W.9-10.2: Writing Informative and Explanatory Texts That Connect and Distinguish Ideas
In plain English: W.9-10.2 is the Common Core ELA standard that asks students in grades 9 and 10 to write informative and explanatory texts that convey complex ideas clearly and accurately. Students introduce and organize a topic to show connections and distinctions, develop it with well-chosen facts and definitions, link sections with varied transitions, use precise vocabulary, keep a formal tone and write a conclusion that follows.
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
a.Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections and distinctions; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
b.Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic.
c.Use appropriate and varied transitions to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts.
d.Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic.
e.Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
f.Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy · Domain: Writing Standards · Cluster: Text Types and Purposes · Official standard
Students learn to write an informative/explanatory text by studying how one of the great science explainers did it. In lectures to a young audience at the Royal Institution in London, Michael Faraday explained how a candle feeds its own flame: rising air shapes a cup of melted fuel, the wick lifts that fuel by capillary attraction, and the flame burns it a little at a time. Students read a short excerpt, analyze an original model text built from it, and revise a weak draft. They then plan their own explanation of a related device, the kerosene lamp, which they complete for homework.
The lesson follows the six parts of W.9-10.2: introducing a topic and organizing it to make connections and distinctions, with headings and a figure where they help (a); developing it with well-chosen facts, extended definitions and quotations suited to the audience (b); linking sections with appropriate, varied transitions (c); using precise, domain-specific vocabulary (d); keeping a formal style and objective tone that fit science writing (e); and ending with a conclusion that follows from the explanation and states its significance (f). The difference from argument writing is stressed throughout: the writer explains how something works and does not try to win a debate.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Introduce a complex topic and organize an explanation so that it shows the important connections and distinctions among its ideas
Select relevant, sufficient facts, quotations and an extended definition suited to what the audience already knows, and leave out information that does not serve the explanation
Decide when headings, a figure or a table will help a reader, and build one that does
Link the major sections of an explanation with appropriate, varied transitions that show sequence, cause and effect, and contrast
Write in a formal, objective style with precise scientific vocabulary, and end with a conclusion that states the significance of the explanation
Prior Knowledge Required
Students should already be comfortable with:
Writing an informative text that previews its content and uses headings and precise vocabulary W.8.2
Tracing how an author unfolds a series of ideas in an informational text RI.9-10.3
Quoting a short phrase from a source and punctuating the quotation correctly
The difference between explaining how something works and arguing that something is true
"A candle burns for hours, but the wax never catches fire all at once. In three sentences, explain how you think the fuel gets to the flame."
Give students three minutes to write, then collect two or three explanations on the board without judging them. If your school allows it, light one candle in a stable holder on a tray, away from paper, and keep it under your control while students observe the pool of melted wax; otherwise show a photo or a short video of a burning candle. Read the Faraday excerpt aloud while students follow on paper. The paragraphs are numbered in the margin, and the marks [...] show where lines were left out. Ask students to underline each step Faraday describes and to circle one technical term he defines.
1You observe a candle is a very different thing from a lamp. With a lamp you take a little oil, fill your vessel, put in a little moss or some cotton prepared by artificial means, and then light the top of the wick. When the flame runs down the cotton to the oil, it gets extinguished, but it goes on burning in the part above. Now, I have no doubt you will ask, how is it that the oil, which will not burn of itself, gets up to the top of the cotton, where it will burn? We shall presently examine that; but there is a much more wonderful thing about the burning of a candle than this. You have here a solid substance with no vessel to contain it; and how is it that this solid substance can get up to the place where the flame is? How is it that this solid gets there, it not being a fluid? or, when it is made a fluid, then how is it that it keeps together? This is a wonderful thing about a candle.
[...]
2I have a drawing here, sketched many years ago by Hooke, when he made his investigations. It is the drawing of the flame of a lamp, but it will apply to the flame of a candle. The cup of the candle is the vessel or lamp, the melted spermaceti is the oil, and the wick is common to both.
[...]
3Curiously enough, however, what we see in the shadow as the darkest part of the flame is, in reality, the brightest part; and here you see streaming upwards the ascending current of hot air, as shewn by Hooke, which draws out the flame, supplies it with air, and cools the sides of the cup of melted fuel.
[...]
4But how does the flame get hold of the fuel? There is a beautiful point about that—capillary attraction. “Capillary attraction!” you say,—“the attraction of hairs.” Well, never mind the name: it was given in old times, before we had a good understanding of what the real power was. It is by what is called capillary attraction that the fuel is conveyed to the part where combustion goes on, and is deposited there, not in a careless way, but very beautifully in the very midst of the centre of action which takes place around it. Now, I am going to give you one or two instances of capillary attraction. It is that kind of action or attraction which makes two things that do not dissolve in each other still hold together. When you wash your hands, you wet them thoroughly; you take a little soap to make the adhesion better, and you find your hand remains wet. This is by that kind of attraction of which I am about to speak. [...] I have here a substance which is rather porous—a column of salt—and I will pour into the plate at the bottom, not water, as it appears, but a saturated solution of salt which cannot absorb more; so that the action which you see will not be due to its dissolving anything. We may consider the plate to be the candle, and the salt the wick, and this solution the melted tallow. (I have coloured the fluid, that you may see the action better.) You observe that, now I pour in the fluid, it rises and gradually creeps up the salt higher and higher; and provided the column does not tumble over, it will go to the top.
