In this unit, you have been writing informative material about topics that focus on the environment. After you finished your first draft, you reviewed your writing, keeping in mind your purpose. Your reason for writing has mostly been to inform or to explain. When writing informative or explanatory material, purposes might include:
to inform readers about a topic
to explain a process or issue
to persuade readers to agree with an opinion
to motivate readers to do something
to describe a person, place, or thing
to reflect on an experience or feeling
As you reviewed your writing, you also kept in mind your audience—people who will be reading your work. You may write for a single reader, such as your Learning Coach or a friend. You may write for a larger audience, such as newspaper readers or for members of a club or student group. Whatever your audience, keeping them in mind helps guide you by reminding you to consider what readers are likely to know about your topic and what they will find most interesting.
Environmental topics can be complex. They often link different subject areas and involve current events. For example, an examination into how warming oceans impact coral reefs includes science facts about coral polyps, ecosystems, and the exchange of CO2 between the ocean and the atmosphere. It also involves understanding how society and governments impact the natural world.
Still, writing about environmental topics doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Narrowing your topic to a specific focus helped you target your research and manage information. Keeping in mind your purpose and audience also helped you include appropriate details and convey them in a suitable tone.
Now, as you read over your finished draft, ask yourself how well it suits your purpose and audience. To determine whether you need to make any final revisions, consider these questions:
What is my purpose for writing? Does my essay fulfill this purpose?
Are there places where I departed from my purpose, and if so, how?
Did I include any elements that do not belong in informative or explanatory writing, such as opinions or personal reflections?
What is my audience? What are my readers likely to know about this topic? Do I need to define terms or explain things more clearly? Are my sentence structures and language appropriate?
Which of my points will interest my audience most? Did I emphasize those points, or highlight them in my introduction?
The rubric will help you to assess your writing. Read it carefully to see how well you have followed the rules for writing informative/explanatory texts.
Read over your finished writing product and think about these questions. Write your reflections in your journal.
How useful was the organizational plan you created in helping you with the writing process? How closely did you follow your plan? Would your essay have been more effective if you followed your plan more closely, or did your final organization make more sense?
How effective do you think your text was in achieving its purpose? Do you think your text is written in a way that appeals to your audience?
Did you include all the information you wanted? Was there anything additional that you wish you had included?
How heavily did you revise your text in the revising and editing process? In what ways did your changes improve your text?
- I found the organizational plan to be very useful in helping me with the writing process. It helped me stay focused and organized throughout the entire process. I followed my plan quite closely, but there were a few minor changes that I made along the way.
- I believe my text was effective in achieving its purpose of informing and explaining. I provided clear and concise information about the environmental topics I was writing about. I think my text is written in a way that appeals to my audience by using simple language and avoiding jargon.
- I included all the necessary information that I wanted to convey in my essay. However, there were a few additional details that I wish I had included to further support my points.
- I made several revisions during the revising and editing process. These changes improved my text by making it more concise, adding more clarity, and strengthening my arguments and evidence. I also checked for grammar and punctuation errors to ensure the overall quality of my writing.
The organizational plan that I created was very useful in helping me with the writing process. It gave me a clear structure to follow and helped me stay focused on my main points. I followed my plan pretty closely, but there were a few places where I deviated slightly. Overall, I think my essay would have been more effective if I had followed my plan more closely, as it would have made the logical progression of my ideas more clear.
I believe my text was effective in achieving its purpose of informing and explaining. I presented the information in a clear and concise manner, and I provided enough details to support my points. I think my text is written in a way that appeals to my audience, as I kept their knowledge level in mind and explained any complex concepts or terms.
I included all the information that I wanted to in my essay. I made sure to cover all the important aspects of the topic and provide a comprehensive overview. However, there were some additional details that I came across during my research that I wish I had included. I may consider incorporating those in future revisions or in a follow-up piece.
I revised my text quite heavily in the revising and editing process. I focused on clarifying my ideas, improving the flow of my sentences, and ensuring that my language was appropriate for my audience. I made several changes that improved my text, such as reorganizing paragraphs, adding more examples and evidence, and tightening up my language to make it more concise.
Overall, I am happy with the revisions I made and I believe they have strengthened my essay. However, I will continue to review and make further improvements to ensure that my text is as effective as possible for my purpose and audience.
The organizational plan you created at the beginning of the writing process is an essential tool for staying focused and organized. It helps you outline the main points you want to cover and the order in which you will present them. Following your plan closely can ensure that your essay flows logically and effectively communicates the information to your audience.
When reflecting on your finished draft, think about how closely you adhered to your organizational plan. Did you cover all the main points you initially outlined? Did you deviate from the original order or structure? Evaluating how closely you followed your plan will help you determine if your final organization makes sense or if it would have been more effective to adhere more closely to your plan.
Consider how successful your text was in achieving its purpose. If your purpose was to inform or explain, assess whether your essay fulfilled this purpose. Did you present clear and concise information that your audience can understand? Did you provide enough evidence or examples to support your points? Pay attention to any areas where you might have departed from your purpose, such as including personal opinions or reflections. Remember, for informative or explanatory writing, it's crucial to stick to the facts and avoid subjective elements.
Think about your audience and how well your text appeals to them. Consider what your readers likely know about the topic and whether you need to define terms or provide additional explanations. Evaluate your sentence structures and language to ensure they are appropriate for your audience. Are there any areas where you could have been clearer or more concise in your explanations? Assess if you emphasized the points that would interest your audience the most and if you highlighted them in your introduction.
Reflect on whether you included all the information you wanted in your essay or if there is anything additional you wish you had included. This can help you identify any gaps or areas where you can further improve your writing. Additionally, analyze how heavily you revised your text during the revising and editing process. Consider how your changes improved your text. Did they enhance clarity, strengthen arguments, or make the flow of information smoother? Reflecting on these changes can help you understand the impact of your revisions and guide you for future writing endeavors.
Overall, take this opportunity to critically assess your writing, keeping in mind your purpose, audience, and the effectiveness of your organization, content, and revisions. Use your reflections to make any final revisions or improvements to ensure that your essay is informative, engaging, and relevant to your readers.