Expository writing

1. Expository writing Prompt #1 10/08/13

2. Sample Mini-outline: Prompt: (from the “Write” section): Write an essay in which you explain whether school uniforms would improve student learning at Boswell High School. Thesis: (Should clearly answer the prompt): School uniforms would have a positive impact on student learning because it would eliminate the casual nature of classes, eliminate petty concerns about clothing and dress, and improve discipline in both classroom and hallway. Main Point #1: (Will become the topic sentence for the first body paragraph): First, having school uniforms would signal, to both teacher and student, that learning is a serious business, not to be taken casually. Main Point #2: (Will become the topic sentence for the second body paragraph): Secondly, requiring uniforms would cause students to focus on classroom work, rather than what they are wearing. Main Point #3: (Will become the topic sentence for the 3rd body paragraph): Finally, students who are well dressed are less likely to engage in fighting and other disruptions in both hallway and classroom, leading to improved learning.

3. Think: about the following quotes: • “It is good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good too, to check up once in a while and make sure you haven't lost the things money can't buy.” ~ George Lorimer • “Money has never made man happy, nor will it, there is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more of it one has the more one wants.” ~Benjamin Franklin • Write: an essay in which you explain whether or not it is important to have money to be happy. • Be sure to— • clearly state your thesis • organize and develop your ideas effectively • choose your words carefully • edit your writing for grammar, mechanics, and sentences Read the following: How much money does one need to be happy? According to a study from Princeton University, it’s $75,000 (US dollars) a year. The study claims that the lower a person’s annual income falls below that benchmark, the unhappier he or she will be. Researchers found that lower income did not cause sadness itself but made people feel more ground down by the problems they already had. The study found, for example, that among divorced people, about 51% who made less than $1,000 a month reported feeling sad or stressed the previous day, while only 24% of those earning more than $3,000 a month reported similar feelings. Among people with asthma, 41% of low earners reported feeling unhappy, compared with about 22% of the wealthier group. Having money clearly takes the sting out of adversities.

4. Mini-outline: Prompt: (from the “Write” section): Thesis: (Should clearly answer the prompt): _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Main Point #1: (Will become the topic sentence for the first body paragraph): _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Main Point #2: (Will become the topic sentence for the second body paragraph): ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Main Point #3: (Will become the topic sentence for the 3rd body paragraph): _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________