Michael Faraday, The Chemical History of a Candle, from Lecture I (the candle and the lamp) (1861; this edition 1908). Public domain (published 1908). Source text.
Direct Instruction20 minutes
Explain the purpose of informative/explanatory writing: to examine a complex idea and convey it so that a reader understands how or why something works. Unlike an argument, it does not defend a position against opponents. Three features of the standard get special attention: the organization must show connections (how one step leads to the next) and distinctions (how two similar ideas differ); the facts must be well-chosen for a particular reader; and the vocabulary must be precise. Show Diagram 1 and point out that a labeled figure can explain the air current and the cup faster than a paragraph. Then work through the five examples below.
Introducing a topic
Vague opening: This essay will talk about candles and how they work. It names a subject but gives the reader no question to follow.
Result: Revision: Every candle solves a delivery problem: its fuel starts as a solid, yet the flame can burn only a small, steady supply of liquid brought to one spot.
Making a distinction
Many readers treat melting and burning as one event. The explanation needs to keep them apart.
Result: Melting and burning are different changes: the wax in the cup only changes from solid to liquid, and it burns later, after the wick has carried it up to the flame.
Extended definition
Term: capillary attraction. A one-line definition ("when liquid moves up") is too thin for readers who have never heard the term.
Result: Capillary attraction is the pull between a liquid and a solid that lets the liquid cling to the solid and creep along narrow spaces in it, even upward. The name comes from a Latin word for hair, which is why Faraday imagines his young listeners translating it as "the attraction of hairs." A towel soaking up water shows it; water beading up and running off a waxed car does not.
A transition that shows a relationship
Two choppy sentences: The flame heats the air. Cool air comes in at the bottom.
Result: Revision: As the flame heats the air above the candle, that air rises, and cooler air flows in at the bottom to replace it.
Precise vocabulary and formal style
Draft sentence: The fire makes the wax get all melty in the middle part.
Result: Revision: The flame's heat melts the wax at the center of the candle's top, while the edge stays solid.
Hand out the model text. Read it once for meaning. On the second reading, students mark the preview sentence in the introduction, box each heading, and write C in the margin wherever the writer makes a connection and D wherever the writer makes a distinction. Point out the conventions of science explanation that the model follows: the present tense for processes that always happen ("the rim stays solid"), technical terms defined at first use, the source named once in full, and no personal opinion or exaggeration. Finally, look at the conclusion together: it does not simply repeat the three steps; it says why the explanation matters, which the standard describes as "articulating implications or the significance of the topic."
1A burning candle looks like the simplest object in a room: a stick of wax, a cotton string and a flame. In fact, a candle is a small fuel system that delivers the right amount of fuel to its flame for hours. The scientist Michael Faraday explained this system in lectures he gave to young audiences in London in the winter of 1860-61, later published as The Chemical History of a Candle. His explanation shows three connected steps: the candle melts its own fuel into a cup, the wick lifts the melted fuel to the flame, and the flame burns that fuel a little at a time.
2Step 1: The Cup The first step happens where the flame's heat meets the surrounding air. Air warmed by the flame rises, and cooler air flows in from below to take its place. Faraday describes this flow as "the ascending current of hot air," which feeds the flame and "cools the sides of the cup of melted fuel." Because the cool air chills the outer edge of the candle, the rim stays solid while the wax inside melts. The result is a cup: a shallow pool of liquid fuel held by a solid wall, which does the job that the oil vessel does in a lamp. The cup forms properly only when the air reaches the candle evenly. A draft from one side leaves the cup lopsided, and the liquid spills over the rim and runs down the side.
3Step 2: The Wick Liquid fuel in the cup cannot pour onto the flame; it has to be lifted. The wick lifts it by capillary attraction, which textbooks today usually call capillary action. Faraday defines it as the attraction "which makes two things that do not dissolve in each other still hold together," and he points to an everyday case: a hand stays wet after washing. His classroom demonstration makes the idea visible, since a colored liquid poured into a plate creeps up a column of salt "higher and higher," just as melted fuel climbs a wick.
4Step 3: The Flame The flame stays at the top of the wick for a reason that surprises many readers: liquid fuel in large amounts puts a flame out. At the tip, the wick holds only a thin film of fuel, and the flame's heat quickly turns that small amount into a vapor, which burns. Farther down, the wick is soaked, and the flame cannot heat so much liquid fast enough. Faraday notes the same behavior in an oil lamp: when the flame "runs down the cotton to the oil, it gets extinguished," yet it "goes on burning in the part above."
