Introduction to Expository Writing

Display slide 8. Pass out a copy of the Expository Foldable handout to each student. During this portion of the lesson, students will participate in a variety of activities to explore the different types of expository writing using an image as a prompt. Following each activity, students will reflect on their experiences, write a definition, and provide key characteristics of expository writing based on the experiences.

Have students fold their handouts vertically along the red dotted line, with the expository writing style names facing out, and then cut along the horizontal lines that separate the writing styles, making sure to stop when they get to the center fold. When they flip open one of the small tabs, they will see the space provided for them to write a definition and cue words and examples.

Display slide 9. Tell students they will use the Photo or Picture Deconstruction strategy to describe an image. The image depicts the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima, but it's essential that you don't yet reveal to students what it is, where is it located, or the name of the building. Simply explain that you will be showing them an image, and this image is not complete, so they will have to infer and interpret what they notice within the different parts. The original image has been split into four quadrants, which appear on slides 10–13.

Display slide 10. Quadrant 1 shows the top-left portion of the photo. Ask students the following questions:

1. What are some things you notice?

2. Do you think this is a building under construction or one that is really old? What evidence do you have that might support your thinking?

3. Do you think this building is in a small town or a big city? What evidence do you have that might support your thinking?

Display slide 11. Quadrant 2 shows the top-right portion of the photo. Ask students the following questions:

1. What are some things you notice?

2. Now that we have more of the image, do you still think it's a building under construction/really old? What evidence do you have that might support your thinking?

3. Now that we have more of the image, do you still think this building is in a small town/big city? What evidence do you have that might support your thinking?

Display slide 12. Quadrant 3 shows the bottom-left portion of the photo. Ask students the following questions:

1. What are some things you notice?

2. Are there people walking around?

3. Now that we have more of the image, do you still think it's a building under construction/really old? What evidence do you have that might support your thinking?

4. Now that we have more of the image, do you still think this building is in a small town/big city? What evidence do you have that might support your thinking?

5. Why do you think there are so many security measures in place (fence, bushes, cameras, etc.)?

Display slide 13. Quadrant 4 shows the bottom-right quadrant of the photo. Ask students the following questions:

1. What are some things you notice?

2. Why do you think this building is unique?

3. Why do you think there are so many security measures in place (fence, bushes, cameras, etc.)?

Once your students have had a chance to analyze each quadrant of the image individually, display slide 14 to show them the full image. Give them a few minutes to look at the full image and consider their thoughts and ideas from the different quadrants.

Does seeing the complete photo provide students with a clearer understanding of what happened? What do they know about this image and where this structure is located? What questions do they still have? How can they go about finding this information? As a class, compose a list of possible ways to find the information. (You'll use this list in the next part of the lesson.)

Display slide 15. Have students turn to the Expository Foldable handout and write a definition of descriptive writing in their own words.

It's time to reveal to students that the photo they have been analyzing depicts the Atomic Bomb Dome. Students will now find more information about how it became what it is today using the strategies they listed above.

Group students up into equal teams to explore using the different strategies they defined. Display slide 16. and introduce the List-Group-Label strategy, which students will use to list information they find as they are reading and group that information based on date, country, or other criteria. Give students 5–10 minutes to research and take notes.

Reconvene as a class to make a collaborative timeline of events that led up to the making of the Atomic Bomb Dome and label those events. On anchor chart paper or your classroom whiteboard, list the events as students share out about their individual research. Pay close attention to the cue words that they use when describing the order of the events, and use a different color or underline them so they stand out.

Display slide 17. Have students turn to the Expository Foldable handout and write a definition of process writing in their own words.

Pass out copies of the Venn Diagram graphic organizer and display slide 18. Ask students to compare the two images of the Atomic Bomb Dome that appear on this slide.

The top image is a photo of the original building, which was known as the Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. The bottom image is a photo of what the building looks like today. This was the only structure left standing following the nuclear bomb explosion over the city of Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945.

Display slide 19. Have students turn to the Expository Foldable handout and write a definition of comparison writing in their own words.

Using the Chain Notes strategy, students will work collaboratively to answer the following questions:

• What effect did dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima have on the country of Japan?

• What immediate effects did dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima have on individuals in Japan?

• What long-term effects did dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima have on individuals in Japan?

• What effect did dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima have on Japanese Americans?

Display slide 20. Organize students into groups of four, and pass out one copy of the Chain Notes handout to each group. Each student should get one page of the handout, each with different question at the top.

Students will read the question, take some time to consider it, and then fill out the Response section. When students are ready, have them pass their papers to the group member to their right.

Display slide 21. Ask students to read the question on their new paper and the response written by their group member and then add details or evidence to support that response.

Display slide 22. Repeat the process of passing the papers and adding evidence until students receive their own papers back.

Display slide 23. Give the original authors some time to read the responses from their group members, and then ask them to write a summary of all the information. Discuss the questions as a whole class, giving students the opportunity to share out some of their answers and supporting evidence.

Display slide 24. Have students turn to the Expository Foldable handout and write a definition of cause and effect writing in their own words.

Display slide 25. Organize students into pairs, and give each pair one of the four prompts from the Pass the Problem handout. Tell pairs they will engage in a Pass the Problem activity to explore problems surrounding cultural differences. Give groups 3–5 minutes to begin designing a potential multi-step solution to their assigned problem and provide notes to justify their thinking.

Display slide 26. When time is up, pairs should pass their papers to a pair that had been working on another problem. (For example, pairs who previously had problem 1 now have problem 2, etc.) The next pair of students should read the problem and proposed solution and pick up where the previous pair left off in solving the problem. Give pairs another 3–5 minutes to work.

Display slide 27. Have students pass the problems one more time to new pairs. (For example, pairs who previously had problem 2, now have problem 3.) The third pair should modify and complete the work they received from their classmates, continuing to make notes and justify their reasoning.After 3–5 additional minutes of work time, ask students to share and justify their completed solutions with each other or with the class for additional feedback and reflection.

Display slide 28. Have students turn to the Expository Foldable handout and write a definition of problem and solution writing in their own words.