Students investigate the components of audience and tone related to expository writing in this unit. To use vocabulary and critical thinking in both small and large group settings, students also examine an expository writing draft. To finish the unit, students must apply what they have learned to a final expository writing assignment on a topic of their choice as well as a quick presentation for the class. Students are going to: 
- Examine the tone and audience used in expository writing about the topics they are covering. 
- Generate model topic lists while considering tone and audience to practice how these elements interact. 
- Examine and comment on an expository writing draft to demonstrate the application of critical thinking and terminology. 
- Write a comprehensive explanatory essay based on their chosen topic and material.
- Make a short informational presentation for the class.

- To what extent does the writing process influence writing quality?
- How can we become proficient writers?
- How does writing function in our daily lives?

- Expository Writing: A piece of writing meant to explain, inform, clarify, instruct, or define. 
- Topic: The subject the writer chooses to address in his or her writing. 
- Purpose: The writing intends to inform or teach someone about something, to entertain people, or to persuade or convince the audience to do or not do something. 
- Audience: The intended readers of a particular piece of writing. 
- Tone: The attitude of the author toward the subject. 
- Compare/Contrast: An organizational strategy that uncovers differences and similarities between two subjects. 
- Problem/Solution: An organizational strategy that addresses a specific problem/issue and progresses to investigate possible solutions and/or outcomes. 
- Process Analysis or Sequence: An organizational strategy that uses sequence and order of action to explain or relate a process or series of events. 
- Cause/Effect: An organizational strategy that discusses a particular cause, or series of causes, and then relates effects to the causes to show their relationship.

- expository writing sample from Lesson 2 (L-C-4-2_Finding a New Apartment)
- students’ prewriting papers, research information
- computer lab or student access to computers

- Review new vocabulary and concepts for understanding during class. Discover the different comprehension levels of students by moving around during peer inquiry and small-group work.
- Check to see if students are using proper terminology and critical thinking skills in their writing as they go over the example expository essay.
- Provide guidance and support as needed while students are drafting their explanatory essays. Gather completed drafts so that you can give students timely feedback before they begin working on the final draft. Assess the appropriateness and consistency with which students are using their notes and strategies.
- Examine student presentations and offer comments.

Modeling, explicit instruction, scaffolding, and active engagement
W: While examining an array of topics, students will study audience and tone. They'll give their own expository essay the same critical "eye" treatment. After finishing their final draft of an expository essay, students will utilize the data to compile a succinct presentation for the class.
H: During class discussions and in small groups, students get an opportunity to discuss some of their ideas with their peers. Their peers will also provide them with feedback. To enhance their expository writing, students will incorporate feedback from their peers into their drafts. 
E: While students are writing or working in small groups, you walk around the classroom assessing and helping them. You will assess both the final and draft writing copies and offer feedback. Based on a scoring guide created by the class, you and your fellow students will assess presentations in class. 
R: In small groups and during class discussions, students create and present their organizational strategies. They also get the chance to edit and expand on their written work. Self-reflection is essential to improve their work. 
E: By collaborating with others in small groups and learning more from both given and received feedback, students further evaluate themselves. In addition to encouraging the student's skill and capacity for self-editing, this process of brainstorming and revision should improve writing abilities. 
T: Although they can recognize and write down their own ideas, students can also discuss them as a class. Pupils who might struggle can collaborate with others and learn what aspects of their writing are successful and unsuccessful. 
O: Writing the body content and taking audience and tone into consideration will come first in the lesson, moving from figuring out which organizational strategy best fits the students' material. Group projects and class discussions will help analyze the expository model in more detail. To give students a deeper comprehension of their assignment, pertinent vocabulary and techniques will also be covered at different points throughout the unit. Students will be able to apply newly learned material in groups, and revision will provide them with the opportunity to further polish their own topic for expository writing.

Topic: How would an expository essay be analyzed?

