What Is Expository Writing?
What Is Expository Writing?
That’s Life!
Report Time (Parts 1 and 2)
Cause and Effect
A “How-To”
Compare and Contrast
(Parts 1 and 2)
News Flash
Your Turn
What Is Expository Writing?
What Is Expository Writing?
Expository writing is writing that is meant to inform or explain.
It can tell about a person, place, or thing.
It can even tell how to do something.
This is the kind of writing people read and do most often.
On the following pages, read the description of each writing
task and decide if it is an example of expository writing.
Click on the picture to see if you were right. The picture will
spin if the task is an example of expository writing.
What Is Expository Writing?
What Is Expository Writing?
Jorge is writing
down steps to
help his best
friend learn to
skateboard.
Mr. Deitrich is writing
an article about an
upcoming carnival for
the local newspaper.
What Is Expository Writing?
Olivia is writing
a story about a
haunted house.
What Is Expository Writing?
Daniel wrote a
letter persuading
his principal to
make recess
longer.
May is
writing a
paragraph
about her
older
brother.
Jessica is
writing a onepage report
about cats.
What Is Expository Writing?
Back to menu
What Is Expository Writing?
Report Time (Part 1)
Informational reports are a common form of
expository writing that kids do in school. When you
are writing a report, it’s important to pick a topic that
is not too big.
What Is Expository Writing?
Some students are getting ready to write two-page reports. But their topics
are too large. Run their topics through the topic-shrinking machine and
see if you can help! Write a more specific topic for each too-large topic.
The first one is done for you.
Insects of the World
All About National Parks
Rain Forests
Patriotic Days
Valley Forge National Park
Report Time (Part 1)
What Is Expository Writing?
Report Time (Part 2)
PULL FOR
DIRECTIONS
When you choose a topic that is too small, you
may not be able to find enough information for
a whole report.
Where Amelia Earhart Grew Up
Sunflowers
Winds During a Hurricane
What Plant Stems Do
Bottlenose Dolphins
Seeing-Eye Dogs
Back to menu
What Is Expository Writing?
A “How-To”
A “how-to” is a piece of expository writing that explains
how to do something.
It can be short, like the directions on a box of cake mix.
It can also be long, like the owner’s manual for a car!
A “how-to” usually has an introduction and numbered steps.
What Is Expository Writing?
On paper, describe how to draw an everyday object.
Read your steps aloud to a volunteer, but don’t give away
the name of the object! See if he or she can draw the
object following your directions.
A “How-To”
What Is Expository Writing?
How To ___________________________________
A “How-To”
Back to menu
What Is Expository Writing?
News Flash
A news article is an example of expository writing. It gives all
of the important details right at the beginning. The most
important details in a news article are the answers to the five
W’s—Who? What? When? Where? and Why?
Most Important Details
Least
Important
Details
What Is Expository Writing?
PULL FOR
DIRECTIONS
Preschooler Drives to School
Four-year-old Jack Packard may not have a
driver’s license, but he sure knows how to get
around. Shortly after 10 a.m. on Tuesday, the boy
drove nearly five miles across downtown
Smithfield. He managed to navigate safely from his
home on the east side of the city to his preschool
on West Lilac Avenue.
“I wanted to feed Snowball,” the boy told police
officers when asked why he made the trip.
Snowball is the preschool’s pet guinea pig.
Police say the preschooler found the keys in
the ignition of his mother’s silver Honda Civic
and played with them until the vehicle started.
His mother was showering in an upstairs bathroom
at the time and thought her son was watching
cartoons.
No one is quite certain how the youngster
managed to reach the gas pedal or see over the
steering wheel. Just a little over three feet tall,
Packard normally rides in a booster seat in the
back of the car.
“That child is very, very lucky,” Police Chief Sam
Stevens told reporters. “It is amazing that he did
not crash the car and seriously hurt himself.”
News Flash
PULL
FOR KEY
Back to menu
What Is Expository Writing?
That’s Life!
In a biography, you write about another person’s life.
In an autobiography, you write about your own life.
Both are forms of expository writing. They are usually organized
in chronological, or time, order.
Use the graphic organizer on the next page to plan a
biography of someone in your class. In each rectangle,
describe an important event in that person’s life.
Number the boxes to show the order in which you would
write your ideas.
What Is Expository Writing?
The Life Story
of
That's Life!
