Discover Procedure Features

Overview

In this second lesson of the three-lesson unit Peace Pebble Procedures, students examine how a class sequence becomes a clear, easy-to-follow procedure. The teacher explicitly models the process, then the class jointly constructs a procedure using precise language, time connectives and numbered steps.

Learning intentions

• We are learning to identify the features of a procedure.
• We are learning to use precise verbs, details and quantities.
• We are learning to organise instructions in a logical order.
• We are learning to contribute ideas and listen during shared writing.

Success criteria

• I can include a clear title and materials list.
• I can use present-tense action verbs and numbered steps.
• I can use time connectives such as first, next and finally.
• I can add specific details about actions and quantities so another person can follow my procedure.

Curriculum links

• Writing to entertain and compose text by including clear details about actions and an ending.
• Selecting increasingly precise adjectives, adverbs, vocabulary and phrases to express meaning.
• Oral Language: using might, could, maybe and what if to explore possibilities and predict what may happen next.
• Oral Language: participating in discussions, taking turns, actively listening, questioning and contributing.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Reconnect and hook. Display the opening visual from the Peace Pebble Procedures slide deck and ask, “What if someone had to make a peace pebble but had no instructions?” Students turn to a partner and predict what might go wrong, using might, could or maybe. Invite two or three responses and explain that today they will make instructions clearer for a reader.

2. 5–12 min · Notice procedure features. Show the procedure example on the procedure features slides and display the Procedure genre poster as a visual reference. Read the example aloud once, then reread it while thinking aloud: “I can see a title. The materials tell us what we need. The numbered steps show the order.” Students help identify the title, materials list, present-tense verbs, numbered steps, time connectives and specific details. Record examples such as choose, write, place, first, next and finally.

3. 12–20 min · Teacher modelling. Revisit the class sequence from Lesson 1 on the class sequence prompt slide. Model turning one brief idea into a precise instruction: “Make a pebble” becomes “First, choose one smooth, dry stone about the size of your palm.” Think aloud about the verb, time connective, action and quantity or measurement. Deliberately model an unclear instruction such as “Put paint on it” and ask, “What could the reader ask?” Students suggest improvements, explaining why each added detail helps.

4. 20–30 min · Joint construction. Create a large class procedure titled How to Make a Peace Pebble. Ask students to contribute a suitable materials list, then jointly write four to six numbered steps. Prompt with, “What happens first?”, “What might the reader need to know next?” and “Could we make that verb more precise?” Use the success criteria to check each contribution. Students discuss ideas in pairs before sharing; the teacher scribes agreed wording and underlines time connectives and action verbs.

5. 30–40 min · Partner feature check and improvement. Distribute the procedure features and improvement worksheet to pairs. Students use the jointly constructed procedure to locate and label its features, then improve one step by adding a precise action, quantity, size, time or position detail. Partners read their improved sentence aloud and check whether it is clear enough for someone who was not in the lesson. Circulate, prompting students to replace vague verbs such as do, get or put with more precise choices.

6. 40–45 min · Share and exit reflection. Invite two pairs to read their improved steps. Ask the class which details made each instruction easier to follow and why. Students complete the final reflection on the procedure features and improvement worksheet, stating one feature they used confidently and one feature they will remember when writing their own procedure in Lesson 3.

Resources

• the Peace Pebble Procedures slide deck
• the procedure features and improvement worksheet
• the Procedure genre poster
• Enlarged copy of the Lesson 1 class sequence
• Whiteboard or chart paper
• Thick pens or board markers
• Exercise books and pencils
• Highlighters for identifying text features

Assessment

• Listen for students using might, could and maybe when predicting problems during the hook and discussion.
• During joint construction, check whether students can identify features and justify why precise verbs, quantities and details help a reader.
• Review the worksheet improvement and reflection to identify students ready to write independently and those needing a word bank or oral rehearsal in Lesson 3.

Differentiation

• Support learners with the displayed poster, colour-coding for headings, verbs and connectives, and oral sentence frames: “First, ___ the ___.” “Next, use ___ to ___.”
• Allow students who need writing support to dictate ideas to a partner, rehearse each sentence aloud, or select from teacher-provided precise verbs.
• Provide EAL learners with gesture, picture support and paired talk before whole-class sharing; clarify materials, quantity, smooth, dry and precise in context.
• Extend confident writers by asking them to combine an exact measurement or position with a reason, for example, “Leave the pebble in a warm, dry place so the paint can dry.”