problem/ solution expository essay

February 17-20, 2009 Language ArtsBurchette

Problem/ Problem/ Solution Solution

Expository Expository EssayEssay

2-Column Notes– Problem/Solution 2-Column Notes– Problem/Solution Expository EssayExpository Essay

What is a problem/solution expository essay?



A Problem/Solution Expository Essay is any essay that starts by identifying a problem (or problems) and then proposes one or more solutions.




What should be included in a problem/solution essay?





Identification and outline of the problem

• Your middle section must establish common ground. You’ve addressed the problem, sure, but before anyone will accept your solution, you need to show you've taken the concerns of others to heart. To do so, you’ll need to explain how others view the topic and the concerns of those people when it comes to trying to solve it. Address opposing arguments, and anticipate your audience’s questions and concerns. Establish criteria for a good solution that will appease everyone involved.






Proposed solution

• Before you propose your solution, address other alternatives first. Show you’ve put some thought into your solution by acknowledging and critiquing other possible solutions to your topic. Explain your reasons for rejecting them. Your goal: make your solution appear to be the best solution.






Proposed solutionJustification of the solution

• Propose a plan of action. Make sure it’s clear to your readers not only what you’d do but how you would do it. Clearly describe your solution so that your audience can imagine what it will be like. Address the potential arguments your opposition might have to your solution. Let your audience know why they would be satisfied with your approach.






Proposed solutionJustification of the solutionCall for action

• Conclude with a call to action. Encourage your audience to accept your views and join the cause. Use projection: show your audience what your community will be like if they do or do not adopt your solution. Or ask them to take simple steps to bring about the change you desire. Help them continue the fight.






Proposed solutionJustification of the solutionCall for actionExpected Results

Analyzing a Analyzing a Problem/Solution EssayProblem/Solution Essay

• Read the text and do the following tasks:– Circle the section of the text that outlines the

problems. (How many are there?) – Draw a square around the section that proposes

solutions. (How do you know where this section begins?)

– Place brackets around the section that justifies the solutions and calls for action.

– Underline (with a solid line) all the transition words/phrases in the text. (Firstly, For example, etc.)

– Underline (with a wavy line) all the phrases that tell us something about results.

Shanty TownsShanty TownsThere are numerous health problems in shanty towns. Firstly, because the sites are illegal the government does not provide piped water. As a result, drinking and bathing water are usually dirty and this causes diseases such as dysentery, typhoid and hepatitis, as well as skin and eye diseases. Secondly, houses are often overcrowded and have poor air circulation. This makes it easier to catch diseases like flu, TB and diphtheria where infection enters through the throat. Thirdly, there are no drains, sewers or rubbish collection services. The resulting pools of stagnant water and heaps of household waste attract rats and insects, which can pass on diseases.The government could do a lot to solve these problems. For example, they could supply clean, piped water to individual houses or, at least, to neighborhoods. This would make drinking water safe and reduce infections. In addition, the authorities could provide householders with building materials to improve their conditions and educate them about the importance of ventilation. Lastly, the city council could construct drains and provide a rubbish collection service to reduce the risk of infections spread by rats and insects.If the government took these steps, the result would be a safer, healthier environment. Furthermore, the improvements would also lead to increased employment opportunities in areas such as construction, plumbing and rubbish disposal. It is time for politicians to come to the aid of the people who elected them!

Selecting a TopicSelecting a Topic

Selecting a TopicSelecting a Topic• A good problem-solution piece addresses a

problem that is worth pursuing and can be solved practically. World peace is out, sorry. So are your personal gripes with security, cafeteria food, or that annoying guy in the library—these are personal nuisances, not problems. National issues are too big and too broad to be analyzed and solved; you need to think locally. Get out and examine your immediate environment: what problems do you encounter every day that can and should be addressed? What questions arise? What answers are there?

What’s Your Problem?What’s Your Problem?Task Description: As part of our school’s guidance program, our counselors are asking for your help. At the beginning of every school year, the guidance suite is filled with frightened, confused, and distraught 6th graders. While our counselor’s are wonderful and very skilled at helping students cope with middle school issues, it’s been so long since they were in 6th grade that they don’t remember what it feels like and can’t fully relate to new students as well as they’d like. YOU ARE THEIR ONLY HOPE. They need you to help them plan for the problems students will be faced with as well as how to help solve them. With your group, you are responsible for selecting a specific problem students entering middle school deal with and for developing a product our counselors can distribute to struggling students. Your products can be (but are not limited to) a brochure, a PowerPoint, or a movie that not only depict the problem itself, but also offer a variety of solutions all students can apply to their individual situations. The time for next year’s new crop of 6th graders is right around the corner, so let’s help those counselors out and keep those new middle school students sane!!!

Let’s BrainstormLet’s BrainstormIndependent– 3 minutes

Whole Class– 7 minutesGroups– 5 minutes

Planning Your Own Planning Your Own "Problem-Solution" Essay"Problem-Solution" Essay

1. Choose a problem (or set of problems) for your own essay. You may select a problem from the class brainstorm, or feel free to think of your own, but please discuss it with me first.

2. Make notes to identify the problem/s. For example, notes for the "Shanty Town" essay would start like the table to the right. You need to have several (at least 6) problems that contribute to your overall problem.

Shanty Town Health Problems

Outline of Problem Solutions

•no piped water (drinking + bathing water are dirty à diseases) •overcrowded houses, poor ventilation

Planning Your Own Planning Your Own "Problem-Solution" Essay"Problem-Solution" Essay

3. Make a list of possible solutions.

4. Don’t stick to just one area of solutions. Be creative and inventive. Think of as many possible solutions as you can!

Problems Solutions•no piped water (drinking + bathing water are dirty à diseases) •overcrowded houses, poor ventilation

•govt. provide piped water• govt. help householders to build better houses)

Writing Your Rough Draft- Writing Your Rough Draft- “Problem” Section“Problem” Section

• When you’re ready to begin writing, start with the problem section first. It’s the easiest and most logical place to start, and it should be the component of the paper on which you have the most information.

• Complete the table to pre-write the “problem” section of your rough draft.

What is the nature of your problem?What caused or led to this problem?What is the extent of the problem?Why is this a problem that needs to be solved?What will happen if this problem is not solved?

Writing Your Rough Draft- Writing Your Rough Draft- “Solution” Section“Solution” Section

• The next section you should think about is your solution section.

• Come up with three possible solutions and complete the table to pre-write the “solution” section of your rough draft.

• You should complete one table for every solution you’ve come up with.

What is your proposed solution?

What is the justification for your solution?

What is your call to action?

What are your expected results?

problem/ solution expository essay

Documents

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good solution

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possible solutions

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potential arguments

opposing arguments

problemyour middle section