Sweet 'N' Sauer Firsties

  • Sweet 'N' Sauer Firsties
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Course
  • Freebies
  • Contact

How to Teach Informative Writing

Teaching informative writing to students is one of the most important types of writing. Why you might ask? Think about the last thing you wrote. Was it a story to entertain? Was it trying to persuade someone of something? Or was it to teach about something? 

how to teach informative writing in primary grades

Most often when we write as we get older, it’s to share information. In order to do this effectively, we have to learn how to research and cohesively put our ideas down so your reader can read, understand, and learn something. There are SO many valuable skills wrapped up in this unit, from teaching students how to take good notes to transferring those notes into an informative piece of writing. Being able to teach a topic to another person means we REALLY need to be an expert on the subject. In this post, you will learn some fun, effective, and engaging ways to teach your little writers how to master informative writing. 

Don’t Underestimate Modeling

Just like with every other type of writing, modeling is going to play a HUGE part in student success. It’s important to remember that you’ll be exposing students to unfamiliar skills and it’s always best practice to SHOW them exactly what goes on in your brain when performing these skills. If students have never researched a topic in depth and took notes on the matter, it will be super important to explicitly model each and every step so that students can successfully implement it as well. Some important things I make sure to model throughout this unit are: how this writing is different from narratives, as well as how to write strong introductions, hooks, and a powerful conclusion. 

The first thing I like to do when beginning this unit is to hype it up for students. Engagement is key and this unit is no different! I begin by telling students that they are going to be able to be an EXPERT teacher on their favorite topic. I tell them that these experts write and publish pieces so everyone can learn about the topic. I ask students if they are up for the challenge of a brand new style of writing that they may have never used before in order to teach people about their favorite thing. By setting the stage, it stirs up excitement for them and prepares them for something new. Get as creative as you need to in order to get your students excited about this unit! 

The Power of Brainstorming

Just like other writing units, we move through the writing process and practice honing these skills during our writer’s workshop. Begin by brainstorming topics for students. Explain that it’s best to research a topic they already know a lot about, that they would like to learn more about. 

When beginning this unit, I typically have students begin by researching animals. This is because most have some background knowledge of at least one animal, and there are typically tons of books and other resources where they can find information about them. Circle maps are a great way for students to brainstorm what topics they are already experts on and it can live in their writing folder throughout the entire unit in case they run out of ideas. 

How to Take Notes

Teaching students how to take notes is a HUGE piece of this unit. It is important to explicitly model how to research and effectively jot down information to use later. In primary grades, I like to use a simple note catcher to help them as they research and learn more about their topic. I begin by modeling for students how to complete the note catcher using the research. I explain to students that I like to try and find 2-3 different sources while researching so we know we’ve gathered enough information about the topic. We discuss A LOT about how we are going to become experts about our topic and utilizing many different resources is how that is going to happen. Check out this completed example below! You can also see some student’s working through this stage with their own note catchers too. 

researching in primary classroom using PebbleGo in first grade

teaching informational writing informational writing in primary classrooms

animal research note catcher

Informative Writing Bundle

Some other important topics that can be tied in with this unit are teaching the differences between facts and opinions, the difference between fiction and nonfiction, as well as how to utilize text features to help us learn. Each of these skills helps students throughout the researching phase and will help add to their writing skills. 

fiction vs nonfiction anchor chart nonfiction text features anchor chart

Help your students master this important concept with this engaging Fact vs. Opinion sorting activity! 

fact vs opinion sort freebie

Love this FREE resource?

Sign up now and get exclusive access to this freebie and many more in the continuously growing freebie library!

Utilize ALL the Resources

Collecting research should be fun and exciting! There are so many ways for students to collect research and the resources you can find are plenty! Non fiction books are one of the best places to start in my opinion. This book display is something I set up to help get students excited about this unit. 

nonfiction book display for primary grades

Before beginning the unit, I typically head to the school and public library to collect ALL the books. I’m talking between 30-50 books to provide students with tons of choices and different books on different reading levels. The National Geographic books for kids are my FAVORITE because they vary in difficulty so that there are lots of opportunities for all different readers. 

