Expository Writing in Instruction
What is Expository/Informational Writing?
You hear the words “expository essay.” You cringe. Old memories of writing history papers about the lives of old, rich dead guys you don’t really care about and boring scientific lab reports come to mind. You remember the five paragraph model: two funnels at the top and bottom, and three ginormous chunks of body paragraphs with dumps of information in between. “Why would anyone like writing an expository essay?” you ask. “All of that information is so b-o-r-i-n-g.”
But it doesn't have to be!
True, an expository/informational essay is an essay which focuses on the dispersion of information on a given topic from the author to the reader. But the expository essay is not just an “information dump,” nor does it necessarily have to be organized into just five paragraphs (although this is by far the most popular model in schools today (Evensen, 2008)). Think of an expository essay as more of a conversation that you are having with your reader, in which you are enthusiastically telling her everything you know about a subject on which you, the author, are an expert. The subject can literally be anything, from war to x-rays to your family to yourself. An expository essay may also be seen as the answer to a question you might ask: “How did Hawaii, a state all the way out in the middle of the ocean, become a part of the Union?”; “Why did Shakespeare write mostly plays and not novels?”; “What was my dad’s childhood like?” Expository essay writing is an important skill for students to gain early on, as it is invaluable for strong writers to be able to write truthfully, passionately and coherently about topics they care about, especially once they reach the college level and beyond (Evensen, 2008; Gregg et al., 2007). When we limit expository essay writing to a formulaic response to a prompt, we limit student’s creativity and ability as writers by telling them that their writing is only valuable when it answers somebody else’s questions. Rather, we need to make students see that expository writing can be valuable for a variety of reasons to a variety of people to answer the most important questions we have about life.
But it doesn't have to be!
True, an expository/informational essay is an essay which focuses on the dispersion of information on a given topic from the author to the reader. But the expository essay is not just an “information dump,” nor does it necessarily have to be organized into just five paragraphs (although this is by far the most popular model in schools today (Evensen, 2008)). Think of an expository essay as more of a conversation that you are having with your reader, in which you are enthusiastically telling her everything you know about a subject on which you, the author, are an expert. The subject can literally be anything, from war to x-rays to your family to yourself. An expository essay may also be seen as the answer to a question you might ask: “How did Hawaii, a state all the way out in the middle of the ocean, become a part of the Union?”; “Why did Shakespeare write mostly plays and not novels?”; “What was my dad’s childhood like?” Expository essay writing is an important skill for students to gain early on, as it is invaluable for strong writers to be able to write truthfully, passionately and coherently about topics they care about, especially once they reach the college level and beyond (Evensen, 2008; Gregg et al., 2007). When we limit expository essay writing to a formulaic response to a prompt, we limit student’s creativity and ability as writers by telling them that their writing is only valuable when it answers somebody else’s questions. Rather, we need to make students see that expository writing can be valuable for a variety of reasons to a variety of people to answer the most important questions we have about life.
In this section I will attempt to outline in greater depth how the expository essay can be characterized as a “conversation” or “answer to a question,” as well as how you can get your students excited to write expository essays when, in most cases, they are immediately filled with dread. We’ll then look at some modes of expository writing that people don’t always necessarily associate with essay writing, literature and mentor texts to be used with an expository essay writing unit, and strategies and activities that can help students develop their expository essay writing skills and explore the world of essay writing freely, creatively, and with passion.
Evensen, S. C. (2008). Exposing the essay: A study of ninth graders and expository writing (Master's Thesis). Biola University, California.
Gregg, N., Coleman, C., Davis, M., & Chalk, J. C. (2007). Timed essay writing: Implications for high-stakes tests. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 40(4), 306-318.
Evensen, S. C. (2008). Exposing the essay: A study of ninth graders and expository writing (Master's Thesis). Biola University, California.
Gregg, N., Coleman, C., Davis, M., & Chalk, J. C. (2007). Timed essay writing: Implications for high-stakes tests. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 40(4), 306-318.
