KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

PROFESSIONAL SEMESTER PROGRAM

Lesson 1: Informative Writing

STANDARD: (PA Common Core):
CC.1.2.3.E. Use text features and search tools to locate and interpret information.

I. Performance Objectives
Students will be able to find key components of informative writing by locating
information through stories, newspapers and pamphlets.

II. Instructional Materials

A. Teacher Materials
a. Newspapers
b. Magazines
c. Pamphlets
d. Informational stories
B. Student Materials
a. Glue Sticks
b. Construction paper
c. Colored Pencils

III. Subject Matter/ Content

A. Prerequisite Skills
a. Knowing how to read
b. Knowing how to locate information in a text

B. Key Vocabulary

a. Informative writing- nonfiction writing that gives information.

b. Newspapers- a publication made of several large sheets of folded

paper printed with news, opinions, advertisements, and other
 information.

c. Pamphlets- a thin book that has a paper cover, written to give

information on some topic

d. Stories- Something that happened written either true or made up.

e. Paragraph- a part of something written made up of one or more

sentences that develop a certain idea.

f. Magazines- a printed collection of stories, pictures, articles and

advertisements.

C. Big Idea- Understanding and Interpreting Informative Writing

D. New Content:

a. Understanding what informative writing is- to increase knowledge on

a specific topic. Informative writing is simple writing on one topic,
and not aimed to change the reader's mind or thinking about anything.

b. Locating Informative writing in different sources such as pamphlets,

newspapers , magazines and stories

c. Informative writing is to write and give information on a topic.

IV. Implementation
A. Introduction
I. Informative Writing: Turn and Talk (10 minutes)
A. Explain to students we will be talking about Informative
writing and being able to find the key components to
determine what informative writing is.
B. Ask the students what they think informative writing may
be and if they would know where to find examples.
1. Have them turn and talk for 2 minutes, and then ask
for a few responses.
2. Give the students the definition of informative
writing.
3. On board show some examples of informative
writing in a newspaper, pamphlet and a story.
C. Explain to them we will be doing a hunt to get a better
understanding of what informative writing is, how to find it
in different materials, and that we will be writing
informatively in the future.
B. Development
I. Hamburglar Hunt (30 minutes)
A. Explain to the students we will be doing a “Hamburgler
Hunt” to discover different types of informative writing in
different readings.
1. Break the students up into 4 small groups and tell
them they will be their teams they will be solving
the hunt with.
B. Give information to the students in regards to the hunt we
are going to be doing.
1. Writing has meaning and the writing we will be
completing at the end of this unit is for you students
to write an informative pamphlet about yourself,
family and life.
a) Informative writing means that the writing is
nonfiction and easily conveys information
for the reader.
2. Students will have to hunt from 4 different forms of
writing and point out and find where the
informative writing is within the story, newspaper,
pamphlet or magazine.
3. Informative writing can be a sentence, a fact, a title,
a story, an article etc. and anywhere in between so
keep your eyes open.
C. Give each group either a newspaper (title or article), a
story, a magazine or a pamphlet to start at the center.
1. Students will work as a small group to hunt down
the informative piece of writing within these
resources.
2. There will be 4 different centers and the students
will rotate around to each of the 5 to complete the
task.
a) Center 1- Newspaper articles and the
students will need to find the Informative
title.
b) Center 2- Pamphlet to find an informational
graphic.
c) Center 3- Magazine to find an informational
article.
d) Center 4- A story to find two informational
facts, and what page numbers they found
those on.
3. When the students find their correct information
they will cut it out of the corresponding text.
 D. When everyone finds all their information from the centers,
they will find a spot in the room as a group.
1. The students will glue their findings on a piece of
construction paper, correlating with the correct text
they found it in (and add a page number if needed.)
2. When the students have their construction paper
completed we will bring the class back together.

C. Closure
I. Group Presentations (10 min)
A. Each of the four groups will present one of their findings from the
4 different centers
1. Group 1 will come up and share what type of informative
title from the newspaper they had found and present why
they think it is informational.
2. Group 2 will come up and share what type of informative
graphic from the pamphlet that they found and why they
think it is informational.
3. Group 3 will come up and share what type of informative
article from the magazine they have and why they think it
is informational.
4. Group 4 will come up and share the two informative facts
from the story they found in a story and why they think it is
informational.

D.Accommodations / Differentiation
1. If a student does not know/understand how to read they can have a partner
in their group read sections to them and have them listen to understand if
they believe it is the informative piece needed in that center.

E. Assessment/Evaluation plan

Assessment Strategy Evidence

1.Informative Writing Constructive Poster 1.Checklist

Formative

Informative Writing Constructive Poster​: Checklist

CC.1.2.3.E.
(Smile or Frown)
Student will create a poster using the materials found throughout the Hamburglar
Informative Writing Hunt. Will be completed in a group.
 1. Smile: Student worked well in group.
Frown: Student did not work well in group.

2. Smile : Completed the poster with all necessary items.

Center 1- Newspaper articles and the students will need to find the Informative
title.
Center 2- Pamphlet to find an informational graphic.
Center 3- Magazine to find an informational article.
Center 4- A story to find two informational facts, and what page numbers
they found those on.
Frown: Did not complete poster with all necessary items.

3. Smile: Student presented accurate information in group.

Frown: Student did not present accurate information in group.

V. Reflective Response

A. Report of Students’ Performance in Terms of States Objectives

B. Personal Reflection
1. Did the students understand they way i taught informative/informational writing
in a thought- provoking ways?
2. Did the students stay on task during center work?
3. Did Iobserve enough to understand if the students understood the concepts?
4. DId i answer all the students questions they had?

VI. Resources

Collection of magazines, newspapers, pamphlets and stories.

Wordsmyth. (n.d.). Children's, Intermediate and Advanced Online English Dictionary &
Thesaurus. Retrieved from https://kids.wordsmyth.net/we/?ent=informational writing

Checklist for Assessment

Student worked well in Student found correct Student presented accurate

group information in texts information in group

:) or :( :) or :( :) or :(