Of course books are amazing resources, but they aren’t the only ways to collect interesting research. There are a number of different apps and websites students can use to research as well. Utilizing technology here is great to keep students engaged, as well as allow them opportunities to interact with various devices and research in different ways. Go to the computer lab or use the devices already in your room! You can set up a good schedule to have students alternate device research vs book research, so they can have experience exploring information through texts AND technology. 

Here are some great sites we love to use!

PebbleGo

Epic

Myon

Vooks

Khan Academy Kids  

PebbleGo and Epic are my FAVORITES to use. They are both great tools for non-readers who are working on this skill, because they’ll read information to the students. Epic allows you to create collections of books for students to search through, or choose from a ton of premade collections. PebbleGo is made for research and gives students all kinds of information to extend their learning such as videos, timelines, and other activities. They even have modules in Spanish to support your ELL students. 

how to teach informational writing to primary students

Transfer the Knowledge

The progression of this unit depends on how your students are working through the different skills and steps. For example, brainstorming typically takes about 1 day to do. Whereas the researching and note taking can take up to 3 days. I set guidelines for the students so they are working hard to research and collect data during the allotted time. They are aware that they need to complete their note catching graphic organizer with AT LEAST two sources, such as a website and a book. The expectation is also set for them for when they are “finished” while others are still researching. If this occurs, they must look up more information about their topic to try to become as much of an expert as possible. 

When most of the students have finished researching, I then model how I transfer my notes into my planning sheet. If some are still in the researching phase, that’s totally okay because it’s still important to model next steps for students so they know where they are headed. Transferring the notes you took, into something that will be the basis of our first draft, is a really important step for students. See below how I transfer my research into my graphic organizer for students. 

animal research project for primary students

animal research graphic organizer

Informative Writing Bundle

I model explicitly how to take my notes and start organizing them to become my future paragraphs. We learn to introduce our topic in a way that interests our readers. We choose from our researched notes the three most exciting or intriguing facts we’d like to talk about. We then learn about powerful conclusions and how to make our readers feel that they learned a great deal about our topic. 

Let Students Guide the Lesson

After we have researched, collected information, and completed our planning sheet, we are ready to write our first piece. We use our plan to complete our first draft and again, I spend A LOT of time modeling and thinking aloud so that students know exactly what is expected.

Once our draft is finished, we pull out our checklists to ensure we are completing each step during our editing and revising process. As you work through all these steps with students, let THEM guide the mini lessons. What I mean by that is to really pay attention to where a lot of students are struggling. Do you notice that they need more support collecting information? Are they struggling with transferring their notes to their planning sheet? Let students guide you with what their needs are. The first two weeks of this unit will be pretty guided. However, once students understand all the pieces, they are given more freedom for the remainder of the unit and this is where you can differentiate and cater to individual students and their specific needs. 

One year, many kids were really struggling with publishing their final drafts. Using Seesaw, I pulled up a stellar published example for the entire class to listen to. At the end, I had that particular student I used for the example to explain their steps while publishing. This modeled a great student example for all students and it helped A LOT!

using ChatterPix in primary classrooms Using Seesaw Learning in primary classrooms

Show Off the Learning

Your students learn some AMAZING skills throughout this unit and they should absolutely show off ALL their learning! Teachers get super creative when it comes to displaying work and there are many fun ways students can publish their work. One engaging way to have students publish is by creating these adorable writing crafts! They also make a beautiful bulletin board! 

informative writing craft

animal research writing craft

Informative Writing Bundle

Another way we love to publish our work is by using the ChatterPix app. They can take a picture of their animal and record themselves reading their paper. It’s a great way to have everyone “present”  and it’s also perfect for students who don’t like standing and sharing in front of crowds. Click on the picture to hear a student example!  

