By: Dr. LaVonda Senn

“THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL”

GRADES 3-5 EXPOSITORY WRITING INSTRUCTION

As part of an integrated thematic unit writing is an integral part of the goals and objectives I want my students to acquire. What is one of the most important types of

writing? Why?How do we teach quality instruction in this

category?

Entrance Ticket…Scaffolded Question

Discussion-------

WHERE TO BEGIN?????

Expository writing Difficult Factual

Requires research

Students have to connect

Requires students to put in their own words

Excludes opinions

Includes transitional phrases

Most rigorous writing and students don’t see a process.

Until now………………………..

EXPOSITORY WRITING

HANDOUTS ON EXPOSITORY INFORMATION

1. Using the Facts Form and the Expository information Hand-out locate the topic of the report.

2. After reading the entire passage, see if you can break it into three broad categories. 3. For example, Medieval research might include three types of castles, or the coyote research might be broken into defense mechanisms, habitat, and foods they eat. If you were researching a person, it might include their childhood, their family, and their career path.

4. Finally, locate seven facts and write them in each category.

Alternative for (organized) learnersColored index cards

For Special Education StudentsUse Highlighters in the passage

For Gifted StudentsUse a longer passage with more facts to choose from

TEACHING STUDENTS TO USE SYNONYMS

• Demonstrate changing individual words to their synonyms• Example: The first woman to climb Mount Everest was Junko Tabei of Japan. • From Japan, the female to originally scale Mt. Everest was Junko Tabei.

NO PRONOUNS; TEACH ROLES, ALTERNATIVE TERMS, DEFINITIONS

President RooseveltFDRMr. RooseveltFatherDadFriendLeaderAdvisorSome said saviorReconstructionistProblem Solver

Mount EverestMt. EverestEverest, LandformThis part of the Himalayas mountain systemRock FormationSteep TerrainLow oxygen area

BeaverSemiaquatic animalBroad-tailed rodentWorkerDawn builderWater way destroyer

• Sample sentences might include:1. This leader during the Great Depression was key to thenew stabilized economy. 2. A Landform of tremendous height, this mountain has been responsiblefor numerous deaths. 3. A semiaquatic animal, the beaver is able to spend part of his time on land and the other part in the water.

THE HOOK

http://guidedreadingwriting.pbworks.com/w/page/4043982/Anchor%20Charts

HOOK

WHERE DO I GET MY FACTSINTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

Students take their first fact from their fact sheet in category 1. Create a synonym sentence for this research fact in your own words.DON’T FORGET TO INDENT!!!!!

This fact is the first fact sentence in your introductory paragraph!

FACT SENTENCE 2INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

Students take their first fact from their fact sheet in category 2. Create a synonym sentence for this research fact in your own words.

This fact goes in your introductory paragraph!

FACT SENTENCE 3INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

Students take their first fact from their fact sheet in category 3. Create a synonym sentence for this research fact in your own words.

This fact goes in your introductory paragraph.

THESIS SENTENCEALWAYS LAST SENTENCE OF THE

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

Directions fill in this information from your “Facts Form.”Sample 1 Example: ______________ __________ _____________, _________, and __________.

Topic Verb category 1 Category 2 Category 3

Sample 2 Example:________ _______ ____ __________, ____ _________, and ____ __________. Topic Verb Adj. category 1 Adj. Category 2 Adj. Category 3

Sample 3 Example:_____ __________, _____ ________, ____ _________, and ____ __________. Short Verb phrase Topic Verb category 1 Verb Category 2 Verb Category 3

Sample 4 Example:_____ ________, ____ ________, and ____ ________, __________________. Verb Category 1 Verb Category 2 Verb Category Verb Phrase and Topic

TRANSITIONAL PHRASES CONT’DEXCEPTION, TIME, RESTATE,

To Show Exception:yet, still, however, nevertheless, in spite of, despite, of course, once in a while, sometimes

To Show Time:immediately, thereafter, soon, after a few hours, finally, then, later, previously, formerly, first (second, etc.), next, and then

To Restateo in brief, as I have said, as I have noted, as has been noted

TRANSITIONAL PHRASES CONT’D

ADD, COMPARE, TO PROVE

To Add:and, again, and then, besides, equally important, finally, further, furthermore, nor, too, next, lastly, what's more, moreover, in addition, first (second, etc.)

To Compare:whereas, but, yet, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, on the contrary, by comparison, where, compared to, up against, balanced against, vis a vis, but, although, conversely, meanwhile, after all, in contrast, although this may be true

To Prove:because, for, since, for the same reason, obviously, evidently, furthermore, moreover, besides, indeed, in fact, in addition, in any case, that is

TRANSITIONAL PHRASES CONT’DEMPHASIZE, SEQUENCE, EXAMPLES,

CONCLUDE, SUMMARIZE

To Emphasize:definitely, extremely, obviously, in fact, indeed, in any case, absolutely, positively, naturally, surprisingly, always, forever, perennially, eternally, never, emphatically, unquestionably, without a doubt, certainly, undeniably, without reservation

To Show Sequence:first, second, third, and so forth. A, B, C, and so forth. next, then, following this, at this time, now, at this point, after, afterward, subsequently, finally, consequently, previously, before this, simultaneously, concurrently, thus, therefore, hence, next, and then, soon

To Give an Example:for example, for instance, in this case, in another case, on this occasion, in this situation, take the case of, to demonstrate, to illustrate, as an illustration, to illustrate

To Summarize or Conclude:in brief, on the whole, summing up, to conclude, in conclusion, as I have shown, as I have said, hence, therefore, accordingly, thus, as a result, consequently

FIRST BODY PARAGRAPH

• Begins with a Transitional phrase (Teach Lesson)• Continue sentence with second fact from category 1 fact form. • Remind students to change the fact to a synonym sentence.

FIRST BODY PARAGRAPH

• Sentence 2 comes from Fact 3 category 1 facts form• Create synonym sentence

FIRST BODY PARAGRAPH

Students continue to create synonym sentences until the paragraph is complete. Note: leave the last fact (fact 7) for the conclusion paragraph.

REPEAT THE ABOVE PROCESS FOR THE SECOND AND THIRD BODY

PARAGRAPHS

Students continue placing their synonym sentences for category 2 into their second body paragraph until it is five sentences long. Do the same for the third body paragraph with category 3 facts.

CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH

• Begins with a RESTATEMENT TRANSISTIONAL PHRASE (Summarizes)• (DO NOT use: In conclusion)

• Continue this sentence by restating their THESIS sentence. (discuss self-plagiarism)• Remind students they can change it around by using one of the aforementioned diagrams.

• Use the fact seven (rewritten) from category 1 as the second sentence of your conclusion.• Use fact seven (rewritten) from category 2 as the third sentence of your conclusion.• Use fact seven (rewritten) from category 3 as the fourth sentence of your conclusion.

• Your final sentence should conclude well.• If your wrote about a person, tell the date of their death.• If you wrote about an animal, if a recent fact that was just learned by researchers about this

animal. For example, Today researchers just learned that the Coyote can survive in coldand warm environments. If you wrote about an event, put the date it ended.