Skip to Main Content

Share Suggestion

Informational Writing: Lesson 2 of 5

Lesson Plan

Informational Writing: Lesson 2 of 5

Grade Levels

4th Grade

Course, Subject

Related Academic Standards
CC.1.4.4.B CC.1.4.4.B
Identify and introduce the topic clearly.
CC.1.4.4.C CC.1.4.4.C
Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic; include illustrations and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
CC.1.4.4.D CC.1.4.4.D
Group related information in paragraphs and sections, linking ideas within categories of information using words and phrases; provide a concluding statement or section; include formatting when useful to aiding comprehension.
CC.1.4.4.E CC.1.4.4.E
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
CC.1.4.4.J CC.1.4.4.J
Create an organizational structure that includes related ideas grouped to support the writer’s purpose and linked in a logical order with a concluding statement or section related to the opinion.
Expand

Vocabulary

 

Objectives

The purpose of this lesson is to give students the confidence to write an informational piece without the help of an adult. It will provide them with the tools necessary to edit their work, and formulate well organized and focused paragraphs.

         

  • Students will learn the steps involved in the writing process.
  • Students will practice brainstoming and prewriting skills, and utilize graphic organizers if needed.
  • Students will explore how the writing process, if followed correctly, can enhance their writing ability, and help them to stay focused and organized.
  • Students will learn editing techniques, utilize peer editing resources, and learn how important it is to go through the writing process thoroughly before handing in a finished work.

Lesson Essential Question(s)

How does interaction with the steps in the writing process and the types of writing and research promote better writers?

Duration

Lesson could last 2 class periods (30-45 minutes each).

 

 

Materials

 

 

Suggested Instructional Strategies

 

 

W: During this unit, students will learn the steps involved in the writing process, then learn specifically about Informational Writing. They will then proceed to doing research on local  Pennsylvania places of interest, and conclude by finalizing their writing skills while creating a brochure and 3-5 paragraph Informational Essay.

 

H: Students will view power points and visit websites that will further show how to proceed through the steps in the writing process. 

 

E: Students will be working in groups to peer edit each others' work and also correct an Informational essay with mistakes imbedded in the piece. This will help them gain confidence in this process before needing to work independently.

 

R: Students will discuss the paragraphs they have written, with each other, and gain feedback from peer editing and revising.

 

E: Teacher will observe interactions between students while they work in their groups. Students will be able to ask teacher for suggestions/ideas as they work their way through their paragraph writing.

 

T: This lesson includes working as a class, in partners, and individually. It begins as an oral lesson, and concludes with hands-on practice, so there are many opportunites for participation by all learners. Peer editing is an important part of this lesson, and therefore can include every student of all abilities. For students who are struggling, their essays can be 1-2 paragraphs with shorter sentences, rather than 3-5 paragraphs. For additional interventions, see the end of the Instructional Procedures section.

 

O: The lesson begins with a definition and description of the writing process to the class as a whole, then moves to practicing independently, followed by peer editing in partners, and ending with individual/independent final drafts. There will be a personal connection to their writing as they will eventually be producing brochures or power point presentations based on their informational writings later on in the unit.

Instructional Procedures

    

 

     Students will be learning about the steps in the Writing Process, which include Prewriting, Drafting, Revising, Editing, and Publishing. To begin, all students should be given a writing folder to store any handouts.

    Make copies of and pass out the document from the following link: https://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson217/writing.pdf.

    Begin discussing the document by asking the students if they have ever used "Brainstorming" to come up with ideas to write about. Ask students what they think Brainstorming is. If students have not used this technique before, use examples of some topics that interest the children, that they enjoy writing about, such as  "Endangered Animals",  "Famous Singers", "Famous Baseball Players", or "Taking Care of a Pet". Pick one topic and write it on the board. Explain that these topics could be used for Informational Writing prompts. (This writing style would have been discussed in lesson 1.) Allow students to start sharing some things that come to their mind when they think of that topic. Write their responses on the board as quickly as possible to keep the flow of ideas going. Random ideas should be all over the board and not in any particular order.

     Once the list is complete, ask the students," If you were asked to write a few paragraphs about that topic, where would you begin?" Allow students to respond. Point out that with all of the information on the board, the task could be difficult. Remind them that there are several ways to go about this, but that the order of the paragraphs is important, and using good topic and detail sentences is very important. Another thing to consider is spelling and punctuation, and using creative sentences with vivid verbs and adjectives. They also need to consider who the targeted audience for their writing would be, and that they would need to tailor their writing to suit that audience.

     Now write the 5 steps in the writing process on the board, in the order that they take place. Explain each one, starting with Prewriting. Tell the students that in this part, they use techniques like the brainstorming activity from above to begin a list of some kind, in order to gather ideas about a particular topic. In this phase, they do not need to be particular about spelling, grammar, order of ideas, or anything else. They need to focus on thinking about the topic at hand and list thoughts that come to their mind. They may also use graphic organizers to help list ideas. If they are being asked to compare two or more things, Venn Diagrams prove very helpful. They can also use a KWL chart, flow chart, or make their own organizer.

    Next, begin explaining the Drafting process. Tell students that in this process they begin to write some of their ideas down on paper. They are not to worry about spelling or grammatical mistakes during this process, but focus on organization and time order of information. Suggest also, that they would skip every other line in order to be able to later on go back and edit. At this stage, the writing is in its infancy and is just meant to get the students started with their thought process.

