Use this explanatory essay template to help your students correctly structure their explanatory writing.
Plan for Writing Success with an Explanatory Essay Template
This explanatory essay template has been designed by our team to provide scaffolding for your students as they learn the structure of explanatory writing. It can be used for both draft and finished copies of any explanation text on any topic. With the scaffold as a guide, your students are sure to write coherent and well-structured explanatory texts!
The scaffold is structured as follows:
- Introduction – This provides a brief overview of the object, event or process.
- Description – A series of paragraphs that explain the “how” and the “why.”
- Conclusion – This provides a brief summary of the object, event or process.
- Boxes for Visuals – These could be illustrations, flow charts or labeled diagrams.
This explanation text template is three pages long. Note that the middle page can be removed for shorter texts.
This explanatory essay template downloads as an easy-print PDF or editable Google Slides file. Should you wish your students to complete the task electronically, simply delete the lines and have the students type directly into the document.
Suggested Activities for Teaching the Explanatory Essay Format
This resource may be simple, but it has multiple applications when it comes to teaching explanatory writing to your students! Here are just a few ways our template can be used in the classroom:
- Modeled Writing – Project the template onto your interactive whiteboard for whole-class modeled writing activities.
- Pair Writing – Have the students work in pairs or small groups to create an explanatory essay on a topic of their choice.
- Independent Writing – Allow students to draft or publish (or both!) an explanatory essay using the template.
Download This Explanatory Writing Template Today!
Use the dropdown arrow on the Download button to choose between the editable Google Slides file or the easy-print PDF. Please note that you will be prompted to make a copy of the Google Slides file before accessing it.
Teach the Explanatory Essay with More Teach Starter Resources
Be sure to get your hands on some more of Teach Starter’s explanatory writing resources before you go!
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Explanatory Writing Teaching Slides
Teach explanatory writing with confidence using this comprehensive slide deck that helps students understand the purpose, structure and language features of explanatory essays.
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Expository Text Examples and Analysis Worksheets
Use these expository text examples with accompanying analysis worksheets to teach your students about the purpose, structure and language features of expository writing.
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Explanation Text Type Poster With Annotations
Display this explanation text with annotations to help students identify the structure of an explanation.
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