Writing to Explain
Explaining well means a clear topic, the facts that back it, and the steps in the order they happen. Order is the whole job.
The Writer's Workshop, where the Mayor reads finished writing himself, returns soon.
The Mayor explains the way he gives directions across town: a clear first step, the facts in order, and a finish the reader can follow.
The full Writing Company lesson cycle is coming.
Making eggs is easy. You just cook them.
To fry an egg, first heat butter in the pan. Next, crack the egg low so the yolk stays whole. Finally, cook it until the white sets.
You just cook them explains nothing. The ordered version names the topic, then walks the steps with first, next, and finally, so a reader could actually do it.
- Name your topic in one sentence.
- List the facts or steps, then put them in the order they happen.
- Walk the reader through with first, next, and finally.
Play it in the Arcade.
Take the craft move onto the floor with the live game. Free, and it plays daily.
A paragraph came apart. Put the sentences back in order, and let the transition words show you the thread that holds them together.
Play Follow the Thread →Plant the seed. Water it. First dig a hole. It grows.
First dig a hole. Then plant the seed. Water it every day, and it grows.
The steps are all there on the left, but the order is scrambled, so the reader cannot follow. Put them in the order they happen and the explanation works.
A real writing skill, Grades 1 through 8.
Writing to Explain is one of the nine Writing Company chapters, where Grammaropolis teaches writing and composition. It maps to a Common Core writing strand; the per-grade, per-framework alignment fills in as the workbook line and the lesson cycle come online.
The Writer's Workshop, where the Mayor reads finished writing himself, returns soon.
Writing to Explain serves CCSS W.x.2 (informative and explanatory writing) and its sub-standards.
Other Writing Company chapters.
Back to the Writing Company → The Writing Company workbooks → Try Wonderful Words →
The Writer's Workshop, where the Mayor reads finished writing himself, returns soon.
Ready to write?
Play the live game to practice the move. The Writer's Workshop, where the Mayor reads a finished piece himself and certifies it Gold, Silver, or Bronze, returns soon. The full Writing Company lesson cycle is coming.