of two “go-green” solutions.
Body Paragraphs
Sandwiching of examples with 2 points of analysis each
Support of the thesis claim
Elaboration of analysis – the most important part!
Conclusion
Restates Thesis and avenues in different words
Transitions

7. A Different Way to Think About Your Outline
Thesis Claim
Avenue 1
Sandwich 1
Point of Analysis
Sandwich 2
Avenue 2
Body Paragraph 1
Body Paragraph 2
As you can see, the thesis claim is king. Every piece of the essay should refer back to the thesis claim over and over again. The entire structure of the essay is set up to support the thesis claim.

10. 2 Points of Analysis
The bottom “bread” of your sandwich should be the thickest of all. It ties your example to your topic statement and to your thesis. In order to analyze your example in depth you need to use at least 2 points of analysis – one for each of the topics you are comparing.
Prompts to consider using in the analysis section:
This demonstrates that _____________________
This implies that __________________________
This reveals that __________________________
This is because ___________________________
This proves that ___________________________
This means that___________________________
One weakness of using something like car parts for building houses is how much work it takes. Architect Karl Wanaselja says that “…the upstairs siding (of his home) is 104 car roofs that I cut out of the junk yard with a sawzall.” (:20) This means that he would definitely need to have made many trips to the junk yard to find cars of the right color. The number of cars he had to saw through reveals exactly how much physical labor was also involved. All those trips and the amount of effort required to saw that many cars demonstrates that this work took a great deal of time.
In your outline: Use 2 points of analysis – one for your non-renewable fuel and one for your renewable fuel

11. Relates to the topic, but often more indirectly
Essay Lead
Hooks the reader
Relates to the topic, but often more indirectly
Should not be too short that it feels abrupt
Should not be too long that it seems to take forever to get to the point
A Good Lead in an Expository Essay Should:
State the topics that you will be comparing
Give some background on each topic.
Give the reader any additional background information they may need in order to understand your analysis.
Give the reader enough information to understand the analysis that will follow, but don’t give too much away.
Good Ways to Start Your Lead:
Ask a question.
Use a quote.
Create an analogy
Provide an unusual fact or statistic

12. Revision Strategies
Build Transitions
Use Elaboration Strategies
Use the Sandwich Strategy
Use Strong Verbs
Check Sentence Structures
Fully Develop Analysis Sections

13. Elaboration Strategies
Explain Why
Explain Why Not
Explain How
Explain the Details
Define
Give an example
Goal: Add at least 5 sentences to body paragraphs.

14. Transitions
3 Parts to a transition
Refer back to what you just talked about
Refer forward to what you’re going to talk about
Linking idea
Transitions can be used between sentences as the first step in revision
Go through each paragraph two sentences at a time and build a transition sentence between each pair.
Re-read your paragraphs aloud.
Add anything that feels unsaid
Delete where you feel like you’ve overdone it

15. Using Powerful Verbs and Adjectives
(And Dropping Unnecessary Adverbs!)
Some verbs are better than others. When you revise:
Go through your draft and underline all the verbs.
Give them the “vanilla” test.
If they are too vanilla, or if you are using adverbs to spice them up, use a thesaurus to find a more “spicy” verb.
Avoid using the same “spicy” verb twice.
Examples:
Vanilla:
Some people are building houses out of plastic bottles.
Less Vanilla:
Some people are constructing low-cost homes with plastic bottle bricks.
Very Spicy:
There are many creative and resourceful individuals and groups who are developing low-cost and green homes utilizing plastic bottle bricks.

16. Fine-Tuning Sentences for Better Flow
Sentence structure affects the way the language of your piece flows.
Read through the piece ALOUD to yourself
Read it through ALOUD to someone else
Have someone else read it ALOUD to you
Listen for:
Short, choppy sentences
Repetitious words or ideas
Combine short sentences
Delete or reword repetitious ideas or words
Examples:
Not So Good: This process is good. It is good because it is giving something good back to the earth.
Better: This process is positive because it benefits the environment.

17. Editing Basics
Verbs:
Agreement – Subjects and verbs.
Tense – Check each verb – are they all in the same tense?
Variety – Are you using the same verbs over and over again?
Person – Does it switch anywhere from you to I, from I to they, from you to they or he/she? Have you taken “I” out of it, as in “I think”…
Word Variety – Are you using the same word over and over again?
Sentence Structure – Are your sentences varied and not all the same?
Spelling – Check for words the spell checker won’t pick up and incorrect duplicates ie. Aloud/Allowed
Capitalization – Beginning of sentences, and proper nouns
Sentences – Check for run-ons and fragments.
Strategy:
Read your piece backwards. This will help you find spelling and technical errors.
Read it aloud to a partner – have the partner read it aloud to you.