Organising Information

Unit: Animal Insights: Informative Writing

Lesson 4 of 30
Duration: 50 minutes
Class Size: 20 students
Year: 3
Subject: English

Learning Objectives (NSW Curriculum aligned)

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Understand how to organise researched information into distinct categories to support informative writing.
Use graphic organisers (such as charts, tables, or mind maps) to plan the structure of an informative text.
Identify key features of text structure suitable for organising information clearly.
Develop confidence in categorising factual information related to animals to prepare for writing.

This lesson links to the NSW English syllabus outcomes:

EN3-2A: Communicates in a range of ways, using effective structures and language suited to audience and purpose.
EN3-3B: Thinks imaginatively, creatively, interpretively and critically to respond to and compose texts in a range of contexts.
EN3-7B: Uses and describes language forms and features accurately and appropriately when speaking and writing.

This focus supports the achievement of Literacy results in Informative Texts for Years 3 and 4, particularly in creating clear and coherent texts by organising ideas logically .

Curriculum References

Stage 2 English Outcomes NSW: Organising information logically to create an informative text; using graphic organisers assists in structuring content for clarity and cohesion.
The NSW syllabus highlights that students should "plan, draft and publish well-structured informative texts with an introduction, body paragraphs organised by categories, and a conclusion" by the end of Stage 2 (Years 3-4).
Emphasis on text organising structures and language features for clarity and engagement .

Resources

Whiteboard or interactive board
Large printed graphic organisers (e.g. concept maps, flow charts, tables)
Individual graphic organiser templates for students
Fact sheets or images about animals (previous research materials from earlier lessons in the unit)
Coloured markers/pens
Sticky notes

Lesson Breakdown

Time	Activity	Description	NSW Curriculum Focus
0-5 mins	Introduction & Learning Intentions	Briefly explain to students that today they will learn how to organise their animal facts to prepare for writing informative texts. Discuss why organising information before writing helps the reader understand facts better.	EN3-2A Communicating with effective structures
5-15 mins	Recap on Research and Facts	Engage students in a brief discussion recalling the animal information they researched in previous lessons. Use a shared example (e.g. kangaroo) and write out facts on the board.	EN3-3B Thinking critically about ideas
15-30 mins	Explicit Teaching: Organising Information Using a Graphic Organizer	Model how to sort facts about the kangaroo into categories (e.g., habitat, diet, appearance, behaviours) on a graphic organiser displayed on the board. Explain that categories help organise information clearly.	EN3-7B Using language features for clarity
30-40 mins	Guided Practice: Student Activity with Graphic Organisers	Students receive a blank graphic organiser and a set of mixed animal facts (on cards or worksheets). In pairs, they organise the facts into appropriate categories and stick/record them in the organiser. Teachers circulate, offering support.	EN3-3B & EN3-7B Apply thinking and language skills to organise ideas
40-45 mins	Sharing and Reflection	Invite a few pairs to share their organised information and explain their categorisation decisions. Discuss how this helps when writing informative texts.	EN3-2A Communicating clearly
45-50 mins	Plenary: Individual Reflection & Exit Task	Each student writes one sentence about how organising information assists writing or learning. Collect responses as an informal assessment of understanding.	EN3-2A Reflect on communication

Teaching Strategies and Differentiation

Use visual supports (large graphic organisers, colour coding) to help visual learners.
Pair students strategically to encourage peer learning and support for less confident students.
Use simple and clear language when explaining categories and their purpose.
Provide sentence starters during the plenary for students who need support expressing their reflection.
Extension: Challenge more advanced students to suggest additional categories or subcategories and explain their choices.

Assessment

Informal observation during guided practice: Are students able to categorise facts appropriately?
Exit ticket reflection sentence assesses student comprehension of the purpose and value of organising information.
Use collected organisers as formative assessment to inform next lesson’s planning, focusing on reinforcing logical organisation of ideas in written text.

Teacher Notes

This lesson builds essential foundational skills for writing informative texts. It sets the stage for forthcoming lessons where students will draft and refine their texts.
Emphasise that informative writing is about clear communication of facts, which is made easier by organising ideas logically.
Encourage use of headings for each category in their future writing, linking to this organising process.
Cross-curriculum links: Reinforce scientific inquiry skills from Science (e.g. classification) and use of graphic organisers is also relevant to literacy across learning.

By following this plan, teachers will guide Year 3 students in developing a critical organising skill aligned specifically with the NSW curriculum for English Stage 2, enabling them to confidently plan and structure their informative texts about animals in this unit. This engaging and visually supported lesson caters to varied learning styles while scaffolded to the students’ developmental stage.

If needed, this lesson could integrate Aboriginal perspectives by including Aboriginal knowledge or names for animals under one category in future lessons, supporting cultural awareness within the curriculum.

If you need me to generate lesson plans for subsequent lessons in this unit or detailed resource examples, please let me know!

Teaching Instructions