High School 9 12 Text Based Informational Writing

Summary

High School (9-12) Text-based Informational
Writing Prompts
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High School (9-12) Text-based Informational Writing Prompts
Table of Contents
IntelliMetric® Prompts ............................................................................................................................. 3
Bullying ................................................................................................................................................ 3
Effects of Emotion on Behavior ........................................................................................................... 4
Effects of Television Viewing on Young People ................................................................................. 6
Speeches Discussing Our Environment ................................................................................................ 8
The Challenges and Uses of Native American Languages ................................................................. 10
The Poster Boys of World War II ....................................................................................................... 14
Pilot Prompts .......................................................................................................................................... 18
Analysis of "A More Perfect Union" Speech (pilot) .......................................................................... 18
Caffeine, Energy Drinks, and Effects on the Body (pilot) ................................................................. 26
Campaign Finance Rules Decision (pilot) .......................................................................................... 29
Choosing Advertising Media for Two Businesses (pilot) .................................................................. 29
Comparing and Contrasting Two Related Texts or a Text and a Film (pilot) .................................... 34
Disillusionment and Isolation (pilot) .................................................................................................. 35
F. D. Roosevelt and M. L. King Jr.: Words on Freedom (pilot)......................................................... 35
How is America a Place and an Idea? (pilot) ..................................................................................... 40
Methods of Transporting Oil: Benefits and Risks (pilot) ................................................................... 43
Phillis Wheatley: Eighteenth-Century Genius (pilot) ......................................................................... 47
The Renewal of America (pilot) ......................................................................................................... 49
The Snowflake Man (pilot) ................................................................................................................. 51
Who is the Real Shakespeare? (pilot) ................................................................................................. 54
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IntelliMetric® Prompts
Informational Text Standard 1 – Grades 9-10, 11-12
Bullying
In the aftermath of several widely reported incidents of school violence across the nation, many
parents, teachers, and students are examining the problem of school bullying. To avoid potential
tragedies, your school board is considering implementing a policy to address the incidence of bullying

Write a letter to your local school board in which you discuss the need for a policy to prevent bullying
in your school and suggest what steps this policy should take to prevent bullying from occurring

Remember to specifically identify potential problems and to explain them thoroughly based on your
interaction with the following:
 the article below
 your own experiences
 your own observations
 your readings
Bullying
The following report was presented at a recent national conference of educators, school psychologists,
and police officials

Bullying is usually described as aggressive behavior against less powerful students that takes place
repeatedly over time

How widespread is this problem? A 1998 survey found that thirty percent of school students identified
themselves as either the target of a bully or as a perpetrator of aggression. This means that each day
3.2 million students nationwide are the victims of 3.7 million bullies. While girls are slightly less
likely to be bullies, boys and girls suffer to the same degree from the aggression of bullies

Bullying is not just a normal part of growing up that kids must "go through." Researchers have found
that the victims of persistent bullying are five times more likely to show signs of clinical depression
than other students. Depression, in turn, can lead to illness, poor grades, lowered self-esteem, or
violent behavior

Bullies are also affected by their behavior. Self-reported bullies are more likely than other students to
get into fights or carry a weapon to school. After school lets out, researchers have found that bullies
are more likely to be convicted of a crime by the age of 24 than other students

Experts differ widely when asked how this problem should be addressed. Some agreement exists as to
the basics, however. Anti-bullying programs often begin with classroom discussions to raise
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awareness among students about the causes and effects of bullying. Greater adult supervision in and
around the school and playground can further help to identify bullies who may require individual
interventions. Finally, the consequences of bullying must be made clear to the student body

With the right kind of policy in place, experts believe a less threatening environment can be
established in America's schools

Informational Text Standard 1 – Grades 9-10, 11-12
Effects of Emotion on Behavior
Your psychology class is studying emotions and their effects on behavior. You have been assigned to
prepare a report on how to deal with an angry child

Read the text that follows and use relevant information from it to write a report about the problems of
dealing with angry children. In your report suggest some effective techniques for responding to the
behavior of an angry child

Plain Talk about Dealing with the Angry Child
Handling children's anger can be puzzling, tiring, and upsetting for adults. One of the major
problems in dealing with anger in children is the angry feelings that are often stirred up in us. We as
parents, teachers, counselors, and administrators need to remind ourselves that we were not always
taught how to deal with anger during our own childhood. We were led to believe that to be angry was
to be bad, and we were often made to feel guilty for expressing anger. It will be easier to deal with
children's anger if we get rid of this notion. Our goal is not to repress or destroy angry feelings in
children but rather to accept the feelings and to help direct them to constructive ends

