Last but not least informational writing. This blog series has been so fun to do because I get the chance to review each area of writing and it’s a great refresher for my own classroom. I mentioned this in my previous posts…start with the basics. Introduce WHAT informative writing is to your students. I love teaching informational writing because your students are going to be the experts on this topic and the goal is to teach others with their writing piece.
Now Where To Begin
I always start this unit with a writers workshop model-I start with modeling the type of writing before I send my students out to give it a go. Model, model, model I really can’t say it enough! And when you think they are ready, use a guided practice method and have them partner up. In order for our students to be experts on a topic they need to build confidence which comes through constant practice and exposure. Have you ever tried to write something without a plan or an outline? Think back to college and for some of us it feels like forever ago literally! But for real, close your eyes. Do you see yourself staring at a blank page? YEP…imagine a first grader writing without a plan sounds like a hot mess, doesn’t it? That is the main reason we need a plan that includes an outline for our students to succeed at informational writing. This resource has been a lifesaver when it comes to getting my students started in this unit because it literally has everything to get us going. Anchor charts, sentence stems, outlines to plan their writing are all key for this writing unit!
I love to use a tree map to help students plan. If I can color-code it, even better! These maps help all students, especially my second language learners!
As you can see, this is just like the plan page, but includes learning targets and color codes each subtopic. This is very helpful for learners when organizing information.
Mentor Text
I am saying it again! Mentor text. Reading highly engaging and fun picture books is another way to give exposure to informational writing. The best part is there are soooooo many to choose from, so find a few that your students will be interested in and get to reading! I have listed a few that have been huge hits in my classroom! Using nonfiction mentor text not only shows examples of how informational writing is done it’s also full of facts that will help your students with their own writing piece. We often forget about the research aspect that goes into teaching our students how to write an informative piece.
- I Wonder Why the Sea is Salty
- I’m Trying to Love Spiders
- National Geographics Cat vs. Dog
- Surprising Sharks
- Tornadoes
- From Seed to Plant
- What a Waste: Trash, Recycling and Protecting our Planet
- Moonshot
Putting it Together
Ok…so you have introduced what informative writing is, you have modeled the writing, you have taught opinion vs. fact, you have read mentor text, you have picked a topic, and now what? Now it is time to put it all together now you teach your students about the structure of an informative writing piece: spend time discussing the introduction, focus on the body which is where the facts and supporting details will come in, and last give them the tools they need to build that strong closure.
When it comes to an introduction I teach my students to use 1 of 3 ways.
- Brainstorm introductions as a class and keep adding to it.
- Start with a question such as “Do you want to learn about bats?”
- Give two choices if they cannot come up with one
With practice, students will be writing strong introductions.
Now! Focusing on FACTS, the body is the biggest part of the informational piece because it’s where the bulk of the details are…the facts and the supporting details. Practice with writing facts, it sounds easier than it is. It is hard to keep your opinion out of it sometimes “bears are the largest animals”—–is that a fact? Maybe to you they are the largest animals. See how that could be confusing to a 1st grader? This is where it is super important to provide them with the right resources and knowledge to provide the accurate supporting details. My non-fiction writing resource is one I always pull out when introducing this unit because note taking skills are a huge component of this unit and by reading mentor text, providing anchor charts, and planners we are setting our students up for success!
Because I have many second language learners in my class, I have the students practice putting a fact from their graphic organizer planning sheet into a sentence. For example, if we wrote “long legs” we discuss how to put that into a sentence. After awhile, we come up with varying ways to start our sentences so each one doesn’t say, “Giraffes have…”
Finally we work on the conclusion and we need to teach high interest ways to add closure to their writing piece. I encourage them to use a summary, ask a question, restate the topic or share their feelings. These are all great ways to give closure and they are easy for your kiddos to remember. We love brainstorming a list of closing sentences and adding to it as we learn.
Ok phew! Lots of information but remember choosing a topic is key for your students, they will write and research something they are interested in- use mentor texts to get them engaged. Create a plan: this is going to set you and your students up for success, having a plan will make teaching writing less stressful and believe me first grade writing isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Focus on the groundwork first when it comes to writing because we can fine tune it once our kiddos get the hang of it. Practice, practice, practice & if you are struggling check out some of the resources I linked, I promise they will make this whole thing a bit easier for you!
Be sure to check out the opinion writing and narrative writing posts if you haven’t. Check out my bonus post in this blog series..coming next!
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