How to Make Toast

Overview

Subject: Languages
Grade: Year 2
Time: 40 minutes
Class Size: 15 students
Curriculum Connection: Ontario Language Curriculum, Grade 2 – Writing
Strand: Writing
Overall Expectation (1): Generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience.
Specific Expectation (1.2, 1.3):

• Generate ideas about a potential topic using a variety of strategies and resources.
• Gather information to support ideas for writing using a variety of strategies and oral, print, and electronic sources.
  Overall Expectation (2): Draft and revise their writing, using a variety of strategies and resources to improve the content, clarity, and interest of their written work.

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Learning Goals

• Students will understand the purpose and structure of procedural (how-to) writing.
• Students will create a simple, clear sequence of steps using appropriate verb tense and time-order words.
• Students will orally rehearse and collaboratively write a procedure (how to make toast).

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Success Criteria

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

✅ Identify the key features of procedural writing (goal, materials, steps).
✅ Use ordinal words (first, next, then, finally) appropriately.
✅ Write clear, sequenced steps to guide a reader in completing a task.
✅ Use action verbs and stay on topic.

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Materials Needed

• Chart paper and markers
• Real or toy toaster, plate, slices of bread, butter, knife (plastic), jam, napkins (used for demonstration — no actual eating required)
• Individual whiteboards and dry-erase markers
• "How to Make Toast" procedural text anchor chart
• Step strips (pre-cut sentence strips for ordering exercise)
• Paper template with procedural writing scaffold (Goal – Materials – Steps)

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Minds-On (5 mins)

Oral Hook: “What’s Your Morning Like?”

Ask:
“Have you ever made toast or watched someone make toast?”
Engage in a brief class discussion to activate background knowledge.

Display the real or toy toaster and materials. Say:
“Today we’re going to do some procedural writing. That means writing that teaches someone how to do something. We’re going to write about how to make toast!”

Co-Learning Moment
Ask: “Why might someone need a set of instructions?”
Guide students to understand the purpose of giving clear steps.

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Action (25 mins)

1. Model the Text (8 mins)

Build an anchor chart with the class:

Title: How to Make Toast
Goal: To teach someone how to make toast.
You Need:

• 1 slice of bread
• toaster
• butter
• knife
• plate

Steps:

1. First, put a slice of bread in the toaster.
2. Next, press the toaster lever down.
3. Then, wait for the toast to pop up.
4. Afterwards, take the toast out carefully.
5. Finally, spread butter or jam on the toast.

During Reading:

• Circle the ordinal words.
• Underline action verbs.
• Clap between each step to illustrate breaks in procedure.

2. Guided Practice (10 mins)

Task: Reordering Steps

Provide student pairs with scrambled step strips. Their job is to sequence the steps of “How to Make Toast” correctly. As students work, circulate and guide conversations:

Prompting Questions:

• Which word tells us what comes first?
• Can the toast be spread before it’s toasted?

Once complete, review the correct order together.

3. Independent Application (7 mins)

Students will begin constructing their own mini-procedure sheet using the scaffolded template. The topic is still "How to Make Toast", but they will:

• Personalise the materials (e.g., margarine instead of butter)
• Use their own words to describe steps

Students who finish early may draw a picture for each step.

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Consolidation (10 mins)

Toast Time Theatre – Oral Rehearsal

Choose 2–3 volunteers to stand at the front in a “toast theatre”. Each student reads one step from their writing as they act it out using the real or toy toaster and materials. The class listens and follows along with finger actions.

Wrap-Up Questions:

• What made your steps easy to follow?
• Why is it important to use the right order and action words?

Exit Ticket (Quick Check-in):
Students will write one sentence using an ordinal word (e.g., "Then I take out the toast.") before lining up.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Scaffolding: Use sentence stems and visuals for ESL learners.
• Peer Support: Pair less confident writers with a buddy.
• Challenge: Invite stronger writers to add an extra step (e.g., “how to clean up afterwards”).

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Assessment

• Observation: During guided task and oral rehearsal
• Product: Student’s scaffolded writing piece
• Conversation: Exit ticket responses

Use a simple checklist for:

• Use of time-order words
• Clear steps
• Relevant materials listed
• Proper sentence form

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Extension Activities

• Write a “How-To” about another breakfast food (cereal, fruit salad).
• Class procedural writing booklet: “How to Start the Day”
• Incorporate digital media: students record a voiceover of their procedure using tablets.

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Teacher Reflection

• Did students understand the key components of procedural writing?
• Were students engaged by the hands-on and oral aspects of the lesson?
• What worked well to support pacing with a class of 15?
• What might be needed to support students who may not have breakfast routines at home?

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Closing Thoughts

This lesson supports early writers by blending physical demonstration, oral rehearsal, and scaffolded writing. It adheres to the Ontario curriculum and encourages foundational writing strategies in a fun and age-appropriate way. Through multisensory engagement, students not only learn how to write a procedure—they understand why it matters.