Long Island chiropractor questioned in steroid probe

Ben Amato | Educational consultant

"Sadly, this problem of steroid use is not isolated to baseball."
Jim Sensenbrenner, Congressman

Expository Essay--ELA Standards 1, 3 and 4

Performance enhancing drugs have united the sports arena and the entertainment world in scandal. An Olympic star is facing prison time. Baseball officials and players will soon testify to Congress. High profile music celebrities are under investigation. And now a Long Island chiropractor is injected into this world of steroids and Human Growth Hormones. Today's lesson explores the scope of the current steroid investigations.

TV Component
The CW 11 News at Ten carried the story involving high-profile celebrities caught in the steroid investigations. View the video clip twice and then take the Multiple-Choice Quiz.

Newspaper Component
The article in today's Newsday titled "Long Island chiropractor questioned in steroid probe." Read the article and using the facts and details within, complete the Comprehension Crossword Puzzle.

Language Arts Component
"Major League Baseball has always recognized the influence that our stars can have on the youth of America. As such, we are concerned that recent revelations and allegations of steroid use have been sending a terrible message to young people."
Bud Selig, Baseball Commissioner

From high school athletes to hip-hop artists, performance enhancing drugs have tainted the playing field and the world's stage. Celebrities and ordinary citizens are willing to risk prison, severe side effects and disgrace to capture fame and fortune through illegal means.

Situation
Write an EXPOSITORY ESSAY about the probes and scandals involving performance enhancing drugs.

The Nature and Structure of an EXPOSITORY ESSAY
An EXPOSITORY ESSAY is a form of writing in which things are explained and described. The goal of this style is to inform the reader of some event, issue or discovery. Typical of all formal styles of writing, this essay will follow a set pattern of 3 paragraphs.

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
Expository essays begin with the TOPIC, where in short, direct sentences the issue or event is explained. Details about the SETTING and CAST are presented next. These sentences tell WHO the major players are and WHERE the story is being played out. The final sentence of this section is where the writer presents his/her OPINION on the issue. This is a "grabber" that makes the reader want to read the rest of the essay.

BODY PARAGRAPH
This section concerns the details of the story. Using the information from the article and news clip, the writer should present the facts in a strong, direct manner. It is best to arrange details in an ORDER OF IMPORTANCE. Place the more significant details at the start of the essay and the lesser ones later in the paragraph. The aim of an expository essay is to inform the reader, but the writer should also try to bring the reader to their opinion by using logic and the evidence.

This section may be longer than just one paragraph, depending on how many facts and details are gathered from the article and television news story. Use the Comprehension Crossword Puzzle and the answers to the Multiple-Choice Quiz as a resource so you can make sure all the important facts have been included.

CONCLUSION
The final section of an expository essay should drive home the opinion of the writer. Repeat the TOPIC in a short, clear phrase and then answer a few questions expressing your own thoughts on performance enhancing drugs and their widespread use. End your essay with a look towards the future? How might steroids and HGH change the world, just as it changes individuals? What "side effects" exist for a society that values drug-produced fame and fortune over natural talents, hard work and learned skills?