Welcome Academic Writing Writing Expository Paragraphs and Essays

Welcome Academic Writing: Writing Expository Paragraphs and Essays Session #260 Michele Regrut Saint Brigid of Kildare, Columbus, Ohio

Academic Writing • Academic writing on the middle school level needs to be both systematic and formulaic so that students have a structure within which to work.

Expository Essay Components • The components of an Expository Essay include: Ø Introduction Ø Supporting Paragraphs Ø Conclusion

Introduction Paragraph • The introductory paragraph should contain three important elements. Ø The narrative hook Ø Imperative background information Ø Thesis Statement

Narrative Hook • The narrative hook is a tool the writer uses to “hook” or draw the reader into the paper. ØUse a quote ØUse a rhetorical question ØUse a startling statement

The Quote • Use a creative quote from a literary text or research to intrigue the reader. “We didn’t care if we killed Jews. It was just what we did. ”

The Rhetorical Question • Use a rhetorical question to provide an opportunity for the reader to focus on the topic of the paper. Do you know how many Jews died in the Holocaust?

The Startling Statement • Use a statement to provoke thought in order to focus the reader on the paper topic. Execution was an everyday event at the camps.

Background Information • Background Information should provide: Ø A link between the narrative hook and thesis statement. Ø Literary analysis should include book title and author.

Example • Do you know how many Jews died in the holocaust? The answer is more than six million. In the novella Night, by Elie Wiesel, the author describes his memories of this deadly period in history. This story details his experience from deportation to liberation.

Thesis Statement • The thesis statement is a road map to the writer’s paper. It should tell the reader where the writer will take him. • In a five paragraph essay, the writer should list three specific ideas he will cover.

Sample Thesis Statement • In the book Night, Elie Wiesel witnesses physical suffering, mental torture, and the loss of his faith.

Hook , Background Information, Thesis Statement Do you know how many Jews died during the Holocaust ? Many have stated that nearly six million Jews were brutally starved, tortured and executed during the Nazi occupation of Germany. Elie Wiesel, a current humanitarian lobbyist in Washington D. C. , is a survivor and witness of the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel’s personal account of his experiences is detailed in his award winning novella, Night. This story details the horrors he experiences from March 1944 to the liberation of Auschwitz in April of 1945. In the book Night, , the author is witness to physical suffering, mental torture, and the loss of his faith.

Paragraph Structure • Each supporting paragraph should follow a simple formulaic structure. • The structure can repeat itself as many times as necessary.

Sample Paragraph Structure I. Topic Sentence A. B. C. D. General Statement 1. Specific Detail 2. Statement or Quote Conclusion Sentence

Topic Sentence Just as a thesis statement serves as a road map for the entire paper, a topic sentence also serves as a street map for the paragraph.

Sample Topic Sentence • Throughout his experience with the Nazi regime, Wiesel witnesses a great deal of physical suffering.

The General Statement • The general statement provides a structure for the details to follow.

General Statement • The general statement should provide a general idea for the details to flow under.

Sample General Statement • One type of physical punishment Elie witnessed was the daily beatings from the kapos.

Specific Detail • The specific detail that follows the general statement should support both the general statement and the topic sentence.

Quote or Textual Support • The specific detail needs to be supported by either a quote or a specific example from the text. – “A box!” he ordered. “Lie down on your stomach! Then I was aware of nothing but the strokes” (55).

Sample Paragraph Throughout his experience with the Nazi Regime, Wiesel witnesses a great deal of physical suffering. One type of physical punishment Wiesel witnessed was the daily beatings from the kapos. One kapos in Particular, Idek, was known for his quick temper and harsh whip. Elie was unfortunate enough to have caught Idek in a compromising position for which Elie surely paid the consequence. “A box , ” he ordered. Lie down on your stomach! Then I was aware of nothing But the strokes” (55).

Inverted Pyramid • The inverted pyramid shape allows students to see how the … – Topic Sentence flows into the • General Statement which flows into the – Specific detail which flows into the » Quote or textual support

Repeat the Process • The student will then need to repeat the – General Statement – Specific Example or Quote As many times as necessary.

Sample Paragraph Structure I. Topic Sentence A. B. C. D. General Statement 1. Specific Detail 2. Statement or Quote Conclusion Sentence

Paragraph Conclusion • Once the student has • Sample Conclusion cited all general statements and – Obviously, there was a specific details needed great deal of physical suffering at the hands to support his point, of the Nazi regime. he should wrap up the paragraph with a conclusion sentence.

Complete Paragraph Throughout his experience with the Nazi Regime, Wiesel witnesses a great deal of physical suffering. One type of physical punishment Wiesel witnesses was the daily beatings from the kapos. One kapo in particular was known for his quick temper and harsh whip. Elie was unfortunate enough to have caught Idek in a compromising position in which Elie would surely pay the consequence. “A box , ” he ordered. Lie down on your stomach! Then I was aware of nothing but the strokes” (55). At another point in the novella, the entire camp is being evacuated during a terrible winter storm. The prisoners were forced to line up, one behind the other while the snow accumulated on their scantly covered bodies. The malnourished prisoners forced themselves to eat the snow off one another’s backs while the Nazi’s jeered at them. The physical torment came in a variety of forms. Obviously, there was a great deal of suffering at the hands of the Nazi regime.

Topic Transitional Statement • As the student moves from one element of thesis to the next, he will need a topic transitional statement.

Sample Topic Transitional Statement • Not only does Elie Wiesel experience physical brutality, he also suffered mental torture at the hands of the German soilders.

Supporting Paragraph II • The student will follow the same formula for the second supporting paragraph as he did the first. • The recurring structure solidifies the process in the writer’s frame of reference.

Sample Paragraph Structure I. Topic Sentence A. B. C. D. General Statement 1. Specific Detail 2. Statement or Quote Conclusion Sentence

Conclusion Paragraph • The purpose of a conclusion paragraph is to – Restate three main ideas developed within the paper – To conclude or summarize the paper itself

Sample Conclusion Paragraph • Obviously, Ellie Weisel develops themes of physical suffering, mental torture, and the loss of his faith. These issues were prevalent throughout his many experiences with the Nazi Regime.

Thank You for Attending • Expository writing is as simple as a formula. -Introduction -Formula Paragraph -Conclusion