5Why the Design Matters Each part of the candle depends on the one before it. Without the cooling air there is no cup, without the cup there is no pool of fuel for the wick, and without the wick's slow delivery the flame would either starve or drown. This chain explains why candle makers care about a candle's shape and material. Faraday's larger point is that an ordinary object repays close attention, because its parts work together as one design.
SVHS lesson authors, Model explanatory text: How a Candle Feeds Its Own Flame. Original passage written for this page.
Guided Practice15-20 minutes
Pairs complete the map below for the model text, filling the right-hand column in their own words. Then they compare it with Diagram 2. Circulate and ask each pair to point to the exact words at the start of each section that link it to the one before.
Organization map of the model text
Paragraph and heading
Main job of the section
Connection or distinction it makes (students fill in)
1 (introduction)
Introduces the topic and previews the steps
2: Step 1: The Cup
Explains how the cup forms
3: Step 2: The Wick
Explains how the fuel reaches the flame
4: Step 3: The Flame
Explains why the flame stays at the top
5: Why the Design Matters
Concludes and states the significance
Next, pairs read the weak draft below and list every problem they find: the introduction, the order of ideas, the vague words, the transitions, the tone and the ending. They also mark any sentence that is off the topic. They do not rewrite it yet; that happens in Activity 3.
Candles are honestly way cooler than you would think. The wax melts and stuff and then it goes up the string. Faraday says this is capillary attraction, which is basically when things get wet. Also the air does something to the sides of the candle. Also there is a cup. Also the flame stays on top. People used candles for thousands of years before electricity, and now they are mostly for decoration. So that's basically how candles work, and they're pretty amazing.
SVHS lesson authors, Weak draft for revision. Original passage written for this page.
Independent Practice20 minutes
Students plan a new explanation for a different reader: a family guide for a history museum, read by parents and children who know what a candle is but have never seen a kerosene lamp. Using the fact sheet below and the Faraday excerpt, each student (1) crosses out every fact that does not help explain how the lamp gets fuel and air to its flame, and writes a reason in the margin; (2) writes an introduction of three or four sentences that introduces the topic and previews the organization; and (3) lists three headings and names one figure or table that would help this reader. Collect the plans; students write the full text for homework.
1A kerosene lamp stores its fuel in a glass or metal tank called the font, which sits below the burner.
2A flat, woven cotton wick reaches from the bottom of the font up through the burner. Kerosene climbs the wick by capillary action.
3A small knob on the side of the burner turns toothed wheels that raise or lower the wick. A higher wick gives a larger flame; a wick raised too high gives a smoky flame that blackens the glass.
4A glass chimney fits around the flame. Hot gases rise through the chimney and draw fresh air in through small holes in the burner below the flame, which gives a steadier, brighter flame than an open wick.
5Only the top edge of the wick should burn. The heat turns the kerosene there into vapor, and the vapor burns.
6Kerosene is a liquid at room temperature, so a lamp does not need to melt its fuel before the wick can carry it.
7Kerosene lamps became common in American homes in the 1860s and stayed in use in many homes until electric lighting reached them.
8Antique lamps with painted glass shades are popular with collectors today.
9Kerosene is flammable, so a lamp should never be filled while it is lit.
SVHS lesson authors, Fact sheet: The Kerosene Lamp. Original passage written for this page.
Closure5 minutes
Exit ticket: (1) Name one connection and one distinction your kerosene lamp explanation will make. (2) Write the transition you will use to move from your first section to your second, and say what relationship it shows. (3) Write one sentence that could end your explanation by saying why the topic matters.
Teacher note on the source: Faraday's words are printed exactly as in the 1908 edition, including British spellings ("coloured," "centre"), the old spelling "shewn" (shown) and older terms. Tallow is hardened animal fat, which was a common, cheap candle material in the 1800s; spermaceti is a wax from the head of the sperm whale, used for fine candles. Robert Hooke was a seventeenth-century English scientist whose drawing of a flame Faraday showed. In paragraph 3, "the shadow" is the shadow of a candle flame that Faraday had just projected onto a screen with a bright lamp. The excerpt is taken from a different part of Lecture I than the candle excerpts on the RST.9-10.1 page, so the two lessons can be taught together without repeating a passage. Faraday's "capillary attraction" is the same phenomenon that textbooks now usually call capillary action. The optional candle demonstration is for the teacher only: keep the flame away from paper and hair, and do not tip or move the lit candle.
Differentiation Strategies
For Struggling Students
Give sentence frames for connections and distinctions: "Because ... , ... ." "Unlike ... , ... ." "Once ... , the next step is ... ."
