Expository Essay +Planning+First Draft+ Proofreading+ presentation
NO PLAIGIRISM1. What is the topic of your
expository essay? How will you focus the topic?
Answer:
2. What is your thesis? Write it in
the form of a thesis statement.
Answer:
3. What pattern of organization do
you plan to use in your essay? Why did you choose this pattern?
Answer:
4. Write the paragraph outline of
your expository essay. It should begin with the title of the essay. It should
contain one entry for each paragraph of the essay.
Answer:
Multimedia Presentation
Develop a multimedia presentation that meets the criteria
outlined in Part 1 below. Review the criteria for delivering a presentation in
Part 2 of this document and follow your teacher’s instructions for presenting
your material to an audience. After you have shared your presentation, complete
the reflection in Part 3 of this document and submit this document to your
teacher for a grade. Your teacher will provide feedback on each step in the
process on this document and return it to you.
Part 1: Develop a Multimedia Presentation
(Score for Question 1: ___ of 35 points)
1.
Develop a multimedia
presentation based on your expository essay. The content and design of your
presentation materials should meet the criteria below. Your teacher will use
the space below to provide feedback about your presentation.
Criteria
Teacher Feedback
Contains 4-5 slides that include an
introduction, content slides, and a conclusion
Contains text that clearly conveys
the most important ideas from the expository essay
Uses visual media to clarify or
expand on ideas
Use structure and formatting to
enhance the final product
Part 2: Deliver a Multimedia Presentation
(Score for Question 2: ___ of 50 points)
2.
After you have
developed your presentation, you must deliver it. Read, and be sure you
understand, the criteria below: The delivery of your presentation will be
graded on it. Then submit or present your project as instructed by your
teacher. Your teacher will use the space below to provide feedback about your
presentation.
Criteria
Teacher Feedback
The presentation begins with a strong introduction that
grabs the listener’s attention and introduces the topic.
The details in the presentation consistently develop the
topic and the explicit or implicit thesis.
The conclusion does an excellent job of restating the
main points and/or stirring the emotions of the listener.
The speaker elaborates on the slides so that the
listener understands their significance.
The tone is appropriate for the topic.
The speaker varies the pace according to content and
uses emphasis to draw attention to phrases and words of importance.
The overall impression is positive. The speaker is in
control of the subject and of the delivery of the presentation.
Part 3: Reflection
After your multimedia presentation, complete this reflection
and submit it to your teacher for a grade.
(Score for Question 3: ___ of 5 points)
3.
Describe how you
completed your presentation. What steps did you take to deliver your
presentation?
Answer:
Type your answer here.
(Score for Question 4: ___ of 5 points)
4.
After you have shared
your presentation, reflect on how effective you think it was in delivering your
content. What worked well, and what could you have done better? What would you
do differently if you had the opportunity to do it again?
Answer:
Type your answer here.
(Score for Question 5: ___ of 5 points)
5.
In terms of planning
and making a presentation for an audience, what did you learn while completing
this project?
Answer:
Type your answer here.
THINGS THAT SHOULD HELP
Model Paragraph Outline
Title: Science Fiction: Exploring New Worlds—And Our World
Title: Science Fiction: Exploring New Worlds—And Our
World
1.
Introduction: rhetorical
question hook; thesis statement
2.
Most important reason:
future technology, predictions
3.
Reason next in importance:
exploring different possible societies
4.
Reason last in importance:
exciting stories by great writers
5.
Conclusion: restate thesis;
recommend science fiction to reader
Assignment Overview
Expository Essay
Planning
·
Choose a topic for an
expository essay.
·
Develop ideas and
information about the topic.
·
Create a plan for your
essay, including a thesis, a pattern of organization, and a paragraph outline.
·
Submit the Expository Essay
Planning Assignment to your teacher. Your teacher will give you feedback on how
suitable your plan is and whether you need to make changes in it before
beginning to draft.
Drafting
·
Write the first draft of
your essay. Use your planning assignment and the feedback that you received
from your teacher.
·
Review the First Draft
Checklist and the Final Draft Rubric, which appear later in this document. Your
first draft will be graded against the checklist, so be sure that your essay
contains everything that the checklist requires. Keep the rubric in mind as you
draft because your final paper will be graded against the rubric.
·
Submit the Expository Essay
First Draft Assignment to your teacher. After reading your essay, your teacher
will give you feedback on areas to revise.
Finalizing
·
Revise your essay. Use the
feedback that you received from your teacher, your mentor, and other readers.
Also review the criteria in the Revising an Expository Essay Checklist before
revising and as you revise.
·
Keep the criteria listed in
the rubric in mind as you revise your paper. The final paper will be graded
against this rubric, which assesses the essay in the following five categories:
purpose and voice; ideas and content; structure and organization; language,
word choice, and tone; and sentences and mechanics. The rubric appears at the
end of this document.
·
Proofread your essay.
Review and use the criteria in the Proofreading an Expository Essay Checklist.
·
Make a clean, final copy of
your expository essay and submit it to your teacher.