Parents and teachers must allow children to feel all of their feelings. Then, children should be
shown acceptable ways of expressing their feelings. Strong feelings cannot be denied, and angry
outbursts should not always be viewed as a sign of serious problems; they should be recognized and
treated with respect

To respond effectively to overly aggressive behavior in children we need to know what may have
triggered an outburst. Anger may be a defense to avoid painful feelings; it may be associated with
failure, low self-esteem, and feelings of isolation; or it may be related to anxiety about situations over
which the child has no control

Angry defiance may also be associated with feelings of dependency, and anger may be associated
with sadness and depression. In childhood, anger and sadness are very close to one another and it is
important to remember that much of what an adult experiences as sadness is expressed by a child as
anger

Before we look at specific ways to manage aggressive and angry outbursts, several points should be
highlighted:
 We should distinguish between anger and aggression. Anger is a temporary emotional state caused
by frustration; aggression is often an attempt to hurt a person or to destroy property

 We must be careful to distinguish between behavior that indicates emotional problems and
behavior that is normal

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Our actions should be motivated by the need to protect and to teach, not by a desire to punish

Parents and teachers should show a child that they accept his or her feelings, while suggesting other
ways to express the feelings. It is not enough to tell children what behaviors we find unacceptable. We
must teach them acceptable ways of coping. Also, ways must be found to communicate what we
expect of them. Contrary to popular opinion, punishment is not the most effective way to communicate
to children what we expect of them

Here are some suggestions for responding to the angry child:
 Catch the child being good. Tell the child what behaviors please you. Respond to positive efforts
and reinforce good behavior. An observing and sensitive parent will find countless opportunities
during the day to make such comments as, "I like the way you come in for dinner without being
reminded"; "You were really patient while I was on the phone"; "I'm glad you shared your snack
with your sister"; "I like the way you're able to think of others"; and "Thank you for telling the
truth about what really happened."
 Similarly, teachers can positively reinforce good behavior with statements like, "Thanks for sitting
in your seat quietly"; "You were thoughtful in offering to help Johnny with his spelling"; "You
worked hard on that project, and I admire your effort."
 Deliberately ignore inappropriate behavior that can be tolerated. This doesn't mean that you should
ignore the child, just the behavior. The "ignoring" has to be planned and consistent. Even though
this behavior may be tolerated, the child must recognize that it is inappropriate

 Provide physical outlets and other alternatives. It is important for children to have the opportunities
for physical exercise and movement, both at home and at school

 Control the surroundings. Aggressive behavior can be encouraged by placing children in tough,
tempting situations. We should try to plan the surroundings so that certain things are less apt to
happen

 Use closeness and touching. Move physically closer to the child to curb his or her angry impulse

Young children are often calmed by having an adult nearby

 Express interest in the child's activities. Children naturally try to involve adults in what they are
doing, and the adult is often annoyed at being bothered. Very young children (and children who are
emotionally deprived) seem to need much more adult involvement in their interests. A child about
to use a toy or tool in a destructive way is sometimes easily stopped by an adult who expresses
interest in having it shown to him. An outburst from an older child struggling with a difficult
reading selection can be prevented by a caring adult who moves near the child to say, "Show me
which words are giving you trouble."
 Be ready to show affection. Sometimes all that is needed for any angry child to regain control is a
sudden hug or other impulsive show of affection

 Ease tension through humor. Kidding the child out of a temper tantrum or outburst offers the child
an opportunity to "save face."
 Appeal directly to the child. Tell him or her how you feel and ask for cooperation. "I know that
noise you're making doesn't usually bother me, but today I've got a headache, so could you find
something else you'd enjoy doing?"
 Explain situations and model appropriate behavior. Help the child understand the cause of a
stressful situation. Young children can begin to react properly once they understand the cause of
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their frustration. Adults should be aware of the powerful effect of their actions on a child's or
group's behavior

 Use physical restraint. Occasionally a child may have to be physically restrained or removed from
the scene to prevent him from hurting himself or others. Physical restraint or removal from the
scene should not be viewed by the child as punishment but as a means of saying, "You can't do
that."
 Encourage children to see their strengths as well as their weaknesses. Help them to see that they
can reach their goals

 Use promises and rewards. Promises of future pleasure can be used both to start and to stop
behavior

