The Expository Essay

1. The Expository Essay Use what you know…

2. Why the Expository Essay… • Because they were tired of reading picture prompts that started with “One time I saw this photo and it reminded me of a story…” • It is a test of your writing skills and your ability to draw upon your knowledge and apply it to a topic. • The Expository Essay tests your analysis skills (your ability to break a complex topic or substance into smaller parts to gain a better understanding of it).

3. Similar to the Persuasive Essay • In the PE you were asked to construct an argument. Essentially you had to prove a thesis using a set of connecting reasons. • The expository essay still has a thesis but it may not be an argument, however you still need evidence, support and examples to back up your thesis.

4. What evidence do I use? • Often you will use examples from your own experience or knowledge you have acquired through a variety of sources (school, books, TV, movies, friends, family, etc…) • What you use for evidence is not nearly as important as how you use it.

5. Prompts: What are you supposed to write about? • Although fear is a common human emotion, our response to it varies. Using an example from literature, history, science, film, or your own experience or observation, write an essay analyzing a particular response to fear and the effect of that response. • FEAR and how people respond to it • In The Crime of Sylvester Bonnard, French writer Anatole France writes, “To know is nothing at all; to imagine is everything.” Why might one argue that imagination is more valuable than facts? Using an example from literature, history, science, film, or your own experience or observation, write an essay analyzing the worth of imagination. • IMAGINATION and why it is an important trait to develop

6. Pre-write! Pre-write! Pre-write! • I know you hate it….but trust me it will help you write faster and more clearly. • Different approaches: -4 Min Fast Details -What do you know about… -Graphic organizers

7. 4 min Fast Details- Write fast, Don’t stop, Don’t fix Sometimes when im afraid I don’t know what to do. I guess that is why they call it being paralized by fear. Fear is a core human emotion it comes from our time as cavemen. I guess it is a nessecary thing so we know when we are in danger or something. Rosevelt said “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.” I still don’t really know what this means, but it sounds impressive. Fear can be a good motivator too, I mean if you are afraid of something bad happening maybe you will think twice before making your decision. I am afraid of not getting into a good college or getting the job I want, so I know I have to get good grades. This fear of the future motivates me to do the right thing now.

8. What do you know about… (Fear)-List as much as you can • I know…it can make you freeze- panic- it can be overcome- lots of people fight fear like heroes police- military- firemen -9/11 lots of people were afraid but many acted. Like flight in PA-You can’t live in fear…fear is what terrorism is all about not death but fear- some people are afraid of specific things- phobias- dogs, spiders, snakes-

9. Graphic organizer

10. Look for angles, approaches, or themes in your pre-writing • Fear: Sub-topics - Fear as a motivator to stay safe or do the right thing - Fear as an obstacle to action or a – phobias etc… • Overcoming fear –police, fire, military • Fear as an instinctual response “flight or fight”

11. Pick a few and develop those ideas in your writing • Use the introduction to introduce the topic and discuss your sub-topics. Make sure you have a thesis! Example: Everyone at some point in time becomes afraid. Fear is an instinctual response to a stressful situation, this could be a test in chemistry or a burning building. When we are afraid our bodies go into “flight or fight mode.” We either run away or face the crisis head-on. Fear often determines what we do, people handle fear in a variety of ways. Some people become paralyzed by their fear and it prevents them from taking action. While others overcome very fearful and dangerous situations to accomplish heroic acts.

12. Now take a few topics and build on them in your body paragraphs Paragraph 2: History of fear • Back in the days of the cavemen, fear was an important component to survival. Fear developed as an instinctual program to warn us of danger without the need for prior experience. If early man were never afraid he would have put himself in situations that could have resulted in death. For example, if a hunter was in the woods and he came across a giant Grizzly bear snarling and roaring; fear would have told him to run. That hunter may have never seen a Grizzly before that day, but that was not necessary to know that the bear was dangerous. His fear response saved his life.

13. Paragraph 3: Phobias and Paralysis by Fear • As humans developed over time, we learned to be afraid of more things to keep us safe. Sometimes fear can overwhelm us and stop us from acting. There are millions of people who have phobias or a fear of a specific thing, like arachnophobia or fear of spiders. Phobias can become very serious and debilitating. There have been several cases were someone's phobia has prevented them from living a normal life. An arachnaphobic person might not spend much time out doors or may be constantly checking their house for spiders. Often this extreme fear has to be treated by a psychologist.

14. Example 4- Overcoming fear • While some people get so caught up in their fear that they cannot function, others have an almost superhuman ability to overcome fear. During the 9/11 terrorist attacks, New York City police and firemen had to conquer their fear to save lives. When most people were running out of the Twin-Towers afraid for their lives. Police and Firemen ran into burning buildings on the verge of collapse help those in need. It was their training and selflessness that allowed them to put aside their fear and get the job done.

15. Conclusion wrap up your ideasParagraph 5 • Being afraid is part of being human. We will all have to face stressful situations where fear can overcome us. The good news is we have a choice to let fear control us or to control our fear. Professionals like policemen, firemen, and military personnel have training to prepare them for these high-stress situations. The more preparation you have the less afraid you will be. So, the next time that Chemistry test comes up, do not be afraid if you studied, than “the only thing you will have to fear, is fear itself.”

16. E.E. Re-cap • Assess the prompt “What is it exactly that I have to analyze? • PRE-WRITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! • Find themes, ideas, approaches in your prewriting (sub-topics) • Discuss the topic generally in your intro. Also, introduce your sub-topics. • Develop your sub-topics into body paragraphs • Wrap it all up