Hey there.
You caught me at a not so great time. I'm trying to start this expository essay for
my English class, and I'm really afraid of storms. It's getting bad out there.
I've always been afraid of storms ever since I was a little kid. I'm
not really sure why. Maybe it's the rain, or the thunder, or the lightning. Oh, Mia.
Oh you're here too. Did you hear that I was trying to write an essay?
Why am I so afraid? Well, it's the storm of course.
What about the storm? Can I explain how it - what? No, it's just loud and scary, and I don't like it.
Huh, so you're saying that if I could explain what causes my fear, maybe I'll feel better.
I don't know, Mia. Why don't we get into today's lesson and see if you're onto something?
Mia gave me a great idea to help me with my fear of storms. I need to learn how to explain my fear,
and Mia thinks that I could even write my essay on it. I'm not totally convinced,
but I do know a thing or two about explaining things. So I'm going to write to my expository
essay about storms. I would have never thought to do that. Do you have your guided notes ready
to go? Great. Let's get into it. By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to identify
different types of expository writing, explain the genre's purpose, and compare and contrast
expository writing to descriptive writing. So what is expository writing? Expository
writing is a short piece of writing that explains something. Unlike narrative or
persuasive writing, it does not include feelings or figurative language. It includes facts only.
There are many different styles of expository writing to explore. Let's look at a few together.
Some are written formally, like a research project or a book summary.
Some are reports, like news articles with factual details of who, what, when, where, how, and why.
Some types of expository writing are intended as an analysis to compare
and contrast different things, like a list of pros and cons, or a product comparison.
Some list out step-by-step instructions, like a science experiment or a recipe. You interact with
expository writing all the time. Can you think of any examples that you've come across? Remember
that expository writing explains something. Pause the video here to write down any ideas you have.
So what did you come up with?
The latest piece of expository writing that I read was a weather report about this storm.
So why is expository writing important? Well, the purpose of expository writing is to explain,
to inform, or to teach about a topic. That weather report, for instance, was informing me that I
could expect some more rain pretty soon. Maybe if I'm able to explain a little more about storms,
I'll be a little less afraid. At least I'll know exactly what I'm afraid of.
Expository writing is a key type of communication that you have to know how to read and interpret.
It's also important for you to know how to communicate your own ideas too. The
ability to clearly communicate instructions and information is essential in your daily life,
and it might just help me conquer my fear of storms. Let's take a look at this passage and
see if it's expository or not. Remember that we're looking for facts and information only.
The night sky was an inky canvas, covered in dense, brooding clouds. Suddenly a
bright bolt of lightning flashed across it. A giant's hand reaching down. Thunder followed,
booming loudly through the quiet city streets. The air was electrified, carrying the scent
of impending rain. Well that didn't help at all. What do you think? Is this expository?
That sounded really scary to me. This is an example of descriptive writing.
How can you tell? The imagery of the inky canvas and the metaphor of the giant's hand clued me
in. Descriptive writing usually creates a vivid experience for the reader and paints a picture in
your mind. Remember that expository writing does not include any figurative language. What about
this passage? Lightning is a powerful and unpredictable natural event, with each bolt
carrying up to 1 billion volts of electricity. According to the U.S. National Weather Service,
the odds of an individual in the U.S. being struck by lightning in a given year is approximately one
in 1.2 million. What do you think? Is this expository? It definitely gives some facts,
and I don't see any figurative language. The text also references the U.S. National Weather Service
and it gives a statistic, so that's telling me that this is expository. Well, maybe it does help
a little to know that information. At least I know that it's very unlikely for lightning to strike
near me. Why don't you give this a try? Take a look at these two titles. The Beautiful Dance of
the Storm, and The Cause of Nature's Electric Display. Which title is most likely for an
expository piece of writing? Pause the video here to write down any ideas, and meet me back here.
What do you think? The Beautiful Dance of the Storm seems like it might be a poem or a novel
title. Storms can't literally dance. So that's an example of personification, which stays out
of expository writing. I'm thinking it's The Cause of Nature's Electric Display, because it
seems like the title of some formal research. The text mentions a cause, so it's going to explain
what causes lightning. Great job learning about expository writing today. Remember that expository
writing is meant to explain or inform. Stick to the facts only. No flowery language here. There
are many different styles, but all expository writing has a similar purpose. Okay Mia, I've got
to commit to this. I'm going to do some thinking about my fear of storms. What is it exactly that
makes me so afraid? Maybe I can narrow down some topics to start researching for my essay. It might
make me a little nervous, but knowledge is power, right? I'll see you next time, stormy scribes.