Informative Essay: Electricity Lost

Informational Writing Assignment (Grade 5)

Prompt:

What would happen if the world suddenly lost electricity for one week?

Explain how this would affect daily life, including communication, transportation, food, school, and safety.

Your Task:

Write an informational essay that teaches your reader about the effects of losing electricity for one week.

You are not telling a story—you are explaining facts, ideas, and impacts clearly.

Be Sure to Include:1. Strong Introduction

• Hook your reader with an interesting fact, question, or scenario
• Clearly state your topic

Example: Imagine waking up one day and nothing works—no lights, no phones, no internet. Losing electricity for even one week would cause serious problems in everyday life.

2. Clear Main Ideas (Body Paragraphs)

Each paragraph should focus on one main idea.

Example Topics:

• Communication (phones, internet, emergency alerts)
• Food (refrigeration, grocery stores)
• Transportation (traffic lights, gas pumps)
• School and work
• Safety (hospitals, alarms, emergency services)

3. Facts, Details, and Explanations

Explain your ideas clearly.

Example: Without electricity, refrigerators would stop working, causing food to spoil quickly. This could lead to food shortages and health risks for families.

4. Transition Words

Use words to connect ideas:

• First, next, then, also, because, as a result, finally

5. Strong Conclusion

Wrap up your ideas and remind the reader why the topic matters.

Example: In conclusion, electricity is a critical part of modern life. Losing it for even a short time would create many challenges that people often take for granted.

Sample Informational Essay

Life Without Electricity

Imagine a world where everything suddenly stops working. No lights turn on, phones go silent, and computers shut down. If the world lost electricity for one week, it would cause serious problems in many parts of daily life.

First, communication would become extremely difficult. Most people rely on phones, the internet, and television to stay connected. Without electricity, phones would lose power, and internet services would stop working. This would make it hard for people to contact family members or receive important emergency information.

Another major problem would be food. Refrigerators and freezers need electricity to keep food cold and safe. Without power, food would begin to spoil within a day or two. Grocery stores would also struggle because their systems depend on electricity. As a result, many families could run out of safe food to eat.

Transportation would also be affected. Traffic lights would stop working, which could lead to accidents and confusion on the roads. Gas stations use electricity to pump fuel, so cars might not be able to get gas. This would make it harder for people to travel or for emergency vehicles to respond quickly.

In addition, schools and workplaces would be disrupted. Many classrooms use computers, lights, and digital tools every day. Without electricity, learning would be limited. Many jobs would also stop because machines and systems would no longer function.

Finally, safety would become a serious concern. Hospitals depend on electricity to run life-saving equipment. Alarm systems and security cameras would stop working, making homes and buildings less safe.

In conclusion, electricity plays a huge role in everyday life. Losing it for even one week would create problems with communication, food, transportation, education, and safety. This shows how important electricity is and why it should never be taken for granted.

Expectation Checklist

Before turning in your essay, ask yourself:

• Did I introduce my topic clearly?
• Did each paragraph focus on one main idea?
• Did I explain my ideas with details?
• Did I use transition words?
• Did I write a strong conclusion?
• Did I check CUPS (Capitalization, Usage, Punctuation, Spelling)?