Back to menu
What Is Expository Writing?
Cause and Effect
A cause-and-effect essay is expository writing that tells
about things that happened (effects) and the reasons
they happened (causes).
On the following pages, read about two ways to explore
cause and effect in your writing. Erase inside each box to
see examples of essay topics. Then brainstorm some
sample topics of your own.
What Is Expository Writing?
You might choose an
event that happened,
and describe the cause
or causes of that event.
Erase here for examples:
Three Reasons Pandas Are Endangered
The Causes of the Civil War
Why Earthquakes Happen
Record your own ideas here:
Cause and Effect
What Is Expository Writing?
You might choose an
event that is a cause,
and tell about all the
things that happened
because of that event.
Erase here for examples:
How Lack of Sleep Hurts Kids
How Swimming Changed My Life
Five Effects of Playing Video Games
Record your own ideas here:
Cause and Effect
Back to menu
What Is Expository Writing?
Compare and Contrast
A compare-and-contrast essay describes the similarities and
differences between two or more people, places, or things.
Fill in the Venn diagram on the next page to compare and
contrast Thanksgiving in the United States and Canada.
Drag each fact to the spot where it belongs.
What Is Expository Writing?
Compare and Contrast
(Part 1)
Canadian Thanksgiving
American Thanksgiving
Eat turkey and pumpkin pie
Fourth Thursday in November
About giving thanks
About giving thanks
Second Monday in October
Eat turkey and pumpkin pie
First one was in 1578
First one was in 1621
Canada’s
Thanksgiving
Both
U.S.
Thanksgiving
What Is Expository Writing?
PULL FOR
DIRECTIONS
Compare and Contrast
(Part 2)
Here’s one way to organize a
compare-and-contrast essay.
Did you know that the United States and Canada have
their own versions of Thanksgiving Day? The two
holidays have a lot in common, but they also have some
important differences.
Thanksgiving in the U.S. began in 1621. That’s when
the Pilgrims at Plymouth colony held feasts with the
Wampanoag people to celebrate a successful harvest.
Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday
of November. People savor turkey and pumpkin pie.
Thanksgiving in Canada began in 1578, when
explorers arrived in the area known as Newfoundland.
They stopped to enjoy a meal and give thanks for their
safe arrival. Today, Canadians commemorate
Thanksgiving a little earlier in the year than Americans do
—on the second Monday in October. Like their American
neighbors, they feast on turkey and pumpkin pie.
Although they are celebrated on different dates and
have different origins, the American and Canadian
Thanksgivings are both festive, food-filled holidays!
One at a Time
1. Introduce your topic.
2. Describe item 1.
3. Describe item 2.
4. Conclude, or wrap up.
What Is Expository Writing?
Compare and Contrast
(Part 2)
Here’s another way to organize a
compare-and-contrast essay.
Did you know that the United States and Canada have their
own versions of Thanksgiving Day? The two holidays have a lot in
common, but they also have some important differences.
The similarities include why the holidays are celebrated and
how they are celebrated. Both holidays are meant to give thanks.
Both are celebrated with tasty foods like turkey and pumpkin pie.
However, in some ways the two holidays are different. For
starters, they are celebrated at different times. In the U.S.,
Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. In
Canada, it is commemorated on the second Monday in October.
The origins of the two days are different, as well. Thanksgiving in
the U.S. began in 1621. That’s when the Pilgrims at Plymouth
colony held feasts with the Wampanoag people to celebrate a
successful harvest. Thanksgiving in Canada began in 1578, when
explorers arrived in the area known as Newfoundland. They
stopped to enjoy a meal and give thanks for their safe arrival.
While both Thanksgivings are festive, food-filled celebrations,
now you know that the two holidays are in fact a little different.
Alike and Different
1. Introduce your topic.
2. Tell about the similarities.
3. Tell about the differences.
4. Conclude, or wrap up.
Back to menu
What Is Expository Writing?
Name ___________________________________________________
What Is Expository Writing?
Your Turn!
Circle four forms of expository writing that you would like to try.
Write an idea for each type.
News Story
How-To
Compare-and-Contrast Essay
Cause-and-Effect Essay
Biography
Informative Report
FORM 1: _______________________________________________________________
My Topic: _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
FORM 2: _______________________________________________________________
My Topic: _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
FORM 3: _______________________________________________________________
My Topic: _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
FORM 4: _______________________________________________________________
My Topic: _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
UNIT 1
What Is Expository Writing?