Provide Diagram 2 as a fill-in organizer, with the headings already written, before students draft paragraphs
Let students work from a short glossary card with the terms cup, wick, capillary attraction, vapor and combustion defined in plain words
For Advanced Students
Ask students to explain the same process twice, once for sixth graders and once for a chemistry class, and to list what changed in the facts, definitions and vocabulary
Have students read the next part of Faraday's first lecture, on the vaporous condition of the fuel, and add a section on it that keeps the organization unified
Ask students to design a one-page explanatory handout that combines headings, a labeled figure and a short table, and to justify each format choice
Assessment Guidance
What to Look For
Check that the introduction names the topic and previews the organization, and that the sections follow the order in which the process happens. Look for at least one real distinction (two ideas a reader might confuse, set apart) and one real connection (one step causing the next). Every fact should serve the explanation for the stated reader; off-topic facts, such as the history of candles in an explanation of how a candle works, count against selection. Technical terms should be defined at first use. Transitions should show relationships (because, as a result, unlike) and not only list (also, and then). The conclusion should state why the explanation matters, not repeat it.
02
Classroom Activities
3 Activities
1
Fact Selection Sort
15 minPairs
Pairs sort ten fact cards about candles by how well each one serves a single explanation: how a candle gets fuel to its flame, written for sixth graders. Then they write an extended definition. The activity builds the selection of content (main standard) and part b.
Fact Cards
A. Air warmed by the flame rises, and cooler air flows in along the sides of the candle.
B. The cooled edge stays solid, so the melted fuel collects in a cup.
C. Melted fuel climbs the wick by capillary attraction.
D. A large amount of liquid fuel on a wick puts the flame out.
E. Faraday gave his candle lectures to young audiences at the Royal Institution in London.
F. Tallow, a hardened animal fat, was a common candle material in Faraday's time.
G. Many candles sold today are scented.
H. A draft from one side makes the cup lopsided, and the fuel runs down the side.
I. The word capillary comes from a Latin word meaning hair.
J. Birthday candles are usually thin and brightly colored.
Procedure
Pairs sort the cards into three piles: essential to the explanation, useful background for this reader, and not relevant. They write one reason on each card
Teacher key: A, B, C and D are essential, since each is a step or a cause in the process. H is useful because it shows what happens when a step fails. E, F and I are useful background: they tell young readers who Faraday was, what the fuel was, and where a strange term comes from. G and J are not relevant, because they describe how candles look or smell, not how they burn
Each pair writes an extended definition of cup as Faraday uses it, of three or four sentences: what it is, how it forms, and what happens when it forms badly
Two pairs read their definitions aloud, and the class checks each one against paragraphs 2 and 3 of the excerpt
Discussion Questions
Which card was hardest to place, and what would change your decision?
Would card F become essential for a different reader, such as a history class?
How many facts are "sufficient" for sixth graders? When does adding one more fact make an explanation harder to follow?
2
Figure, Table or Paragraph?
20 minGroups of 3
Groups decide which format best conveys four pieces of information about candles, then build one figure and one table. The activity practices formatting, graphics and multimedia "when useful to aiding comprehension" (part a), and adjusting to what a reader already knows (part b).
Information to Present
1. Where the rising air flows around a burning candle
2. The two candle fuels Faraday names in the excerpt, spermaceti and tallow, and what each one is
3. Why the flame does not burn down the whole wick
4. What guttering looks like as it happens
Procedure
For each item, the group chooses the best format (a labeled figure, a table, a paragraph, or a short video clip) and writes one sentence explaining why
Teacher key, open to argument: item 1 suits a labeled figure, because direction is hard to describe in words; item 2 suits a small table with a row for each material; item 3 suits a paragraph, because it is a chain of causes; item 4 is where a short video helps, since guttering happens over time
Each group draws the figure for item 1 and builds the table for item 2 on chart paper, with a heading above each
Groups rewrite the heading of their figure twice: once for sixth graders and once for a high school chemistry class, and explain what changed
Discussion Questions
When does a graphic repeat the text instead of helping it?
What should a caption say that the figure cannot?
Why does the standard say "when useful" instead of requiring headings and graphics every time?
Modification for Distance Learning
Groups work in a shared slide or drawing document. One student draws the figure, one builds the table, and one writes the captions and headings; the group presents its choices in two minutes.
3
Transition and Tone Repair
20 minPairs
Pairs revise the weak draft from Guided Practice into a short, formal explanation with a clear order, varied transitions, precise vocabulary and a real conclusion. The activity builds parts c, d, e and f.