 Say "NO!" Limits should be clearly explained and enforced. Children should be free to function
within those limits

 Teach children to express angry feelings verbally. Teach children to put their angry feelings into
words, rather than fists or other actions. Talking helps a child have control and thus reduces acting
out behavior. Encourage the child to say, for example, "I don't like your taking my pencil. I don't
feel like sharing just now."
The Role of Discipline
Good discipline includes creating an atmosphere of quiet firmness, clarity, and caring while using
reasoning. Bad discipline involves punishment, which is harsh and inappropriate, and it is often
associated with verbal ridicule and attacks on the child's integrity

One of the most important goals is to help children develop respect for themselves and others

While arriving at this goal takes years of patient practice, it is a vital process in which parents,
teachers, and all caring adults can play a crucial and exciting role. In order to accomplish this, we must
see children as worthy human beings and be sincere in dealing with them

Informational Text Standard 1 – Grades 9-10, 11-12
Effects of Television Viewing on Young People
An English class in your high school is conducting research into the effects of young people's
television viewing on their academic work and their personal behavior. You have been invited to speak
to students in eighth grade about these effects

Read the text, "Your Children and TV," and use relevant information from it to write the speech you
will give to middle school students. Discuss the extent of television viewing by young people and the
possible effects on their schoolwork and behavior

Your Children and TV
In the last 50 years television has entered the home and influenced the life of virtually every
American. This incredibly powerful invention has affected our social lives, ways of learning and
entertaining ourselves, family relations, and lifestyles. Americans are almost literally glued to their
sets

In the average American home, the television is on for seven hours each day

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Approximately 75 million sets are tuned in each weeknight, and 40 to 50 million people are watching
at any time in the evening

The youngest children are introduced to television in their homes and are captivated by it. Many
small children spend more time watching TV than doing any other activity except sleeping. They will
watch increasing amounts of TV each year until they finish the elementary grades

By graduation from high school, most youngsters will have watched 48,000 commercials and seen
13,000 violent deaths. They will have spent more time watching TV than they have in the classroom

Any activity that consumes so much time surely has significant effects. It is important to
understand what those effects are so that television can be used to benefit our children

Effects of TV on Reading Levels and Schoolwork
Television has varied effects on children's reading abilities and schoolwork. The effects depend on
the control of the programs they watch, their production techniques, the amount of time the children
spend watching, and the age and maturity of the children

Television can educate, persuade, and entertain, and usually it does all three at once. Used
selectively, television can benefit youngsters in positive, educational ways. "Reading Rainbow," for
example, seen on national public television, reinforces the joy of reading and motivates children to
read in their own. Not all programs have such positive effects

Television sales skyrocketed in the late 1940's and early 1950's. By the time people began to
wonder how television was affecting children's schoolwork, almost everyone was watching and it was
hard to compare households that had TVs to those that did not

Three Canadian towns have been compared, however. One town had no TV, one had only
commercial TV, and the third had both commercial and public TV. The findings showed that the
children in the town with no television were the best readers, whereas those with only commercial
television were the poorest readers. Children who lived in the town with one public and one
commercial channel were in between. And when the town that previously had no TV began receiving
it, reading scores fell

Another study of 500,000 students in California found that, as a group, the children who watched
the most TV did the poorest in school, even if they did their homework. No single factor affected the
children's schoolwork as much as the amount of TV they were watching

There is also evidence that children who are heavy viewers speak less fluently, write choppier,
shorter sentences, have smaller vocabularies, and make fewer inferences than children who watch
less. Children who are heavy viewers also read less outside school. This finding is related not only to
the amount of television they watch but to how much violence they see in cartoons and other programs
they select

Because children watch TV primarily for entertainment, they do not expend much mental effort
while watching. If the program material seems familiar and sensible they pay little attention to
substance. Their reactions tend to be superficial and their responses shallow and noncommittal rather
than thoughtful. They do not interact with the ideas. Sixth graders who were asked whether they
learned more from a story on TV or in a book said they learned more from television. But when half
saw the story depicted on TV and the other half read the book, the children who had read the book
demonstrated a better understanding of the material

Children give up many enriching activities besides reading for TV. They may become less actively
engaged in exploring their neighborhoods, socializing with friends, engaging in sports and games, or
participating in other enjoyable activities that indirectly affect how well they do in school

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Teachers have noticed other changes since television became widespread. Heavy TV watchers tend
to be more restless, less engrossed in classroom materials, more superficial in the exploration of the
classroom environment, and more eager to be entertained. Their attention spans are shorter, and they
wander aimlessly from activity to activity. They are less interested in figuring out relationships
between ideas and tend to focus on action-filled events