ChatterPix research projects for primary students

‘Author’s Share’ events are also always SO fun and you can get as creative as you and your kids want. You can invite families to come in for all the little author’s to debut their informational writing. Students LOVE sharing how much an expert they are on their topics. One year, we completed a gallery walk as our ‘author’s share’ event. We had each student print their animal, along with a QR code that would take them to the ChatterPix audio/video of the student reading their paper. Each tiny author is so proud and they love showing off their hard work!

informational writing ideas for primary students digital author's share

author share gallery walk digital publishing ideas

Super Supplemental Writing Resources 

Why not load your student’s up with ALL the support and resources for them to become strong, independent writers?! Once you experience the shift of your student’s writing after mastering small moment stories, writing just may become your favorite subject to teach! Below you’ll see some of the other writing resources I love to use during writing. 

setting up writer's workshop

Launching Writer’s Workshop

Primary Writing Checklists

Primary Writing Checklists

hooks writing lesson

Writing Hooks Lesson

Writing Checklist

Primary Writing Rubrics

opinion writing for first grade

Opinion Writing

Small Moment Writing

Small Moment Writing

first grade writing resources and lessons bundle

Writing Resources Growing Bundle

I really hope you enjoyed learning about how to teach informative writing to your students! This really is such a powerful unit that teaches your students SO many new skills! Don’t forget to subscribe to my email list! You will get the most up to date tips, tricks, and classroom projects… and of course more fun FREEBIES including the Fact vs. Opinion FREEBIE! If you would like to learn about this and other things happening in my classroom follow me  @sweetnsauerfirsties on Instagram.

To follow me on TPT and get all the latest updates on HALF OFF new products, click HERE!

sweetnsauerfirsties

Love these ideas but don’t want to lose them? Don’t forget it, PIN it below!

30
Shares

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

«
»

Classroom Activities, Resources, Teachers Pay Teachers, Teaching 0

Newsletter

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe via Email

About This Site

A fun place to be apart of the educational journey. Full of all things teaching! The good, the bad, and even the ugly. Join my experiences and subscribe to my email list to get the most up to date tips and tricks.

Search

Categories

Latest on Instagram

Cheers to the weekend! 🥂 What are you looking Cheers to the weekend! 🥂

What are you looking forward to this weekend?
•
•
•

#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #disneyteacher 
 #igconnect4edu #teacherssupportteachers #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teacherstyle #teachermomlife #teachertravels #teacherweekend #teachermom
One of my favorite tips from @missingtoothgrins 😂

What candy is your favorite to collect this time of year? 
•
•
•
•

#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #teachingtips 
 #igconnect4edu #teachermemes #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teacherhacks #classroomfun #teacherhumor #teacherquotes #classroomcommunity
It’s World Read Aloud Day! 📖 @scholasticinc It’s World Read Aloud Day! 📖 

@scholasticinc has live read alouds ALL DAY!! 👏

Check them all out now with the link on my profile. 

What are you reading aloud today to your students?
•
•
•
•

#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #teachingtips 
 #igconnect4edu #worldreadaloudday #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #scholastic #classroomfun #makelearningfun #readaloud #classroomcommunity
At the happiest place on Earth! 😍 What’s mak At the happiest place on Earth! 😍

What’s making you happy this week?
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #teachingtips 
 #igconnect4edu #teacherstyle #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachertravels #teacherinspiration #teachershare #teachermomlife #teachermom
I mean.. it’s not wrong. 🤷‍♀️😂
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #teachingtips 
 #igconnect4edu #teacherssupportteachers #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teacherhacks #teachermemes #teachertruth #teacherquotes #teachershare
The 100th day of school is HUGE! It’s a time t The 100th day of school is HUGE! 

It’s a time to celebrate all the hard work and learning done together. It marks an important time that signals that we’ve spent more than half the year together! 

There are so many fun, engaging, and simple ways to celebrate that make it a memorable experience for students. 