Materials
The weak draft, the list of problems from Guided Practice, and Diagram 2 as the organization guide
Transition bank, sorted by relationship: sequence (first, next, once this happens); cause and effect (because, as a result, so); contrast and distinction (unlike, however, whereas); example (for instance, Faraday shows this when)
Style checklist: present tense for a process that always happens; technical terms defined at first use; no slang, no "you," no exaggeration; the source named once in full
Procedure
Replace the first sentence with an introduction that names the topic and previews the steps
Put the steps in the order the process happens: air current and cup, then wick, then flame
Replace every "Also" with a transition that shows how the two ideas relate, using at least three different relationships from the bank
Replace the vague phrases ("and stuff," "does something") with precise terms, and fix the definition of capillary attraction
Cut the off-topic sentence about the history of candles, and write a conclusion that states why the process matters instead of calling candles "amazing"
Trade with another pair and label each transition with the relationship it shows
Lab Report Variation
Pairs rewrite one section as the observation part of a science lab report about the teacher's demonstration. A lab report describes what was done and seen in the past tense ("The pool of melted wax formed within two minutes") and states general principles in the present tense. Students explain in one sentence how the conventions of a lab report differ from those of an explanation for general readers.
03
Diagrams & Visual Aids
2 diagrams
Diagram 1: How a Candle Feeds Its Own Flame
A labeled figure of the three steps in Faraday's explanation. Rising air cools the rim, so the melted fuel collects in a cup; the wick lifts the fuel by capillary attraction; and only a thin film at the top of the wick turns to vapor and burns. A figure like this is useful when the explanation depends on direction and position, which words alone describe slowly.
Diagram 2: Organizing an Explanation to Show Connections and Distinctions
The organization of the model text. The left column shows each section and its job. The arrows show linking phrases a writer can use to move from one section to the next, and each makes a relationship clear: sequence, place or cause. The right column shows the distinction each body section draws between two ideas a reader might confuse.
04
Homework Assignment
~30 min
W.9-10.2 Homework: Explaining How a Kerosene Lamp Feeds Its Flame
Directions: You will write one explanatory text, 400-600 words, step by step. Your readers are parents and children using a history museum's family guide: they know what a candle is but have never seen a kerosene lamp. Use two sources only: the kerosene lamp fact sheet and the Faraday excerpt from the lesson plan. Quote short phrases exactly and give the paragraph number in parentheses, for example (paragraph 2). Keep a formal, objective tone throughout.
Part 1: Topic, Selection and Plan (Problems 1-2)
Write an introduction of three or four sentences for the museum guide. It must name the topic, connect it to something your readers already know, and preview the order of your sections.
List the facts from the fact sheet you will use and the ones you will leave out, with a one-sentence reason for each fact you leave out. Then write three headings for your sections and describe one figure or table you will include, saying what it will show that a paragraph could not.
Part 2: Developing the Explanation (Problems 3-4)
Draft the section that compares the lamp with the candle. Make at least two connections (what the two share) and two distinctions (how they differ), and support one of them with a quotation from Faraday and its paragraph number.
Write an extended definition, three or four sentences long, of one term your readers will not know (for example, font or vapor). Then find three vague words or phrases in your draft and replace each with a more precise term.
Part 3: Cohesion, Style and Conclusion (Problems 5-6)
Draft the full text. Use at least four transitions that show different relationships (sequence, cause and effect, contrast, and one that links two major sections). Underline each transition and label its relationship in the margin.
Write a concluding section that follows from your explanation and states its significance for your readers, for example what the lamp shows about how people lit their homes or what it has in common with the candle. Then revise one body paragraph for formal style and the conventions of science writing, and list three changes you made.
Rubric
Criterion
Full Credit (2 pts)
Partial Credit (1 pt)
No Credit (0 pts)
Introduction and Organization
Topic introduced and previewed; sections in a logical order that shows connections and distinctions; headings or a graphic that help the reader
Order mostly clear but connections or distinctions missing; formatting that does not help
No clear topic or order
Development and Selection
Relevant, sufficient facts from both sources; an extended definition; exact, cited quotation; nothing off topic
Some facts irrelevant or thin; definition too brief; quotation not cited
Few or no facts from the sources
Transitions and Language
Varied transitions that show relationships; precise, domain-specific vocabulary defined for the reader
Transitions mostly additive (also, and); some vague words
No transitions; vague throughout
Style and Conclusion
Formal, objective tone; science-writing conventions; conclusion follows and states significance
Some lapses in tone; conclusion only repeats
Informal throughout or no conclusion
05
Quiz: 20 Questions
Interactive, with answers
Instructions
The questions use the Faraday excerpt, the model text and the weak draft from the lesson plan, and the kerosene lamp fact sheet in Independent Practice. Your score updates as you answer, and Reset quiz clears everything so you or your students can try again.
Multiple choice: pick an option to check it. Short answer: write your answer, then reveal the model answer.
0 of 20 answered · 0 correct
Question 1 of 20 · Multiple Choice
What is the main purpose of an informative/explanatory text such as the model "How a Candle Feeds Its Own Flame"?