Use these interactive Notebook pages to introduce the purpose and
characteristics of expository writing and to explore the many forms
expository writing can take.
OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
Understand the purpose and common elements of expository writing.
Analyze examples of expository writing.
Recognize that there are many distinct forms of expository writing,
including research reports, compare/contrast essays, how-to essays,
cause/effect essays, news articles, and biographies.
TIME
About 3–4 class periods for Unit 1 (allow 15–20 minutes per lesson)
MEETING THE STANDARDS
This lesson correlates to the following writing standards for grades 3 through 6:
• Understand how writing can be adapted for different audiences
and purposes.
• Recognize that expository text is writing that is intended to explain
or inform.
GETTING READY
Before students arrive, have your SMART Board ready to go.
Open the 1 What Is Expository Writing? Notebook file.
The first interactive page, the What Is Expository Writing? menu, will appear on your
SMART Board. To display the Notebook pages for each of the eight lessons in this
unit, click on the button next to the name of the lesson.
6
SMART Board™ Lessons: Expository Writing © Karen Kellaher, Scholastic Teaching Resources
INTRODUCING THE CONCEPT
What Is Expository Writing?
1. Display What Is Expository Writing? on the SMART Board. To begin, read the
purpose of expository writing given in the introduction (to inform or explain).
Elicit examples from the class of pieces of expository writing they have
read recently, either at home or at school. Some common examples include
textbooks, nonfiction trade books, Web sites, newspapers or magazines,
instruction manuals, even notes from Mom on how to start the dishwasher.
Remind students that expository writing is different from narrative writing
(usually meant to entertain) and persuasive writing (meant to persuade or
convince).
2. Read the directions together and click on the right arrow to go to the next
page. Have a student read aloud the first sample writing task. Together, discuss
Jorge’s reason for writing. Ask: Is he writing to persuade, to entertain, or to inform?
Remind students that if Jorge’s purpose is to explain or inform, his writing is
expository. Have students click on the skateboard illustration to check their
understanding. Point out that the image will spin if the example is indeed
expository.
3. Repeat step 2 with the remaining sample writing tasks on the page. For each
one, check students’ response by having a volunteer touch the accompanying
image to see if it spins. The examples of expository writing in this activity are:
• Jorge’s steps for skateboarding
• Mr. Dietrich’s article for the paper
• Jessica’s cat report
• May’s paragraph about her brother
TECH TIP
Remember that
on a SMART
Board, a tap of
your finger is
like a click of
the mouse on
your desktop
computer. To
activate an
animated shape
like those on
this page, just
tap the screen
with a finger. If
the expected
animation does
not work, try
again, tapping
more firmly.
4. Review with students why the other two writing tasks are not expository.
(Olivia’s haunted house story is narrative, meant to entertain. Daniel’s letter is
persuasive.)
5. Point out that in the next several lessons, students will explore some of the
interesting forms expository writing can take.
SMART Board™ Lessons: Expository Writing © Karen Kellaher, Scholastic Teaching Resources
7
INTERACTIVE LEARNING
Report Time (Parts 1 and 2)
1. Ask students if they have ever written reports for school. Elicit a few examples
of topics they have covered. Explain that research reports are one of the most
common kinds of expository writing kids will do during their school years. In
elementary school, reports may be only a page or two, but by the time they are
in high school, students will be writing much longer reports.
2. Display Report Time (Part 1) on the SMART Board and read the introduction.
Guide students to understand that picking a good topic is a key part of
writing a good report. Point out that one common mistake students make is
to choose topics that are too large. When a topic is too large and general, the
resulting report sounds vague and incomplete. A two-page report on sports, for
example, would hardly even begin to cover the basics. A smaller topic allows
the writer to cover the topic completely and with specific details. For example,
a two-page report on lacrosse could have a paragraph each on the equipment,
rules, and origins of the game. This topic is much more manageable than the
broad topic of “sports.”
TECH TIP
Don’t forget to
put your tools
away when you
are finished with
them! After you
use a tool like
the Magic Pen, be
sure to go back
to the selector
tool (plain black
arrow) before
continuing with
other tasks.
3. Click on the right arrow to go to the next page. Read the directions together.
Show that the topic-shrinking machine made the sample topic “All About
National Parks” more manageable by downsizing it to “Valley Forge National
Park.” Now the writer can focus on one park’s specific features and history.
