ALEX Learning Activity

  

Expository Essay: Writing Prompt & Rubric

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  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Jessica Byrd
System:Butler County
School:Butler County Board Of Education
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 2807
Title:
Expository Essay: Writing Prompt & Rubric
Digital Tool/Resource:
Expository Essay: Writing Prompt & Rubric
Web Address – URL:
Overview:

This resource includes a writing prompt and a rubric. The focus of this resource is expository writing. The document includes space for students to compose their essays within the resource. A rubric is provided to students for self-assessment. 

This activity was created as a result of the ALEX Resource Development Summit.

  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 9
9. Compose both short and extended narrative, informative/explanatory, and argumentative writings that are clear and coherent, use an appropriate command of language, and demonstrate development, organization, style, and tone that are relevant to task, purpose, and audience.

Examples: paragraphs, constructed responses, essays

a. Write a memoir, narrative essay, or personal or fictional narrative to convey a series of events, establishing a clear purpose and using narrative techniques.

Examples: dialogue, pacing, description, reflection

b. Write explanations and expositions that incorporate evidence, using transitions and techniques that objectively introduce and develop topics.

Examples: relevant and sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations

c. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning, relevant and sufficient evidence, transitions, and a concluding statement or section that follows from the information presented.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
9.
  • Short writings
  • Extended writings
  • Narrative writing
  • Argumentative writing
  • Informative/explanatory writing
  • Writing development
  • Writing organization
  • Style
  • Tone
  • Task
  • Purpose
  • Audience
  • Command of language
9a.
  • Memoir
  • Narrative essay
  • Personal narrative
  • Fictional narrative
  • Narrative techniques
9b.
  • Explanations
  • Expositions
  • Evidence
  • Transitions
  • Techniques
9c.
  • Arguments
  • Claims
  • Substantive topics or texts
  • Valid
  • Relevant
  • Sufficient
  • Reasoning
  • Evidence
  • Transitions
  • Concluding statement or section
Knowledge:
9. Students know:
  • Writing pieces can be short, such as a paragraph, or extended, such as constructed responses and essays.
  • A narrative is a piece of writing that tells a story.
  • The purpose of argumentative writing is to convince the reader to take action or adopt a particular position.
  • Informative or explanatory text is a piece of writing that provides factual information that was gathered from multiple research sources.
  • The development, organization, style, and tone of writing will change depending on the writing task, the purpose of the writing, and the intended audience.
  • Formal academic writing should demonstrate an appropriate command of language.
9a.
  • A narrative is a piece of writing that tells a story, such as a memoir, essay, personal narrative, or fictional narrative.
  • Narrative writing includes techniques, like dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection.
  • Events in narrative writing should be sequenced in a coherent manner.
9b.
  • Explanatory and expository text is writing that examines and explains complex ideas or processes, utilizing information from multiple credible research sources.
  • Explanatory and expository writing has an organized structure, and usually begins by clearly focusing on the topic, incorporating credible evidence, and ends with a conclusion.
  • Explanatory and expository writing should utilize techniques that objectively introduce and develop topics.
  • Words that indicate transitions.
9c.
  • The purpose of argumentative writing is to defend an opinion or state a claim.
  • Argumentative writing includes introducing the topic by stating an argumentative claim, valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence to support the claim, and a concluding statement that coherently follows the presented information.
  • Words that indicate transitions.
Skills:
9. Students are able to:
  • Compose short and extended clear, coherent narrative, argument, and informative/explanatory writings.
  • Identify the writing task, the purpose of writing, and the intended audience in order to appropriately adapt the development, organization, style, and tone of the writing.
  • Demonstrate command of the written language.
9a.
  • Write a narrative with a coherent sequence of plot events and a clear purpose.
  • Incorporate narrative techniques in their narrative writing, including dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection.
9b.
  • Gather credible information and data from multiple sources.
  • Write an explanatory and expository text with an organized structure and formal style that objectively develops the topic and utilizes appropriate transitions and credible evidence.
9c.
  • Write an argument to support claims in an analysis of topics or texts that utilizes appropriate transitions.
  • Gather relevant and sufficient evidence from accurate and credible sources to support the claim.
  • Use valid reasoning to support a claim.
  • Include a concluding statement or section that logically follows the presented information.
Understanding:
9. Students understand that:
  • There are different genres of writing that serve various purposes.
  • The writing task, purpose, and audience should be considered in the development, organization, style, and tone of the writing.
  • Formal academic writing should display their command of the English language.
9a.
  • Narrative writing can take many forms, but there should be a coherent sequence of events.
  • Literary techniques are tools that can be used to create a piece of narrative writing.
  • Literary techniques in narrative writing contribute to the overall meaning and purpose of the text.
9b.
  • Explanatory and expository writing should be free from opinions and supported with evidence.
  • Explanatory and expository writing follows a predictable, organized text structure that utilizes appropriate transition words.
  • They must gather their information and data about the topic from multiple credible research sources.
9c.
  • To effectively defend a position or make a claim, they must present relevant, sufficient evidence from accurate and credible sources.
  • An argument can be more effective if the writer includes a concluding statement that logically follows the information presented previously.
Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to compose an objective expository essay to explain a problem and offer solutions.

Students will be able to use transitions to communicate a message clearly and effectively.

  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
After/Explain/Elaborate
Activity:

1. The teacher will share the Expository Essay: Writing Prompt with students by either adding it to their digital classroom or sharing it directly through email. 

2. Students will be prompted to make a copy of the resource. 

3. The teacher will explain the writing prompt to the students.

4. The teacher should review the rubric with the students before they begin writing.

5. The students should be given time to plan, draft, and revise their work.

6. The teacher will grade student work using the attached rubric and return it to students. It is suggested that teachers provide additional feedback in the document where appropriate. 

Assessment Strategies:

A rubric is included with the resource. This rubric will assess the following learning objectives: 

Students will be able to compose an objective expository essay to explain a problem and offer solutions.

Students will be able to use transitions to communicate a message clearly and effectively.

Additionally, the rubric will assess the student's ability to use support to develop their message and the student's command of conventions. 


Advanced Preparation:

Students should have been exposed to instruction on the main components of an expository essay and the writing process before completing this activity. The teacher will need to share the resource with students either by adding it to their digital classroom or by sharing it with students directly via email. 

Variation Tips (optional):

The resource can be adapted for use with a variety of expository writing prompts.

Notes or Recommendations (optional):

This resource can be printed for pencil and paper use. 

Corresponding activities are available here--

Explanatory Writing: Building Background Knowledge

Expository Essay: Writing Lab

  Keywords and Search Tags  
Keywords and Search Tags: ELA202199b, essay, expository, informational, prompt, rubric, write, writing