Cranston High School West Library: Federman - Informational Writing

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• Website

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• Book with one Author

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5. When you are finished adding all citations 
6. “Download Bibliography”
7. Download to Google Drive
8. Copy and paste the Works Cited page into your paper

What is informational writing?

Informational writing is simply what it sounds like - it is writing to inform others about something that they may not know about. It presents information in a new context, original way, combining information in a way that helps readers look at that information in a new and interesting light. 

 

Let’s start with a topic:

The SS assignment asks you to answer: What role do art and culture have in bringing awareness to social issues?

Let’s revise this a bit to fit our needs:

• Choose a time in African American history and research that time period, event, or series of events.
• Also, research any change that occurred in society due to this event. 
• Finally, find one or more pieces of writing(a song, a movie, a poem, a short story, an essay, or a novel) that were written during that period that demonstrate this change of thinking/social norms. 
• Write an informational report about that period in African American history, and the effect the period had on society, and include evidence from a literary piece.

 

So, here is an example of a historical topic, the effect the time period had on society, an example of literature that reflects this period and the change that came out of it:

 

The Harlem Renaissance - I viewed this for a little preliminary research.

Led to the Civil Rights Movement

Poem: Langston Hughes’ Harlem

 

SO now what?

Step 1: Write an informational thesis statement

Here is mine:

The Harlem Renaissance, a time period in the US that began around 1920, was a cultural celebration of African American art, literature, and music.  Many people believe that this period empowered African Americans to battle discrimination and racism, ultimately leading to this country’s Civil Rights Movement. Much of the literature written during the time period predicted the movement by presenting the state of Black Americans as eruptive, including most famously, Langston Hughes’s poem “Harlem.”

 

Step 2 - decide how you will support it. Let’s look at what kinds of information help us support arguments, and practice supporting one. 

Step 3 - finding relevant research - Make a copy of this doc to complete step 3.

Step 4 - Putting it all together - It is time to take that thesis, and your support, and write your Informative report/essay- Open a new Google Doc and write your first draft.

 

I just want to mention a couple of things about when you write this:

1. Think about what your audience will have to know or understand to be convinced that you are right. Organize your information in a logical way. Think about a reader reading it.
2. Use a lot of “attribution language” - According to the author, so and so states, the article explains… use it liberally, and you will never be accused of plagiarism!!!!

No login needed from school.

Off campus? Email sevje@cpsed.net for password.

No login needed from school. Off campus? Email sevje@cpsed.net for password.

No login needed from school.

Off campus? Email sevje@cpsed.net for password.