Week 12 — The Informative/Explanatory Writing Task

MCAP ELA 10 practice · Informative/explanatory constructed response · Download .docx

Objectives

Introduce a topic with a clear controlling idea and organize the explanation into logical, connected paragraphs.
Develop the explanation with relevant, cited evidence from the sources, clear explanation, precise vocabulary, and a formal style.
Write a conclusion that follows from the explanation and edit so the response earns Written Expression and Written Conventions points.

Key terms

Controlling idea: The one-sentence main point an informative essay explains.
Topic sentence: A paragraph's opening statement of its main point.
Relevant evidence: Facts and quotations that directly support a point.
Integrate: Blend a quotation into your own sentence with a citation.
Paraphrase: Restate a source idea in your own words and give credit.
Domain-specific vocabulary: Precise words that belong to the subject.
Formal style: Objective writing without slang or personal opinion.
Explanation: Your sentences that show how evidence supports a point.

The concept

What the informative task asks

An informative/explanatory constructed response on MCAP ELA 10 asks you to explain something using the passages you read: how a process works, why something happens, or what effects a change has. You are teaching the reader, not persuading them. If you find yourself writing "everyone should," you have drifted into argument.

Answer the prompt's exact question

Underline the prompt's verb and topic. "Explain how rain gardens help communities manage stormwater" calls for the ways they help. "Explain why dead zones form" calls for causes. Your controlling idea should answer that question in one sentence and preview your main points: "Rain gardens help communities manage stormwater by capturing runoff, filtering pollutants, and reducing floods."

Organize by idea

Give each main point its own body paragraph, and open each paragraph with a topic sentence that ties back to the controlling idea. Choose a structure that fits the prompt:

- Causes and effects for "why" or "what happens" prompts

- Steps in order for "how a process works" prompts

- Comparison for prompts about two places, methods, or groups

Use transitions between and within paragraphs, such as "In addition," "As a result," and "Once the oxygen is gone," so readers can follow the logic.

Use and explain the evidence

When the prompt says "use both sources," use both. Introduce each quotation and name its source: "According to Source 2, soil and roots act as 'a natural filter.'" Then explain it. A strong pattern is point, evidence, explanation: state the point, give the evidence, and spend at least two sentences showing how the evidence proves the point. Paraphrasing is fine, but it must be in your own words and still credit the source.

Sound like an expert

Use the topic's precise vocabulary, such as runoff, dissolved oxygen, or native plants, instead of vague words like "stuff" or "things." Keep an objective, formal tone: no slang, no "I think," no exclamation points.

Conclude and edit

End with a conclusion that follows from what you explained, such as why the process matters or how the points connect, rather than adding a new topic. Then proofread for fragments, run-ons, agreement errors, and punctuation. Written Expression (0–4) rewards a clear controlling idea, organization, developed evidence, and precise language; Written Conventions (0–3) rewards control of grammar, usage, and mechanics.

Worked examples

Example 1: Prompt: Explain how oyster reefs affect the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Use both passages. Draft introduction: "Oysters are really cool and there are a lot of them in the Bay. I will tell you about them." Step 1: Find the prompt's question — how oyster reefs affect the Bay's health. Step 2: Gather the main points from the sources — oysters filter water, and reefs shelter young fish and crabs. Step 3: Combine them into one formal sentence that answers the question. Model revision: "Oyster reefs improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay in two main ways: oysters filter the water, and their reefs shelter young fish and crabs." Why it works: it answers the exact question, previews the body paragraphs, and uses a formal, objective tone.

Example 2: Draft body sentences: "Pavement gets hot. 'Dark pavement and rooftops absorb sunlight and release it as heat long after sunset.' Trees are good." Step 1: Add a topic sentence that connects to the controlling idea about why some neighborhoods are hotter. Step 2: Introduce and cite the quotation instead of dropping it in. Step 3: Explain what the evidence shows and connect it to the next idea. Model revision: "One reason some city blocks are hotter than others is the surface that covers them. According to Passage 1, 'dark pavement and rooftops absorb sunlight and release it as heat long after sunset.' This means a block covered in asphalt keeps warming the air even at night, so residents get little relief. Blocks with more trees have more shade and less exposed pavement, which helps explain why they stay cooler."

Common mistakes

Arguing instead of explaining. Students add opinions like "everyone should build a rain garden" to an informative prompt. Fix it by checking the prompt's verb and cutting any sentence that tells readers what they should do or believe.
Dropping in quotations without explanation. A quotation alone does not show understanding. Fix it by following each quotation with at least two sentences that begin with phrases like "This shows" or "This means."
Using only one source when the prompt says both. Responses that draw only on one passage lose Written Expression credit. Fix it by planning at least one detail from each source before drafting and labeling each one by source in the essay.

Self-check

Try each one before you look. A miss here costs nothing and tells you exactly what to reread.

1. Which sentence would work best as a controlling idea for the prompt "Explain why some city neighborhoods are hotter than others"?

2. What should come right after a quotation in an informative essay?

3. Which phrase best fits a formal, objective informative essay?

4. A prompt says to use information from both sources. A response uses only Source 1, but is well organized. Which score is most affected?

5. Which conclusion best fits an essay explaining how rain gardens reduce flooding and pollution?

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