Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

As students should know, there's more to writing than just persuasive essays. In fact, most of the stuff we read every day isn't persuasive but explanatory. But what makes a good informative/explanatory essay? According to the Common Core, these are the things it should have:

1. A clear and organized writing style. One thing that's different from sixth grade is that an essay's introduction explicitly needs to highlight some of the points the essay will be talking about.
2. An adequate amount of things (but not too many!) to back up the essay's main points. Examples are like chocolate—one piece is just sad, three to five makes for a great time, and anything more than that leads to diabetes.
3. Words such as "but," "therefore," and "similarly" to smooth things along. We'd rather not have to deal with any potholes during a road trip through an explanatory essay.
4. The right vocabulary for the job. Trying to apply biology-related words to physics is like trying to screw in a lightbulb using power tools.
5. Formal language. Slang is the Wild West of the English language, and if anywhere during that road trip students are tempted to stop in the Wild West for too long, make them move along.
6. Some final conclusion thing that really hammers home the point of the whole essay.

And that's it. Not too hard for the students, right?

Standard Components

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.A
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.B
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.C
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.D
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.E
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.F