Writing Informative Texts with Facts and Details
Writing Informative Texts with Facts and Details Objective: Students will learn to write informative texts by introducing a topic, developing it with facts, definitions, and details, and organizing information clearly.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the purpose of informative writing.
- Learn to introduce a topic clearly in writing.
- Use facts and details to develop the topic.
- Organize information logically to help the reader understand.
Materials Needed
- Notebook or lined paper
- Pencils or pens
- A simple nonfiction book or article suitable for 5th graders
- Chart paper or whiteboard
- Markers
Key Vocabulary
- Informative Text
- A type of writing that gives facts about a topic to help the reader learn something new.
- Topic Sentence
- A sentence that tells what the paragraph or text will be about.
- Details
- Facts or information that explain or tell more about the main idea.
Detailed Activities
Exploring Informative Text
- Read a short nonfiction book or article aloud with your child.
- Discuss the topic and identify facts and details from the reading.
- Write a list of facts on chart paper or whiteboard together.
Writing an Informative Paragraph
- Help your child choose a simple topic they know about (like pets or weather).
- Guide them to write a topic sentence introducing the topic.
- Ask your child to list three facts or details about the topic.
- Work together to write sentences that include those facts in a clear order.
- Encourage your child to read their paragraph aloud.
Review and Edit
- Reread the paragraph together and check if the topic is clear.
- Make sure facts and details support the topic sentence.
- Help your child make simple corrections for clarity and neatness.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- This lesson focuses on helping your child understand how to share information clearly in writing.
- Use everyday topics your child enjoys to make the writing more engaging.
- Encourage your child to speak their ideas before writing to build confidence.
Assessment Questions
- Can your child write a sentence that introduces a topic clearly?
- Does your child include facts and details that help explain the topic?
- Is the information organized so it makes sense to the reader?
Extension Ideas
- Create an informative poster with drawings and facts about the topic.
- Have your child interview a family member about a topic and write an informative paragraph based on the answers.
- Use a simple graphic organizer to plan writing on a new topic.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can brainstorm facts together or use books and websites to find easy-to-understand information about the topic.
Encourage them to start with a topic sentence, then add facts in order, and finish with a concluding sentence or thought.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Students may think informative writing is just listing facts without organizing them.
- Some children might confuse informative writing with storytelling, adding opinions or made-up details.
- Students might write very short paragraphs without enough supporting details.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Allow drawing or oral explanations before writing.
- Use sentence starters to help begin the topic sentence and supporting details.
- Work one-on-one to help organize ideas with a graphic organizer.
For Advanced Students:
- Encourage adding definitions for new vocabulary words in their writing.
- Challenge them to write multiple paragraphs on a topic with subheadings.
- Introduce simple research skills to gather additional facts.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Spend about 10 minutes reading and discussing the nonfiction text.
- Use 20 minutes for guided writing and organizing sentences.
- Reserve 15 minutes for reviewing, editing, and reading aloud.
Standards
- 5.W.3b — Write informative texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Printable Worksheet
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