Drag the topics to one side.
4. Read aloud the first topic on the page, “Insects of the World,” and move it next
to the “input” side (top) of the topic-shrinking machine. Have students discuss
some ways they could downsize the topic into something more specific.
Examples include: mosquitoes, houseflies, wasps, and Japanese beetles. Choose
a favorite specific report topic and use one of the SMART pens to jot it down
on the “output” side of the machine.
5. Repeat step 4 with the remaining two topics. Some ideas include:
• Rain Forests: The Amazon Rain Forest, Medicines from the Rain
Forest, Rain Forest Frogs
• Patriotic Days: Independence Day, Veterans Day, Memorial Day
6. Now, display Report Time (Part 2) on the SMART Board and read the
introduction. Explain that while some topics are too big, others can be too
small. A too-tight topic can make it hard to find enough information for a
report.
7. Drag the directions onto the page and read them aloud. Work together to
identify topics that may be too small, and have students circle them with the
Magic Pen.
8
SMART Board™ Lessons: Expository Writing © Karen Kellaher, Scholastic Teaching Resources
8. Discuss ways to broaden each topic enough to make an interesting and factfilled report. Emphasize that the size of the topic may vary somewhat with the
length of a report. Some suggestions include:
Where Amelia Earhart Grew Up
Amelia Earhart
Winds During a Hurricane
How Hurricanes Are Measured
What Plant Stems Do
The Parts of a Plant
A “How-To”
1. Ask students how many of them have followed written directions to make or
build something. Discuss their experiences and ask if the directions were easy
or difficult to follow. Use students’ comments to highlight some characteristics
of “good” directions. For example:
• The directions tell you exactly what to do and do not leave anything to
your imagination.
• The directions are numbered so that you know the order in which you
should do things.
2. Point out that like reports, directions on how to make or do something are
an example of expository writing. These directions are sometimes described
as “how-to” essays. Display A “How-To” on the SMART Board and read the
introduction together.
3. Click on the right arrow and read the directions. Have students get out
a piece of scrap paper and write detailed directions for how to draw an
everyday object. It can be any shape or image students please, as long as they
can express how to create the image without using the name of the object.
Emphasize that students should keep their subjects and directions private until
further notice.
4. When students have finished, click on the right arrow to go to the next page.
Call on a student volunteer to slowly read his or her directions. Use a SMART
pen to draw the image inside the box, following the student’s directions, one
step at a time. Even if you begin to recognize the object you are drawing, be
sure to stick to the oral directions. When you finish, see if you and the class
can identify the intended object from your drawing. (Note: You may choose to
have a student volunteer draw at the board instead of doing this step yourself.)
5. Discuss challenges you encountered as you completed the exercise. For
example, you might say: When Steven told me to draw a circle inside the rectangle,
I wasn’t sure where to put it. How could this instruction have been more specific?
6. If you’d like, repeat the drawing exercise using another student’s directions.
SMART Board™ Lessons: Expository Writing © Karen Kellaher, Scholastic Teaching Resources
TECH TIP
If your “howto” instructions
call for drawing
basic shapes like
triangles, circles,
or rectangles,
SMART
Notebook has
two tools that
can help you
perfect your
artistry! Go to
the Shapes tool
to select
a predrawn
basic shape. Or,
use the Shape
Recognition pen
to draw
a shape on
your own. The
software should
recognize the
shape you are
trying to draw
and snap the lines
into place.
9
News Flash
1. Display News Flash on the SMART Board and read the introduction aloud.
Review with students how they know that a news article is an example of
expository writing. (It is meant to inform or explain.)
2. Point out that the yellow inverted triangle on this page demonstrates the
unique nature of a news article: All of the most important facts appear near
the beginning of the article. Explain that there is a historical reason for this
writing style. Long before there were desktop computers and word processing
software, editors would check pages in a composing room, where the articles
were pasted onto page layouts. Articles that were too long had to be trimmed
down quickly. The fastest way was to simply chop off the overflow using a
sharp blade. As long as the important facts were all at the beginning, the editor
knew that he or she was not cutting anything crucial to the article.
3. Review that in a news article, the important facts answer the five W’s: who,
what, when, where, and why. (You might explain that how is another important
question that is often addressed.)
