INFORMATIVEEXPLANATOR Y WRITING W 6 2WRITE INFORMATIVEEXPLANATORY TEXTS

INFORMATIVE/EXPLANATOR Y WRITING W. 6. 2—WRITE INFORMATIVE/EXPLANATORY TEXTS TO EXAMINE A TOPIC AND CONVEY IDEAS, CONCEPTS, AND INFORMATION THROUGH THE SELECTION, ORGANIZATION, AND ANALYSIS OF RELEVANT CONTENT SUCCESS CRITERIA: I CAN UNDERSTAND UTILIZE THE FUNNEL METHOD WRITING STRATEGY IN ORDER TO WRITE AN INFORMATIVE/EXPLANATORY ESSAY.

THE FUNNEL METHOD Introductory Paragraph Body Paragraph #1 Body Paragraph #2 Concluding Paragraph The Funnel Method is a method of writing in which the writer begins with general information and “funnels” to specifics. These specifics are supported by evidence and explanations. The writer then recaps by “funneling” back out from specifics to more general information.

THE FUNNEL METHOD Most… Introductory Paragraph Some … Few (Thesis Statemen t) Body Paragraph #1 Body Paragraph #2 Concluding Paragraph Restated Thesis Summarize the Evidence “Drop the Mic” Remember: Your job is to use this method to inform or to explain to your audience something about a topic.

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH • IN THE FUNNEL METHOD, THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH “FUNNELS” FROM GENERAL INFORMATION TO SPECIFIC INFORMATION. • THE FIRST SENTENCE STATES SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT MOST PEOPLE KNOW • THE SECOND SENTENCE STATES SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT SOME PEOPLE KNOW • THE LAST SENTENCE IS YOUR THESIS STATEMENT—THIS IS WHAT FEW PEOPLE KNOW AND IS THE MAIN POINT OF YOUR ESSAY (SEE YOUR THESIS STATEMENT ORGANIZER)

FUNNEL METHOD INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH EXAMPLE 1 ST SENTENCE-- MOST PEOPLE HAVE HEARD OF TSUNAMIS. 2 ND SENTENCE-- SOME PEOPLE HAVE EITHER KNOWN OR OBSERVED THROUGH MEDIA THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF TSUNAMIS. LAST SENTENCE (THESIS STATEMENT)-- IN I SURVIVED: THE JAPANESE TSUNAMI, 2011 BY LAUREN TARSHIS AND IN “ 2011 JAPAN EARTHQUAKE— TSUNAMI FAST FACTS” BY CNN LIBRARY, A TSUNAMI DESTROYED BOTH PEOPLE AND PROPERTY.

BODY PARAGRAPH #1 • BODY PARAGRAPH #1 SHOULD CONTAIN THE FIRST POINT AS WRITTEN IN YOUR THESIS STATEMENT. IT SHOULD BE WRITTEN IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER: • 1 ST SENTENCE—TOPIC SENTENCE • 2 ND SENTENCE— 1 ST PIECE OF EVIDENCE (THIS IS YOUR C FROM RACES!!) • 3 RD SENTENCE— 1 ST EXPLANATION SUPPORTING THE 1 ST PIECE OF EVIDENCE (THIS IS YOUR E!!) • 4 TH SENTENCE— 2 ND PIECE OF EVIDENCE (THIS IS YOUR 2 ND C FROM RACES!!) • 5 TH SENTENCE— 2 ND EXPLANATION SUPPORTING THE 2 ND PIECE OF EVIDENCE (THIS IS YOUR 2 ND E!!) • 6 TH SENTENCE—CONCLUDING SENTENCE

BODY PARAGRAPH #1 EXAMPLE • TOPIC SENTENCE— THE 2011 JAPAN TSUNAMI DESTROYED PEOPLE’S LIVES. • 1 ST PIECE OF EVIDENCE— ACCORDING TO I SURVIVED: THE JAPANESE TSUNAMI, 2011, THE NARRATOR STATES, “THERE WAS NOT ANOTHER PERSON ANYWHERE TO BE SEEN. THE WAVE HAD SWEPT THEM ALL AWAY. ” • 1 ST EXPLANATION— IT CAN BE INFERRED THAT MASSIVE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE DIED IN THE INCREDIBLE FORCE OF THE WAVE. • 2 ND PIECE OF EVIDENCE— FURTHER, IN “ 2011 JAPAN EARTHQUAKE—TSUNAMI FAST FACTS” BY CNN LIBRARY, “THE TOTAL OF CONFIRMED DEATHS AND MISSING IS NEARLY 22, 000. ” • 2 ND EXPLANATION— THIS PROVES THAT WHILE MULTITUDES OF PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN THE TSUNAMI, MANY MORE PEOPLE HAD THEIR LIVES FOREVER ALTERED WHEN THEY LOST THEIR LOVED ONES. • CONCLUDING SENTENCE-- IN 2011, THE TSUNAMI THAT SWEPT THE JAPANESE COASTLINE SHATTERED LIVES AND FAMILIES.