One kindergarten teacher said, "I always have one or two children who have no TV at home, and
they are so resourceful."
Television Violence
Television often shows people in close relationships attacking one another and portrays fictional
scenes of violence in realistic ways. Violence is shown as a way to serve a good cause, solve a
problem, become famous, popular, or powerful, or as an unthinking activity

A teacher related a story that points out the extent to which children can misunderstand what they
see on TV, even when there is no intent to mislead or fool them. The day after the Challenger space
explosion, a youngster brought in his toy Challenger and announced happily to his friend that he was
"going to go up in his Challenger and blow up." When the teacher discussed the tragedy with the
children, she realized that blowing up was a very common television occurrence and that all but the
older four-year olds thought of it as an everyday TV event. These older children were not aware of the
tragic nature of the explosion but were worried because they knew their parents were deeply
concerned. Their parents' response was the clue that the Challenger explosion was different from all
other explosions they had seen

Does watching violence on TV cause children to be more violent? The answer, based on studies of
many children, is yes

Three- and four-year olds who watch a large number of action shows are more apt to be disruptive
in nursery school. This is true regardless of family composition or income. Youngsters who had
watched many violent shows when they were eight were rated as more aggressive by friends and
neighbors ten years later, when they reached eighteen

Young children naturally imitate the actions of the strong and powerful characters they see on
TV. Such behavior can lead to aggressive play with others, especially among children who are too
young to understand that what they are watching is not really happening

Watching violence on TV also appears to affect children's attitudes and behavior. They often
mimic the violent actions they see in playful ways. When violence appears to be normal to them,
desensitization (the absence of normal emotional response) occurs. This may be followed by
disinhibition, a loosening of the moral and social restraints that control behavior. Some children
become so involved in the violent world on the screen that they begin to believe the world is a "mean
and dangerous" place that is more violent than it actually is

Informational Text Standard 1 – Grades 9-10, 11-12
Informational Text Standard 2 – Grades 9-10, 11-12
Speeches Discussing Our Environment
Your science class has been studying the effects of humans on their environment. You plan to write a
report on the role citizens play in protecting their environment. After carefully considering the two
speeches, use relevant information from both texts to write your report

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Speech One:
From President Theodore Roosevelt's Speech at the Grand Canyon
Theodore Roosevelt served as President of the United States from 1901 to 1909. On May 6, 1903, he
gave this speech to a crowd of people gathered at the Grand Canyon in Arizona

In the Grand Canyon, Arizona has a natural wonder which, so far as I know, is in kind absolutely
unparalleled throughout the rest of the world. I want to ask you to do one thing in connection with it in
your own interest and in the interest of the country—to keep this great wonder of nature as it now is

I was delighted to learn of the wisdom of the Santa Fe railroad people in deciding not to build their
hotel on the brink of the canyon. I hope you will not have a building of any kind, not a summer
cottage, a hotel, or anything else, to mar the wonderful grandeur, the sublimity, the great loneliness and
beauty of the canyon

Leave it as it is. You can not improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only
mar it. What you can do is to keep it for your children, your children's children, and for all who come
after you, as one of the great sights which every American if he can travel at all should see

We have gotten past the stage, my fellow-citizens, when we are to be pardoned if we treat any part
of our country as something to be skinned for two or three years for the use of the present generation,
whether it is the forest, the water, the scenery. Whatever it is, handle it so that your children's children
will get the benefit of it

Speech Two:
Saving the Brandywine
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Debra Greco, and I am the President of the Board
of Directors of the Brandywine Conservation Effort. Before I introduce the first performer to appear on
our stage, I'd like to thank each and every one of you for being here tonight. Thank you also for the
incredible support you have given the BCE since its inception three years ago. We simply would not be
here without people like you

As most of you know, the Brandywine Conservation Effort was formed to protect the Brandywine
River Preserve, which includes 25,000 acres of land and a long stretch of the Brandywine River. Three
years ago, local and state officials were negotiating with four companies that wanted to build industrial
plants just north of the preserve. As concern about the environmental impact on the river and the
preserve grew, the BCE came together to lobby against the construction

To date, we have been very successful in helping to protect the Brandywine Preserve. Our staff and
volunteers log countless hours working for our cause. Only one of the companies that wanted to build
three years ago still seeks to build. The other three gave up in the face of opposition from groups like
ours. The remaining company must now do a complete assessment and report on the impact of its
facility on the preserve

