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Expository Writing - How to Write Essays to Explain, Inform, Describe, or Define

In this engaging writing course students will learn the form & function of expository writing, learn to write informative essays with ease & practice writing for different purposes
Kelley Pope, M.Ed.
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:
(98)
Class

What's included

9 live meetings
8 hrs 15 mins in-class hours
Homework
1 hour per week. Students may be asked to complete assignments started in class to maintain the desired pace of content mastery.

Class Experience

US Grade 2 - 5
This hands-on, engaging course meets 3 days a week for three weeks. To be successful in this class, students should be able to read, listen to, and comprehend a paragraph.  Students should be able to engage in conversations and brainstorming activities as we share ideas to inspire a high-interest writing experience. 

Learners should be capable of completing one paragraph of approximately 6 - 10 sentences in their own writing.  We will begin the paragraphs during class, but they will likely finish it after class.  If your child cannot handwrite 6- 10 sentences in less than 20 minutes, after specific directions, this class may be too difficult. 

In this 3 week course, we will delve into the art of crafting informative and engaging essays. Using a carefully structured curriculum with a slide show I will share on the screen, discussions, hands-on activities, worksheets, modeling, group practice, and supported independent writing, the course aims to equip students with essential skills and ignite passion for expository writing. Throughout this course, students will generate a writing toolbox filled with techniques to articulate their thoughts effectively, create strong thesis statements, develop supporting paragraphs, and employ organizational structure. Students will gain the ability to convey information with precision and coherence. 

Each meeting, students will be greeted individually and given time to briefly share with the group at the beginning or end of class, creating a caring, encouraging, and supportive environment for them to successfully and comfortably learn in. My slide show will be shared on the scree to aid with direct instruction, modeling and practice. Student will have the opportunity to discuss the content as a group, sharing ideas and personal stories for writing inspiration. A graphic organizer on a worksheet will be used to organize ideas and plan the essay of the day. Students will have independent writing time with support and guidance with the teacher to develop their expository essays using the webbing tool or “mind map” they created. The teacher will check in with each student at least twice during the independent writing time to ensure understanding and provide support. Students will be able to ask questions and seek help during this independent writing time. At the end of class, students will have the opportunity to share what they completed in class, and provide specific encouragement to each other. After class, students may be asked to complete essays not finished during class time. Classes begin and end with warm encouragement, and the positive energy is integrated throughout the entire lesson. I am your learner’s biggest cheerleader when they are in my classroom. I want to see them succeed and feel confident in their abilities. I expect each learner to be supportive and encouraging of their fellow writers, as well. 

~ Day 1
Learn the form and function of expository writing. Learn to use a webbing tool to organize facts. Create strong thesis statements.

~ Day 2
Transferring information from webbing tool to elaborate, cohesive paragraphs with proper form.
Begin to plan How-To expository essay

~ Day 3
Writing a How-To essay and utilizing graphic organizers

~ Day 4
Writing to Explain expository essay.

~ Days 5-6
Using resources to gather information to plan and execute an expository essay 
* (See parental guidance section)

~ Days 7-8
Writing a Recipe
Learning how to read, use, write an effective recipe.
One real recipe, one imaginative recipe

~ Day 9
Polishing up final expository essays 
Sharing favorite essays completed in class
Review game to reinforce everything we covered in this course
Learning Goals
Students will learn the form & function of expository writing, learn to write informative essays with ease & practice writing for different purposes
learning goal

Other Details

Parental Guidance
One of our class assignments (Days 3-4) will entail writing instructions on how to do something simple for a friendly alien visiting Earth. This is a silly prompt designed to get learners thinking about vital details that need to be included in a “how-to” format when explaining. It will be kept light-hearted and fun in nature for the sake of generating excitement and interest in understanding and completing the one writing activity. If you feel your learner may have any concerns with this topic, please let me know. * In week two, we will discuss how books, articles, and videos can be utilized to gather factual information on a topic you wish to learn more about. (Example topics could include a favorite animal, trains, electric cars, a sport, a hobby, a location or destination, etc…) Students will be asked to choose a topic they already know at least a little about. The objective is to organize and utilize information in expository form once in class, but not expected to be an in-depth research paper. This is an exercise to help the students articulate their thoughts in an organized and cohesive way. Students will not need to access any additional sources during class. Once I model the process, students will be asked to gain permission and help from a grown up after class to locate factual information on a topic of their choosing. This can be a quick web search, YouTube video, or book you already have at home. I expect the students to have appropriate permission / supervision from an adult before performing any type of search. Students are not expected to cite sources or use multiple resources in this writing exercise. Students will be asked to utilize a graphic organizer I provide them to record facts they discovered on their topic. This should be a fairly quick and easy activity to perform at home. In class the next day, students can share their graphic organizers with the class. Students will then create an expository essay in class using the graphic organizer they created at home. This will be a fun and meaningful writing experience for the students. Please let me know if you have any concerns.
Supply List
Notebook or lined paper
Worksheets provided as links in the classroom
Pencils
Great attitude
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined July, 2020
5.0
98reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree in Education from University of South Florida
I have a Masters degree in Education from the University of South Florida. I have been working with students for decades. I have had experience teaching in the classroom from pre-school to high school. The majority of my classroom experience was spent in 2nd and 3rd grades. I have my ESOL certificate and have taught English to non-English speakers on line for several years. I teach reading, writing, language arts, social skills, public speaking classes, and ESL on line as well. I am a passionate, energetic educator that loves to inspire students to confidence, growth, and mastery.

Reviews

Live Group Class
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$59

weekly or $175 for 9 classes
3x per week, 3 weeks
55 min

Completed by 3 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 7-11
3-7 learners per class

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