Expository Essay Guidelines

This is an IN CLASS assignment. Due Wednesday 3 December (or before)

Your task:  

• Select a topic
• Conduct some research   (use at least one trusted website or one book)
• Organize your information using this organizer or this thinking style   
• Draft and craft a 5 paragraph essay.   
• **You will need to include an introduction/lead paragraph, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph.

Example essay topic:  Types of roller coasters.

3  main ideas:  Steel roller coasters, Wooden roller coasters, Suspended roller coasters

Various styles of roller coasters are used for amusement at parks worldwide. A steel roller coaster gives a smooth ride for the patrons (the people at the park) . Wooden roller coasters have frames made from wood. Coasters that are suspended have the running track above the patrons’ heads. These types of roller coasters give the patrons different levels of enjoyment.

Steel roller coasters are made from steel tubing. The tracks are supported by steel beams. The wheels of the steel cars run along the bottom of the tubing and the sides of the tubing. The way the steel coaster is designed, the wheels keep the sections of the roller coaster securely attached to the track. The steel coasters are able to run a course through twists, turns, loops. The steel coasters can also maneuver through these turns and twists at fast speeds.

Wooden roller coasters are made of frames made from wood. The actual coaster cars glide along steel track which are similar to railroad tracks. The coaster cars have wheels that grip the track that keep the cars from rolling off course. Wheels are also on the bottom of the cars to keep the coaster from flying off of the track while the ride is in motion. Also, the wooden frame that forms the coaster is inflexible. This inflexibility makes it difficult to construct complex twist, turns, and loops. A wooden roller coaster gives the riders a bumpy ride which is meant to build fear in the rider.

What sets a suspended coaster apart from the others is that the cars of the coaster hangs from the track. This coaster is also constructed by using steel tubing and framework. The difference with this construction is  the riders’ feet and legs dangle during the ride. Also, riders can experience side to side motions on a suspended car. The tracks the coaster glide on are constructed with and supported by steel beams. The beams are welded together to give the riders a smooth ride.

To summarize, various types of roller coasters are used for enjoyment worldwide. These attractions can be made of steel and have loops and sharp turns. Others are made of wood and give the rider a bumpy ride. Feet and legs dangle while in motion on a suspension coaster. All of these types or coasters entertain the people who visit the amusement parks.

Resources used: 
Harris, Tom.  "How Roller Coasters Work"  09 August 2007.  HowStuffWorks.com. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/engineering/structural/roller-coaster.htm>  04 November 2014.

Standard	Exceeds Expectations	Meets Expectations	Progressing Towards Expectations	Area of Concern
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.	Effective use of paragraphs. Contains little or no errors in paragraphing, grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc.  Extremely neat and clean presentation.  May be typed Uses punctuation such as dashes, parentheses, colons, and semicolons to help include extra information and explanation in some sentences	Consistent use of paragraphs. Contains few errors in paragraphing, grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc.  Neat presentation Uses commas to set off introductory parts of sentences (According to the text,...) Uses commas correctly when writing compound and complex sentences	Inconsistent use of paragraphs. Contains occasional errors in paragraphing, grammar and usage, punctuation, spelling, and mechanics, but the errors do not make comprehension difficult Inconsistent or inaccurate use of commas to set off introductory parts of sentences and when writing compound and complex sentences	Lacks paragraphs. Contains many errors in grammar, spelling, mechanics, etc. that make comprehension difficult Run-on sentences hinder with the overall message and may hinder comprehension
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.	Uses a variety of trusted sources and correctly cites the sources Includes exact phrases, comparisons, analogies, and/or images to explain the different aspects of the subject	Uses trusted sources and gives credit when appropriate Explains different aspects of the subject and includes examples, details, and quotes	Uses different kinds of facts and details Informed the reader about a subject. Facts and details may include: numbers, names, and examples	Uses opinions and details Informed the reader about a subject with little facts and details
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.	Writes a creative lead paragraph that gets the reader interested, perhaps with a quote or significant fact. Includes a focus statement Writes body paragraphs that include facts, reasons, evidence, and relevant details from multiple sources Uses sophisticated transitions to help the readers understand how information and different parts of writing fit together Writes a conclusion that restates important ideas and offers a final insight or thought-provoking implication for readers to consider	Writes a lead paragraph that gets the reader interested and helps the reader to understand the topic Writes body paragraphs that include a topic sentence, examples, and sufficient supporting details that are relevant to the topic Uses appropriate transition words that help to sequence information Writes a concluding paragraph that restates the main points and offers a final thought or question for the reader to consider	Writes a lead paragraph that helps the reader to understand the topic Writes body paragraphs that may or may not include a topic sentence.   There may be insufficient supporting details.  Some details are irrelevant to the topic. Uses some transition words that help to sequence information, but some may be inappropriate to writer’s purpose Writes a concluding paragraph that restates main points	Attempts to write a lead paragraph, but reader is confused about the purpose of the essay Body paragraphs are lacking examples and supporting details.  Supporting details used may be irrelevant to the topic Does not use transition words to sequence information Attempts to write a concluding paragraph but does not restate main points and/or brings up new or unrelated points