Expository Essays

Expository Essay:

An expository essay is an essay that informs or explains something to the reader.  You could explain how snow forms or compare the culture of two different cities.  You could inform the reader about religious practices, or how a nuclear reactor works.  The essay needs to be 3-5 pages in length (double-spaced) on a topic of the author’s choice (the teacher will need to approve it).  The essay must have a hook, a thesis statement, and a conclusion.  Further, it will go through three drafts, which will include teacher and peer reviews. 

Strategies:  Suggested strategies include using specific examples to reinforce ideas, concrete details, comparisons and contrasts, research and analyzing ideas. 

The writer will be required to turn in a prewrite before beginning the actual essay.

Draft 1 will be due March 20^th. 

This essay will be presented orally to the class.

Some links - for help: go here for steps to write an expository

or here for a basic overview

Topic ideas go here

 Expository Essay Rubric

	Thesis	Organization	Evidence (Concrete Details)	Analysis (Commentary)	Style/Audience	Conventions
5	The thesis statement is clear, well-developed and relevant to the topic.	Transitions within and between paragraphs flow smoothly.	There are four well chosen, concrete details from the text in each paragraph.  **The concrete details support the thesis.	All commentary synthesizes concrete details and supports the thesis statement.**	The style is engaging and effective.	The essay contains few if any errors in the conventions* of the English language.  (Errors are generally first-draft in nature.)
4	The thesis statement is clear and relevant to the topic.	The structure within paragraphs is clear and easy to follow.	There are four concrete details from the text in each paragraph.  The concrete details support the thesis.	All commentary explains concrete details and supports the thesis statement.	The style is appropriate for an academic paper.	The essay contain some errors in the conventions* of the English language.  (Errors do not interfere with the reader’s understanding of the essay.)
3	The thesis statement is somewhat relevant to the topic and/or somewhat clear.	There are clear introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs.	There are two to three concrete details from the text. AND/OR Some concrete details from the text support the thesis.	Some or most commentary explains the concrete details and supports the thesis statement. AND/OR Commentary re-states concrete detail.	The style is sometimes appropriate for an academic paper.	The essay contains several errors in the conventions* of the English language.  (Errors may interfere with the reader’s understanding of the essay.)
2	The thesis statement is not clear.	The essay is missing an introduction, body or concluding paragraph.	There are some concrete details.	Some or all commentary is unclear or irrelevant and does not support the thesis statement.	The style is rarely appropriate for an academic paper.	The essay contains serious errors in the conventions* of the English language.  (Errors interfere with the reader’s understanding of the essay.)
1	The thesis statement is missing or off topic.	There is no organization to the essay.	There are no concrete details.	The writer does not include commentary.	The style is never appropriate for an academic paper.	The paper is incomprehensible because of the number of convention* errors.