Explanation Text

1. EXPLANATION TEXT
of natural and socio-cultural
phenomena
Compiled by
Ratna Murni, S. S, M. Pd

2. Reflection on Allah’s Creations

10. Learning Objectives:
During and at the end of the class, the students are
able to:
1. Identify and analyze social function, generic
structure and linguistic features of Explanation
Texts.
2. Grasp, analyze, synthesize, and summarize explicit
and implicit information in Explanation Texts.
3. Present information, opinions, and comments
regarding the Explanation texts discussed
communicatively in classroom presentation.

11. Learning Objectives:

12. 1. DEFINITION
An explanation text is a text that
explains the processes involved in
the formation and working of natural
or sociocultural phenomena.

13. 2. SOCIAL FUNCTION/ PURPOSE
• To explain the processes involved
in the formation and working of
natural or sociocultural
phenomena.

14. Some examples of
Natural Phenomena
• How butterflies
metamorphose
• How rainbows form
• How lunar eclipses happen
• How solar eclipses occur
• How four seasons appears
• Why midnight sun appears
• Life cycles of mosquito
• Water cycles
• Human respiratory system
• How photosynthesis works
Socio-cultural Phenomena
• How corruption occurs
• Why bullying appear
• Why demonstrations occur
• Why poverty occurs
• How Batik is produced
• How Songket is made
• How paper is made
• How chocolate is made
• How planes fly
• How cars are assembled
• How phone calls work

15. 3. GENERIC STRUCTURE
a. General statement : a sentence or more in
an opening paragraph which introduces or
identifies a scientific natural or socio
cultural phenomenon.
b. A sequenced explanation / a series of
explanation/ a chronological explanation of
why or how something (a natural or socio-
cultural phenomenon) occurs.
c. Closing/ Concluding Statement.

16. 4. LINGUISTIC FEATURES
a. Focus on generic and non-human topic.
b. Using conjunctions of time and cause.
c. Using general and abstract nouns.
d. Using technical language/ terms.
e. Using simple present tense.
f. Using complex sentences.
g. Using passive voice.
h. Using noun phrases/ noun adjunct.
i. Using action verbs.

17. An example of an Explanation text about
a natural phenomenon
How Tsunamis Occur Title
A tsunami is a very large sea wave that
is generated by a disturbance along the
ocean floor. This disturbance can be an
earthquake, a landslide, or a volcanic
eruption. A tsunami is undetectable far
out in the ocean, but once it reaches
shallow water, this fast-travelling wave
grows very large.
General
statement
(1)

18. Text Generic
Structure
Tsunamis occur when a major fault
under the ocean floor suddenly slips. The
displaced rock pushes water above it like a
giant paddle, producing powerful water
waves at the ocean surface. The ocean waves
spread out from the vicinity of the
earthquake source and move across the
ocean until they reach the coastline, where
their height increases as they reach the
continental shelf, the part of the Earth crust
that slopes or rises, from the ocean floor up
to the land.
A
sequenced
explanation
of why or
how
tsunami
occurs (2)

19. Text Generic
structure
Tsunamis wash ashore with
often disastrous effects such as
severe flooding, lost of lives due to
drowning, and damage to property.
Closing (3)

20. Comprehension Questions
1. What is the social function/ purpose of the
writer to write the text?
2. What is a tsunami?
3. What causes a tsunami to happen?
4. What are some effects of tsunamis?
5. What are several technical terms can be
found in the text?

21. An example of an Explanation text about
a sociocultural phenomenon
Making Paper from Woodchips Title
Do you have any paper in your bag? It
may seem like a silly question, but do you
know how to make paper? What is paper
made of? Right. And how about wood
chipping? Have you ever heard about it?
Well, wood chipping is a process used to
obtain pulp and paper products from pine
trees.
General
statement
(1)

22. First of all, the tops and branches of the trees
are cut out and then the logs are taken to the mill.
At the mill, the bark of the logs is removed and
the logs are taken to a chipper which cuts them
into small pieces called woodchips. The
woodchips are then screened to remove dirt and
other impurities. At this stage, they are either
exported in this form or changed into pulp by
chemicals and heat. The pulp is then bleached
and the water content is removed. Finally, the
pulp is rolled out to make paper.
A
sequenced
explanation
of how to
make paper
from
woodchips
(2)

23. Considering the complexity of making
paper, let’s save any paper on our
hands. Use it more effectively. Thank
you for listening. Bye.
Closing (3)