INFORMATION TEXT

JOHN DSOUZA

SAMPLE DESCRIPTION

It was the most beautiful banana split that I had ever seen. In the middle of the bowl, there were three scoops of ice-cream: chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla. On top of the ice-cream were a banana and a thick web of chocolate and caramel sauces. A huge puff of whipped cream covered the sauces and a handful of crushed nuts dappled the whipped cream. On top of it all was a cherry, but I’ve never liked the soggy squish of cherries.

DESCRIPTION PROMPTS• A waiting room• A basketball, baseball glove, or tennis racket• A cell phone• A laptop computer• A favorite restaurant• Your dream house• Your memory of a place that you visited as a child• A locker• An accident scene• A city bus or subway train

• An unusual room• A child's secret hiding place• A bowl of fruit• An item left too long in your refrigerator• Backstage during a play or a concert• A vase of flowers• A rest room in a service station• A street that leads to your home or

school• Your favorite food• The scene at a concert or athletic event

PROBLEM & SOLUTION TEXT

Freezer burn may have wasted more ice-cream than sidewalks. If you don’t know, freezer burn is when ice crystals form on the surface of ice-cream. These ice crystals can ruin the texture and flavor of the ice cream. But you can prevent freezer burn. Since freezer burn is caused when melted ice-cream is refrozen, rather than eating your ice-cream from the container as it melts, scoop your ice-cream into a bowl and put the container back in the fridge immediately. Doing this ought to help you solve your issues with freezer burn.

PROBLEM & SOLUTION PROMPTS

• How can we help homeless people in our community?

• How can we prevent people from dropping out of high school?

• How can teenagers be convinced to drive more safely?

• What can be done to eliminate or prevent racism?

• How can we deal with the problem of illegal immigration?

• What should we do about the increase in gun violence?

• How can health care be given more equally around the world?

• How can health care be given more equally around the world?

• How can we improve literacy?• What can be done to prevent human

trafficking?• How can we persuade people to make healthy

lifestyle choices like exercising?• How can we best reduce the problem of

terrorism?• Should there be controls on the media in the

way they portray celebrities?• What should we do to help people get jobs?

COMPARE & CONTRAST TEXT

Ice-cream is a delicious frozen treat that comes in a many different colors and flavors. Two of my favorite flavors are strawberry and chocolate. Though both of these flavors are delicious, strawberry may contain pieces of fruit while chocolate usually will not. Even though more chocolate ice-cream is sold across the country annually than strawberry, each flavor tastes great inside of a milk shake.

COMPARE & CONTRAST PROMPTS

• Two classes in the same subject: one in FS and the other in Primary

• The car you own and the car you dream of owning• Two types of exercise• Two ways of studying for an exam• Microsoft’s Zune and Apple's iPod• Your family home and the house of your dreams• Harry Potter--on the page and on the screen• Two memorable teachers or professors• Two ways of downloading music or movies• An active student and a passive student

• Two places you have visited• Two perspectives on the same place: past and

present• Two fast-food restaurants• An online class compared to a traditional class• The Toyota Camry hybrid and the Camry sedan• Two pets in the same household• Two professional athletes• Two neighborhoods• A real vacation and a dream vacation• Two video games

CAUSE & EFFECT TEXT

Have you ever had an ice-cream headache? That’s when a painful sensation resonates in your head after eating something cold (usually ice-cream) on a hot day. This pain is produced by the dilation of a nerve center in the roof of your mouth. The nerve center is overreacting to the cold by trying to heat your brain. Ice-cream headaches have turned many smiles to frowns.

CAUSE & EFFECT PROMPTS• The effect of a parent, teacher, or friend on your

life• Why some students cheat• The effects of growing up with a personal

computer• Why people exercise• Why people keep pets• The effects of computers on our everyday lives• Why some people choose not to carry a cell phone• The environmental effects of bottled water• Why reality shows are so popular• The effects of pressures on students to get good

grades

• The causes of noise pollution• The effects of noise pollution• Why so few students read newspapers• The effects of moving to a new town or city• Why sales of DVDs are declining• Why growing numbers of people shop online• Why students drop out of high school or college• Why so many people eat junk food• The long-term effects of unemployment on a

person• The influence of a book or a movie on your life

SEQUENCE TEXT

Making ice-cream is not easy. Cream and sugar have to first be mixed in a frozen container. Ingredients may be added at this point, if desired. The mixture must be stirred and whipped until the cream and sugar mixture is frozen. Depending on the equipment, this may take as long as an hour. After the ice-cream is prepared, it must be kept frozen until it is ready to be enjoyed. Making ice-cream is difficult, but most people would agree that it is worth the trouble.

SEQUENCE PROMPTS• How to pitch a tent in the rain• How to rent your first apartment• How to avoid a nervous breakdown during exams• How to enjoy the weekend for under $20• How to bathe a cat• How to complain effectively• How to develop self-confidence• How to use Twitter• How to wash a sweater• How to build a great music collection--cheaply

and legally

• How to give yourself a haircut• How to plan the perfect class schedule• How to select the best portable media player• How to survive without a car• How to make the perfect cup of tea• How to save money while saving the

environment• How an iPod works• How ice cream is made• How a cell phone takes pictures• How a particular accident occurred