Make Instructions Precise

Overview

In this 60-minute lesson, students analyse a model procedure, identify vague or incomplete instructions, and revise their own writing to make it precise and safe. They strengthen procedural language through exact nouns, action verbs, quantities, conditional or safety statements, accurate commas, and spelling patterns in -ble words and their derivatives.

Learning intentions

• WALT analyse a procedure for clarity, precision and safety.
• WALT revise instructions using exact nouns, strong action verbs and quantities.
• WALT use conditional or safety statements to explain what to do in different situations.
• WALT check spelling of -ble words and use commas accurately.

Success criteria

• I can replace vague words with exact nouns and action verbs.
• I can include quantities or measurements where they are needed.
• I can add a clear conditional or safety statement.
• I can use Chunk, Check, Cheer to spell -ble words and check commas.

Curriculum links

• English — Writing to inform: introduce a topic and organise related information clearly into paragraphs.
• English — Writing to persuade and inform: use linking words and phrases to connect ideas and reasons.
• English — Oral Language / Communicating and Presenting: use words such as because, so and this means that to explain reasons and results.
• English — Reading comprehension: recognise that procedural and information texts organise ideas clearly and use specific text features.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Hook and notice. Open with the hook and model comparison slides. Display: “Put the things in the bowl and mix it” and “Measure 200 ml of water into the large bowl, then stir slowly with a wooden spoon.” Ask, “Which instruction would be easier to follow, and why?” Students discuss with a partner, then identify differences such as exact nouns, quantities and action verbs. Explain that today they will make instructions specific.

2. 7–17 min · Analyse a model. Show the model procedure and feature prompts in the model analysis slides. Read the procedure aloud while students follow on the procedure analysis and revision sheet. Model thinking aloud: “The word it is unclear, so I will name the object.” Students underline vague nouns and verbs, circle quantities, and place a star beside safety or conditional statements. Take brief feedback and create a class list of features of precise instructions.

3. 17–27 min · Teach and rehearse precision. On the precision teaching slides, explicitly teach the substitutions: thing → plastic cup; put → place; some → two tablespoons; mix it → stir the mixture for 30 seconds. Introduce conditional and safety structures: “If the mixture is too thick, add one teaspoon of water”; “Wear safety goggles when…”. Students improve three deliberately vague instructions orally with a partner, using the stem “Change ___ to ___ because ___.” Invite several pairs to share.

4. 27–35 min · Chunk, Check, Cheer spelling. Use the spelling routine slides and display the editing codes and proofreading marks poster. Practise possible, sensible, flexible and derivatives such as possibly and sensibly. Students chunk the word into meaningful parts, check the base word and ending, then cheer or celebrate the correct spelling. Dictate two sentences connected to procedures, including a comma after an introductory phrase, for example: “Before you begin, check that the equipment is clean.” Students compare, correct and explain their comma choices.

5. 35–50 min · Revise a draft. Revisit the revision checklist in the independent writing slides. Students use their own procedure draft from the unit and revise at least four instructions. They must add or improve two exact nouns, two strong action verbs, one quantity or measurement, and one conditional or safety statement. They also check -ble words, commas and paragraphing. Confer with individuals, asking, “Could someone follow this without asking you a question?” Students record changes clearly rather than simply copying the original.

6. 50–57 min · Partner quality check. Students exchange drafts and use the peer-check section of the procedure analysis and revision sheet. Partners read one step aloud and identify one instruction that is precise and one place needing more detail. They must give kind, specific feedback using: “This is clear because…” and “You could make this more specific by…”. Writers make one final improvement.

7. 57–60 min · Plenary and exit check. Display the final prompt in the plenary and exit-check slide. Students independently rewrite: “Put some flour in it and mix carefully,” making it precise and safe. Collect responses and ask two students to explain their choices. Celebrate improvements and remind students that effective procedures help a reader succeed without guessing.

Resources

• the complete teaching deck
• the procedure analysis and revision sheet
• Students’ procedure drafts from the unit
• Exercise books or writing folders
• Highlighters or coloured pencils
• Board and pens
• the editing codes and proofreading marks poster

Assessment

• During model analysis and oral rehearsal, listen for students identifying vague language and suggesting exact alternatives.
• During independent revision, use a quick checklist: exact noun, action verb, quantity, conditional or safety statement, spelling and comma check.
• Use the final rewritten instruction as an exit ticket. Note whether each student makes the instruction specific and includes an appropriate safety or conditional statement.

Differentiation

• Support students with a word bank containing precise nouns, action verbs, measurement words and sentence stems such as “If ___, then ___” and “Before you begin, ___”.
• Work with a small group to revise one step together, using colour coding: nouns in blue, verbs in red, quantities in green and safety statements in orange.
• Provide an oral rehearsal before writing and allow students to dictate ideas to a peer or use speech-to-text where appropriate.
• Extend confident writers by asking them to improve the order and cohesion of a whole paragraph, add a reason using because or so, and remove any unnecessary words without losing meaning.