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

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.

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.

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.

Strengths/Weaknesses Analysis Video Title/ Solution Strengths Weaknesses

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.