Writing Information Texts

Year Level

Years 1 to 3

Duration

60 minutes

Class Size

6 students

Unit Context

This is Lesson 8 of 10 in the unit "Exploring Information Texts." In this lesson, students will apply their learning by composing short information texts about a chosen topic. They will create an information brochure including headings, text features, and images.

Australian Curriculum Alignment

Content Descriptions: English (Years 1-3)

ACELY1676: Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts demonstrating emerging use of appropriate text structure, sentence-level grammar, word choice, spelling, and punctuation.
ACELY1678: Use comprehension strategies to understand and discuss texts listened to, viewed or read independently.
ACELY1661: Identify the organisational features and language that help texts serve different purposes.
ACELY1653: Create short texts to explore, record and report ideas and events using familiar sentence structures and beginning writing skills.
ACELY1649: Understand that texts have different purposes and audiences.
ACELA1445: Understand how punctuation is used in texts, including full stops and capital letters.
ACELA1447: Recognise that sentences are key units for expressing ideas.

Learning Objectives

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

Plan and compose a short information text or brochure on a familiar topic using clear headings and simple sentences.
Incorporate basic text features such as headings, images, and labels appropriate for an information brochure.
Use correct basic punctuation (capital letters and full stops) and spelling of high-frequency words.
Demonstrate understanding of the purpose of information texts and how text features support this purpose.
Use visual aids and multimodal elements to enhance their information texts.

Resources Needed

Sample simple information brochures or texts (age-appropriate)
Paper and coloured pencils/markers
Digital device or paper templates for brochure making
Picture cards or printed images related to chosen topics
Word banks with topic-specific vocabulary (including dyslexia-friendly fonts and high-contrast colours)
Headings and label word cards for support

Lesson Outline

Introduction (10 minutes)

Briefly revisit the purpose and features of information texts. Use visual examples of information brochures.
Discuss and model the elements: headings, simple sentences, images, labels.
Show a completed example of an information brochure about a familiar topic (e.g. animals, weather, local environment).
Interactive Q&A: Ask students what kind of information might be included and what pictures could be added.

Guided Planning (10 minutes)

Each student chooses a simple, familiar topic (animals, favourite sport, a local place, etc.).
Brainstorm key facts together about the topic using a chart or mind map.
Introduce a simple planning template for the brochure: headings, 2-3 short facts/sentences per heading, space for images.
Provide a word bank and sentence starters to support writing.

Writing and Creating (25 minutes)

Students write simple sentences under each heading with support as needed.
Encourage use of capital letters and full stops; remind students of spacing between words.
Students draw or paste images related to their text.
Use dyslexia-friendly paper (cream or pastel coloured) and fonts if typing or printing.
Teacher circulates to support sentence formation, spelling, and use of appropriate text features.

Sharing and Reflecting (10 minutes)

Students present their brochures to the group or in pairs.
Discuss how their brochure informs others about their topic.
Reflect on what went well and what could be improved (teacher models self-assessment with checklists).

Conclusion (5 minutes)

Recap the importance of headings and images in making information clear and easy to understand.
Set expectations for the next lesson (Lesson 9: Enhancing Information Texts with More Features).

Differentiation Strategies

For diverse learners: Provide sentence starters, word banks with pictures, and scaffolded templates. Allow drawing to represent facts when writing is challenging. Use oral discussion before writing to build confidence.
Dyslexia-friendly options: Use coloured overlays, cream or pastel paper, large clear fonts, and high-contrast materials. Offer audio recording options or paired reading/writing support.
For advanced learners: Challenge students to include an additional fact, label images with descriptive words, or write a question related to their topic for peers to answer.

Assessment

Formative: Observe students during planning and drafting stages to assess use of text features and sentence formation.
Summative: Evaluate completed brochures for:
Inclusion of headings and relevant images.
Use of simple sentences with correct punctuation and spaced writing.
Clarity of information to convey facts about the topic.
Provide feedback focused on strengths and next steps in writing information texts according to curriculum benchmarks.

This lesson plan integrates foundational literacy skills within the Australian Curriculum (v9) framework, fostering confident beginner writers who can effectively communicate information using multimodal text features. Practical hands-on brochure creation engages young learners, bolstered by supportive resources and strategies to meet diverse learning needs.

Teaching Instructions