1. Journal Prompt I wonder why ______________________________?
Why does/do _____________________________ ?
What might happen if ______________________?
Please write a few sentences for each question.

2. Writing
with
Inquire and Explore:
Starts with an inquiry, question, something you are pondering, and considers the possibilities

3. Exploratory Writing
The kind of writing you do WITHOUT a specific end in mind.
This kind of writing is used as a vehicle to learn and think.
The writer wrestles with a question or a problem, which may or may not lead the writer to research a topic in more depth.

4. Note that… Exploratory writing is NOT argumentative.
You are NOT establishing a position and defending that position with an effective argument.
The main point of an exploratory essay is
to conduct inquiry into a topic
to gather information
to share that information with readers

5. The Introduction of the Exploratory Essay
The introduction should answer two questions:
What is this?
Why am I reading this?
You should answer these questions by doing the following:
1. Set the context: Provide general info, explain the situation
2. State why the main idea is important: Tell the reader why he or she should continue reading
3. State your question: Compose a question (or two) that clearly communicates what you want to discover and why you are interested in the topic.

6. Organization Part 1: Introduce the topic
Part 2: Discuss why you think the topic is important
Part 3: Share what you found when you further explored the topic
Part 4: Share some final thoughts on what you found in your exploration

7. Some questions to humorously explore:
Why do boys wear baggy pants?
Why do my parents/coaches yell so much?
Why do teachers assign so much homework?
Why is the cafeteria food so bad?
Why do people listen to Justin Bieber?
Why do people love vampires so much?
Why are people so obsessed with reality shows?

8. Rumor Has It
A. Disneyland used to deny admittance to long-haired guests.
B. No one is ever declared dead while on Disney property.
A. A man whose vanity license plate reads “no plate” has received hundreds of parking tickets.
B. Sucking on a penny will help someone who has been drinking to beat a Breathalyzer test.
A. A medical school student discovered that the cadaver assigned to him was actually one of his relatives.
B. A University of Texas student lost both kidneys to organ thieves.

9. According to snopes.com, a site dedicated to checking the veracity of urban legends, the true answer in each of the pairs is A.
All of the B answers are urban legends---each researched and proven to be untrue.
Consider why a specific urban myth may have taken a hold. What were the social, economic, and cultural conditions that may have contributed to the popularity of the myth?