Answer: A
An informative/explanatory text examines a topic and conveys it so that readers understand it; the model explains the steps by which a candle feeds its flame. B describes argument writing (W.9-10.1), C describes narrative writing (W.9-10.3), and D describes a personal response, which would break the objective tone the standard asks for.
Question 2 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In paragraph 1 of the model text, which sentence previews the organization of the whole explanation?
Answer: D
The last sentence of paragraph 1 names the three steps in the order the next three sections explain them, so it tells readers how the text is organized. A is a hook that sets up a contrast. B states the main idea but does not preview the sections. C names the source; it does not preview anything.
Question 3 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In paragraph 4 of the Faraday excerpt, why does Faraday pour "a saturated solution of salt which cannot absorb more" into the plate instead of plain water?
Answer: B
Faraday says he uses the saturated solution "so that the action which you see will not be due to its dissolving anything": he separates capillary attraction from dissolving, a distinction an explanation must keep clear. A confuses this with a different detail, the coloring he adds "that you may see the action better." C misreads the passage: the solution is not combustible. D invents a reason; Faraday only hopes the column "does not tumble over."
Question 4 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which sentence makes an important distinction between two ideas in the candle explanation?
Answer: C
C sets two parts of the candle apart (the solid rim and the melted center) and explains the cause of the difference, which is what an explanatory distinction does. A and D list two facts joined by "and" without relating them. B lists facts that are not relevant to how a candle burns.
Question 5 of 20 · Multiple Choice
A student is writing an explanation of Faraday's three steps and can add one graphic. Which graphic would most help readers understand the process?
Answer: A
The standard asks for graphics "when useful to aiding comprehension": a labeled cross-section shows where the air flows and where each step happens, as Diagram 1 does. B is decoration. C and D present information that is accurate but not about how the candle feeds its flame, so they would not aid comprehension of this topic.
Question 6 of 20 · Multiple Choice
What is the main job of the headings in the model text ("Step 1: The Cup," "Step 2: The Wick," "Step 3: The Flame")?
Answer: C
The numbered headings follow the process in order (cup, then wick, then flame), which helps readers see how each step leads to the next. A misreads them: the headings name parts of the process, not materials. B is wrong because the text has an introduction (paragraph 1). D confuses headings with citations; paragraph 5, "Why the Design Matters," has a heading but no quotation.
Question 7 of 20 · Multiple Choice
A writer is explaining how a kerosene lamp gets fuel to its flame. Which fact from the fact sheet is least relevant to that explanation?
Answer: D
Fact 8 says antique lamps "are popular with collectors today," which says nothing about how the lamp works, so a well-chosen selection leaves it out. A, B and C are each a part of the fuel-and-air system: the font stores the fuel, the wick lifts it, and the chimney supplies air.
Question 8 of 20 · Multiple Choice
The readers of an explanation are sixth graders who have never heard the term "capillary attraction." Which addition, placed right after the term, best suits their knowledge?
Answer: B
Readers who do not know a term need a familiar case that shows it, so B anticipates their knowledge; Faraday does the same thing with his wet-hand example. A is accurate (Faraday says the name "was given in old times") but does not help a reader picture the idea. C is irrelevant, and D gives up on the explanation instead of adjusting it.
Question 9 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Paragraph 3 of the model text begins, "Liquid fuel in the cup cannot pour onto the flame; it has to be lifted." How does this sentence link paragraph 3 to paragraph 2?
Answer: A
The sentence starts with what paragraph 2 produced ("Liquid fuel in the cup") and names the problem paragraph 3 will solve ("it has to be lifted"), so it links the two major sections and shows that one step leads to the next. B is wrong because nothing is redefined. C reverses the relationship. D misplaces the sentence: the conclusion is paragraph 5.
Question 10 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Choose the transition that best shows the relationship between these ideas: The rising air cools the outer edge of the candle; ____, the edge stays solid while the wax inside melts.
Answer: C
The cooling causes the edge to stay solid, so a cause-and-effect transition such as "as a result" fits. "For example" would introduce an instance, "similarly" a comparison with an earlier idea, and "in contrast" a difference; none of these is the relationship between the two clauses.
Question 11 of 20 · Multiple Choice
The weak draft includes the sentences "Also the air does something to the sides of the candle. Also there is a cup. Also the flame stays on top." What is the main problem with these transitions?
Answer: D
"Also" signals addition only, so the draft never shows that the air current makes the cup possible or that the cup supplies the wick; the result lacks cohesion. A is wrong because "Also" is informal, not too formal. B confuses having transitions with using appropriate ones. C misreads the order: the draft mentions the air, the cup and the flame in the right sequence but without linking them.
Question 12 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which revision of the weak draft's sentence "The wax melts and stuff and then it goes up the string" uses the most precise language?
Answer: B
B replaces "stuff" and "string" with the domain-specific terms "cotton wick" and "capillary attraction" and says exactly how the fuel moves. A drops "and stuff" but keeps the vague "goes up the candle string." C is still vague. D is precise about nothing in the process and drops the wick entirely.
