Animal Facts Planning

Overview

Students choose an animal they want to research and create a simple planning template for an information text. They organise key facts about habitat, appearance, food, and movement using graphic organisers.

Learning intentions

• Students will be able to choose an animal topic for an information text.
• Students will be able to sort and record facts under headings using a graphic organiser.
• Students will be able to plan sentences that match the purpose of an information text (to inform).
• Students will be able to share their plan using clear, complete sentences.

Success criteria

• I can choose an animal and write its name as my topic.
• I can add at least one fact to each section: habitat, appearance, food, and movement.
• I can use appropriate words to describe (for example: lives in, has, eats, can).
• I can explain my plan to a partner and answer a question about my facts.

Curriculum links

• Create and share texts by planning ideas and using simple structures to suit purpose and audience.
• Use writing processes to draft and revise by organising information logically.
• Use spoken language to present ideas clearly to others.
• Understand and use grammar and punctuation appropriate for early primary writing (sentence structure, full stops, capital letters).

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 5 min – Warm-up (Discussion and model)

• Show a completed example planning template for a well-known animal (e.g., penguin) with headings: habitat, appearance, food, movement.
• Ask: “What facts help us understand this animal?” and briefly note answers under the correct headings.

2. 10 min – Choose your animal (Topic selection)

• Give students a choice of animal cards or let them choose from a short class list.
• Students copy the animal name on the top of their planning sheet and circle the section headings they will use.

3. 12 min – Build facts with support (Graphic organiser work)

• In pairs, students use teacher-provided fact prompts (picture cues and sentence starters) to fill their organiser.
• Encourage sorting: “Does this fact describe where it lives, what it looks like, what it eats, or how it moves?”

4. 8 min – Turn facts into simple sentences (Sentence planning)

• Students select 1–2 facts per heading and write one simple sentence for each heading using starters:
• Habitat: “It lives in…”
• Appearance: “It has… / It is…”
• Food: “It eats…”
• Movement: “It can… / It moves by…”
• Teacher circulates, checking that sentences start with a capital letter and end with a full stop.

5. 7 min – Share and refine (Partner feedback)

• Students share their plan with a partner.
• Partner uses a simple question protocol: “Tell me one fact. Is it in the right section?” and “Do you need another fact?”

6. 3 min – Quick teacher check-out (Exit review)

• Students hold up their completed template.
• Teacher quickly checks for: correct sections, at least one fact per heading, and at least one sentence with a full stop.

Resources

• Animal topic cards (or a class list of 6–10 animals)
• Planning template with headings: habitat, appearance, food, movement
• Graphic organiser sheets (one per student)
• Sentence starter strips (lives in, has/is, eats, can/moves by)
• Picture cards to prompt facts (habitat scene, animal features, food, movement)
• Markers/colour pencils and pencils
• Example model template (teacher-created)
• Anchor chart: “Information text facts” (facts go under headings; sentences inform)
• Partner feedback prompt card (two question stems)

Assessment

• Teacher observation during writing and sentence planning (focus on correct heading placement and clear facts).
• Collection of planning templates (completion of each heading with at least one fact; attempt at simple, full sentences).
• Oral check during partner share (student can explain one section using a complete sentence).

Differentiation

• Support:
• Provide a pre-filled word bank matching the chosen animal and headings.
• Offer sentence starter cards for every heading and allow drawing a picture beside a fact.
• Use teacher conferencing with a small group to sort facts into the correct heading.
• Extension:
• Ask students to add a second sentence in one heading (for example, an extra appearance detail or a different food).
• Challenge students to use an adjective in a sentence (for example: “It has sharp teeth.”).
• EAL:
• Use visuals and gestures for each heading; keep sentence starters consistent.
• Allow oral rehearsal with a partner before writing; accept single-clause sentences if needed.
• SEN / additional needs:
• Reduce the writing load to one sentence per heading with additional facts recorded as pictures or single words.
• Provide step-by-step checklists for the planner (topic written; each heading completed; sentence added).