Explanation Text

Explanation text -March 2018

Text Form: Explanation Social Purpose: To explain

Task: Write an explanation text to explain how something works / happens in relation to the human body. E.g. How the eye works.

Title of Explanation text:

Section	Checklist	Student	Peer	Teacher
Introduction	Does your text have an introductory opening statement?	☐Yes	☐Yes ☐No	☐Yes ☐No
Main body of text	Is your information clearly set out in paragraphs in a logical sequence using subheadings?	☐Yes	☐Yes ☐No	☐Yes ☐No
Closing statement	Is there a closing statement to wrap up the text?	☐Yes	☐Yes ☐No	☐Yes ☐No
Facts	Does your text include relevant facts? Have you used PEEP (Point, Explanation, Example and Punctuation)	☐Yes	☐Yes ☐No	☐Yes ☐No
Tense	Is your information report written in present tense?	☐Yes	☐Yes ☐No	☐Yes ☐No
Person	Is your information report written in 3rd person?	☐Yes	☐Yes ☐No	☐Yes ☐No
Time and Causal Connectives	Have you used a variety of connectives? (e.g, this results in, so, as a result, therefore, firstly, lastly)	☐Yes	☐Yes ☐No	☐Yes ☐No
Subject specific / technical language	Does your writing use appropriate language (this might be technical / scientific).	☐Yes	☐Yes ☐No	☐Yes ☐No
Passive verbs	Are passive verbs used (e.g are formed, are changed)	☐Yes	☐Yes ☐No	☐Yes ☐No
Diagram / Visual pictures	Have you included a diagram to help you inform the reader about your topic?	☐Yes	☐Yes ☐No	☐Yes ☐No
Citations	Have you gathered relevant information from experiences, print and digital sources Have you summarized and paraphrased information in notes? Have you cited appropriate resources?	☐Yes ☐Yes ☐Yes	☐Yes ☐No ☐Yes ☐No ☐Yes ☐No	☐Yes ☐No ☐Yes ☐No ☐Yes ☐No
Teacher Comment

Task: Write an explanation text using any topic that was covered in the Who We Are Unit. Please see possible questions that can be used to write an explanation text. STEP 1- Spend 2-3 minutes to go through the checklist very carefully STEP 2- The next 3 minutes discuss each part of the checklist in your table group. STEP 3-Read through the……..

Sample Questions:

How do we see?

How can we hear?

How can we taste?

What is the respiratory system?

What is the cardiac system?

What is the nervous system?

What is the skeletal system?

What is the immune system?

What is the endocrine system?

What is the digestive system?


Topics We Have Learned About So Far

Girls and boys puberty

The immune system

Hormones

The endocrine system

Topics We Are Interested In

How the eye works

How we taste

What is the skeletal system?

The reproductive system

How does the brain work?

Puberty

How the Respiratory System Works

The respiratory system is an extremely crucial part of the body. The respiratory system is the system in which helps all living things breathe. Oxygen is the chemical living creatures breathe in and it’s what allows cells to make energy and function properly.

Lungs
Our lungs are surrounded by your ribcage and sits on your diaphram. When you inhale your diaphram contracts and moves down while your ribcage expands. This causes a drop in air pressure in your lungs which higher air pressure rushes in to equalize the pressure.


Where Does the Oxygen Go?

The oxygen then travels down the trachea or windpipe to your lungs. Inside your lungs the air moves into smaller and smaller passages called bronchial tubes. Eventually the air spreads to the alveoli. Alveoli are tiny sacks surrounded by blood vessel called capillaries. The oxygen then moves through the alveoli and capillaries walls into your bloodstream. Walls of alveoli and capillaries are 1 cell thick so the air travels through there easily.







Carbon Dioxide 

Carbon dioxide is a harmful waste gas. It’s made in your cells and travels through your blood to your heart. Your heart pumps it back into the capillaries around the alveoli. As you exhale your diaphram relaxes and moves up while your lungs deflate.


How Can You Keep Your Lungs in Shape?


Regular exercise helps your lungs stay in shape by changing your breathing pattern. Stay clear of smoking because the dangerous chemicals in cigarettes damage your cilia. Cilia are the small hairs in the bronchial tubes that help remove unwanted matter such as mucus from the lungs. Smoking can also give you lung cancer or emphysema which is a threatening disease which makes it difficult to breathe.


Health Issues With the Respiratory System


Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic Fibrosis or CF causes respiratory problems. People with CF have trouble breathing sometimes and are easily out of breath. CF is not contagious at all in fact it is genetic. CF causes respiratory problems because of the thickening of the mucus in lungs. Mucus is a sticky fluid that everyone’s body produces to protect and lubricate organs. The mucus in the lungs capture germs and bacteria. When he/she coughs all the bacteria and germs stuck in the mucus comes out. The mucus in people with CF is much thicker and it’s almost like glue. The stickier mucus blocks airways which makes it hard it breathe. As well as making it hard to breathe, their mucus traps more germs and is harder to cough out. CF also makes lung infections such as chest colds and pneumonia more common.


The respiratory system is very important. It’s the system which helps us breathe. It’s a complicated process for the oxygen to reach our lungs and the carbon dioxide to come out. The lungs are one of the main parts of respiratory system as well as the trachea, alveoli and capillaries.



References


Cystic fibrosis. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2018, from https://www.brainpop.com/health/diseasesinjuriesandconditions/cysticfibrosis/


How the lungs work. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2018, from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/how-lungs-work


Respiratory system. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2018, from https://www.brainpop.com/health/bodysystems/respiratorysystem/