Expository Writing

1
Expository Writing

• Challenges and Teaching Strategies
• READ 321, Dr. Schneider CH 8 BOOK

2
Challenges of Expository Writing

• Choosing a relevant topic
• Getting ideas
• Structuring ideas in head and on paper
• Overcoming writers block
• Selecting a catchy introduction
• Selecting relevant, convincing arguments and
  examples
• Selecting a catchy conclusion

3
Solutions to these challenges

• Writers Block
• Spontaneous 3-minute writing regularly
• Use computer
• Write big

4
Solutions to these challenges

• Getting ideas
• Spontaneous brainstorming in teams
• Use cards, avoid plain white paper in front of
  you
• Write big
• Use colors

5
Solutions to these challenges

• Structuring ideas
• Use cards write ideas on them
• Restructure them on floor as you talk out loud
  what makes most sense
• Use highlighter afterwards or numbers to place
  cards in paragraph categories (intro, middle,
  end)
• Use colored markers to write first draft. Colors
  relate to your card draft
• When using graphic organizer, make sure you
  indicate with shape and color which content
  supports what fact

6
Solutions to these challenges

• Logical structure
• Give each paragraph a structure
• Main statement what it is about
• Detail with 1, 2, 3 examples (references)
• Detail with 1, 2, 3 examples (references)
• Use linking words (transitions, conjunctions)

7
Solutions to these challenges

• Selecting a catchy introduction
• Form a theme statement, sometimes referred to as
  a hypothesis.
• State the purpose of the paper in a way that
  makes the reader curious enough to want to go on
  reading.
• State how the paper will be structured.
• Possibly use a quote.

8
Solutions to these challenges

• Selecting relevant, convincing arguments and
  examples
• Brainstorm on cards
• Use /- signs or other to code your ideas
• Research for support (library)
• Write down full references and pages in case you
  want to use direct quotes.
• Select most convincing ones for your paper.

9
Solutions to these challenges

• Selecting a catchy conclusion
• Repeat the theme statement of the introduction in
  different words
• Restate main points
• Possibly include an interesting quote that
  supports the theme statement or a personal
  reflection that provides a unique thought to the
  content

10
Solutions to these challenges

• STEP UP TO WRITING PROGRAM
• (Auman, 2003, Sopris West)
• PARAGRAPH writing contains
• Green Topic sentence
• Yellow Detail, Fact, Reason
• RED example, evidence, elaboration
• Green (Yellw Red)x 2or3 Green
  paragraph
• Intro Para main Para para concl para
  expository text

11
Example

• It is difficult to adjust to a life with people
  who have lost their short term memory.
  Unfortunately, every day over 2000 people in the
  US fall victim to this disability (REFgt) mainly
  as a consequence of car accidences,
• For instance, people with such memory loss may
  not remember what they did the day before. They
  could have stolen a car or met the dream person
  to get married to. Even worse, they may not
  remember that they just got married or had a
  child.
• Further, their reaction may hurt peoples
  feelings who do not know about the situation.
  That may cause nasty scenes in public places such
  as restaurants or supermarkets.
• In addition, it may force family members to want
  to re-enact the same day over and over to not
  have the person realize that he or she has lost
  short term memory skills. Out of love, these
  people may eat the same food every day, watch the
  same films every day and even wear the same
  clothes every day.
• These facts show that it is in deed challenging
  to live with people who lost their short term
  memory. If the number of cases is so high, we
  surely need a better system to help families that
  are affected by this problem.