HSPA Elements
Expository Essay: Write an essay using literature, film, science, history or
your own experience to discuss an idea/quote/theme.

30 Minutes
~5/10 minutes prewriting- (Outlining opinion and examples with specific details)
~20 minutes writing/proofreading

Minimum of 4 Paragraphs
-Introduction:
Introduce the theme and your opinion
-Body Paragraph:
An example from literature, film, your own experience, etc.
-Body Paragraph:
A DIFFERENT type of example than the previous paragraph.
-Conclusion:
Restate your opinion and summarize your examples

Example prompt:
“Although fear is a common human emotion, our response to it varies. Using an example from
literature, history, science, film, or your own experience or observation, write an essay
analyzing a particular response to fear and the effect of that response.”
_________________________________________________________________________________
Persuasive Essay: Write an essay to persuade the reader to adopt your point of view
on a controversial issue.

60 Minutes
~10/15 minutes prewriting- (T chart, outlining examples with specific details)
~45 minutes writing/proofreading

Minimum of 5 Paragraphs
-Introduction:
Restate the issue being asked and take a side, briefly stating your
Examples.
-Body Paragraph:
-Body Paragraph:
For each body paragraph, elaborate on one of the points from your
T chart and outline, connecting it back to your position (thesis).
-Body Paragraph:
-Conclusion:
Restate your position and summarize your examples.
Example prompt:
“In recent years, business representatives have expressed concern about the skills of
students entering the workforce. Responding to these concerns, state legislators have enacted
a law that establishes high educational standards for all students. Now the state legislature is
considering enacting a law that would prohibit students from working after 6 p.m. or from
participating in any after-school activity after 6 p.m. They believe this law would ensure that
students have adequate time to study and complete daily homework assignments. However,
many people believe this law would be unfair, and the proposed legislation has become a
controversial issue in communities across the state.
Your social studies teacher has asked students to write an essay explaining their opinions on this
controversial issue. What is your point of view? How would this legislation affect you and
other students in your school?”
:
Open-Ended Reading: Read a short story/article, respond to multiple choice
questions, and respond to open-ended questions.

45 (Persuasive) or 50 (Narrative) Minutes
 Pre-read questions before reading
 Read bolded text at top of reading – often gives hint of theme
 Take notes in the text - pay attention to vocabulary, plot, characters, conflicts
 Process of elimination for multiple-choice questions

One Paragraph per Bullet Point in Open-Ended responses
 Topic sentence: restating prompt/answering question
 Quote from the text as evidence for your answer (usually in 1st paragraph)
 Personal connection to extend your opinion (usually in 2nd paragraph)
Example prompts:
A)
The experience with the telescope has a
profound effect on the boy and Old Man
Corey.


What does each character see, and what
is his response to what he sees in the
telescope?
How will the experience with the
telescope change each of them?
B)
A student in your high school has taken
a position that s/he is willing to work in
order to own a car. Based on the article,
what arguments could be made to justify
such a position?
- Clearly state your point of view.
- Provide at least two supporting details
that would explain your opposition to
the author’s point of view.
Use information from the article to
support your response.