TEXT TYPE: EXPOSITION
Grammar Focus: Focus on connectives such as firstly, secondly, which link argument stages; Focus on relating and action verbs; Focus on statements.
Grammar Terminology: repeated words, eg animals; statement; name.
Writing Outcomes / Reading Outcomes / Talking & Listening Outcomes
WES1.9: Engages in writing texts with the intention of conveying an idea or message.
Focus (Refer to Syllabus p.36): / RES1.5: Demonstrates developing reading skills to read short, predictable written texts on familiar topics.
Focus (Refer to Syllabus p.28): / TES1.1: Communicates with peers and known adults in informal situations and structured activities dealing briefly with familiar topics.
Focus (Refer to Syllabus p.20):
RES1.6: Demonstrates developing reading skills and strategies for reading books, dealing with print and comprehending texts.
Focus (Refer to Syllabus p.30): / TES1.2: Demonstrates basic skills of classroom and group interaction, makes brief oral presentations and listens with reasonable attentiveness.
Focus (Refer to Syllabus p.22):
RES1.7: Demonstrates an emerging awareness that written and visual texts convey meaning and recognises that there are different kinds of texts that serve different purposes.
Focus (Refer to Syllabus p.32): / TES1.3: Recognises that there are different kinds of spoken texts and shows emerging awareness of school purposes and expectations for using spoken language.
Focus (Refer to Syllabus p.24):
WES1.8: Identifies some basic language structures and features of texts.
Focus (Refer to Syllabus p.34): / TES1.4: Identifies common organizational patterns & some characteristic language features of a few types of predictable spoken texts.
Focus (Refer to Syllabus p.27):
WES1.10: Produces simple texts that show the emergence of the grammar and punctuation needed to achieve the purpose of the text.
Focus (Refer to Syllabus p.38):
WES1.11: Begins to use letters to represent known words when spelling.
Focus (Refer to Syllabus p.40):
WES1.12: Produces most lower-case and upper-case letters and uses computer technology to begin to construct texts.
Focus (Refer to Syllabus p.42):
WES1.13: Recognises some different purposes for writing and that own texts differ in various ways.
Focus (Refer to Syllabus p.44):
WES1.14: Recognises overall text structure and basic grammatical features of simple texts and some conventions of written language.
Focus (Refer to Syllabus p.46):
Teaching and Learning Experiences
Writing / Reading / Talking & ListeningFoundation Statements:
Write with and increasing awareness of the nature, purpose and conventions of written language. Produce simple texts that demonstrate an awareness of the basic grammar and punctuation needs. Know and use letters and sounds of the alphabet to attempt to spell known words and use most lower and upper case letters appropriately to construct sentences. Explore the use of computer technology to construct texts.
Refer to: English K – 6 Modules p.83; Syllabus p.50-51
• Jointly construct expositions relating to current class/school/community issues, eg Should we be allowed to bring pets to school? Make clear the purpose and point out the different stages in the exposition text (ie position statement and
arguments). Display stages on a wall chart in the classroom. Display jointly constructed expositions.
• Use impromptu situations where issues arise to record the class’s opinion in a joint construction. Ask questions such as What is it we’re concerned about?, Why are we concerned?, What would we like to see happen or change?
• Brainstorm as a class reasons for a particular issue, eg ‘putting rubbish in the bin’, ‘washing hands after toilet trips’. Use
these lists as the basis for students to complete sentence beginnings, eg ‘Students should put rubbish in the bins because …’.
• Provide sentence starters for students to complete, eg ‘We should be allowed to bring pets to school because …’, ‘Another reason for bringing pets to school is …’. Have students illustrate their work. Staple pages together to make individual books for reading.
• Jointly construct posters to persuade students to behave in particular ways, eg Wear a hat so you won’t get sunburnt. Ask students to illustrate these posters and display them around the school.
• Model the use of connectives when writing expositions, eg firstly, secondly, thirdly, finally, showing how these words link the position statement to the argument. / Foundation Statements:
Develop reading, viewing and comprehension skills and strategies using context, grammar, word usage and phonics in short predictable printed texts on familiar topics. Recognise, discuss and respond to the different kinds and purposes of various written and visual texts. Explore and identify some language features of written and visual texts.
Refer to: English K – 6 Modules p.82; Syllabus p.50-51
• Select and read books in shared reading that are seeking to inform or persuade the reader in a particular way, eg books about the environment, endangered species. Point out the position statement and arguments in these texts. Display these terms on a wall chart in the classroom.
• In shared reading, point out sections in an exposition that tell what a writer thinks, and sections that tell why the writer
thinks this, to highlight the organisation of the text. Teachers may need to write some exposition texts for shared reading.
• During shared reading, have students identify words that indicate if a writer is for or against a particular issue.
• Include picture books of explanations for students to look at independently.
• Ask students to look through catalogues to find a product to ‘buy’ if they were able. Encourage student to provide one or
more reasons for wanting to buy this product.
• Select and read/view books, computer software and videos in shared reading experiences to help inform students about a
current issue. Make the purpose explicit, eg We’re watching this video/reading this book to find out about koalas. We can
use this information to say why we need to protect Australian animals.
• In shared reading, read jointly constructed expositions that have been made into class big books. Invite students to read their
‘own’ page. / Foundation Statements:
Mix and talk informally with peers, teachers and known adults. Give short talks and interact effectively in the classroom and in groups. Students listen with attentiveness to follow simple instructions and ask relevant questions. Express ideas clearly, demonstrating an emerging awareness of how people use spoken language for different purposes. Explore the way familiar spoken texts are constructed and the features of these texts.
Refer to: English K – 6 Modules p.81; Syllabus p.50-51
• Select an issue and ask students to express an opinion, eg favourite food, favourite television show, games they like to play, animals they like. Introduce the name ‘exposition’ for this type of text. Model this activity for the students. Discuss the social purpose of exposition.
• Encourage students to provide a reason when expressing an opinion, eg ‘I like … because …’.
• Discuss with students why we give reasons to support opinion arguments.
• Provide opportunities for students to make choices and encourage them to justify the choices they make, eg which activity to do; what to order for lunch; who to play with.
• Ask students, in small groups, to brainstorm and list, with teacher or parent help, responses to questions such as: ‘Should we pick up other people’s rubbish in the playground?’. Ask students to decide what they think and divide into two groups. Ask students to say why they should or should not pick up other people’s papers and rubbish.
• Provide opportunities for students to express an opinion relating to class/school/community issues. Use questions such as
‘Why do you think/feel that?’ to encourage students to justify their opinions. Use these class discussions as the basis for joint
construction activities.
• Invite a guest speaker to talk about a current issue. Following the presentation, encourage students to recall the topic of the
talk and the arguments raised by the speaker. List these and use this list in joint construction activities.
• Consider students’ opinions about a school issue, and predict the point of view of other school members, eg teachers, parents.
Find out their opinions by arranging for them to visit the class.
• Choose a school issue such as Kindergarten students should be allowed to play all day. Ask students to give reasons for their opinion.
Planned Assessment:
Differentiation/Adjustments: / Evaluation: