Informational/ Explanatory Writing

1. Informational/Explanatory Writing Writing Standard: 9-10.1

2. What is Informational/Explanatory Writing? Survey • Informational/Explanatory writing communicates ideas and/or an analysis. • This type of writing has a main idea and takes a perspective on a topic but does not seek to persuade or convince the reader. • This type of writing is organized according to the needs of the topic and audience.

3. What are the kinds of informational/explanatory writing? • Classification/Categorization • Exemplification • Compare/Contrast • Cause & Effect • Literary Analysis • “How To…” • Description What can you predict about the level of critical thinking needed for these kinds of writing? (Think Bloom’s). Robert Fried uses the types in red in The Game of School.

4. Classification/Categorization Survey • Effective classification helps the reader understand how ideas or topics fit within other ideas or topics. • Classification is effective when the reader understands at least one of the categories being described and can infer information about the others. • There are many ways to classify any group. How you classify them depends on your intent or purpose.

5. Elements of Classification/Categorization Writing Survey • Names and describes the categories being used. • Uses specific examples (details) to illustrate each category. • Explains how the example (detail) fits the category.

6. Classification/Categorization in The Game of School Survey • Read the section headers in the article. • How is Robert Fried classifying students? • What are the major categories? • Based on the title of the article and what you know about schools, what other ways might Fried categorize students?

7. Exemplification Survey • Exemplification explains through the use of many examples to prove a point or clarify an abstract concept. • This mode is useful when the reader might be familiar with the examples but not the concept or idea being described. • Exemplification is most effective when the reader is familiar with the examples being used—therefore, consideration of the audience is very important.

8. Elements of Exemplification Survey • A main idea the writer needs to show or prove through the use of evidence. • Details and examples to support the point. Hair Metal Bands Poison Tigertailz Trio

9. Exemplification in The Game of School Survey • Read through the section about elementary school. • Find places where Fried uses exemplification to make his point. • What can you determine about his audience from the examples that he uses? (i.e. Are they teachers? Students? Parents? People who have never been in US schools?

10. Compare/Contrast Writing Survey • Effective compare/contrast writing helps the reader understand a topic or idea through the similarities or differences between two objects, ideas or objects. • Compare/Contrast works best when it is organized according to the needs of the audience. • There are many ways to compare/contrast any to ideas, topics or objects. Effective comparison focuses on a limited number of characteristics—criteria—for the comparison.

11. Elements of Compare/Contrast Survey • Clearly identifies the two or more subjects to be compared. • Identifies or isolates criteria (or characteristics) for the comparison. • Identifies the purpose of the comparison. • Information • Evaluation

12. Compare/Contrast in The Game of School Survey • Read the “Middle School” section of The Game of School. • What are the concepts Fried compares and contrasts? • What are the criteria he uses for comparison?

13. Cause & Effect Writing Survey • Analyzes WHY something happens. • Links situations and events together with time—BUTgoes beyond describing a sequence to explaining causation. • For example: • Although first period comes before second period, it doesn’t cause second period to happen. • Claiming causation when two things are linked only by time is a logical error called post hoc reasoning.

14. Elements of Cause & Effect • All cause and effect writing contains one main idea but many have many “event chains” that support the point. • Cause and effect writing can: • Focus only on causes • Focus only on effects • Focus on a combination of the two

15. Cause & Effect in The Game of School • Read the high school section of the essay. • What cause and effect relationships does Fried discuss? • Does Fried focus mostly on causes? Mostly on effects? Or does he combine the two? • Does he propose multiple causes with one effect? • Does he argue that there is one cause with many effects?

16. Purpose of Classification/Categorization Survey • A writer might use grades to classify high school students in order to talk about developmental levels. • A writer might use social circles to classify high school students in order to discuss the source of conflict between the groups. • Details selected(evidence) depend on the kinds of groups named. • Different MVHS students might be used in each of the classifications above.

17. Purpose of Classification/Categorization Survey • A writer might use grades to classify high school students in order to talk about developmental levels. • A writer might use social circles to classify high school students in order to discuss the source of conflict between the groups. • Details selected(evidence) depend on the kinds of groups named. • Different MVHS students might be used in each of the classifications above.

18. Compare/Contrast Writing Survey • Explains the similarities and differences between objects, ideas or topics for an audience unfamiliar with a topic. • Uses comparison and contrast to evaluate a topic and select the best alternative. This approach is best for readers already familiar with a topic.

19. What are criteria for evaluative purposes? Survey • Criteria are the traiits or characteristics of the objects, ideas, people or things you are comparing. • For example: You might compare brands of potato chips around the following criteria: • Saltiness • Price • Crunchiness • Use of organic ingredients • The principle is that saltiness, price, crunchiness and quality of ingredients determine the quality of a potato chip. • This comparison would lead you to evaluate the quality of the chip.