How do I read these documents?

WHAT is the document saying?HOW is the document saying it?TO WHOM is the document saying it?CONNECTION of the documents (sets &

altogether)?RELATIONSHIP to guiding questions?

Writing an Expository Essay• Simply to explaining a specific topic to the reader,

using facts Do not have to develop an argument or prove anything; you must understand your topic and present it logically.

• Distribute your facts in your body paragraphs. • Group facts by what they have in common.• Ideas to remember:

Each body paragraph should tackle one key idea. Support each of your ideas in every body

paragraph with relevant facts and figures. Avoid repeating facts in different paragraphs

Writing an Expository Thesis

• The thesis statement is the most important sentence in your essay, but that don’t make it complicated. K.I.S.S. –Be clear & be able to support it with facts.

• Should not present an opinion, make claims, or state an argument. Again: purely factual

Grammatical side note: YOU SHOULD NOT use first person pronouns (I, Me, You, ect)

Writing an Expository Thesis• Read your sources, taking notes on them and answering

the questions• Draw a conclusion. Once you have gathered all your

facts, evaluate them. Ask yourself: What is the main thread/theme/gist/train of thought/

idea/concept that ties everything together? What do you want to say about this particular topic?

• Boil those answers down to one sentence: this is your thesis.• REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE NOT FORMING AN OPINION OR

ARGUMENT; JUST EXPLAINING YOUR TOPIC• The rest will be easy because you know exactly what

information you need to present.

Writing an Expository Thesis Samples• Too much: The steam engine was invented because America is a very

large country and people needed to travel long distances so they could settle the frontier and find gold in California.

• Just right: The invention of the steam engine changed the landscape of America, allowing people to travel further than they ever had before and speeding the settlement of the frontier.

• Too much: The Boston Tea Party was the most important act of civil disobedience in the American colony because it protested unjust taxation without representation and was therefore the main cause of the Revolutionary War.

• Just right: The Boston Tea Party was a significant act of civil disobedience that spurred on Americans around the issue of taxation without representation and helped spark the Revolutionary War.