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The set targets gaps in practice essays and the lack of a reusable outline, emphasizing that each prompt requires close reading to identify the writer’s task. Activities include embedded grammar/mechanics/usage practice, reading support, vocabulary building, paraphrasing, and graphic organizer templates. The package is iterative, built from feedback, and authored by Michelle Monsour and Judy Bowers.",{"@graph":63,"@context":119},[64,80,102],{"@type":65,"itemListElement":66},"BreadcrumbList",[67,71,74,77],{"item":68,"name":69,"@type":70,"position":9},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":72,"name":10,"@type":70,"position":73},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/",2,{"item":75,"name":11,"@type":70,"position":76},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/presentations/",3,{"item":78,"name":59,"@type":70,"position":79},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/writers-write-8-practice-informational-essays-for-the-tasc-exam-draft/361199/",4,{"url":78,"name":59,"@type":81,"image":82,"author":87,"headline":59,"publisher":90,"fileFormat":93,"inLanguage":57,"description":61,"dateModified":94,"datePublished":95,"encodingFormat":93,"isAccessibleForFree":96,"interactionStatistic":97},"DigitalDocument",{"url":83,"@type":84,"width":85,"height":86},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/writers-write-8-practice-informational-essays-for-the-tasc-exam-draft/361199.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":88,"@type":89},"Jake","Person",{"url":68,"name":91,"@type":92},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-19","2026-09-23",true,{"@type":98,"interactionType":99,"userInteractionCount":101},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":100},"ViewAction",9,{"@type":103,"mainEntity":104},"FAQPage",[105,111,115],{"name":106,"@type":107,"acceptedAnswer":108},"Why is teaching the TASC informational essay more challenging than the argumentative essay?","Question",{"text":109,"@type":110},"The materials cite two main reasons: a lack of informational practice essays and the absence of a single “one size fits all” template. Each prompt requires close reading to determine the writer’s specific task, so the essay cannot always follow a simple pro/con or opinion structure.","Answer",{"name":112,"@type":107,"acceptedAnswer":113},"What does the program provide for practice informational writing?",{"text":114,"@type":110},"It provides a bank of eight text-based, practice informational essays for HSE classroom use. Each essay is paired with corresponding extension activities such as vocabulary work, templates, and targeted writing or reading skills.",{"name":116,"@type":107,"acceptedAnswer":117},"Which writing and reading skills do the extension activities focus on?",{"text":118,"@type":110},"Extension activities reinforce grammar, mechanics, and usage through skills like sentence combining, items in a series, parallelism, and punctuation such as the colon and semicolon. They also target reading skills like vocabulary building and reading visual information, plus writing skills such as paraphrasing.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":78,"og:type":121,"og:title":59,"og:site_name":91,"og:description":61},"article",{"robots":123,"canonical":78},"index,follow",{"doc_id":125,"site_id":56},361199,1791528923,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":128},{"doc_id":125,"user_id":129,"nickname":88,"user_avatar":130,"doc_module":9,"category_id":8,"category_name":11,"doc_title":59,"doc_description":61,"doc_content":131,"file_id":132,"file_url":133,"file_type":134,"file_size":135,"view_count":101,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":9,"is_downloadable":9,"audit_status":9,"page_count":136,"language":137,"language_code":57,"site_id":56,"html_lang":57,"table_of_contents":138,"faqs":139,"seo_title":140,"seo_description":61,"update_tm":141,"read_time":35},962084928904,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","Our mini-grant offers a solution to a problem we voiced in our discussions at the last Institute: teaching the informational essay for the TASC exam is much more of a challenge for us than teaching the argumentative essay. We identified two reasons for this:  \n• Lack of practice essays. Most of the testing preparation books focus more on the argumentative essay.  \n• Lack of a “one size fits all” template or outline for the essays. In our experience, this essay cannot be easily formatted in a pro/con/my opinion organizational structure like the argumentative style. It depends on a close reading of the prompt to determine what the writer’s “job” is. This job differs from prompt to prompt.  \nWe created a bank of 8 text-based, practice informational essays to use in the HSE classroom on the following topics:  \nThe Harms of Television The Great Depression Fixed vs. Growth Mindset The Heroin Epidemic  \nGlobal Warming  \nConcerns Regarding Green Energy Dangers of Supplements and Miracle Cures Civil Rights Movements: Then and Now  \nIn addition to these 8 essays you will find corresponding extension activities which include the following:  \n• Embedded skills-based activities to reinforce the teaching of grammar, mechanics, and usage. We focused on TASC identified high-medium emphasis writing skills like sentence combining, items in a series, parallelism and the use of the colon and semi-colon.  \n• Activities to reinforce important reading skills such as building vocabulary and reading visual information, and writing skills such as paraphrasing.  \n• Graphic organizers and templates that we created with our students. These assist in reading with purpose and planning the essay.  \nThis is a work in progress, one that we plan to build upon, edit, and change based on feedback from colleagues and students.  \nCreated by: Michelle Monsour (Syracuse EOC) and Judy Bowers (Capital District EOC)  \nWRITERS  \nWRITE  \n8 PRACTICE INFORMATIONAL ESSAYS FOR THE TASC EXAM  \nJudy Bowers—Capital District Educational Opportunity Center Michelle Monsour—Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center March 2016  \nTable of Contents  \nTopic 1-Growth vs. Fixed Mindset  \nExtension Activity-Graphic Organizer/Prewriting Topic 2-The Harm of Television  \nExtension Activity-Vocabulary and Essay Template Topic 3-The Great Depression  \nExtension Activity-Sentence Combining Topic 4-The Painkiller/Heroin Epidemic  \nExtension Activity-Parallelism Topic 5-Global Warming  \nExtension Activity-Sentence Combining  \nBuilding Background Knowledge Topic 6-Concerns Regarding Green Energy  \nExtension Activity-Semicolons Topic 7-Dangers of Supplements and \"Miracle\" Cures Extension Activity-Colons  \nTopic 8-Civil Rights Movements: Then and Now  \nExtension Activity-Paraphrasing  \nAlternate Article for use with prompt  \nINFORMATIONAL ESSAY  \nTOPIC:  \nPurpose : Audience: Form  \nIn the box below, you will turn the essay topic—what you are going to write about—into one or more questions. For example, if the essay assignment read,“Write an informational essay explaining what the TASC exam is and how to prepare for it,” you then turn the assignment into the following 2 questions: What is the TASC exam? How can students prepare for it? These questions will be your guiding questions for your reading. Your essay will be focused on answering those two questions.  \nGUIDING QUESTIONS—TURN TOPIC INTO QUESTIONS:  \nNow you can start reading the texts you need in order to answer your guiding questions and write your essay. But first, know that you already have almost enough done to write a simple, easy introduction. I call this “INTRODUCTION 911”—if you feel like you can’t get started after you do the readings, this will get the introduction out of the way. Remember, you don’t have a lot of time to write this essay.  \nAsk one or two questions to get your reader interested and to introduce the topic. The 2nd to last sentence will be your guiding question. If you can answer the question, that answer will be your ","cbCaigRaxBDZ2cQT","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaigRaxBDZ2cQT","pdf",667843,48,"English","# Topic 1: Growth vs. Fixed Mindset\n## Extension Activity: Graphic Organizer/Prewriting\n# Topic 2: The Harm of Television\n## Extension Activity: Vocabulary and Essay Template\n# Topic 3: The Great Depression\n## Extension Activity: Sentence Combining\n# Topic 4: The Painkiller/Heroin Epidemic\n## Extension Activity: Parallelism\n# Topic 5: Global Warming\n## Extension Activity: Sentence Combining\n## Building Background Knowledge\n# Topic 6: Concerns Regarding Green Energy\n## Extension Activity: Semicolons\n# Topic 7: Dangers of Supplements and \"Miracle\" Cures\n## Extension Activity: Colons\n# Topic 8: Civil Rights Movements: Then and Now\n## Extension Activity: Paraphrasing\n# Alternate Article for Use With Prompt\n# Informational Essay Topic: Purpose, Audience, Form\n# Guiding Questions—Turn Topic Into Questions\n# Introduction 911\n# Essay Prompt and Planning Steps","[{\"question\":\"Why is teaching the TASC informational essay more challenging than the argumentative essay?\",\"answer\":\"The materials cite two main reasons: a lack of informational practice essays and the absence of a single “one size fits all” template. Each prompt requires close reading to determine the writer’s specific task, so the essay cannot always follow a simple pro/con or opinion structure.\"},{\"question\":\"What does the program provide for practice informational writing?\",\"answer\":\"It provides a bank of eight text-based, practice informational essays for HSE classroom use. Each essay is paired with corresponding extension activities such as vocabulary work, templates, and targeted writing or reading skills.\"},{\"question\":\"Which writing and reading skills do the extension activities focus on?\",\"answer\":\"Extension activities reinforce grammar, mechanics, and usage through skills like sentence combining, items in a series, parallelism, and punctuation such as the colon and semicolon. They also target reading skills like vocabulary building and reading visual information, plus writing skills such as paraphrasing.\"}]","WRITERS - WRITE 8 PRACTICE INFORMATIONAL ESSAYS FOR THE TASC EXAM - Draft | PDF",1790143510]