EXPL ESSAY

You may choose:

a natural phenomenon like the behavioral ecology of the Snowy Owl or Bald Eagle, carbon sequestration, the salmon life cycle, nitrogen-fixation… or

how to do something like driving an airboat, catching and banding Sandhill Cranes, tracking armadillos with transmitters…

Grading

1. Write the document coherently (so it all flows smoothly, logically, naturally) with

subheadings and proper paragraphing technique (topic sentences, paragraphs unified with one

main idea, and transitions between paragraphs unless subheadings make them unnecessary). 10

2. Make your document lively by:

Using a hook if appropriate to engage your reader’s interest

Writing in the active voice 20

Not nominalizing verbs 5

Including one or more illustrations 5

Writing concisely 15

4. Write carefully – read your first draft aloud to detect

Overuse of key words 5

Choppy sentences 5

Spelling errors, slips of the eye, typos, page layout glitches 20