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Expository Essay Prompt
An expository essay gives information about a topic to the reader in a manner that is well-researched and clearly organized. Some expositions involve comparing and contrasting differences within a given topic of interest. In a 600 to 800-word essay, research and write an informative/expository essay in response to one of the following questions:
1. How has the decline in the honeybee population affected farmers in the United States?
2. How do 'hybrid' cars (ones that use both gasoline and electricity) differ from traditional (gasoline-only) cars?
Formatting & Sources
Please write your paper in the APA format. The essay should have an introduction, at least two supporting paragraphs with topic sentences, and a conclusion. You will need to conduct basic research outside of the resources on Study.com, finding at least three sources that pertain to your topic. Please keep in mind to avoid sites that do not seem legitimate, i.e. Wikipedia, and to look for .gov or .edu sites for credible sources. Be sure to include a bibliography in APA style that credits the sources you used in your essay. This includes any Study.com lessons you used as sources (including the lesson title and instructor's name). If you're unsure about how to use APA format to cite your sources, please see the following lessons:
· What is APA Format? Definition & Style
· How To Format APA Citations.
Your essay will be graded based on the following rubric:
|
Category |
Unacceptable (0-1) |
Needs Improvement (2-3) |
Good (4) |
Excellent (5) |
Total Possible Points |
|
Purpose |
Main points are nonexistent or irrelevant to overall purpose |
Main points are difficult to identify or under-developed |
Main points are clearly related to overall purpose |
Main points are developed and well-supported, connecting clearly to overall purpose |
5 |
|
Structure and Organization |
Disorganized and illogical structure hinders understanding |
Somewhat disorganized, but structure does not detract from understanding of main points |
Structure is logical; main points are supported by organization; introduction and conclusion are included |
Organization is logical; structure enhances clarity and delivery of main ideas; introduction and conclusion are connected well to supporting content |
5 |
|
Clarity |
Vague or unclear writing; reader is left with several unanswered questions |
Writing is ambiguous in a few areas; overall content is either not fully explained, or is too wordy for the content included |
Phrasing and word choice are mostly effective; explanations and descriptions are thorough without being wordy |
Syntax is very clear and concise. All supporting explanations and descriptions are precise, thorough, and efficient |
5 |
|
Mechanics |
Incorrect spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and use of standard English grammar hinders understanding |
Several instances of incorrect spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and usage of standard English grammar |
Few instances of incorrect spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and usage of standard English grammar |
No or very few instances of incorrect spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and usage of standard English grammar |
5 |
|
Research |
Fewer than three sources are cited, or all citations are from Study.com only |
At least three citations are included, but are not from legitimate/objective sources of information (i.e. Wikipedia) |
Citations are included from legitimate sources, but are not entirely appropriate and/or well-integrated with the overall content of the essay |
Citations are included from legitimate sources that are both appropriate to the topic and well-integrated within the overall content of the essay |
5 |
Before You Submit
When you are done writing your essay, we suggest taking some time to check for any errors or to add some final touches. We also suggest that you use online plagiarism checkers such as PlagScan or DupliChecker to make sure that your paper is not too similar to any existing materials. Plagiarized submissions will NOT be graded
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