Demographics at heart of South Carolina primary

Ben Amato | Educational consultant

Demographics refers to selected population characteristics as used in government, marketing or opinion research. Commonly-used demographics include race, age, income, disabilities, mobility (in terms of travel time to work or number of vehicles available), educational attainment, home ownership, employment status, and even location. -- Wikepedia definition

Expository Writing--ELA Standards 1, 3 and 4

On the holiday to commemorate the work of Martin Luther King and his struggle against racism, skin color and prejudice still dominates the news. Today's lesson covers several stories that illustrate the continued struggles that divide America.

Television Component

The CW 11 News at Ten had several stories about events connected with the Martin Luther King holiday. View the video twice and then answer the Multiple Choice questions.

Newspaper Component
Today's Newsday contains a story that relate to our country's divided history and the political present. Read the story "Demographics at heart of South Carolina primary" and using the facts and details it contains, complete the Comprehension Crossword Puzzle.

Language Arts Component
"It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important."
Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968)

Racial harmony and justice are goals America strived towards for over 100 years, yet prejudice threatens peace, bias incites conflict and racism still divides. The holiday dedicated Martin Luther King is a perfect time to reflect upon the state of our nation.

Situation
Based upon the details in the article, the video clips and your own knowledge about racial relations on Long Island, write an EXPOSITORY ESSAY about the impact of skin color and race has on our present society.

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 issue. Using the information from the article and video clips, 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 the situation. Does race and skin color still divide our society? Does prejudice still exist and show itself here on Long Island? Has America lived up to the ideals of Martin Luther King? How will bias and racism figure into our future; politically, socially and personally?