Recently, other issues affecting the Brandywine River Preserve have arisen, and that brings us to
the purpose of this fundraiser. State and local officials are now proposing to cut the size of the preserve
by 10,000 acres. They want to build a road through what is currently part of the preserve. We must not
allow this to happen. This road would have disastrous effects on the preserve. We need your support
more than ever to stop the wanton destruction of preserved land for useless government projects. Your
presence here tonight reflects your continuing commitment to the BCE. On behalf of everyone at the
BCE, I thank you. We will not let you down

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10
Now, on to this evening's festivities. We have a great line-up of musicians for tonight's concert. It is
my pleasure to introduce the first of them. This singer has long been a champion of conserving and
protecting our national resources. He has spoken out on many occasions against projects that threaten
those resources. Much of his music reflects his reverence for nature, and we are honored to have him
here tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Brian Scott Tehada!
Informational Text Standard 1 – Grades 9-10, 11-12
Informational Text Standard 2 – Grades 9-10, 11-12
The Challenges and Uses of Native American Languages
The attached passages describe the use of the Navajo language during World War II as an unbreakable
code, and the creation of a written version of the Cherokee language by Sequoya. Both the Navajo and
Cherokee languages had unique qualities that presented difficulties and opportunities

In a detailed essay, discuss the similarities of the challenges faced when working with the Navajo and
Cherokee languages and the way that these languages were put to use. Support your discussion with
facts and details from the text

Passage One:
Laboring over the Birth of a Written Language
To most people, written language seems practically a product of nature. After all, most languages were
developed thousands of years ago. Many Native American languages, however, are an exception to
such ancient development. It wasn't until 200 years ago that a Cherokee named Sequoya developed the
first Native American alphabet. As exhibited by his more than a decade-long effort, written language is
hardly a simple gift of nature

Prior to Sequoya's work, written language was rare among North American natives. Those groups that
had introduced writing included the Maya, Aztec, Delaware, and Chippewa. Their writing systems,
however, employed drawings or pictures to represent words. This type of writing is known as
hieroglyphics, but is not really considered an alphabet

Sequoya knew nothing of these other Native American forms of writing. His introduction to written
language came from the Europeans who had settled in America. The Cherokee language, however, was
very different from English and posed its distinct challenges

One of the two most common Native American languages, Cherokee is part of the Iroquois language
family. This family of languages consists of northern and southern branches. The southern or Cherokee
branch developed about 3,000 years ago. At that time a portion of the Iroquois moved from the Great
Lakes area into the region that now makes up Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina

A very efficient language, Cherokee uses fewer separate words than many other languages. While an
English verb may consist of just one word, Cherokee verbs are often phrases. These verb phrases also
do the job of English adverbs, which is to describe when and how something happened. Cherokee
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nouns may also be phrase-like. The Cherokee word for horse, for instance, is so qui li. The literal
meaning actually describes a horse; he carries heavy things

In his first attempts to represent these words and phrases in writing, Sequoya also tried using pictures

He planned to develop a picture for each word. After coming up with hundreds of drawings, however,
he ruled this system too cumbersome

His next attempt more closely followed the English approach to an alphabet. In this approach, symbols
represent sounds rather than full words. Instead of a symbol for each sound, however, Sequoya
developed a sign for each syllable of his language. This alphabet form is known as a syllabary

Developing his 86-symbol syllabary took nearly 11 years of Sequoya's life. To his great satisfaction,
however, it took less than half that time for his people to become literate in it

Today, while most Cherokee are also fluent in English, many still learn and speak Cherokee. In fact, as
a result of renewed interest in cultural traditions, Cherokee is one of the few Native American
languages to experience growing usage

Giving New Voice to the Cherokee
"No more!" an angry wife shouted at her husband. "Day and night, you scribble on bark sheets. You
say one day these scribbles will mean something to our people. But your bark scribbles are
everywhere, and no one around here understands them. Bark is meant for burning not scribbling!"
With that, the wife scooped up all the scattered bark sheets and threw them into the fire. Yet, she was
sadly mistaken in thinking that her anger would make her husband stop his folly. For her husband, who
was called Sequoya, knew his scrawling was far from foolish. His travail, Sequoya maintained, would
preserve his precious Cherokee language

