73
PROCESS
Expository Writing: Research Report
Prewrite • Research and Inquiry
1605 1610 1615 1620
▶ Writer’s Resources
To get more information for your report, you will have to do research. First, write questions to guide you. Then decide which resources you will need to answer them.
What Else Do I Need to Know?
When did the first
Thanksgiving take place?
Why did the Pilgrims start a new colony?
Where Can I Find the Information?
Read a historical time line.
Watch documentaries and videos about the topic.
▶ Use a Time Line
You can discover when an event took place by looking at a time line. A time line is a diagram that shows when a series of events took place. Time lines help you keep track of the order of events.
The time line below shows some of the important events that led to the Pilgrims’ decision to start the Plymouth Colony. It also shows the events that led to the celebration of the first Thanksgiving.
1610
Pilgrims start new life in Holland to practice their religion
1606
Pilgrims separate from Church of England
1619
Unhappy in Holland, Pilgrims make plans to start American colony
1620
Pilgrims sail from Plymouth, England, to start Plymouth Colony; suffer harsh first winter
1621
With help from Native Americans, Pilgrims survive and celebrate first Thanksgiving
DRAFT REVISE PROOFREAD PUBLISH PREWRITE
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■ Did you list questions about your topic?
■ Did you identify possible resources?
■ Did you take notes about the facts you read?
▶ View Documentaries and Videos
Documentaries and videos can be helpful sources of information. These visuals can provide important facts and interesting details to include in your writing. Be sure to take notes or draw quick sketches of what you see.
▶ Use Your Research
After completing your research, add any new facts to your outline. This writer learned important information from the time line. He also learned about the Pilgrims’ first year in New England by looking at historical videos and documentaries.
I. Introduction
A. Pilgrims had the first Thanksgiving.
II. Moving to New England
A. Pilgrims traveled from England to New England.
1. Settled Plymouth Colony B. They wanted a better life.
III. Life in New England
A. Pilgrims had a hard time living in New England.
1. Not enough food
B. Native Americans helped the Pilgrims 1. Met Squanto in March 1621
2. He taught Pilgrims to fish and plant crops.
PRACTICE AND APPLY
Review Your Plan 1. Look at your outline.
2. List questions you have about your topic.
3. Identify the resources you will need.
4. Gather facts from a variety of sources.
5. Add new facts to your outline.
2. Landed in 1620
2. Many Pilgrims died.
1. Freedom to practice their religion in 1621
75
PROCESSPROCESS
Expository Writing: Research Report
Draft
Drafting
■ Remember your purpose and audience.
■ Give important information about a specific topic.
■ Be sure that your facts and details in each paragraph support the main idea.
■ Write a strong introduction, body, and conclusion.
■ Draw a conclusion based on the facts and details you presented.
OUTLINE
Before you begin writing your report, review the outline you have made. Plan to make a paragraph for each idea that is indicated by a Roman numeral. The facts marked with capital letters and the details indicated by numbers should support the main idea of each paragraph.
Main idea for second paragraph: Moving to
New England
Main idea for report:
Pilgrims had the first Thanksgiving
Main idea for third paragraph: Life in
New England
$M
The First Thanksgiving I. Introduction
A. Pilgrims had the first Thanksgiving.
II. Moving to New England
A. Pilgrims traveled from England to New England.
1. Settled Plymouth Colony B. They wanted a better life.
III. Life in New England
A. Pilgrims had a hard time living in New England.
1. Not enough food
B. Native Americans helped the Pilgrims 1. Met Squanto in March 1621
2. He taught Pilgrims to fish and plant crops.
IV. Conclusion
A. Pilgrims had a feast to celebrate their harvest.
B. They shared the feast with Native Americans.
in 1621
2. Landed in 1620
2. Many Pilgrims died.
1. Freedom to practice their religion
1. Three-day feast
The last paragraph will be my conclusion.
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Draft
PREWRITE
REVISE PROOFREAD PUBLISH DRAFT
Many experts beleive that the first Thanksgiving took place in the Plymouth colony in 1621.
In the video Journey to Freedom, Robert Nang explains how the Pilgrims made the long journey to New England in 1620. It was a hard journey.
Mr Nang shows that the Pilgrims worked hard in the Plymouth colony to make a new life. Unfortunately, with little food or help, many Pilgrims died. In March of 1621, help arrived. A Native american man named Squanto taught the Pilgrims how to fish. He taught them how to plant corn and other new crops. With Squantos help, the fall brought a great harvest
The Pilgrims were thankful for the harvest. They held a three-day feast. They invited some Native Americans to help them celebrate.
This writer used the ideas in his outline to write a first draft. He stated the main idea of his report in a topic sentence. The writer added details about Squanto and the Pilgrims. He referred to a video to show the source of his facts.
DRAFT
PRACTICE AND APPLY
Draft Your Expository Writing 1. Review your prewriting outline.
2. State the main idea of the report in a topic sentence.
3. Write events in the order in which they happened.
4. Use facts and details to support your main ideas.
TECHNOLOGY
If you typed the outline on the computer during prewriting, use the same document to begin your writing. Be sure each item in the outline is a full sentence in your draft.
Topic sentence of report
Main idea of paragraph:
Life in New England Includes facts from a reliable source
Supporting details tell how Squanto helped the Pilgrims to survive.
77
PROCESS
Expository Writing: Research Report
Revise
Elaborate
One way to improve your writing is to elaborate.
When you elaborate, you add important ideas, facts, and details that might be missing from your writing. When you revise your expository writing, you may need to tell more information about key events.
The information that this writer added lets the reader know when an event happened.
Unfortunately, with little food or help, many Pilgrims died. that first winter
The writer added a fact to make clear which Native Americans were invited to the celebration.
They invited some Native Americans to help them celebrate.
Squanto and some of his friends
Word Choice
When you are writing an expository piece such as a research report, it is important to choose the right words for your topic and audience.
In expository writing, you need to find words that will help you order your information and connect your ideas.
These words are called transition words.
In March of 1621, help arrived. A Native american man named Squanto taught the Pilgrims how to fish. He taught them how to plant corn and other new crops.
With Squantos help, the fall brought a great harvest