By: Alex Mead and Courtney Myers

A way of using language to provide information about a topic

Can be done using context area textbooks, information books, magazines, encyclopedias etc

Appears on most state writing assessments

This type of writing progresses on a spectrum and this study developed a framework classifying 8 Categories

Teachers can use these categories to develop instruction and enhance their students writing

Labels - identify aspects of a picture a student has drawn – using a single word ◦ Ex: girl, flower

Fact Statements – clause or sentence that exceeds pointing out aspects of labeling by including genre-specific features ◦ Ex: This is an umbrella.

Fact Lists – collections of statements or sentences connected by a topic that can be easily reordered without losing any meaning◦ Example: Spiders lay eggs. Spiders make webs.

Spiders use webs.

Couplets – Sentences that are coupled together through order or related ideas ◦ Jungles have a lot of good animals. There are tigers,

monkeys and gorillas.

Fact List Collection – two or more lists are created for subtopics of a larger topic – no order within or between lists ◦ Ex: “ Farm Animals” Pigs are slipper. Pigs oink.

Cows give milk. They eat grass. Sheeps give wool.

Couplet Collection – A collection of two related statements (subtopics) that include more evidence and explanation ◦ Ex: “Hot Air balloons” They have many special

shapes. Some balloons are all red. Some balloons are all colors of the rainbow. They go up when it’s cold. Some balloons glow at night.

Single/Unordered Paragraphs - Paragraphs that introduce a topic and subtopics with subtopics in paragraph form (3 or more sentences) and they could be rearranged without disruption of the meaning

Ordered Paragraphs - Paragraphs that are more complex and connected. They cannot be rearranged without altering meaning.

EARN A PIECE OF CANDY!

Volcanoes are dangerous and hot. ◦ A. Fact List

◦ B. Fact statement

◦ C. Label

◦ D. None of the above

It is a fact statement because it is a sentence that goes beyond labeling the visual, but is still only one statement.

◦ A. Single/Unordered paragraph

◦ B. Label

◦ C. Fact List.

◦ D. None of the above

It is a fact list because it uses several sentences related to a single topic, but the sentences have no important order.

◦ A. Unordered Paragraphs

◦ B. Fact Lists

◦ C. Ordered Paragraphs

◦ D. None of the above

It is an ordered paragraph because it is more complex and contains more ideas. It also cannot be rearranged without altering the meaning.

Awesome example of a way to begin brainstorming and modeling Expository Writing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfHh9c6wN94