For many reasons, Sequoya was never a typical member of the Cherokee tribe. One reason was that he
was the product of two cultures. While his mother was Cherokee, his father was an English trader
named Nathaniel Gist. Sequoya even had an English name, George Guess. Not long after Sequoya was
born somewhere between 1760 and 1775, his father returned to his people. Still, although Sequoya
remained with the Cherokee, he maintained a strong interest in his father's culture

This interest grew even stronger when Sequoya learned that the United States was at war with
England. He decided to join his father's people in fighting for America. While he was in the army,
Sequoya saw soldiers staring at marks on thin white sheets. He soon learned that these marked white
sheets formed messages to the soldiers. The soldiers called them letters, but to Sequoya, the white
sheets looked like leaves. And since they spoke to the soldiers, he called them talking leaves

The idea of written language fascinated Sequoya. How wonderful it would be, he thought, if the
Cherokee language could be written down. Then his people could send important messages. Writing
down their stories would also keep them more accurate than passing them along by word of mouth

Sequoya could see that Cherokee ways were fading under the influence of his father's people. A
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12
written language, however, might ensure that Cherokee stories and traditions were never completely
forgotten

That's why Sequoya kept at his scribbling. He was working to develop a Cherokee alphabet. Along
with his wife, many others condemned his efforts. Still he didn't give up, and after many years of work,
he succeeded. Once his symbols were perfected in 1821, he began teaching people how to read them

His young daughter, Ah-yoka, was one of the first to learn to read Cherokee. Seeing Ah-yoka read
made those who were skeptical of Sequoya's symbols stop doubting

Before long, many Cherokee could read and write. By 1828, they had even started their own
newspaper, The Cherokee Phoenix. The Cherokee printed this newspaper as well as many books and
magazines on their own press

All of these publications, as well as seeing Cherokee children learn their own language in school, was
a great reward to Sequoya. Yet he was to receive even greater rewards. One of these was a gift from
the president of the United States. The president's gift to Sequoya of $500 a year for the rest of his life
was the first ever American literary prize

Sequoya's favorite reward, however, came from his own people. It was a beautiful silver medal with
his picture etched in the middle of it. From the moment he was awarded with this symbol of gratitude,
Sequoya was never seen without it

Passage 2:
Fighting Words
Months before December 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the Navajo tribe of Native
Americans formally resolved to defend America. All Americans were soon to owe a debt of gratitude
for this commitment. A special force of Navajo soldiers proved to be key contributors to the Japanese
defeat

This select Navajo group brought the war effort a surprisingly powerful weapon: their native language

As an unwritten, extremely complex language, Navajo proved an excellent basis for encoding top-
secret military messages

The idea for developing Navajo codes originated with Philip Johnston, the son of missionaries to the
Navajo tribe. As a child, Johnston had lived on a Navajo reservation with his parents and regularly
played with Navajo children. Through this experience, he became one of the few non-Navajos to gain
fluency in their language

Later, while serving in World War I, Johnston learned of a few Choctaw soldiers sending military
codes in their native language. Most military terms such as tank and machine gun did not exist in this
language. So Choctaw words or phrases were substituted for these terms. Coded messages were then
sent orally between Choctaw soldiers via field telephones. Through this practice, these Choctaw
soldiers earned the name—codetalkers. Even though enemies intercepted some code talker messages,
they never managed to decipher them

COPYRIGHT © 2015 by Vantage Learning. All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be used, accessed, reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means or stored in a
database or any retrieval system, without the prior written permission of Vantage Learning. Revised 10/28/15

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you write an informative text?

When writing an informative/explanatory text, the writer answers questions of why or how. Informative writing educates the reader by imparting straightforward information on a certain topic. Unlike other types of writing, informative writing does not aim to change the reader's thinking or move the reader to take action.

What are the instructional considerations for text based writing?

Instructional considerations. The Instructional Considerations section of this document consists of five areas relevant to instruction on text-based writing: selecting texts for assessment and instruction; assessment; using assessment data; student grouping; and instructional strategies.

How can i help students write informativeexplanatory texts?

To assess how well your students write informative/explanatory texts, use calendar holidays as a writing topic. For instance, you might ask students to choose their favorite holiday and explain in writing why they like it the best. To help students choose a holiday for an explanatory essay, you could provide them with a list.

What do students need to learn about informational writing vocabulary?

Students need to learn how to come up with ideas, narrow their topic, research their topic, take notes, put learning into their own words, understand copyright, write a hook, use anecdotes, utilize nonfiction text features and so much more! Here’s a comprehensive list of informational writing vocabulary for your reference.