Multimedia Presentation
·
Develop a multimedia
presentation based on your expository essay. Review the criteria for the
presentation in the Multimedia Presentation Assignment.
·
Deliver your presentation.
Be sure to review the criteria for the delivery of your presentation, also
found in the Multimedia Presentation Assignment. Your teacher will give you
instructions for submitting and/or delivering your presentation and your
presentation materials.
·
Complete the reflection
section in the Multimedia Presentation Assignment and submit the assignment to
your teacher. Your teacher will give you feedback on how well you met the
criteria for developing and delivering your presentation.
Time Line
Remember you will be working on this project over the course
of two different units. The following due dates reflect this schedule.
Task
Start
Complete
Complete the Planning an Expository Essay unit. Submit the
Expository Essay Planning Assignment.
Day 101
Day 105
Start the Writing an Expository Essay unit. Submit the
Expository Essay First Draft Assignment.
Day 114
Day 115
Continue the Writing an Expository Essay unit. Develop the
multimedia presentation.
Day 117
Day 118
Revise and proofread the expository essay. Submit the
Expository Essay Final Draft Assignment.
Day 119
Day 120
Complete the Writing an Expository Essay unit. Finalize
and deliver a multimedia presentation.
Day 121
Day 124
Grading/Point Values
Planning Assignment:
50
First Draft:
100
Final Draft:
200
Multimedia Presentation:
100
Required
Final
Draft
Length
Pages: 2–3 pages
Word Count:
500–900
Grading Criteria – First Draft
Your first draft will be graded on the basis of the
checklist below.
□
The purpose of the
expository essay—to convey information—is evident.
□
The voice sounds like a
real person.
□
The topic is appropriate
for an expository essay.
□
The essay has a
thesis—either stated or implied.
□
The ideas and content of
the essay support a main idea.
□
The essay has a clear
beginning, middle, and end.
□
The essay has a logical
progression of ideas.
□
Both the language and tone
are appropriate for an expository essay.
□
The essay has a variety of
sentence beginnings, lengths, and structures.
□
The essay has at least 500
words.
Total
possible points for first draft: 100 points.
Grading Criteria – Final Draft
Your final draft will evaluated on the basis of the rubric
below.
Criterion
4
3
2
1
Purpose
and Voice
The purpose of the writing—to convey information—is evident.
The writer's voice is engaging and sounds like a real person.
The purpose of the writing—to convey information—is
evident. The writer's voice varies between sounding engaging and sounding
artificial.
The purpose of the writing—to convey information—is
usually evident. The writer's voice sounds inconsistent.
The purpose of the writing is difficult to determine. The
writer's voice is hard to find.
Ideas
and Content
The topic is engaging, and the content is consistently
compelling and appropriate. The ideas are focused on a thesis—either stated
or implied—and are well developed and creative.
The topic is engaging, and the content is somewhat
compelling and appropriate. The ideas are focused on a thesis—either stated
or implied—and are well developed and mostly interesting.
The topic and content are somewhat interesting and mostly
appropriate. Some ideas are focused on a thesis and are developed well, but
others are not.
The topic is not appealing, and the content is not always
appropriate. The ideas are not focused on a thesis, and the ideas are largely
undeveloped.
Structure
and Organization
The writer does an excellent job in the structure and
organization of the essay. The essay begins with a hook that draws in the
reader. The body provides details that develop the thesis, and the conclusion
satisfies the reader. The organization is clear, and the essay has unity and
coherence. Transitions help ideas flow smoothly.
The writer does a good job in the structure and
organization of the essay. The essay has an introduction, a body that
provides details that develop the thesis, and a conclusion that generally
satisfies the reader. The writing is organized well and is easy to
understand, although some ideas may be misplaced or not flow smoothly because
of a lack of transitions.
The writer does a fair job in the structure and
organization of the essay. The essay may be missing an introduction or a
conclusion, leaving the reader feeling dissatisfied. The writing is difficult
to follow and ideas do not flow well. There is no clear pattern of
organization, and transitions are few.
The writer does a poor job in the structure and
organization of the essay. There may be only one long paragraph with no clear
introduction, body, or conclusion. The writing is disjointed and difficult to
follow. There are few, if any, transitions connecting ideas.
Language,
Word Choice, and Tone
The language and word choice fit the topic. The writer
makes excellent use of vivid and precise words. The tone is appropriate for
the purpose and audience.
The language and word choice mostly fit the topic. The
writer uses some precise words, but sometimes lapses into vague language,
affecting the clarity of the essay. The tone is mostly appropriate for the
purpose and audience.
The language and word choice are inconsistent for the
topic. Vocabulary consists largely of ordinary words, and the tone is mostly
inappropriate for the purpose and audience.
The language and word choice are not appropriate for the
topic. The language is vague, flat, and dull. The tone is unrecognizable.
Sentences and Mechanics
The writer uses a variety of sentence beginnings, lengths,
and structures. Any fragments are clearly intentional. There are few,
The writer uses some sentence variety. An occasional unintentional fragment or
run-on might creep in, but there are few errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics,
and these errors do not interfere with understanding.