      The next step is Revising.  During this step, the students are to go back through their drafts and begin to check that the detail sentences pertain to their topic sentences, that the sentences are in order, and that their audience is being addressed. Also,  they will need to decide if they have included enough information for each paragraph. At this point, students would be given praise for what they have accomplished so far and be reminded of how well written their papers will be once they have finished.

      The next step is the Editing part. Tell the students that once they are at this stage, they really need to be critical of their writing. Explain that they will need to be able to find grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Proofreading is important because it is the last step before they publish their work. They should be able to figure out where some paragraphs end, and others begin. Because they would have skipped every other line, they should have room for the editing marks, found at the following link: 

http://www.innovativeclassroom.com/Files/Reproducibles/CommonEditMarks.pdf 

           A copy of these editing marks should be given to all students to keep in their writing  folder. Encourage the use of these marks, as they are universal in all writing. At this stage, students should also be told that peer editing is important because sometimes they miss mistakes that others find. Use the peer editing sheet found at the following link for help. https://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson856/edit.pdf

     Also, at this point, the power point at the link listed below may be used to review all the steps discussed thus far :  writingprocesspowerpoint.pptx ,followed by the "peer editing" power point found at the following link: https://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson786/tutorial.ppt

     Once students have had time to review the above sites/links, tell them that the last step in the writing process is the Publishing stage. During this stage, their writing  is ready to be a finished copy for others to enjoy. They use all of the suggestions from peers and teachers and write the last and final copy. The editing marks have been looked at and the writing has been adjusted to reflect these changes. They may either type their piece on a computer, or use their best handwriting. Tell them that they would also use this time to reflect on how far they have come and compare their first prewriting sheet/draft copy to the finished product. 

     Explain that as the unit progresses, they will be doing some research of local PA historical sites or points of interest and that they will be completing a 3-5 paragraph essay on one of these sites along with a brochure or power point, and that the process they just learned about will help guide them in these activities. Students should be encouraged to keep any handouts they've received thus far in their folders, for use in further projects.

     As a fun review and for proofreading practice, teachers can open up the interactive link listed here to allow students to find errors embedded in different kinds of paragraphs. English skills, such as verb usage, adverbs, pronouns, plurals and adjectives are reviewed and mistakes in these areas are practiced.

http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hme/k_5/proofread/proof.htm

      ***This lesson is being taught to introduce and teach the steps involved in the writing process. Students will actually be writing their own paragraphs in lesson 4 of the unit. However, for students who may have difficulty throughout this lesson or during the actual paragraph writing later on, the following strategies may be used to help struggling students.

  • During the DRAFT part of the assignment, work with children experiencing difficulty coming up with ideas to write about. Encourage them to draw topics they like and know about, and the teacher can ask questions about the drawing and record their responses.
  • Offer support by making positive comments and suggestions.
  • Conference with students to make sure they are on the right track.
  • Use peers who are working at a higher level to help students form sentences about their ideas.
  • Students can volunteer to read their draft in front of a small group of peers or to the teacher or whole class and gain feedback from their targeted audience. This will help show them how the written word affects a particular audience.
  • Use of a tape recorder can help students who are struggling to write anything. They can "tell" their story to the recorder and then the teacher or peer can write down what they said. Then allow the student to read that document and make changes where necessary.

 

*Teacher must move around the room at all times. Have students set small, but important goals regarding what they think they can accomplish with their paragraph that day.

 

*Other ideas to offer help could be using a "spider map" to help students write down ideas on what they want to mention in their writing before they actually start writing a paragraph.

 

*Teacher can scribe for a struggling student.

 

* "Post-It" notes can be used for students to record one sentence at a time on, or if spelling is a concern, the student can write the word the way they think it is spelled on the note, and put it at the top of their desk. The teacher then comes and writes the word correctly on the note.

 

*Break-apart strategies can be used to break assignment into smaller, more manageable  pieces, requiring teacher feedback after every section.

 

Formative Assessment

  •    Give students a copy of the following Informational essay and allow them to review it and find and fix the mistakes. This will give students the opportunity to practice what has been introduced before they begin writing their own essays. They may use the editing marks given out during the Instructional Procedures. Once students have had the opportunity to find and fix the mistakes, review with the class as a  whole. This may also be put on an overhead or used with a whiteboard, so students can come and circle the mistakes for the class to see, making it an interactive activity.

        informational essay word document.doc

  •     Students will then create a three paragraph Informational essay of their own based on one of the topics mentioned in the Instructional Procedures. They will need to show all of the steps involved in the writing process and the work leading up to their final published copy. They will need to have 2 other students peer review their work during the revising stage of their work, and make necessary changes before they publish the final copy.

 

  •      Students of lower abilities can simply write a 1 or 2 paragraph essay and be peered with other students for help or work one on one with the teacher.

 

  •     Teacher should also be involved in helping students with ideas, to form good sentences, reinfore the use of topic sentence and main ideas to go with those topics and encourage good introductory and concluding paragraphs. A rubric can be used if desired to give students an idea of what is required to be a well written essay.(see link listed here for a sample): https://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson261/sample.pdf

 

  •      Once completed, teacher can collect paragraphs and make comments where necessary, always praising first what the students have accomplished and reminding the students that they will eventually be completing a three-five paragraph essay in lesson 4, based on the research they have done in lesson 3.

     

Related Materials & Resources

 

 

  

 

Author

Date Published

March 01, 2010
Loading
Please wait...

Insert Template

Information