Swipe left to see some of the fun ways we’ve celebrated together and learn easy and engaging ways now with the link on my profile or drop a 🤩 and I’ll share the link!
•
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers #teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofig #igteachers #iteach #iteachfirst #kindergarten #igconnect4edu #teachershare #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #makelearningfun #100thdayofschool #teachertips #classroomfun #100daysofschool #100thday
Save this for easy and fun 100th day ideas! The 1 Save this for easy and fun 100th day ideas!

The 100th day doesn’t have to be overwhelming, there are TONS of easy and low prep ideas to help your students have a blast and make it easy to plan for YOU.

🌟 Have a scavenger hunt for 100 items (erasers, candy, etc).
🌟Stations are my favorite management hack for the 100th day. They rotate through fun activities all day while you get to spend more time with each group.
🌟 Pocket chart games are easy and engaging. Students work together to hunt for the special item while practicing number sense, recognition, and patterns.
🌟 Would you rather is an easy way to get kiddos up and moving while connecting. This is a great no prep time filler!
🌟 Crowns are the perfect and quiet activity to show off all their learning and make a great keepsake. 

Learn about these activities and more with the link on my profile! You can also drop a 🥳 and I’ll share the link!
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers #teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #teacherhacks #studentengagement #kindergarten #makelearningfun #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #classroomcommunity #100thday #100daysofschool #teachershare #classroommanagement #100thdayofschool
Well this should be fun! 😝 What is something yo Well this should be fun! 😝 What is something you say 2451 times a day as a teacher? Let us know below! ⬇️
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
 #igconnect4edu #teacherfunny #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teachergram #teachershare #teacherquotes #teacherhumor  #teacherfun #teacherweekend
It’s time for #tptfreebie Friday! 🥳 Grab thi It’s time for #tptfreebie Friday! 🥳

Grab this adorable and no prep color by code activity.

It’s an easy and engaging QUIET activity that students can enjoy as morning work, a time filler, fast finisher, or even as homework!

Grab your FREEBIE now with the link on my profile or drop a 🤩 and I’ll share the link!

When is your 100th day? Let us know below! ⬇️
•
•
•
•
#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers
#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #teacherhacks
 #numbersense #makelearningfun #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #colorbycode #teachershare #teacherinspiration  #100thday #100thdayofschool

Latest on Facebook

Lindsay Sauer

12 hours ago

Lindsay Sauer
Cheers to the weekend! 🥂What are you looking forward to this weekend?•••#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #disneyteacher #igconnect4edu #teacherssupportteachers #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teacherstyle #teachermomlife #teachertravels #teacherweekend #teachermom ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Lindsay Sauer

2 days ago

Lindsay Sauer
One of my favorite tips from @missingtoothgrins 😂What candy is your favorite to collect this time of year? ••••#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #teachingtips #igconnect4edu #teachermemes #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teacherhacks #classroomfun #teacherhumor #teacherquotes #classroomcommunity ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Lindsay Sauer

3 days ago

Lindsay Sauer
It’s World Read Aloud Day! 📖 @scholasticinc has live read alouds ALL DAY!! 👏Check them all out now with the link on my profile. What are you reading aloud today to your students?••••#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #teachingtips #igconnect4edu #worldreadaloudday #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #scholastic #classroomfun #makelearningfun #readaloud #classroomcommunity ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Lindsay Sauer

6 days ago

Lindsay Sauer
I mean.. it’s not wrong. 🤷‍♀️😂••••#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers#teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach #iteachfirst #teachingtips #igconnect4edu #teacherssupportteachers #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #teacherhacks #teachermemes #teachertruth #teacherquotes #teachershare ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Lindsay Sauer

