Writing an Expository Paragraph
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Opening Sentence: ____________________
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Details—Facts—Important Information:
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Transitional Words and Sentences:
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Clincher or Concluding Sentence:
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Writing a “How-to Paragraph
”
Pretend you had never heard of a ham and cheese sub. Your friend gave you directions to make one. After reading these instructions, could you make one? Pay attention to the transitional words. They have been underlined for you.
Making a ham and cheese sub is quite simple.
Before you
start, be sure to have all the ingredients handy.
For example
, I use fresh Italian bread, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, oil, and salt and pepper.
First
, using a sharp knife, cut the bread lengthwise making sure you don’t cut all the way through so that the two halves fall apart. Fold the loaf in half lengthwise.
Next, take the ham slices and place them generously along one slice of the loaf.
Now
, pile on the cheese the same way. Be sure to cover all the bread.
Then take your lettuce tomatoes onions green peppers, and whatever else you like, and place these on the cheese one layer at a time.
After you have completed this, sprinkle some salad oil along both sides of the bread.
Now
, season to taste with salt and pepper, garlic powder, or any other seasoning you like.
Finally
, gently close both slices together, cut the load in half, and eat.
Activity:
Using this “recipe” as your model, write a “how to paragraph” about making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Be careful! It could get messy!
Student Sample
If I could visit any place in the world . . . . . . .
If I could visit any place in the world I would visit Japan. I would like to learn about their way of life, use chop sticks, and wear the clothing the Japanese women wear, especially the long and loose robes.
I would like to go to beautiful Shiraito Waterfall. It is eighty-seven feet high. I would also visit their beautiful Inland Sea Island. It is noted for its shrine which is built on supports running into the sea.
Japan also has a pleasant climate. Two ocean currents influence Japan’s climate. For example, in the winter, the towering mountains of Central Honshu become a paradise for skiers like me. In autumn, the Japanese scene attracts many hikers and campers. Just by reading about all this I know it must be a beautiful scene.
Another sight I would like to see is Lake Kawaguchi. It is one of the five beautiful lakes at the bottom of Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain. Fuji is very beautiful and very famous. The mountain peak reaches 10,000 feet.
A visit to Japan would be an unforgettable experience.
TEACHER’S NOTE
: The plan sheet, “Writing an Expository Paragraph” is used exactly as the first plan sheet. Instead of opinions, facts, picked out from resource materials, are used to support the thesis. (This student was a “remedial” student.)
Description Narration
By the time your class has reached this section, use of the plan sheets should be a very simple operation. Continue to follow the suggested sequence. Initially provide examples and models. Have students pick out descriptive passages from their reading materials. With each composition, introduce a new skill. Several student samples are included. The first assignment was a simple narrative of an every day activity, While the second was a composition stressing the use of figurative language. Both came from an “average division.”
Included also, are several “poems,” written by remedial students. Originally prose, these pieces were transformed into “poems” by the students.