In this lesson, students review the Lesson 2 expository model. Students practice critical thinking about the concepts and strategies they have learned through the expository model discussion in class. In addition, students will gain a deeper comprehension of the audience and tone as they apply it to expository writing.

Part 1

"Before we get started today, let me share a little proverb. I am aware that writing can be challenging for everyone. Even for a skilled, professional writer, it's still hard work. This old African proverb says, 'How do you eat an elephant? ....A mouthful at a time. This may seem like a very basic and even humorous idea, but it serves as a helpful reminder. Your writing will progress similarly if you are diligent and pay close attention to it—one step at a time."

"We have looked at a variety of expository pieces over the past few lessons and learned how information can be organized to best serve each topic's purpose and audience," said the students. "You are going to start writing the first draft of your expository essay now that you have completed most of your prewriting. After finishing your final draft, you will create a two- to five-minute presentation using the content from your essay. To effectively share your knowledge with your peers, you can use PowerPoint presentations, videos, podcasts, speeches, or any other format."

Talk about how audience and tone affect students' choices of not only what to say but also how to say it before they start their first draft. Say, "Now that you're planning the structure of your expository essay, it's a good idea to give the audience and tone more careful consideration. The tone is a reflection of the writer's attitude toward the subject and is established through word choice. A piece can be serious, humorous, satirical, mocking, disdainful, appreciative, etc. This phrase refers to the audience. How you write will depend on the audience and the tone you choose. "Does the tone I'm using show the feeling or effect that I want?" is a question you should keep asking yourself. "Am I composing content for my readers that will entice them to read on?" How would your writing be different if you were writing a paper for a teacher or an employer? Will it appear to them that you are writing in a polished and professional manner?"

Do you recall the explanation about how process analysis can be used to find a new apartment? Who do you believe this information is meant for, in your opinion? (Those who are additionally looking for an apartment.) "My writing will serve as a kind of 'Apartment Search Guide' for those who are unfamiliar with apartment living. I am aware that I ought to be polite, explicit, and formal. Since I intend to empower those people and give them confidence in using this information, I will refrain from using humor or derogatory language."

Here's a great example of how to use tone to the audience, taken from William Strunk, Jr., and E. B. White's The Elements of Style (p. 70):

Write in a way that draws the reader’s (or audience’s) attention to the sense and substance of the writing rather than to the mood and temper of the author. If the writing is solid and good, the mood and temper of the writer will eventually be revealed, not at the expense of the work. As you become proficient in the use of language, your style will emerge, because you will emerge.

"List the first five ideas that immediately come to mind for a writing project on your desk. These subjects may or may not be connected in any way. After you have five, list the tones you believe each should have. Think about suitable word choices, attitudes, and emotions. Lastly, consider who your potential audience may be for each of the five topics after reviewing your notes on tone. Does your target audience consist of sports team fans? Would delegates or senators be up for this? Does it have anything to do with music, pop culture, the environment, etc.? Who is perusing your written work? It's crucial to ask that question at all times. After finishing this assignment, turn to the student next to you to compare your results. Pose the following queries:

How did you choose the tone of your subjects?

What kind of reaction do you think your intended audience would have to the writing?

What other audience or tone options would you consider, and how would that alter the writing?"

Ask students to present a few of their findings to the class as a whole. Ask students if they have any more questions about tone concerning their topic after this discussion.

Part 2

"You've nearly finished the prewriting tasks required to create your expository essay's first draft at this point. After you've decided on a topic, purpose, audience, and organizational strategy, there are notes for brainstorming and potential topics. Now, the tone must be taken into account. Take the next few minutes to jot down the tone that your audience expects from your writing. Obviously, I and your fellow students are among your audience, but you don't have to limit yourself to the classroom. Who might be interested in or curious about your topic? Who would find this information useful? " Ask students to include this draft in their writing portfolio.