4. Click on the right arrow to go to the next page and read the directions on the
pull tab. Have students read the news article aloud. Pull out the color key and
use it to underline these five W’s.
Who?
Jack Packard, a 4-year-old
What?
Drove a car
When?
Tuesday at 10:00 a.m.
Where?
Downtown Smithfield
Why?
To feed Snowball, his school’s guinea pig
5. To underline neatly in different colors, use the Lines tool on your toolbar. First,
select the regular straight line with no arrows. Then, click on the Properties
and go to Line Style. Choose a color
menu on the left side of your screen
from the palette that appears and use your line tool to underline the desired
piece of text. Go back to Properties > Line Style to change the line color for the
next piece of text you want to underline.
10
SMART Board™ Lessons: Expository Writing © Karen Kellaher, Scholastic Teaching Resources
That’s Life!
1. In this activity, students will recognize biographies and autobiographies as
examples of expository writing. Display That’s Life! on the SMART Board and
read the introduction together. Ask students if they have ever read a person’s
life story, and discuss some examples. Review the directions and then click on
the right arrow to go to the next page.
2. To prepare for the activity, have students list important events from their lives
on scrap paper. Then ask for one volunteer to share his or her lifetime events
with the class.
3. Use one of the SMART pens to record the volunteer’s name in the center of
the organizer and some events from the student’s life in the outside rectangles.
Examples of important events might include:
• Birth
• Births of siblings
• A move to a new home
• Start of school
• Start of a favorite activity (soccer, dance, etc.)
• Getting a pet
• Learning a skill (riding a bike, etc.)
4. Review that writers usually organize biographies and autobiographies in
chronological order because that is the order in which the events happened.
Explain that life stories do not usually include trivial or minor details. Instead,
the writer focuses on important events that helped shape the person they are
writing about.
5. If you wish, repeat the activity with one or two additional volunteers.
SMART Board™ Lessons: Expository Writing © Karen Kellaher, Scholastic Teaching Resources
11
Cause and Effect
1. Display Cause and Effect on the SMART Board and read the introduction.
Guide students to understand that a cause-and-effect essay explores the
reasons an event happened or the effects that happened because of an event.
Share some examples of cause-and-effect questions:
• What led to the Revolutionary War?
• What are the causes of global warming?
• What are the effects of earthquakes?
2. Read the directions together and then click on the right arrow. Have a student
read aloud the text above the purple graphic organizer, then have him or her
erase the purple box to reveal some examples.
3. As a class, brainstorm other examples of essay topics that describe the causes
of an event. Using the SMART pens, add these ideas to the bottom portion of
the purple organizer.
4. Click on the right arrow and repeat steps 2 and 3 for the green graphic
organizer. In this organizer, students will brainstorm examples of topics that
tell about the effects of a chosen event.
5. Explain that sometimes, students may need to write a whole essay that explores
causes and effects. But they may also find that they explore causes and effects
in other forms of expository writing, such as research reports, biographies, and
news articles.
TECH TIP
If students have trouble writing with the SMART pen, check that they are holding the
stylus correctly. If a student’s wrist or hand rubs against the board while he or she
is writing, the words on the board may appear garbled and illegible. When using a
SMART pen, only the stylus tip should make contact with the SMART Board.
12
SMART Board™ Lessons: Expository Writing © Karen Kellaher, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Compare and Contrast (Parts 1 and 2)
1. Display Compare and Contrast on the SMART Board and explain that a
compare-and-contrast essay is the last form of expository writing that students
will explore in this unit. Read the introductory material together and ask
students to complete the following prompts:
• When we compare two or more things, we look for ______.
(ways they are the same)
• When we contrast two or more things, we look for ______.
(ways they are different)
2. Read the directions aloud and then click on the right arrow to reveal the Venn
diagram. If necessary, review the structure of a Venn diagram: The circle on the
left is for facts that describe one topic. The circle on the right is for facts that describe
the second topic. The overlapping area in the center is for facts that describe both.
3. Read aloud the descriptions of the Canadian and American Thanksgivings.
4. Demonstrate how to drag a piece of text with a finger. Then ask a volunteer to
read the first descriptive phrase under “Canadian Thanksgiving.” Have him or
her drag the text to the appropriate spot on the diagram.
5. Repeat step 4 with the remaining descriptive phrases. Phrases that describe
both holidays should appear only in the center of the diagram.
