How-To Writing: Motivating Students to Write for a Real Purpose

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

3, 4, 5

Overview

What do students need to know to succeed in fourth grade (or third or fifth)? What supplies are needed? What rules and steps should be followed? These and many other questions provide the framework for students to write how-to essays for a specific audience—future fourth graders. Although this lesson focuses specifically on the fourth grade, it can be easily adapted for third or fifth graders. Students first learn about the how-to writing genre by reading an assortment of instruction manuals. This also demonstrates how how-to writing relates to their everyday lives. The teacher then models each step of the writing process as the students write about how to be a successful fourth graders. After students publish their writing, the final drafts are saved for the following year's fourth graders to read at the beginning of the next school year.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 3

ELA21.3.R5

Utilize the writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.

UP:ELA21.3.R5

Vocabulary

  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 3

ELA21.3.34

Write informative or explanatory texts about a topic using sources, including an introduction, facts, relevant details with elaboration, and a conclusion.

UP:ELA21.3.34

Vocabulary

  • Informative text
  • Explanatory text
  • Sources
  • Topic
  • Introduction
  • Facts
  • Relevant details
  • Elaboration
  • Conclusion

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Informative or explanatory text is a piece of writing that provides factual information that was gathered from research sources.
  • Informative or explanatory text begins by introducing the topic, provides facts and relevant details, and ends with a conclusion.
  • Elaboration means to supply additional information about a detail by using academic, content-specific vocabulary or by including text features.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Gather information from sources.
  • Write an informative or explanatory text using information gathered from sources.
  • Write an informative or explanatory text that begins with introducing the topic, provides facts and details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
  • Elaborate on details included in the text.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Informative or explanatory writing follows a predictable text structure that includes introducing the topic, providing facts or additional details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
  • They must gather their facts about the topic from a research source.
  • Informative or explanatory writing can be used to tell facts about a topic.
  • Writers elaborate details included in the text by using academic, content-specific vocabulary and text features.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 4

ELA21.4.R4

Utilize a writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.

UP:ELA21.4.R4

Vocabulary

  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 4

ELA21.4.36

Write informative or explanatory text about a topic using sources, incorporating academic vocabulary, and including an introduction, facts, details with elaboration, and a conclusion.

UP:ELA21.4.36

Vocabulary

  • Informative text
  • Explanatory text
  • Topic
  • Sources
  • Academic vocabulary
  • Introduction
  • Facts
  • Details with elaboration
  • Conclusion

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Informative or explanatory text is a piece of writing that provides factual information that was gathered from research sources.
  • Informative or explanatory text begins by introducing the topic, provides facts and relevant details, and ends with a conclusion.
  • Elaboration means to supply additional information about a detail by using academic vocabulary or by including text features.
  • Academic vocabulary is more formal and specific than spoken language.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Gather information from sources.
  • Write an informative or explanatory text using information gathered from sources.
  • Write an informative or explanatory text that begins with introducing the topic, provides facts and details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
  • Elaborate on details included in the text using academic vocabulary.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Informative or explanatory writing follows a predictable text structure that includes introducing the topic, providing facts or additional details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
  • They must gather their facts about the topic from a research source.
  • Writers elaborate details included in the text by using formal academic vocabulary and text features.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 5

ELA21.5.R4

Utilize a writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.

UP:ELA21.5.R4

Vocabulary

  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 5

ELA21.5.35

Write informative or explanatory texts using multiple sources to examine a topic, conveying ideas and information clearly and incorporating a strong organizational structure, relevant details, and elaboration.

UP:ELA21.5.35

Vocabulary

  • Informative text
  • Explanatory text
  • Sources
  • Topic
  • Organizational structure
  • Details
  • Elaboration

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Informative or explanatory text is a piece of writing that provides factual information that was gathered from multiple research sources.
  • Informative or explanatory text begins by introducing the topic, provides facts and relevant details, and ends with a conclusion.
  • Elaboration means supplying additional information about details by using academic vocabulary or including text features.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Gather information from multiple sources.
  • Write an informative or explanatory text using information gathered from sources.
  • Write an informative or explanatory text with a clear, organized structure.
  • Elaborate on details included in the text using academic vocabulary or text features.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Informative or explanatory writing follows a predictable text structure that includes introducing the topic, providing facts or additional details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
  • They must gather their facts about the topic from multiple research sources.
  • Writers elaborate details included in the text by using formal academic vocabulary and text features.

CR Resource Type

Lesson/Unit Plan

Resource Provider

ReadWriteThink

License Type

Custom
http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/writing-motivating-s…

Custom License Type (URL)

http://www.readwritethink.org/util/legal.html

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

raulstoncg
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