Expository Writing as a Conversation or Answer to a Question
Several authors propose considering the essay less as a constructed response and more as a piece of conversational writing, and, in the case of the expository essay, an answer to a question (Evensen, 2008; Newkirk, 2005). This type of thinking allows students more freedom than the standard five paragraph thesis-driven school essay and makes essay writing appear more palatable to struggling writers who are worried that their writing might not be "good enough" (Newkirk, 2005). It also places power and control in the hands of the writer as opposed to the teacher or curriculum. Furthermore, some researchers have even questioned how strong the link between timed expository essay writing is to writing performance in general. In Gregg et al.'s 2007 study, scores on diagnostic writing tests and timed essay writing were compared and little correlation between the two was found. In fact, students with writing and reading disabilities were severely disadvantaged when it came to completing timed essay writing assignments. In lieu of this, educators are encouraged to provide accommodations, modifications, and scaffolding for all of their students when it comes to expository essay writing including but not limited to extended time or the abolition of timed writing requirements altogether. Indeed, it is time we reconsider the functionality and use of the timed, five-paragraph, thesis-driven expository essay response and put the power back into our students' hands in order to encourage them to become thoughtful, purposeful, and powerful writers driven to answer their own questions and take control of their own learning process.
Newkirk, T. (2005). The school essay manifesto: Reclaiming the essay for students and teachers. Shoreham, VT: Discover Writing Press.
Newkirk, T. (2005). The school essay manifesto: Reclaiming the essay for students and teachers. Shoreham, VT: Discover Writing Press.
Helping Students to Succeed in Expository Writing
Evensen (2008) outlines five key areas in which students need explicit, scaffolded instruction throughout the expository essay writing unit in order to succeed:
- Prior knowledge of the topic
- Metacognitive awareness
- Understanding of essay structure
- Interest in the topic and purpose
- Confidence of their own writing ability and language mastery
Modes of Expository Writing
There are more modes of informational writing than just the constructed-response essay! View some of the examples below to help get your students' feet wet with informational texts before launching into expository essay writing.
Nonfiction Picture Books
Nonfiction picture books can be a great introduction for younger writers into the world of expository text. Not only do such picture books foster a love of nonfiction, but they also provide an excellent exemplar of research-based writing for students. Writes Gill (2010): "Many books now include
information about the research process, which might
be found in introductory comments or endnotes, as
well as source notes, bibliographies, and suggestions
for further reading (Bamford & Kristo, 2000; Giblin,
2000; Hepler, 2003)."
Gill, S. R. (2009). What teachers need to know about the "new" nonfiction. Reading Teacher, 63(4), 260-267. |
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Book Reports
Yes, the dreaded book report! Many students find this exercise to actually make both reading AND writing less palatable to them when they are forced to focus both activities on what they feel the teacher wants to hear from them about their leisure reading. In a 1995 report on the exercise, White and Greenwood recommended that teachers be explicit and reasonable about book report demands, as well as remain open to students' reading choices and involve them in the design of the book report program. Additionally, one Reading Teacher "Toolbox" material packet recommends using alternative forms, such as a comic book strip, to complete book reports and engage students further in the reporting process.
Using comic strips as a book report alternative. (2012). Reading Teacher, 66(2), 149-151. White, G., & Greenwood, S. C. (1995). Book report policies and practices: Implications for middle-level teachers. Clearing House,68(3), 181-84. |
An "interactive" book report which showcases the use of multimodal technology to really make the student's report come to life! It is obvious that the student was very interested in the topic!
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Biography/Autobiography
Biography can be an especially powerful tool for prompting students to write, especially if they are investigating the life of someone they care deeply about. In the case of autobiography, the subject is the student himself. Bernhardt (2009) discussed how one project in a 9th grade social studies classroom titled "Who Am I?" opened the floor to student self discovery and voice through self-centered expository writing. Despite experiencing some drawbacks and complications, he concludes the the activity was ultimately successful in promoting student engagement in the field of history by prompting them to reflect on how their individual pasts influenced their present selves.
Bernhardt, P. (2009). Opening up classroom space: Student voice, autobiography, & the curriculum. High School Journal, 92(3), 61-67. |
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