BODY PARAGRAPH #2 • BODY PARAGRAPH #2 SHOULD CONTAIN THE SECOND POINT AS WRITTEN IN YOUR THESIS STATEMENT. IT SHOULD BE WRITTEN IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER: • 1 ST SENTENCE—TOPIC SENTENCE • 2 ND SENTENCE— 1 ST PIECE OF EVIDENCE (THIS IS YOUR C FROM RACES!!) • 3 RD SENTENCE— 1 ST EXPLANATION SUPPORTING THE 1 ST PIECE OF EVIDENCE (THIS IS YOUR E!!) • 4 TH SENTENCE— 2 ND PIECE OF EVIDENCE (THIS IS YOUR 2 ND C FROM RACES!!) • 5 TH SENTENCE— 2 ND EXPLANATION SUPPORTING THE 2 ND PIECE OF EVIDENCE (THIS IS YOUR 2 ND E!!) • 6 TH SENTENCE—CONCLUDING SENTENCE

BODY PARAGRAPH #2 EXAMPLE • TOPIC SENTENCE— IN ADDITION, THE 2011 JAPANESE TSUNAMI DESTROYED PROPERTY. • 1 ST PIECE OF EVIDENCE— ON PAGE 57, TARSHIS WRITES, “THERE WAS SO MUCH WOOD AND METAL, CRUSHED ROOF TILES, AND BITS OF HOUSES AND BUILDINGS THAT HAD BEEN CHEWED UP BY THE WAVE. ” • 1 ST EXPLANATION— THIS MEANS THAT BUILDINGS AND HOUSES WERE SO DEMOLISHED BY THE TSUNAMI THAT THEY APPEARED TO BE CHEWED UP AS IF BY A GREAT MONSTER. • 2 ND PIECE OF EVIDENCE— ON THE OTHER HAND, THE CNN LIBRARY STATES, “MATERIAL DAMAGE FROM THE EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI IS ESTIMATED AT ABOUT 25 TRILLION YEN ($300 BILLION DOLLARS). ” • 2 ND EXPLANATION— THIS PROVES THAT THERE WAS SO MUCH PROPERTY DAMAGE THAT IT RESULTED IN SEVERE LOSSES FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FOR THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE. • CONCLUDING SENTENCE-- THE TSUNAMI DEMOLISHED PEOPLE’S HOMES, BUSINESSES, AND EVEN WHOLE COMMUNITIES.

CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH • IN THE FUNNEL METHOD, THE CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH “FUNNELS” BACK OUT FROM SPECIFIC INFORMATION TO GENERAL INFORMATION. • THE FIRST SENTENCE IS YOUR RESTATED THESIS STATEMENT (THIS IS YOUR THESIS STATEMENT WRITTEN IN DIFFERENT WORDS. ) • THE SECOND SENTENCE IS A SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE • THE LAST SENTENCE IS YOUR “DROP THE MIC” SENTENCE. IN THIS SENTENCE, YOU LEAVE YOUR AUDIENCE WITH SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. IF YOU CAN’T PICTURE YOURSELF “DROPPING THE MIC” AND MAKING A DRAMATIC EXIT AFTER WRITING IT, THEN YOUR SENTENCE IS INEFFECTIVE.

CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH EXAMPLE • RESTATED THESIS STATEMENT-- IN I SURVIVED: THE JAPANESE TSUNAMI, 2011 BY LAUREN TARSHIS AND IN “ 2011 JAPAN EARTHQUAKE—TSUNAMI FAST FACTS” BY CNN LIBRARY, BOTH TEXTS CHRONICLE THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF THE GREAT WAVE UPON PEOPLE AND PROPERTY. • SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE– BOTH TEXTS DESCRIBE THE HUGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE KILLED BY THE TSUNAMI AND THE INCREDIBLE DAMAGE AND EVEN COMPLETE LOSS OF PROPERTY CAUSED BY THIS CATASTROPHIC WAVE. • “DROP THE MIC”– THE 2011 JAPANESE TSUNAMI CAUSED SUCH TREMENDOUS SORROW AND HEARTACHE TO SO MANY PEOPLE THAT IT HAS FOREVER WRITTEN A CHAPTER IN THE COURSE OF HUMAN HISTORY.