Standard 3: Critical Reading and Writing

Students will apply critical thinking skills to reading and writing.

4.3.W.2 INFORMATIVE - Grade Level Focus Students will write facts about a subject, including a clear main idea with supporting details, and use transitional and signal words.

Student Actions

Teacher Actions

• Students will select a subject and determine the main idea that they will communicate in writing. 
• Students will write supporting details and facts about their chosen subject.
• Students will use transitional and signal words for smoothness.
• Students will use tools, such as INFORM, to organize their writing:
• Include an opening paragraph and state topic.
• Name facts in the body paragraphs of your writing.
• Follow those facts with supporting information and details.
• Organize your writing with transition words and phrases.
• Refer to resources and use domain-specific vocabulary
• Make a closing paragraph that refers to the topic

• Teachers describe the elements of a strong informative writing piece.

• Teachers share mentor texts to show how authors

• Establish a main idea

• Include supporting details

• Include facts

• Use transitional and signal words

• Teachers model how to write an informative piece  by thinking aloud through a piece of their own writing.

• Teachers allow time for students to practice composing informative texts while realizing not every piece needs to be taken completely through the writing process.
• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback on their writing regarding main idea, supporting details, inclusion of facts, and use of transitional and signal words.
• Teachers explain that all types of writing are very personal and ensure students that they will be respectful of the fact that their writing is a piece of themselves. Teachers will ensure students their writing will not be read out loud without the student’s permission.

Supporting Resources

Teacher Insights 

Transitional Words (PDF)

• Informative writing is factual writing about a nonfiction topic.

• The main goal of informational writing is to increase knowledge by providing straightforward information on a topic.

• Writers  establish the main idea with a strong introduction that captures the reader’s attention.

• Ideas for Strong Introductions: include an unusual fact, ask a question, include vivid description, tell a brief story

• Writers restate the main idea with a strong conclusion.

• Ideas for Strong Conclusions: summarize key points, make a prediction, offer an opinion or a suggestion, explain the topic’s importance

• Transitional words and phrases  guide the reader easily and clearly from one idea to the next.

• Introduce students to simple rubrics or checklists. It is helpful to use the OSDE rubric for 5th grade writing and adapt for age appropriateness.

• Teachers  choose 1-3 skills to focus on for a piece of writing and not overwhelm students with a long list at this beginning stage.

• Informative Writing Example

Due to recursive nature of the standards, it is essential that teachers are aware of how all objectives within and between strands work together for optimal instruction.