Five-Week Plan
This sequence teaches students to explain something clearly to a real audience. It begins with purpose and audience, then builds research judgement, structure, examples and plain language before moving to data, demonstration and questions. The final task is a short explanation, not a research essay delivered aloud.
The shape of the unit
| Week | Focus | Core moves | Formative evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | What exposition does | Compare explanation, argument and story; profile an audience; rank sources; record a baseline explanation. | A source-ranking table and a 60-second baseline. |
| 2 | Structure and examples | Build a frame and signposts; test examples and analogies; rewrite jargon. | An explanation skeleton and a plain-language rewrite. |
| 3 | Data, visuals and process | Design an honest graph; describe a visual aloud; demonstrate a simple process. | A visual with a spoken description and a demonstration plan. |
| 4 | Questions and accuracy | Practise clarifying questions; check facts; handle uncertainty; rehearse. | A question log and a revised rehearsal. |
| 5 | Build and deliver | Draft, rehearse, deliver and reflect on one change. | A short explanation and a written reflection. |
A typical lesson
| Time | Routine | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 5 minutes | Voice warm-up and a clarity drill. | Prepare the instrument. |
| 10 minutes | Listen to a short explanation and identify its structure. | Notice the moves before naming them. |
| 10 minutes | Teach one explanatory technique. | Make the skill visible. |
| 15 minutes | Apply it in a short spoken explanation. | Move from theory to use. |
| 10 minutes | Question and clarify. | Test whether the explanation worked. |
| 5 minutes | Reflect and record one change. | Make improvement deliberate. |
Week by week
Week 1: What exposition does
Begin by distinguishing explanation from argument and narration. An explanation answers “how” or “why”; an argument answers “should”; a story answers “what happened”. Most speeches mix these, but the primary purpose shapes the structure. Students profile a real audience: what they already know, what they need, what misconceptions they may hold. They rank three sources on authority, accuracy, currency and relevance, then record a one-minute explanation of something they know well. Keep the recording private by default.
Week 2: Structure and examples
Students learn a simple explanatory frame: orient the audience, state the question, explain in two or three signposted sections, then close by answering the question. They test examples for relevance and accuracy, and practise analogies by naming where the comparison holds and where it breaks. The week ends with a plain-language rewrite: take a jargon-heavy paragraph and translate it without changing the meaning.
Week 3: Data, visuals and process
Teach students to read a graph before they present it: What is being measured? What is the baseline? What does the axis hide? They design one honest visual and practise describing it aloud for someone who cannot see it. Then they demonstrate a simple process—tying a knot, making a paper fold, using a piece of software—while speaking and managing equipment. A backup plan is part of the task.
Week 4: Questions and accuracy
Questions reveal whether an explanation worked. Students practise answering three kinds: clarification (“What do you mean by ...?”), extension (“What happens if ...?”) and challenge (“How do you know ...?”). They learn to say “I don’t know, but I can find out” without losing authority. They check every fact and quotation in their draft, then rehearse the full explanation with a partner who asks one planned and one unplanned question.
Week 5: Build and deliver
Students draft a two- to three-minute explanation of a process, idea, place or problem. They rehearse with the visual or demonstration they plan to use, deliver to a small audience, answer two questions and reflect on one specific change between the first and final version. The reflection should name the technique, the effect and the evidence.
Materials
- A room with space for a demonstration table and a screen.
- Printed source-ranking and explanation-planning sheets.
- Phones or tablets for recording, with consent and storage rules.
- One simple object or process for each student to demonstrate.
- A timer and a visible clock.
- Optional microphone and speaker.
What students produce
| Product | Purpose | Keep it manageable |
|---|---|---|
| Audience profile | Shapes explanation and examples. | Four bullet points. |
| Source ranking | Builds research judgement. | Three sources, four criteria. |
| Baseline explanation | Gives a starting point. | 60 seconds, private by default. |
| Explanation skeleton | Builds structure before wording. | Frame, three sections, close. |
| Plain-language rewrite | Practises clarity. | One paragraph. |
| Visual and description | Tests honesty and access. | One graph or diagram. |
| Demonstration plan | Prepares equipment and speech. | Steps plus a backup. |
| Question log | Prepares for uncertainty. | Three questions and answers. |
| Short explanation | Integrates the skills. | Two to three minutes. |
| Reflection | Makes learning visible. | 100–200 words. |
Explain, do not perform expertise. The goal is not to sound clever. It is to leave the audience able to explain the idea to someone else.
Routines that save time
- One-minute explain. Each lesson begins with one student explaining something familiar in sixty seconds.
- Question back. A listener asks one clarifying question before offering feedback.
- Jargon swap. Replace three technical terms with plain-language equivalents.
- Describe the visual. Explain a graph or diagram without pointing.
- Back-of-room check. A listener at the back signals when a word is unclear.
Common planning errors
- Choosing a topic that is too broad. “The climate” is not an explanation; “how urban heat islands form” is.
- Researching without a question. A question gives the explanation a spine.
- Teaching structure only on paper. Students need to hear signposts aloud.
- Using visuals as decoration. Every visual should do explanatory work.
- Leaving questions to the end. Build question practice into every week.
- Rewarding confidence over accuracy. A calm wrong answer is still wrong.
- Ignoring access. A visual that only works for sighted students excludes part of the audience.
Next, read outcomes and skills to see what the unit builds towards. The what exposition does page begins the conceptual work.