Recognising Report Features

Overview

Lesson 2 of 12 in Reporting Australian History. Students examine model information reports about Australian history, identify their structural and visual features, and explain how each feature helps readers understand factual information.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• identify the purpose and audience of an information report
• locate the title, introduction, classification and factual paragraphs
• recognise technical vocabulary, images, captions and glossary terms
• explain how report features support clear communication
• use evidence from a model text to justify their observations

Success criteria

• I can find and label the main features of an information report.
• I can explain the purpose of at least three report features.
• I can identify technical vocabulary and glossary terms.
• I can use evidence from a model text when discussing my ideas.

Curriculum links

• Creating and analysing informative texts for particular purposes and audiences.
• Understanding how text structures organise factual information.
• Examining vocabulary, language features and visual elements in texts.
• Interpreting and discussing information from written and multimodal sources.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Engage and revisit prior learning

Display the opening question in the introduction and hook slides: “How can a report help someone learn about the past without telling a story?” Students think, pair and share. Briefly revisit the previous lesson’s focus on factual information and ask students to predict what features an effective history report might include.

2. 5–15 minutes – Explicit teaching: report features

Use the report features teaching slides to introduce the purpose and audience of an information report. Model the following features using a short report about an Australian historical topic: title, introduction, classification, factual paragraphs, technical vocabulary, image, caption and glossary.

Clarify that a classification introduces what the subject is, while factual paragraphs give organised information about its parts, qualities, events or significance. Explain that technical vocabulary is subject-specific language, and a glossary gives meanings for important terms.

3. 15–23 minutes – Teacher think-aloud

Project the model report from the annotated information report worksheet. Read the report aloud, then think aloud while locating one feature at a time. For example: “The heading tells me the topic. The first paragraph classifies the subject by explaining what it is. This caption tells me what the image shows.”

Invite students to identify additional features and justify their answers. Record useful explanations on the board, such as “The caption adds information about the image” and “The glossary helps readers understand unfamiliar words.”

4. 23–40 minutes – Partner annotation task

Distribute the annotated information report worksheet to pairs. Students read the model report and annotate it using the feature labels and colour key. They should label the title, introduction, classification, factual paragraphs, technical vocabulary, image, caption and glossary terms.

Partners then complete the short questions: What is the report’s subject and audience? Which feature was easiest to find? How does one visual feature help the reader? Circulate, prompting students to point to evidence rather than simply name a feature.

5. 40–52 minutes – Compare, discuss and revise

Return to the partner discussion and checking slides. Pairs compare their annotations with another pair. If they disagree, they must reread the relevant sentence or visual element and explain their reasoning.

Facilitate a whole-class check. Discuss common difficulties, especially the difference between an introduction and a classification, and between technical vocabulary and ordinary descriptive words. Invite students to revise their worksheet in a different colour after discussion.

6. 52–60 minutes – Plenary and formative check

Display the final prompts in the plenary slides. Students complete an oral or written response: “One report feature I can recognise is… It helps the reader by…” Invite three or four students to share. Collect worksheets to check whether students can accurately identify the features and explain their purposes.

Resources

• the introduction, teaching, discussion and plenary slide deck
• the annotated information report worksheet
• A short teacher-selected model report about an Australian historical topic
• Interactive whiteboard or projector
• Highlighters or coloured pencils
• Exercise books and pencils
• Board space for shared feature definitions
• Optional classroom display of the Genre Features Poster Pack

Assessment

• Observe partner talk and questioning during annotation, listening for accurate use of terms such as classification, caption and technical vocabulary.
• Review worksheet annotations and responses for correct identification of report features and explanations supported by text evidence.
• Use the plenary response to identify students who can name a feature but need further support explaining its purpose.

Differentiation

• Provide a feature word bank, colour-coded examples and a partially labelled model for students who need support.
• Read the model report aloud and allow students to use text-to-speech, a peer reader or enlarged print where appropriate.
• Support EAL students with visual examples, simple definitions, partner rehearsal and sentence frames such as “The caption helps because…”.
• Extend confident students by asking them to explain why the author placed each feature where it appears or to identify an additional language feature, such as an expanded noun group or a connective.