6. When you finish the diagram, click on the right arrow to display Compare
and Contrast (Part 2). Guide students to understand that when you want to
compare and contrast two items, there are several ways to organize your
writing. Two of those ways are explored on this page and the next. Pull out
the directions onto the page and read them together.
7. Read aloud the first way to organize a compare-and-contrast essay. Then
have a student drag the purple box to one side. An essay that follows this
organizational format will appear. Go over it with students; if you wish, use the
SMART pens to write numbers on the text to show where the text corresponds
to the organizational plan. Put the box back into place.
8. Click on the right arrow to go to the next page. Repeat step 7 for the yellow
box. Discuss which method for comparing and contrasting students prefer.
TECH TIP
If students have trouble dragging and dropping the pieces of text, demonstrate the
process yourself. Explain that students should not take their finger off the SMART
Board once they have touched the text or image they wish to move. The drag
function works best when the user’s finger stays in contact with the board.
SMART Board™ Lessons: Expository Writing © Karen Kellaher, Scholastic Teaching Resources
13
EXTENDED LEARNING
What Is Expository Writing? Your Turn!
1. Print and make copies of What Is Expository Writing? Your Turn! Display the
Notebook page on the SMART Board and distribute copies of the worksheet.
Explain that students will complete this page on their own to apply what they
have learned about expository writing so far.
2. Review the directions with students, explaining that they will come up with
topics for four distinct forms of expository writing. Emphasize that they may
choose any four forms listed on the page. Remind them to:
• Keep research report topics “just right” in size.
• Choose topics that really interest them.
• Use real-life news events for news article topics.
• Name two people, places, or things for a compare-and-contrast topic.
3. Have students complete the exercise in class or as a homework assignment. As
you move forward with the lessons In the Companion Folder, you may want
to have students use their topics to research and write an actual piece of
expository text.
14
SMART Board™ Lessons: Expository Writing © Karen Kellaher, Scholastic Teaching Resources
About the PDF Lesson and Companion Notebook File
This unit includes a Notebook file on expository writing. The Notebook file includes several interactive
These pages take advantage of the bells and whistles SMART technology has to offer without being overwhelming to the SMART Board novice. You’ll find opportunities to use the Creative Pen, on-screen
keyboard, graphic organizers, cloning tools, drag-and-drop feature, and much more. Instructions for
using each SMART tool are embedded in the lesson plan.
The Notebook file introduces writing skills in a gradual-release format. The first lesson in the unit
introduces the topic, engages students’ attention, and establishes what they already know. In the
next few lessons, students collaboratively explore concrete skills related to the topic. In the last “lesson,”
students synthesize and apply what they have learned in a brief independent assignment. You may choose
to have students complete this final Your Turn! activity in class or as a homework assignment.
Tech Tips
Although the SMART Expository Writing Notebook file included with the lesson PDF was created using
Notebook 10 software, you will be able to use the activities with older versions of the software. If you are
still getting the hang of your SMART Board, be sure to look for the technology tips offered at various point
throughout the units. However, the following is overview of the main Notebook features you will be using.
SMART Pens These are the black, red, green, and blue pens that came with your SMART Board. Use
them to write directly on the screen in digital ink.
Creative Pens A student favorite, this tool allows you to draw fun lines made of smiley faces, stars,
rainbow stripes, and more.
Magic Pen When students circle text or art with the Magic Pen, a spotlight focuses on the circled
portion of the page. Everything else on the page goes dark temporarily. It’s a dramatic way to focus
attention on one element on a page!
Eraser Like its old-fashioned counterpart, this eraser removes unwanted writing. It will work on text
and lines created with the SMART pens. It will not work on typed text or art objects.
On-Screen Keyboard If your students are adding text to a small field or simply prefer typing to
writing freehand, use the on-screen keyboard. You can access it by touching the keyboard icon on the
front tray of your SMART Board.
Properties Tool In several of the activities in this book, you will be guided to use this feature to
change the color or style of a SMART pen or to add color to a box.
Screen Shade A teacher favorite, this tool allows you to cover part of a page while focusing attention
on another part. Activate the shade by clicking on the Screen Shade icon on your toolbar. Deactivate it
by clicking again. To gradually open a shade that covers your screen, use one of the circular buttons on
the shade itself to drag the shade open.
SMART Board™ Lessons: Expository Writing © Karen Kellaher, Scholastic Teaching Resources
5