Question 13 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which revision of the weak draft's first sentence, "Candles are honestly way cooler than you would think," keeps a formal style and an objective tone?
Answer: A
A makes a precise statement about the topic with no slang, no "you" and no exaggeration. B keeps the slang and the second person. C is wordy and makes the sentence about the writer's feelings instead of the topic. D insults readers, which breaks an objective tone.
Question 14 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which sentence best follows the conventions of science writing for an explanation of how a candle burns?
Answer: D
Science explanations state processes that always happen in the present tense, name the conditions precisely ("evenly from all sides") and leave out opinion. A hedges with personal opinion ("I think," "probably"). B praises the source instead of explaining. C tells a personal story in the past tense, which suits a narrative or a lab observation, not a general explanation.
Question 15 of 20 · Short Answer
Write an extended definition, three or four sentences long, of the term wick as Faraday uses it in paragraphs 1 and 2 of the excerpt. Include what it is, what it does and what a candle and a lamp share, and quote Faraday at least once with the paragraph number.
Model answer: "A wick is a strip of porous material that carries liquid fuel from where it is stored up to the flame. It lifts the fuel by capillary attraction, and the fuel burns only when it reaches the top, not in the pool below. A wick need not be twisted string: in Faraday's oil lamp it is "a little moss or some cotton prepared by artificial means" (paragraph 1). It is the one part that the two lights have in common, since in a candle and a lamp "the wick is common to both" (paragraph 2)." Rubric line: 2 points for a definition that names the class (a strip of porous material), what it does, the shared role in candle and lamp, and an exact, cited quotation; 1 point if one part is missing or the quotation is not exact.
Question 16 of 20 · Short Answer
In paragraph 4 of the Faraday excerpt, Faraday uses a column of salt as a model of a candle. Explain the connection he makes between the model and the candle, quoting him once, and name one way the model is different from a real candle.
Model answer: Faraday matches each part of his model to a part of the candle: "We may consider the plate to be the candle, and the salt the wick, and this solution the melted tallow" (paragraph 4). When the liquid "creeps up the salt higher and higher," the audience sees what the melted fuel does in the wick. One difference is that the salt solution does not burn, so the model shows how the fuel rises but not what happens when it reaches the flame. Rubric line: 2 points for the three matched parts, an exact quotation and a real difference; 1 point if the difference or the quotation is missing.
Question 17 of 20 · Short Answer
Put these sentences in the order that makes the clearest explanatory paragraph, and name the role of each (topic sentence, explanation, result, example, link to the next section): (a) For example, a lamp used without its chimney gives a flickering, smoky flame. (b) A kerosene lamp's glass chimney does more than protect the flame. (c) As hot gases rise through the chimney, they draw fresh air in through small holes in the burner. (d) This steady supply of air gives the flame its even, bright light. (e) The chimney therefore works alongside the wick: the wick supplies the fuel, and the chimney supplies the air.
Model answer: b, c, d, a, e. (b) is the topic sentence, which introduces the chimney's job; (c) explains the process, introduced by "As"; (d) states the result, introduced by "This"; (a) gives an example that shows the result by its absence, introduced by "For example"; (e) links the chimney to the wick, the next part of the explanation, introduced by "therefore." The order follows fact 4 of the fact sheet, which says the chimney draws in fresh air and gives "a steadier, brighter flame than an open wick." Rubric line: 2 points for the correct order with all five roles; 1 point for a workable order with one or two roles missing.
Question 18 of 20 · Short Answer
The model text ends by saying that candle makers care about a candle's shape and material. Write a different concluding sentence for the model that follows from its explanation and states a practical implication for someone who uses candles at home.
Model answer: "Because the cup forms only when air reaches the candle evenly from all sides, a candle burns cleanly only where the air is still, so a candle placed near an open window or a fan will gutter and waste its fuel." Rubric line: 2 points for a conclusion that follows from a step in the explanation (here the air current and the cup) and states an implication or the significance of the topic; 1 point if it only restates the steps or introduces an unrelated idea.
Question 19 of 20 · Short Answer
Revise these sentences from the weak draft into two or three sentences that put the ideas in the right order and use transitions that show how they relate: "Also the air does something to the sides of the candle. Also there is a cup."
Model answer: "First, the heat of the flame sets up a current of rising air that cools the sides of the candle. Because the cooled edge stays solid while the center melts, a cup of liquid fuel forms at the top." Rubric line: 2 points for replacing "does something" with the actual effect, putting the air current before the cup, and using transitions that show sequence and cause (such as "First" and "Because"); 1 point if the order is right but the transitions only add.
Question 20 of 20 · Short Answer
Using facts 3 and 5 of the fact sheet, write a short explanatory paragraph of three or four sentences for readers who have never used a kerosene lamp. Explain how the knob and its toothed wheels control the flame and why a wick raised too high causes a problem. Keep a formal, objective tone.
