Explanatory Essay A
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Actual score it received on the NJASK _________
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There are a lot of environmental problems in the world, but on really stands out to me.
Pollution is its name damaging is its game. Pollution does three things: It is the reason for global
warming, it makes the air dirty, and it kills animals.
Global warming is a very serious thing. It makes the ice in the Arctic melt. That is horrifying for
any animal that reliys on ice for a home. Global warming is caused by a couple of things, but pollution
is the main reason.
Polluted air is bad for everyone and everything. When we throw garbage on the ground it’s like
throwing it in our lungs. When garbage starts to rot and go bad, its smell gets in the air and in our
lungs. When we breathe in bad air we are killing our lungs.
Lastly it kills animals. If any garbage gets in the ocean a sea creatures life becomes on the line.
Most sea creatures ear what’s under the sea and they could mistake it for another animal. I did a
report and I learned that an octopuses faveorite food is a jelly fish. Jelly fish and plastic bags look alike.
Throw rash in a bin, and stop pollution.
Global Warming, dirty air, and the killing of animals are made by pollution. As you just learned,
pollution is very serious. Please stop it by not throwing stuff on the ground or in the ocean. You will
save sea creatures and humans.
Explanatory Essay B
Your score ___________
Your reasons for this score:
Actual score it received on the NJASK _________
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3. _________________________________________
What changes/additions would make this essay better?
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The earths environment is facing many problems. The one thing that causes most of them is oil.
Oil comes from old fossils, ones that are millions of years old. We us oil faster then it’s being made so
we should start working on a solution to this major problem right away.
One of the reason oil hurts the environment is the fact that when it’s burned it realizes carbon
dioxide or CO2. This gas when released is the reason for air pollution. In my science textbook, it should
a picture of Los Angeles, and the whole skyline was devastated by an ominous brown fog. Have you
ever seen a factory with Brown smoke billowing out? That’s the result of oil being burned and CO 2
being released. Imagine what it would be like if a bird flew through that. Not good. Finally, on the
topic of burning oil there’s acid rain and global warming. Acid rain is when carbon dioxide gets into
clouds. Then when it rains, the CO2 gets released in rain. The plants and animals that drink rain water
get infected with the CO2. Then there’s global warming. The ozone layer helps keep the earth warm by
trapping half of the suns thermal energy and releasing from space and more is trapped by the ozone
thus rising the temperature of the earth.
There are things we can do to stop the use of oil. First we can use nuclear powers. This doesn’t
cause pollution, but it makes radioactive waste. Then there’s solar power. Solar panels change
thermal energy into electric energy powering homes. Lastly, there’s hydro and wind power. The rise
and fall of tides and steady gusts of wind can power generators. We can use alternate energy sources
and make a cleaner earth.
If we use the alternate energy sources, and deplete the need for oil we can prevent global
warming, air pollution, and oil spills. We should make the switch before it’s to late!
Explanatory Essay C
Your score ___________
Your reasons for this score:
Actual score it received on the NJASK _________
1. _________________________________________
2. _________________________________________
3. _________________________________________
What changes/additions would make this essay better?
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The Gulf of Mexico experienced disaster last year. A tremendous oil spill contaminated the
waters and seafood that many people needed to make a living. Many species of birds were also in
danger because of the oil that they got on themselves. This was a huge environmental problem and
it’s still affecting us today.
This oil spill is affecting our environment by contaminating seafood, which many people need to
make an honest living. The oil can also be found in marshes and bays, where many birds live. The
waters in the Gulf of Mexico still have traces of oil left. Many people have already tried to help, but
there’s still more to be done. To solve this environmental issue, we should help dispose of oil that we
find on the beaches, marshes, bays, and oceans. We should also help clean up any birds that have
been trapped in oil or have oil in their feathers. We could also help decontaminate the seafood. Some
people are already taking action, doing these things and we can help.
Taking these actions will help the environment a lot. We will be helping the visitors of these
places have peace of mind, knowing that they won’t find oil in their beloved beaches. The birds will be
able to live peacefully, without being weighed down by think, sticky, heavy oil. The fishermen will also
be grateful because they know the seafood that they caught will be safe for their customers to eat.
This oil spill affected many, many people. We can all help to restore the beaches and wildlife in
the Gulf of Mexico. People are doing these things right now, and we can help in that effort. Why let
the Gulf suffer when we are well capable of helping them out?
Explanatory Essay D
Your score ___________
Your reasons for this score:
Actual score it received on the NJASK _________
1. _________________________________________
2. _________________________________________
3. _________________________________________
What changes/additions would make this essay better?
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Imagine going to the beach on a warm, breezy day. You are enjoying the crystal clear ocean as
it whispers in your ear, and you are watching the suns as it sets own into the horizon. All of the
sudden, two seagulls land right in front of you. One has a six pack ring around its neck, while the other
one has a ring pop tightly clasped to its leg. Doesn’t this make you feel sad? Doesn’t it make you want
to make a difference? The problem is that we are the ones doing this to our planet. We are harming
not only animals, but we are hurting ourselves and our environment.
One huge problem that we are creating is the lack of recycling or throwing out our garbage.
This creates litter on the ground, and when nobody tries to make a difference, the garbage just
expands and grows. I am working on a town project right now to start a Recycling Program at our
school. I have done research and I have seen many horrendous pictures. I have seen pictures of dead
seals, turtles with nets practically “hugging” them, birds with six packs, and beaches where there is not
one single visible grain of sand.
This really upsets me, and they should upset you, too. When we don’t recycle or dispose of our
garbage, we are basically killing innocent animals and plant, causing air pollution, and creating a filthy
living environment for us and our future generations. Animals are eating the trash that’s on the
ground, and they are getting sick because of it. They don’t know what to eat, so they eat anything in
sight. Wild animals can’t always find food for themselves, so they are devouring garbage as an
alternative. We are causing air pollution in addition to harming animals, too. Isn’t it a horrible thing?
When we litter, we are polluting the air. Nasty fumes lift up into the atmosphere, and then we breathe
in those fumes. Basically, we are breathing in our own garbage. Would you like to be smelling rotten
bananas and old tomatoes for the rest of your life?
Thirdly, we are creating a tremendously filthy living environment for us and our future
generations. Once we have passed, our children and grandchildren will be suffering from what we
started. They’ll be walking on garbage, smelling garbage, and practically living on garbage. Do you
want this to happen to your children, grandchildren, or even great grandchildren?
There is a way we can stop this, though. First, you can simply throw out your garbage or recycle
it in the appropriate container. If you see garbage on the ground, you can pick it up and deposit it in
the nearest garbage can. You can save animal’s life by doing something that simple. Second, there are
programs where you trade in garbage or recycled materials, and they’ll give you money for your school
or community. With the materials, they made bags, pencil cases, etc., which are truly awesome. In
conclusion, we are the only people that can stop this. We are the ones who can make a difference.