ACTIVITY:

Talk to a partner about what you will find in Information Texts. 

Then:

• Look at a variety of information texts from the class library to identify different sections in them.

• Make a list of features that make non-fiction texts different from fictional texts 

• Discuss the features of an information report – titles, headings, diagrams, tables, labels, photographs, etc.

Look at the language of Information reports when put in written form, in the following reports about animals.

Discuss the use of:

• the writer’s voice, 

• using interesting adjectives and adverbs, 

• interesting beginnings and endings (linked to facts).

Look at grammatical features: 

• general nouns: 'hunting dogs', not 'our dog'

• present tense 

• technical words 

• paragraphs with topic sentences to organise bundles of information 

• repeated naming of the topic and the use of pronouns - your teacher will highlight pronouns

STARTER:

Read or listen to each teacher's paragraph about The Important Thing about them:

1. View this video to see how to write a paragraph: (stop at 2:38)

Mrs Ibbott decided to construct a paragraph from facts using the penguin sheet as an example.  

1.First she read the report on the "Macaroni Penguin"

2. Next she wrote key words or short sentences onto the planning sheet about each main idea.

3. Finally she chose one of the main topics (Cool Fact), and took all of the information or supporting details from the main topic and turned them into sentences.  She even used some supporting details from another main idea (Enemies) as they fit the topic!

These supporting details supported the main idea and this became a paragraph: 

Informative Texts are made up of more than one paragraph to build on facts and information about the topic.  

Each main idea (important thing), makes up the paragraphs that help you to understand the topic.

We will begin to write our own informative paragraphs and learn how to create an Information Report - let's do some practising!

When you research for information, you:

1.  Need to think about the kinds of questions you have about your topic - these will form your "Main Idea" 

2. Research plenty of interesting facts

3. Select the facts that support your "Main Idea".  These are your "Supporting Details"

4. Write out your "Main Idea" and "Supporting Details" to form paragraphs. 

Have a go at trying this technique:

TECHNIQUE: Group and order facts to build interest in 3 different paragraphs in an informative text.

1. Look at the topic ‘Our Spinning Planet’ 

2. What kinds of questions might you ask about this topic (eg "What are features of Earth?", "Does the Earth spin?")  

3. Below, are 10 facts that were found

4. In your small groups, organise the 10 facts into 3 "Main Idea" topics:

Learning Intention: Team up a fascinating fact with one or Sizzling Start techniques to create an engaging introduction for an information report.

Sizzling Starts with Informative Writing

What makes a great informative introduction?  

Have a look and compare these before and after examples of informative introductions:

1. Your teacher will read through them

2. Turn and talk with a partner about what you think the writer did to change these starts to make them sizzle

3. Discuss with the class what techniques you think the writer used to make the starts sizzle

After you have finished discussing what made the starts sizzle, have a look at what techniques were used to change them:

Learning intention: Make the reader think in order to create an Ending with Impact

Exciting Endings Techniques:

A great informative conclusion wraps up the text and leaves the reader feeling satisfied, inspired or keen to learn more.

A great way to achieve this is to use one of the top three ending techniques:

WRITING a DRAFT from DOT POINTS:

Remember to use these techniques for your Sizzling Starts and Exciting Endings.

Your Sizzling start must also include:

THE COUNTRY'S NAME 

WHERE IT IS (compass direction from Australia)

ITS SIZE

ITS POPULATION

Show Don't Tell lesson for Informative Texts

‘Show’ Techniques in Action

Telling is quick and easy but showing is much more powerful.

1. Explain these two great ‘show’ techniques:

1. ‘Walk a mile in their shoes’ – describe the topic or event from the perspective of someone the reader can relate to (point of view).

2. Paint word pictures – show the reader what you see, hear, touch, taste, smell and feel (emotions)

1. Walk a Mile in Their Shoes

Seeing an issue from the perspective of someone you care about creates empathy.

Watch the animation "Rang-Tan - Greenpeace" from the story "There's a Rang-Tan in My Bedroom".

Afterwards, turn to a partner and discuss the following:

• How does the video start to make us empathise with the girl?

• How does the video change our thinking by making us empathise with the orangutan?

• What is the message of this video?

• Why does seeing the issue through the eyes of both characters make the message more powerful?

Dynamic Dialogue lesson for Informative Texts

TOP TIP

Writers often quote an expert in a report, news account or explanation.  

The best writers use these short pieces of dialogue to add reliable information to paragraphs in their text.

Action Activity:

1. Get with your Australia's Neighbours Research Writing group and pick ONE of the following topics:

• Volcanos

• Antarctica

• Mountains

• Blue-ringed Octopuses

• What our town looked like a long time ago.

• How students got to school before cars and buses were invented.

• Celebrations.

• The Darkinjung Aboriginal people from our area.

2. Once you've decided on a topic:

Brainstorm TWO expert people who might know a lot about this topic. 

E.g. on the topic of Spiders, you could ask: 

• A biologist; 

• An insect specialist in a museum; 

3. Choose ONE of those experts then write down 2 questions you might ask them:

E.g. you may ask a biologist these questions about a spider:

• What body parts do spiders have?

• Are all spiders venomous?

4. Choose ONE of the questions and then search up how the expert would answer that question:

E.g. On Kiddle.co I typed in the search box:  What do biologists say about spider venom?

                                                                                          Click on the link to see what quote is in the heading! 

Now you use Kiddle.co or Kidrex to type in a question about what an expert would say then write down a quote you may find.  

5. Back together as a class or with another group, share the following from your group:

• the topic you chose

• the expert you chose

• the question you wanted to ask

• what quotation you found.