Model answer: "A kerosene lamp's flame is controlled by a small knob on the side of the burner, which turns toothed wheels that raise or lower the wick. Because only the top edge of the wick burns, raising the wick exposes more fuel to the flame and makes the flame larger. If the wick is raised too high, however, the lamp produces more vapor than can burn cleanly, and the result is a smoky flame that blackens the glass." Rubric line: 2 points for an accurate, ordered explanation with at least one cause-and-effect transition and no informal language; 1 point if it is accurate but lists facts without explaining the relationship, or slips into informal tone.
0 of 20 answered · 0 correct
06
Frequently Asked Questions
10 Questions
What does W.9-10.2 mean?
W.9-10.2 means that students in grades 9 and 10 can write informative and explanatory texts that examine and convey complex ideas, concepts and information clearly and accurately, through the effective selection, organization and analysis of content.
Its six parts ask students to introduce and organize the topic with connections and distinctions (a), develop it with well-chosen facts and details (b), use varied transitions (c), use precise vocabulary (d), keep a formal, objective style (e), and write a conclusion that follows (f).
What is the difference between W.9-10.2 and W.11-12.2?
The grade 11-12 version asks for the same kind of writing with more depth and control.
W.11-12.2 asks students to organize so that "each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole," to develop the topic "thoroughly" with "the most significant" facts, to vary syntax as well as transitions, and to use metaphor, simile and analogy to manage a complex topic. The grade 9-10 standard asks for connections and distinctions, well-chosen and sufficient facts, and varied transitions.
How is informative writing different from argument writing?
Informative writing explains a topic; argument writing defends a claim against other claims.
An explanation of how a candle burns does not need a counterclaim, because no reasonable reader disputes the process. Its success is measured by whether the reader understands. The skills overlap, since both need evidence, organization and transitions, but the writer's goal is different.
What counts as a "complex" idea for a ninth or tenth grader?
A complex idea has several parts that depend on each other, so that explaining one part requires explaining its connection to the others.
A process with causes and effects (how a candle feeds its flame), a concept with a technical definition (capillary action), or information that must be compared (a candle and a lamp) all qualify. A list of unconnected facts does not.
Do students have to use headings and graphics under W.9-10.2?
No: the standard asks for formatting, graphics and multimedia "when useful to aiding comprehension," so the writer decides.
Headings help in longer explanations with separate steps or parts. A labeled figure helps when direction or position matters, a table helps when several items share the same features, and a short video helps when a change happens over time. A graphic that only decorates the page does not meet the standard.
What is an extended definition?
An extended definition explains a term in several sentences instead of one, so that a reader who has never met the term can use it.
It usually names the general class the term belongs to, says how the thing works or what it does, gives an example, and sometimes gives a non-example or the origin of the word. The lesson's definition of capillary attraction includes all four.
What are the "norms and conventions of the discipline" in explanatory writing?
They are the habits that readers in a subject expect, and they change from one class to another.
A science explanation uses the present tense for processes that always happen, defines technical terms, and states conditions precisely. A lab report describes what was done in the past tense. A history explanation gives dates and context. A literary analysis discusses what a text does in the present tense.
How is W.9-10.2 usually assessed?
W.9-10.2 is usually assessed with an explanatory essay, often based on one or more sources, scored on a rubric for organization, development, language and conventions.
Many state tests include a source-based informational writing task. Check your state's released items and scoring guides to see how organization, use of sources and style are weighted.
Why teach explanatory writing with Faraday's candle lectures?
Faraday wrote for young listeners and explained a complex process with everyday examples, so his lecture is itself a model of explaining for an audience.
The excerpt is short, in the public domain, and describes a process with clear steps, causes and distinctions. It also connects English with science class, where students write explanations of the same kind. Any short, accurate explanation of a process would work in its place.
How can parents help with informative writing at home?
Ask your student to explain how an everyday device works, such as a toaster, a bicycle brake or a thermostat, to someone younger.
Then ask two questions: "What does your listener need to know first?" and "How does this step lead to the next one?" Those two questions practice the organization and the connections that W.9-10.2 asks for.
07
Related Standards
5 standards
These standards connect to W.9-10.2: prerequisites to review first, parallel standards at the same level, and next steps that build on it.
Before this lesson
W.8.2Prerequisite
Write informative texts that preview a topic and organize ideas into categories
Lesson coming soon
Alongside
RI.9-10.3Parallel
Analyze how an author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events
Lesson coming soon
L.9-10.6Parallel
Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words
Lesson coming soon
WHST.9-10.2Parallel
Write informative texts in history, science and technical subjects
Lesson coming soon
After this lesson
W.11-12.2Next step
Write explanatory texts that build to a unified whole with the most significant facts
