Expository Writing, Cause & Effect, 10th Grade

SAMPLE 11-DAY PLAN FOR WRITING WORKSHOP

Expository Writing, Cause & Effect, 10

Grade

ASSIGNMENT: After choosing a topic and doing some initial research, students will write a research

question about an effect related to their topics. (For example, if the chosen topic is “homelessness,” and

the student finds research about veteran homelessness, the question might be, “Why are many veterans

homeless in America?”)

In a documented essay, students will analyze the causes leading up to that effect. The student must

have a thesis statement that delineates the focus and structure of the essay and must analyze at least

three different causes, differentiating between the main cause and contributory causes.

AY 1 IDEA-GATHERING: Independent student work: Students choose three topics (from a list provided by

the teacher) of interest to complete a KWHL, in which they will list what they know, what they want to

know, and how they will find out what they want to know. Partner share: Students discuss their lists

and ideas with a partner; they may add to their lists; Mini-lesson/Teacher model: Resources available

for various topics (students can add these to their “H” column).

Students should choose a topic and do preliminary research prior to the next Writing

Workshop day.

AY 2 PRE-WRITING: Mini-lesson: Writing a research question (with infographic) [include sample research

questions for cause & effect]; Teacher model: Writing a research question using preliminary research

(focus on why something happens/happened); Student practice: Writing individual research questions

to guide the cause/effect essay (provide a checklist of “must haves” for a research question); Partner

share: share, evaluate, and revise research questions (use checklist/notes/infographic from mini-

lesson); Submit questions for teacher approval/overview.

An addition or revision for this day of Writing Workshop could be use of mentor texts that

students read in order to identify what question the author is answering (This could be done in

small groups.). This allows them to back into the idea of writing a research question.

AY 3 PRE-WRITING: Mini-lesson: Differentiating between main and contributing causes; Student practice

(small groups or partner): Identifying main and contributing causes in text/examples; Student

brainstorm (small groups or partner): As a group or with a partner, students brainstorm causes for their

research questions, using background knowledge and research; Independent student practice: Which is

the main cause? Contributory causes? List causes from most important to least important.

AY 4 THESIS WRITING/ORGANIZATION: Mini-lesson/teacher model: writing a thesis statement, qualities of

a good thesis statement teacher example and mentor text examples; Student practice: write the thesis

statement for your cause/effect essay; Peer review/share: discuss and evaluate thesis statements;

Mini-lesson: How a thesis statement determines structure; Student application: As it is written, how

will you order the causes in your essay?

DAY 5 STRUCTURE/ORGANIZATION: Mentor text: “Who Killed Benny Paret?” by Norman Cousins; annotate

together for structure/organization [introduction, thesis, causes, effect, driving question]; Whole class:

What would Cousins’s outline look like? Student practice: What would my topic/research look like in

this model? What would have to change? What could I “borrow” from this model; Partner

share/discuss; Whole class share: benefits/drawbacks of this structure.

AY 6 STRUCTURE/ORGANIZATION: Mentor text: “Why Vampires Never Die” by Giullermo Del Toro and

Chuck Hogan; annotate together for structure/organization [introduction, thesis causes, effect, driving

question]; Whole class: What would the authors’ outline look like? Student practice: What would my

topic/research look like in this model? What would have to change? What could I “borrow” from this

model; Whole class share: benefits/drawbacks of this structure; Student practice: outlining the

cause/effect essay, borrowing what we can from the models.

AY 7 STRUCTURE/FLOW: Mini-lesson/Teacher model: Transitions; adding transitions to make an essay

flow; Student practice (in pairs): adding transitions; selecting the proper transition for the connection;

Mini-lesson: Affect vs. effect; Student practice (in pairs): differentiating between affect/effect when

writing.

AY 8 DRAFTING: Student drafting (teacher conferring): Cause/Effect essay with analysis of three causes;

focus: clear thesis; logical structure; analysis causes; Students should have a complete first draft by the

next Writing Workshop day.

AY 9 REVISION: Mini-lesson: subject/verb agreement; Student practice (partner): subject/verb

agreement exercises. Share: discuss/review; answer lingering questions; Focused student revision:

revise draft for subject/verb agreement.

AY 10 REVISION: Mini-lesson: verb tense shifts; Student practice (partner): verb tense shifts; Share:

discuss/review; answer lingering questions; Focused student revision: revise draft for subject/verb

agreement. Students should have a complete, revised second draft by the next Writing Workshop day.

DAY 11 REVISION: Teacher model of peer review process (effective vs. ineffective peer review examples);

focused peer and self-review. Students will work in pairs with a guided revision assignment; (Students

could read their essay to their partners so they can hear it aloud or complete on turnitin.com; students

should communicate, verbally and in writing, their comments and revisions); From these revisions,

students should prepare to revise their drafts and turn in their final drafts shortly thereafter.

** See Models for Writers or Patterns for College Writing for overviews on Cause/Effect essays, including

revision checklists (Patterns) **