6 days ago

Lindsay Sauer
The 100th day of school is HUGE! It’s a time to celebrate all the hard work and learning done together. It marks an important time that signals that we’ve spent more than half the year together! There are so many fun, engaging, and simple ways to celebrate that make it a memorable experience for students. Swipe left to see some of the fun ways we’ve celebrated together and learn easy and engaging ways now with the link on my profile or drop a 🤩 and I’ll share the link!•••••#elementaryteacher #teaching #classroom #teachingideas #classroomideas #education #handsonlearning #teachertribe #teacher #teachers #teacherlife #teacherproblems #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofig #igteachers #iteach #iteachfirst #kindergarten #igconnect4edu #teachershare #teacherspayteachers #weareteachers #makelearningfun #100thdayofschool #teachertips #classroomfun #100daysofschool #100thday ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Latest on Pinterest

  • Are you looking for ways to teach kindness to kids in the classroom? Today, I’m sharing my favorite teacher tips on helping your early elementary students understand kindness in the classroom. Some of my favorite kindness activities for kids is setting expectations and modeling kindness. We love reading, How Full Is Your Bucket? By Tom Rath and more. It’s important to role play ideas for kids in the classroom. Kindness anchor charts are great to create during whole group and small group lessons.
  • Do you need some ideas about teaching money to your first grade students? Check out my favorite teaching tips on money for kids. First, have your students watch some BrainPop Jr. videos and books about money for kids. Money anchor charts are fantastic to use during math whole group to better K-2 students' understanding. The CRA Math Model is perfect for understanding money for kids. I also share my favorite math centers like money puzzles, money bingo, and math money games!
  • Have you been looking for end of year classroom community activities? These classroom community building activities are perfect for your K-2 classroom! I love creating an end of year anchor chart so students can write down their favorite memories of first grade. K-2 students will love the balloon bulletin board countdown with themes. Early elementary students enjoy creating a reflection writing craft, first grade end of year memories, would you rather end of school year game, and much more!
  • Have you been wondering what the benefits of reading aloud to children are? Today, I will share why reading aloud to children is important. Reading aloud increases children's vocabulary, building fluency, and reading comprehension. It’s important to teach elementary students how to choose the just right book. I love doing interactive read alouds and think alouds during my picture book reading. Check out how I incorporate writing about reading, building my classroom library, and reading at home.
  • Do you need some ideas about teaching money to your first grade students? Check out my favorite teaching tips on money for kids. First, have your students watch some BrainPop Jr. videos and books about money for kids. Money anchor charts are fantastic to use during math whole group to better K-2 students' understanding. The CRA Math Model is perfect for understanding money for kids. I also share my favorite math centers like money puzzles, money bingo, and math money games!
  • Have you been wondering what the benefits of reading aloud to children are? Today, I will share why reading aloud to children is important. Reading aloud increases children's vocabulary, building fluency, and reading comprehension. It’s important to teach elementary students how to choose the just right book. I love doing interactive read alouds and think alouds during my picture book reading. Check out how I incorporate writing about reading, building my classroom library, and reading at home.
  • Are you looking for ways to teach kindness to kids in the classroom? Today, I’m sharing my favorite teacher tips on helping your early elementary students understand kindness in the classroom. Some of my favorite kindness activities for kids is setting expectations and modeling kindness. We love reading, How Full Is Your Bucket? By Tom Rath and more. It’s important to role play ideas for kids in the classroom. Kindness anchor charts are great to create during whole group and small group lessons.
  • Have you been looking for end of year classroom community activities? These classroom community building activities are perfect for your K-2 classroom! I love creating an end of year anchor chart so students can write down their favorite memories of first grade. K-2 students will love the balloon bulletin board countdown with themes. Early elementary students enjoy creating a reflection writing craft, first grade end of year memories, would you rather end of school year game, and much more!
  • If you want to know more about the science of reading, now is your chance. Today, I will share why the science of reading is important to learn and understand for our elementary students. The 5 essential components that make up reading instruction are phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. For K-2 students it is important to spend approximately 40% of your instructional block focusing on phonemic awareness skills and phonics skills.

Copyright © 2023 · Website Design By Jumping Jax Designs

 

Loading Comments...