CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2.D

By Anonymous (not verified), 12 March, 2026

Assessing with an Explanatory Rubric

Test graders will use a rubric to judge the quality of your writing for assessment. By using the following rubric to judge your own writing, you can become aware of what testers are looking for and can improve your scores in the future.

Assess with a rubric.

Use the following rubric to score an explanatory essay for assessment.

By Anonymous (not verified), 12 March, 2026

Writing an Essay for Assessment

Some tests ask you to write an essay response to articles you have closely read. The following activity will help you practice.

Analyze an essay prompt.

Read the following prompt, answer the PAST questions, write a focus statement, and list details.

Read the writing prompt.

Imagine that your teacher has assigned you to write an explanatory essay about the lives of monarch butterflies. You will be using the sources in this unit. Focus your thinking about monarch butterflies and create an essay. Include details from the sources to support your ideas.

Answer the PAST questions.

Purpose?

Audience?

Subject?

Type?

By Anonymous (not verified), 12 March, 2026

Writing a Paragraph for Assessment

Some tests ask you to write a paragraph in response to sources you have read or viewed. The following activity will help you practice responding.

Analyze the writing prompt.

Read the following prompt, answer the PAST questions, write a topic sentence, and list details.

Read the writing prompt.

You have just read three articles and watched a video about monarch butterflies. Write a paragraph that explains how the additional sources expand your understanding from Source 1. Include at least two examples, naming the title and author of each source that you use.

Answer the PAST questions.

Purpose?

Audience?

Subject?

Type?

By Anonymous (not verified), 12 March, 2026

Writing a Process Essay

Once you finish prewriting, you are ready to create the first draft of your ideas. These writing activities will help you create a strong beginning, middle, and ending for your process essay. You'll also read another student's essay to see how all of the parts came together.

Writing the Beginning Paragraph

Write your beginning paragraph.

Write your lead sentence and move to your focus statement.

Lead Sentence

Detail Sentences

Focus Statement

By Anonymous (not verified), 12 March, 2026

Warm-Up for Process Essays

A process essay leads readers through a series of steps for getting something done. This lesson will help you think about different processes and which ones you might explain in an essay.

What Is a Process?

Listen to "What Is a Process?"

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A process is a series of steps for getting something done. For a bird, building a nest is a process. For a bee or a squirrel, gathering food is a process. And for a student, writing a process essay is, itself, a process.

What processes do you know how to do? What processes could you explain to others?

When you write a process essay, you explain how to do something or how something works. Each paragraph in your essay focuses on a step in the process. The sentences follow time order, leading the reader from start to finish.

Process writing helps you get the job done!

Watch the video "What Is a Process?"

By Anonymous (not verified), 12 March, 2026

Understanding Explanatory Paragraphs

Your main purpose in an explanatory paragraph is to give information about a subject. You may give directions, present ideas, or explain how to do something. An explanatory paragraph uses transitions such as first, then, after, and finally.

Read an explanatory paragraph.

Read the following paragraph. Note how the first sentence introduces the topic, the body sentences include details with time transitions, and the ending sentence wraps up the explanation.

Listen to "Building Our Tree House"

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Topic Sentence Last summer, my friends and I built a tree house in our back yard. Our first step was to agree on a design for the tree house. Then we made a list of materials we needed and located a store that sold building supplies. We took our list and the money we had saved and went shopping. Body SentencesWe loaded everything into my dad’s van and headed back. The first thing we had to do was build a frame for the floor of the house. (My mom helped with that.) Then we used a rope to raise all the wood up into the tree. TransitionsAfterward, we nailed the floorboards to the frame, and we soon had a floor. After that, we added walls and a roof. It took us all afternoon, but it was worth it. Ending Sentence We now had a great place to hang out for the rest of the summer.

By Anonymous (not verified), 12 March, 2026

Writing Strong Beginnings and Endings

An effective paragraph begins with a clear topic sentence and ends with a strong closing point. These activities will help you practice writing these important parts.

Writing Topic Sentences

The topic sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is about. It names the topic and gives a thought or feeling about it. Most of the time, it is the first sentence of the paragraph.

Sample Topic Sentence

The new indoor skateboard park challenges even the best skateboarders.

Specific topic: The new indoor skateboard park
Thought or feeling: Challenges even the best skateboarders

Read topic sentences.

Write the topic and thought or feeling for each sentence.

My brother’s room is the messiest room on the planet.
Topic:

Thought or feeling:
Keeping a well-organized backpack is one of the keys to a good day at school.
Topic:

Thought or feeling:

Rules

Rules One day, on the way home from school, my mom told me she was going to make up some new rules for me and my brothers and sisters. Before this, we knew she wanted us to be good, but we really didn’t have any rules. Well, Mom took care of that. On Sunday, she started giving us the “house rules.” Clean your rooms every other day. Be ready for dinner at 7:00 p.m. (that means sitting at the table, with clean hands). If Mom is having a meeting in the house, be very quiet (that means turn down the music and the TV). Be ready for bed at 9:30 p.m. (that means lying in bed, with clean faces).

My Mother

My Mother Do you have someone who is great, spends time with you, cares for you, and is an important person? Well, I do, and she has black hair, brown eyes, and a caring touch. That’s my mom. My mom talks to me about many things. One of the things she talks to me about is what will happen when I grow up. She tells me what to do in case of an emergency. And one day I had a really bad day with my friends, and she told me what to do about it. My mom and I spend a lot of time together. We play games, bake cookies, make necklaces, and draw doodle tricks. But our favorite thing to do is read.

My Favorite Place to Go

My Favorite Place to Go Do you have a favorite place to go—a place with family, good weather, and fun things to do like crabbing? I’m glad I do. New Jersey is my favorite place for many reasons. The first reason is my family. Over half of my family lives in New Jersey. When I visit, my cousins and I laugh and play all day and night. My uncles and aunts take me to the boardwalk where we ride roller coasters. We devour juicy caramel-covered apples and foot-long hot dogs. My family is fun to be with. The second reason for New Jersey being my favorite place is the weather.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2.D