Writing Informative Texts: Sharing Facts About Animals
Writing Informative Texts: Sharing Facts About Animals Objective: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to write a short informative paragraph about an animal, including facts and a clear focus, demonstrating their ability to convey information effectively.
Learning Objectives
- Understand what informative writing is and why we use it.
- Identify key facts about a chosen animal to include in writing.
- Write a clear topic sentence and supporting sentences about an animal.
- Use drawings or pictures to support writing ideas.
Materials Needed
- Paper or notebook
- Pencil
- Crayons or colored pencils
- Picture books or printed images of animals
- Worksheet with graphic organizer for planning writing
Key Vocabulary
- Informative Writing
- Writing that gives facts and information about a topic.
- Paragraph
- A group of sentences that talk about one main idea.
- Topic Sentence
- The first sentence in a paragraph that tells what the paragraph is about.
Detailed Activities
Introduction to Informative Writing
- Explain that informative writing tells readers about facts on a topic.
- Read a short example paragraph about an animal aloud.
- Discuss what makes it informative (topic sentence, facts).
Choosing an Animal and Gathering Facts
- Show pictures or books about different animals and let the student choose one.
- Help the student find 3-4 interesting facts about the chosen animal.
- Use a graphic organizer worksheet to write down these facts.
Writing the Informative Paragraph
- Guide the student to write a topic sentence naming the animal and what they will tell about it.
- Help the student write 3-4 sentences with facts from the organizer.
- Encourage the student to draw a picture of the animal to add to their writing.
Sharing and Reviewing
- Have the student read their paragraph aloud.
- Discuss what was done well and what could be added or improved.
- Praise the student’s effort and creativity.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- This lesson focuses on building early writing skills by teaching children how to share facts clearly.
- Encourage your child to speak about the animal before writing to organize their thoughts.
- Be patient and supportive, helping with spelling and sentence ideas without taking over their work.
Assessment Questions
- Can your child tell you what their paragraph is about?
- Did they include at least three facts about the animal?
- Does the paragraph have a clear topic sentence?
- Can the child explain what informative writing means?
Extension Ideas
- Create an animal fact book by repeating this activity with different animals.
- Use digital tools (like drawing apps) to illustrate the animal and type the facts.
- Visit a local zoo or watch a documentary to gather more facts for writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Encourage them to say the facts aloud first and write short sentences or even phrases; gradual practice will build their confidence.
Use books, internet resources, or videos to learn together with your child and gather simple facts.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Students may write unrelated sentences instead of focusing on one topic.
- They might confuse storytelling with informative writing by including opinions or fictional details.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Allow them to dictate sentences while the parent writes.
- Use sentence starters such as ‘The ___ is…’ or ‘It has…’.
- Focus on 2 facts instead of 3-4 to reduce writing load.
For Advanced Students:
- Encourage using descriptive words to make facts more interesting.
- Add a closing sentence that summarizes the information.
- Have them research an additional fact on their own.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Spend about 10 minutes on introduction and example reading.
- Allocate 15 minutes for fact gathering and organizing ideas.
- Use 15 minutes for writing the paragraph with support.
- Finish with 5 minutes of sharing and discussing the writing.
Standards
- 2.W.3 — Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Printable Worksheet
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