Explanatory writing purpose activities for middle school students

🎯 Lesson Objectives

• 🧠 Students will be able to identify the purpose of various explanatory texts.
• ✍️ Students will differentiate between descriptive and explanatory writing.
• 🗣️ Students will apply explanatory writing techniques to clearly communicate information or processes.

📚 Materials Needed

• 📝 Whiteboard or projector
• 📄 Handouts with various text examples (e.g., recipe, how-to guide, scientific explanation, news article explaining an event)
• ✂️ Index cards or small slips of paper
• 🖍️ Markers or pens
• 💻 Optional: Access to computers/tablets for research

⏰ Warm-up Activity (5 mins): "Mystery Object Explanation"

• ❓ Present a common object (e.g., a stapler, a remote control, a pencil sharpener) without revealing its name.
• 💬 Ask students to write down 2-3 sentences explaining what it is or how it works to someone who has never seen it before.
• ✅ Discuss their explanations, highlighting attempts to clarify its function or process.

💡 Main Instruction: Unpacking Explanatory Purpose

Step 1: 🔍 Defining Explanatory Writing (15 mins)

• 🗺️ Begin by asking students: "What does it mean to explain something?"
• 🛠️ Guide them to understand that explanatory writing aims to inform, clarify, or instruct the reader about a topic, process, or concept.
• 🧩 Introduce the acronym "W.H.Y." for Explanatory Writing:
  • What is it? (Definition)
  • How does it work? (Process/Function)
  • Y did it happen? (Cause/Effect)

Step 2: 📖 Text Type Scavenger Hunt (20 mins)

• 🔬 Divide students into small groups.
• 📊 Provide each group with a set of diverse text examples (e.g., a simple recipe, an excerpt from an encyclopedia, a "how-to" guide for building a paper airplane, a short article explaining photosynthesis, a historical timeline explanation).
• 💡 Instruct groups to read each text and determine its primary explanatory purpose using the "W.H.Y." framework.
• 🌟 Have groups share their findings, justifying their reasoning.

Step 3: ✍️ "Explain This!" Quick Writes (15 mins)

• 🧑‍🏫 Present students with a series of simple prompts, one at a time, asking them to explain:
  • How to tie a shoe.
  • Why leaves change color in the fall.
  • What a volcano is and how it erupts.
  • How to make their favorite sandwich.
• 📈 After each prompt, have students share their explanations. Focus on clarity, logical order, and the inclusion of necessary details that fulfill the explanatory purpose.
• ✅ Provide immediate, constructive feedback, emphasizing what made an explanation effective or what could be improved for clarity.

📝 Assessment & Practice: "Reverse Engineering Explanations"

• 💯 Provide students with a complex concept or process (e.g., "the water cycle," "how a bicycle moves," "the process of photosynthesis").
• 🧪 Task: Students must choose one and create a mini-lesson plan or a graphic organizer that explains it in a clear, step-by-step manner for a younger student.
• 🌟 This encourages them to consider their audience and the specific purpose of their explanation, ensuring all necessary components are present for understanding.