The writer uses unvarying sentences. Unintentional
fragments, run-ons, and other grammatical and mechanical errors sometimes
interfere with understanding.
The sentences all seem to follow the same pattern, and the
essay contains many errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics that make the
writing difficult to understand.
Checklist for Revising an Expository Essay
For each question, make notes about your expository essay.
1. Does your expository essay clearly convey its purpose—to inform
or explain? If not, how can you make the purpose clearer from the beginning?
Notes:
2. Does the introductory paragraph draw the reader’s interest? If
not, what is uninteresting about the introduction, and how can you make it
interesting?
Notes:
3. Do the supporting paragraphs develop the thesis—whether explicit
or implicit—using appropriately placed details? If not, where do you need to
add details? Where do you need to delete irrelevant or inappropriate details?
Notes:
4. Do the paragraphs have topic sentences and closing sentences? If
not, which paragraphs need to be revised?
Notes:
5. Is the essay unified and coherent? If not, what should be
changed?
Notes:
6. Do you use transitions effectively? If not, where should you add
them?
Notes:
7. Are the voice, tone, and word choices in your essay appropriate
for this form and topic? If not, where do they sound inappropriate, and what
words or phrases can you substitute?
Notes:
8. Does your expository essay fulfill the length requirement of 1½
to 3 pages, or 500–900 words? If not, how can you trim or expand the paper, as
appropriate, without reducing its effectiveness?
Notes:
Checklist for Proofreading an Expository Essay
For each question, make notes about your expository essay.
1. Does each sentence begin with a capital letter and end with a
mark of punctuation?
Notes:
2. Have I spelled all words correctly? Have I looked them up when I
wasn’t sure?
Notes:
3. Have I capitalized all proper nouns?
Notes:
4. If I have used dialogue or quotations, have I put the exact
words of the speaker in quotation marks? Have I placed the end punctuation mark
before the closing quotation mark?
Notes:
5. Have I used commas properly after introductory words and
expressions, introductory prepositional phrases of four or more words, and
introductory adverb clauses?
Notes:
6. Have I used 12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced the paper,
and indented the first line of every paragraph?
Are my pages numbered?
Notes:
7. Does my paper have a title, correctly spelled and correctly
capitalized?
Notes:
Model Expository Essay
Science Fiction: Exploring New Worlds—and Our World
Do
you think machines will ever be as smart as people? Does intelligent life exist
on other worlds? In fact, are there other worlds at all? Such questions are
important, and the place they are discussed most is in the genre of science
fiction. Science fiction is fiction that speculates about the future of
technology and the nature of society. Along the way, it offers thrilling
stories penned by first-rate writers. The combination of prediction, social
exploration, and expert story writing makes science fiction a uniquely
rewarding genre.
Perhaps
the most important gift that science fiction gives readers is the opportunity
to think about what kind of future lies ahead. For decades, science fiction
authors have described what they foresee for the human species. In some cases
the authors have foreseen correctly, such as when Arthur C. Clarke, in the
1940s, predicted the invention of radio satellites. At other times they have
foreseen incorrectly, as when many writers, including Nevil Shute in On the Beach and Pat Frank in Alas, Babylon, prophesied nuclear destruction
during the twentieth century. However, even when the predictions have been
wrong, they have often given useful warnings. For example, the 1980s movie The Terminator showed the danger of machines
becoming conscious and destructive. Today, scientists in the field of artificial
intelligence are discussing how to avoid a possible takeover by machines.
In
addition to glimpses of the future, science fiction makes us think about our
society by depicting societies that are very different from it. For example, in
The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le
Guin depicts a planet named Gethen, on which the inhabitants have different
genders from the ones we humans have. Le Guin explores the effects that a
different set of genders could have on the way a culture develops. In another
example Star Trek presents a galaxy-wide
federation in which all races are equal—both human and nonhuman—and people work
for personal fulfillment rather than money. By showing alternate paths in
civilization, both Le Guin and the creators of Star
Trek make audiences think about what kind of society they themselves
would like to have.
Another
strength of science fiction is that, at its best, it provides exciting stories
written by excellent writers. Some science fiction writers have taken their
place among America’s most celebrated authors. Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451 and many other books, was awarded
the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American
Letters. Octavia E. Butler received a “genius” grant from the MacArthur
Foundation. Philip K. Dick’s work is studied by literary critics and
philosophers and has been adapted for opera and theater, as well as for films
such as Blade Runner and Total Recall. As readers and viewers of such
works know, good science fiction writers not only write well but also create
high-interest tales that appeal to a large audience. My favorite example is Orson
Scott Card’s novel Ender’s Game. It’s
about super-intelligent teens who are specially educated to become generals in
a war against extraterrestrials. It’s the most exciting coming-of-age story
I’ve ever read, and what’s more, it examines serious themes concerning
education, war, and morality.
Finally, science fiction presents a combination of
adventure and thought-provoking speculation that no other kind of fiction can
duplicate. By imagining other worlds and possible futures, science fiction
authors cast a bright light on the world in which we currently live. So, if you
are searching for great writing, thrilling tales, and original ideas, try some
science fiction. You may end up loving it as much as I do!