Most children have at least one special talent or interest that they enjoy talking about. Whether this is playing a musical instrument, a certain sport or even video games, most students have specific knowledge about a particular subject. Ask your students to write a "how to" essay explaining how to do a specific task within their interest. For example, if the student plays the violin, he might write an essay called "How to Tune a Violin." If the student plays soccer, he might write "How to Score a Goal." Have the students clearly identify the steps involved in the process. Not only will the students learn the importance of giving clear instruction within their writing, but they will enjoy writing about something that interests them and that they know a lot about.
Another important type of expository writing is the "compare/contrast" essay in which a student identifies and expands upon the similarities and differences of two like things. Pick a fun category for the students to compare and contrast within. For example, you might assign them to compare and contrast two fast food chains. They will write an essay telling which fast food chain is better and why they think so. Within the essay, they must compare and contrast the food, atmosphere and price. You could also assign an essay in which the students compare and contrast two different roller coasters at the local amusement park. They will state which one is better and then compare and contrast elements such as scare factor, speed, loops and waiting time to support their choice. Students can begin the brainstorming process by making a chart in which they list the common elements of each item and the differentiating factors.
Writing a "how to" essay is fairly easy when the students are familiar with the subject. For this assignment, students will get to research an activity that they have never actually completed but have always been interested in. In this way, they will learn more about an interest of theirs that they have never had the chance to pursue. A student who has always wanted to go surfing can write an essay entitled "How to Stand Up on a Surfboard." Another who has never traveled outside of the United States might write an essay about "How to Spend a Day in France." Another student may want to write about "How to Sky Dive." Have the students research the topic on the Internet and write a clear, precise step-by-step instruction of how to perform this new task. Not only will this help them learn to be clear and concise when writing instructions, but it will help them with their research skills.
Another useful technique to use when learning about expository writing is how to identify writing that is successful (clear, easy to understand, concise). Think of several physical activities that the student can perform while in the classroom such as jumping jacks, patty cakes or drawing a picture. Then, write two essays for each skill: one exhibiting "poor" writing that is jumbled, not in the correct order and difficult to understand, and one exhibiting "good" writing that is clear, precise and easy to follow. Read the bad example first and ask the students to follow each step. Then, read the good example, asking them to try again and follow the steps. Your young writers will learn firsthand the importance of being clear with their instructions during expository writing.