How to write an informative essay by building it

backwards using evidence from a text passage.

 The following “Build It Backwards”
approach to writing an informative essay
provides a strategy to essay writing that
follows the flow of information gathering.
 Often, we begin writing prior to gathering
An informative essay
evidence. uses evidence from a
 This will cause us to try and find evidence that text or other source to
supports our writing. provide written
 For the purpose of writing an informative essay, we information on a topic.
should be writing to our evidence rather than finding Your informative essay
evidence to support our writing. must include 5
 The “Build It Backwards” approach will ask paragraphs.
you to find your evidence first, then write • Introduction

based on the evidence found in the text. • Three topic

paragraphs
• Conclusion
Specific instructions on how to complete the
introduction box of your Informative Essay Flow Map.
 Write your three topic sentences based on the
topics found in your “First Read” worksheet.
 This is a great place to start without having to
read the text over again.
 Find three topics in the text for your three
topic sentences and paragraphs.
 Write three topic sentences, based on your
examples from the text, to include in your
introduction paragraph.
 Review your topic sentences and write a purpose
statement.
 What is the purpose for writing this essay?
 This is an informative essay, so you are providing
information on your topic(s).
 Think about our essential question:
 How can words inspire change?
 Can your essay serve the purpose of informing readers
on how words can inspire change?
 Does the text you read have anything to do with words
inspiring change in communities?
 This serves as your introduction sentence.
 Review your purpose statement and write a hook
for your reader to draw them in to your essay
which covers all three topics.
 Your purpose statement will give you an idea of
what you can write for an overall introduction for
your essay.
 What information are you trying to share?
 Is there a specific person or event in your text
you can use, like we read in the Hazel Bryan
text?
A full paragraph includes:
• Hook (or introduction sentence, written on your Flow Map)
• Purpose statement (you wrote this on your Flow Map)
• 3 topic sentences (you wrote these on your Flow Map)
• Conclusion sentence (write this based on your introduction paragraph)
Specific instructions on how to complete the three topic
paragraph boxes of your Informative Essay Flow Map.
 Find specific examples from your text that
support your topic sentence.
 You need three for each topic paragraph.
 What is your topic?
 How do your examples fit your topic and provide
evidence of your main idea.
 It is easier to find your text examples first, and
then write your sentences about those examples.
 Otherwise, you are trying to find examples to
support what you wrote, which can be more difficult.
 Your example sentences need to support your
main idea or topic sentence with
details/evidence from the text.
 Use the text examples you found to support
your main idea and write a sentence about
each of them.
 These sentences should describe how the
evidence from the text supports your main idea.
 Write your introduction sentence for your topic
paragraphs using the example sentences.
 Your introduction sentence should be an overview
of what you will talk about in the rest of your
paragraph.
 State what you will cover in this topic paragraph.
 For example:
 The text included evidence of _________, which is
clear when the author says ________ and ______.
 Write your conclusion sentence for your topic paragraph
based on the three sentences you wrote from the examples in
the text.
 This sentence should summarize what you discussed in the
paragraph and restate your topic.
 For example:
 As you can see from the evidence provided in the text,
____________ and __________ had an impact on ___________ and
gave the people inspiration based on the words spoken that day.
A full paragraph includes:
• Main idea or topic sentence (written on your Flow Map)
• 3 sentences with text examples (written on your Flow Map)
• Conclusion sentence (tie the examples and topic together)
Specific instructions on how to complete the conclusion
paragraph box of your Informative Essay Flow Map.
 Refer back to your hook…this is your
introduction sentence in your introduction
paragraph.
 Write an introduction sentence to your
conclusion paragraph by restating the purpose
of your essay.
 Why did you write this essay?
 What information did you seek to provide?
 Write a summary of your evidence.
 Use the evidence you found and wrote about in your topic
paragraphs.
 Summarize (write a few sentences about the evidence you from
your text) this evidence from the text.
 Your summary should be two to three sentences which tie
all your topic paragraphs together.
 For instance:
 In this essay, evidence from the text ________ was provided to support the
idea that words can inspire change. Evidence provided included the
paragraph about __________ in the text _________. Additionally, the text
____________ included evidence supporting the main idea of this essay in
paragraph __________ on page _________ where ___________ is discussed.
 Refer back to your summary sentences in your
conclusion paragraph.
 Write a conclusion sentence to your conclusion
paragraph by restating the content and
purpose of your essay.
 Why did you write this essay?
 What information did you seek to provide?
A full paragraph includes:
• Introduction sentence (written on your Flow Map)
• Restate your purpose (you wrote this on your Flow Map)
• Summarize your topic paragraphs (you wrote these on your Flow Map)
• Conclusion sentence (write this based on your introduction paragraph)