“Before you begin your initial draft of your expository paper, let’s examine the draft of an expository piece about searching for a new apartment. You will all have a chance to apply the terms and strategies you’ve been learning to examine the writing. Studying other writers is always helpful in understanding your own writing. In this way, we can learn from what others have done.” Hand out the expository writing piece “Finding a New Apartment” and display it on the overhead (L-C-4-2_Finding a New Apartment).

"The handout is a preliminary version of the explanatory essay "Finding a New Apartment." The writer started working on a draft after taking notes on the subject, structure, specifics, audience, and tone. We'll read the work together as a class and have a discussion afterward. After I read the introduction, we'll need some readers." It is challenging to look at their own writing objectively because it is frequently so intimately connected to them. Together, we will analyze non-original writing so that they can become more at ease using the same "editorial eye" on their own work. Go over the sample essay with them to help them understand the flow. Subsequently, pose inquiries to analyze the composition. 

"After listening to the essay, I'd like to hear from you."

"First, could you please tell us what the topic is?" the procedure for locating the ideal apartment for your requirements.

"Does this essay employ the organizational strategy of process or analysis? How are you aware?" Yes, since it explains the procedure or set of steps involved in finding an apartment using sequence and order of action.

"What are a few important details?" You must conduct a proactive search, cultivate contacts, and obtain information. You must research the kinds of apartments that are available in your neighborhood and within your budget. Visit the apartment and have a conversation with the property manager or caretaker. Before you sign a lease, learn enough about the property to enable you to make an informed decision.

"Do we recognize a certain tone? What would you say about it?" The essay suggests a personal approach to the reader despite its formal tone.

"Are there any adjustments we should make? What impact would that have on the essay?" It would read much more like a how-to paper if the tone were changed to one that was very formal and impersonal, but the narrator's connection to the audience would be lost.

"Is there another organizational technique that you think would be helpful? Would that significantly alter the essay? In what way? " This would present the problem from a different angle if you turned it into a problem-solution essay. While it would take into account other aspects of apartment hunting, the information provided might include some of the elements that are currently in the essay, such as cost and location. You would also lose the knowledge of how to go about finding an apartment. 

Part 3

Assign students to complete a graphic organizer that corresponds with the topic's selected organizational strategy. Next, assign students to start writing the expository essay's first draft. A two-page minimum or 500–700 word essay is suggested. After students have finished this first draft, ask them to participate in a peer-editing review. After that, students should have enough time to revise their work, incorporate suggestions from their peers, and make any necessary adjustments before submitting it for your consideration and input.

Give students time to work on their presentations while they wait for your input on their first drafts. These should last between two and five minutes, and students should choose whichever media best suits their needs for presenting the material to the class. Encouragement of creativity in students should not come at the expense of the knowledge they are imparting. Give pupils a range of educational models to help them understand the impact of well-made presentations.

Suggestions:

clips from sites such as NPR’s ”Wait, wait, don't tell me!” http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=35 

Optical Illusions Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p26nNgWAleI&feature=related 

Mr. Duey Fractions Official Video http://www.teachertube.com/video/mr-duey-fractions-official-video-24266 

We Didn’t Start the Fire: A Brief History of the United States of America: http://www.teachertube.com/video/mr-duey-fractions-official-video-24266 

Student-Powered PowerPoint: Two Fine Examples National Writing Project: Digital Is. http://digitalis.nwp.org/resource/813 

It would be advantageous to have students assist in creating a scoring guide tailored to each presentation, as these will differ from class to class. This is going to help remind students of the components of a well-executed presentation. Allow students to work on their presentations after they have finished the scoring guide, and then give them enough time to finish both their presentations and their student evaluations.

Extension:

Students will turn in their notes, prewriting, and final drafts as a single completed project if they have chosen to write on two different topics or to approach their expository topic from two different organizational strategies. Additionally, students may submit source materials and/or a bibliography page if they feel inspired to conduct more in-depth research on their topic(s).