How to Write an Essay About Trees for Kids
Expository essays are written to explain or inform. To write an expository essay on trees, include general information about trees, types of trees and the specific processes in nature that involve trees. Follow all steps in the writing process to make sure your essay is easy to follow and understand. Research, plan, organize, draft, edit and polish your essay to create a piece of writing about trees that is informative and useful.
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Things You'll Need
- Encyclopedia
- Articles on trees
- Essay graphic organizer
- Word processing software
- PC
Instructions
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Research basic information about trees and their purpose in nature. The encyclopedia is always a great place to start, because it provides general information. All general encyclopedias also have links or key words that can also be researched for more specific information on a general topic. For example, in an article on trees, one might find subheadings like "foliage," "ecosystem" and "shrub" alongside a general definition of the term "tree." Consult a tree encyclopedia that has detailed information about specific types of trees.
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Organize research findings in a graphic organizer. These often take the form of stem and leaf diagrams or web diagrams. A graphic organizer will help you place information into general and specific terms. Collect all articles in which you were able to find useful information and use only the parts that will fit into essay subheadings. The idea is to have three to five subheadings that will give introductory information about trees without becoming exhaustive in detail. For example, an essay about trees might have three subheadings entitled "Tree Species," "Trees and the Ecosystem," and "Deforestation". Then, fill in the details under the subheadings with supporting information from your research.
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Draft an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion. In the introduction, give a general definition for a tree, and introduce any key terms you will discuss within the essay's body paragraphs. In the body paragraphs, discuss types of trees and how they fit with a tree's basic definition, as well as information from your subheadings. In the conclusion, provide a basic reason for why trees are important and why the reader should be interested in learning more about them. Consider ending the essay with a question or idea for the reader to think about. For example, if your ending paragraph is about deforestation, you could conclude the essay with a statement like this: "Deforestation is rapidly destroying the world's population of trees. Can you imagine a world without them?"
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Edit and revise your essay by checking for correct organization, spelling, grammar and punctuation. If your essay has been written in a word processing program, you may use a spell-check tool that is part of most word processors. However, check carefully for homonyms, like "there" and "their" or "blue" and "blew," that the spell-checker may not catch. Check for proper organization. Body paragraphs generally start with a topic sentence that is supported with several sentences of explanation. Use transition sentences to link ideas and paragraphs.
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Polish your essay by adding a bibliography or works cited list and glossary. Expository essays often include glossaries of words that may be unfamiliar to the reader. Include words like "deforestation," "deciduous," "perennial," and "foliage" in your glossary along with their definitions. Avoid plagiarism by including a bibliography or works cited list, even if direct quotations were not used in your essay.
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Tips & Warnings
Remember to create an engaging title for your essay that will make readers want to know more. Your title may be placed in the center at the top of the first page or on a separate title page with your information.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit trees image by Rob Forster from Fotolia.com
