Trespassing at Kings Park Psychiatric Center risky

Ben Amato | Educational consultant

Expository Writing - ELA Standards 1, 3 and 4

Halloween has grown into a consumer holiday, with sales of costumes, candy and decorations rivaling the Christmas season. In searching for the macabre and scary, some thrill seekers visit "haunted" buildings and graveyards. Today's lesson examines the lengths people go through to experience the spirits of the underworld.

Television Component
Newsday Video has a story that illustrates the scary nature of Halloween. View the video twice and then answer the Multiple Choice questions.

Newspaper Component
Today's Newsday contains the article "Trespassing at Kings Park Psychiatric Center risky." Read the story and then using the facts and details within, complete the Comprehension Crossword Puzzle.

Language Arts Component
"One need not be a chamber to be haunted;
One need not be a house;
The brain has corridors surpassing
Material place."

Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)

Poet Emily Dickinson recognized that the spookiest place resides in the mind.

Situation
Halloween brings out the ghouls in all of us, but some take thrill seeking to extremes by visiting places that are supposed to be haunted. That is what drives many to visit the abandoned Kings Park Psychiatric Center and other haunted spots around the nation. Write an EXPOSITORY ESSAY about the obsession many people have about Halloween and the lengths people go to for frightening experiences and "haunting" experiences.

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 interviews, 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. Why do people "want" to be scared on Halloween? Do ghosts exist and why do people go out to look for them? Then express to your audience your opinion about the supernatural and ghostly experiences. End this section with a look towards the future. What are you going to "do" this Halloween for thrills and chills?