Expository essay Purpose: To Inform

Why is this important to me? You will be taking an End of Course Exam with TWO expository essays. You must write two passing essays on the EOC to earn enough points to pass. You must pass this exam to graduate. It is one of your graduation requirements. THE EOC IS TIMED: You have about 65 minutes to plan and type your essay.

What is the purpose of expository writing? There are many purposes for expository writing – to inform or to persuade. In ninth grade you will write two informative essays. In tenth grade you will write two persuasive essays. Where will I use expository writing after high school? In college English, History, and Science classes. Most careers rely on this too… Paramedics, Doctors, Ambulance Drivers, Police, Car Mechanics, Teachers, Writers, Actors, Vets., Managers of Companies all use this on a daily basis.

THE EOC IS CHALLENGING When you write your essay for the EOC you are not provided any texts or literary work you can pull examples from. The only resources you can use must come from your own brain. This means you have to pull examples from subject material you learned in English, Science, Math, P.E., Electives or T.V., Books, Movies, Pop culture, or Sports. If you do not provide examples to support your topic sentences you will fail.

What does an expository essay do? An expository essay explains, or acquaints the reader with knowledge about the topic. Expository essays use facts and statistical information, cause and effect relationships, or examples.

You can not say, “I think” or “My Opinion Is” Since expository essays are factual, they are written without emotion and usually written in the third person. That means that the use of the pronoun "I" is not usually found within the essay.

Expository Essays have a distinct format Introduction: You have a hook (engaging sent.), background information, and a thesis statement that tells the reader what you will be informing about and includes your examples. Body Paragraphs: Transitions that show the connection between your ideas + Topic Sentence that tells the reader what the paragraph will inform about + an example or scenario that supports the topic sent. + concluding sent. that summarizes the paragraph. Conclusion: Summarizes the essay + explains the long or short term consequences on the community, nation, or world.

Model Essay: Write about the importance of friendship. Have you ever had a best friend? A best friend is important to many people in society because they provide emotional support. A friend can both positively and negatively effect a person. A true friend can impact you by providing emotional support and getting you to try new activities. Throughout life, you face many struggles and tribulations that can be less devastating with the support of a friend. When you have a best friend who you can talk to over the phone or through texting, they often can talk to you about the situation. Their advice can lift your mood from sadness to one of clarity. Often times your friend is separated from the issue you are dealing with and they can give you advice or persuade you to talk to your mom or dad about the problem. A friend can impact your emotions and provide helpful advice to get you out of tough situations. In addition to providing emotional support, a friend can also convince you to try new activities. Many people struggle with trying something new and the anxiety of doing it by yourself. When you try something with a friend you know that you are not alone. This can give you the confidence you need to master a new sport or activity. Friends are inspirational you often strive to emulate them and they guide you into trying new things. Overall, friends impact your daily decisions and help motivate you to expand your horizons. Many times your best friends become the one person you trust and turn to for advice. In some cases you spend more time with your friends than your immediate family. Friendship is an important tool that impacts every person in the world and it can be the driving force behind making positive decisions and trying out new hobbies.

Foldable: ON THE OUTSIDE Flap 1: What is the purpose of expository writing? Flap 2: What does the introduction contain? Flap 3: The Body Paragraphs include… Flap 4: How many body paragraphs? Flap 5: Where do I pull my examples from? Flap 6: The conclusion includes: Flap 7: Key words used in Expository Writing

Foldable: On the Inside Flap 1: To inform the reader about the topic/issue NOT TO PERSUADE Flap 2: Hook + Background information that explain the hook in more detail + Thesis statement Flap 3: Topic Sentence (connects to the thesis) + Examples + supporting details+ so what (what is the short term impact of this?) Flap 4: At least 2 body paragraphs

Flaps Outside Flap 5: I can pull examples from history, sports, t.v., movies, my own life, english, science. Flap 6: The conclusion includes a summary + so what…what is the long term consequence of this on my community, nation, or world. Flap 7: Key words defined: Hook – engaging sent. can be a ?, quote, fact, statistic, or thought that gets the readers attention. Thesis statement – answers the prompt and tells the reader the two things you will inform about.