Planning Information Paragraphs

Overview

In this third lesson of four, students plan a well-organised information paragraph before drafting it in the next lesson. They choose a familiar topic, retrieve relevant facts from a short text or teacher-provided resources, and organise their ideas into a beginning, middle, and ending.

Learning intentions

• WALT plan a well-organised information paragraph.
• WALT choose relevant facts for one focused topic.
• WALT use subject-specific vocabulary to inform a reader.
• WALT organise information in a logical order.

Success criteria

• I can choose one focused topic.
• I can select three relevant facts.
• I can plan a beginning, middle, and ending.
• I can use subject-specific words.

Curriculum links

• English — Writing: composing information texts using clear sentence structures and purposeful organisation.
• English — Writing: planning to combine ideas into a coherent paragraph.
• English — Reading: retrieving relevant information and noticing how ideas connect.
• English — Language capability: using language, symbols, and texts to communicate ideas clearly.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Reconnect and hook. Open with the opening question and topic images and ask, “What makes an information paragraph useful to a reader?” Students briefly discuss what they remember about information texts and identify the purpose of informing.

2. 7–17 min · Model the planning process. Display the model paragraph and planning sequence. Think aloud while planning a paragraph about penguins: write a topic sentence, select three facts, circle subject-specific words such as feathers, colony, and adapted, then add a concluding sentence. Explain that every fact must match the topic and that notes can be short rather than full sentences. Students help decide whether sample facts belong in the plan.

3. 17–25 min · Sort and justify facts. Give each student one familiar topic option—animal, place, or sport—and provide a short fact text or teacher-prepared fact cards. Students read, listen, or work with a partner to sort facts into “belongs with my topic” and “does not belong”. Use the relevant-fact sorting prompt to discuss why a fact is useful. Confer with students individually, checking that each topic is narrow enough, such as “dolphins” rather than “the ocean”.

4. 25–45 min · Complete the planning frame. Distribute the information paragraph planning frame. Students complete the boxes for topic sentence, three supporting facts, useful vocabulary, and concluding sentence. Encourage them to record key words first, then orally rehearse each sentence to check that it makes sense. Pause halfway for a quick partner check: each student explains their topic and one fact while the listener asks, “How does that help the reader?”

5. 45–54 min · Improve organisation and vocabulary. Students use the organisation and vocabulary checklist to review their plan. They number their facts in the most sensible order, add at least two subject-specific words, and check that the ending returns to the main topic. Students share one improvement with the group of five; the teacher gives focused feedback and models a revision where needed.

6. 54–60 min · Share and exit reflection. Invite two or three students to orally present their plan in beginning–middle–ending order. Students complete the reflection box on the planning review and exit reflection by finishing: “My strongest fact is…” and “One thing I will improve when I draft is…”. Close by explaining that the plans will guide the first draft in lesson 4.

Resources

• Information paragraph planning slide deck
• Information paragraph planning worksheet
• Short factual texts or teacher-prepared fact cards about familiar animals, places, and sports
• Pencils, erasers, and highlighters
• Topic picture prompts
• Word bank cards or displayed subject-specific vocabulary
• Optional mini whiteboard for modelling

Assessment

• Listen during fact sorting and ask students to explain why a fact is relevant; redirect students who select interesting but unrelated details.
• Check each planning frame for one focused topic, three relevant facts, a logical beginning–middle–ending structure, and subject-specific vocabulary.
• Use the oral share and exit reflection to identify students who need support with relevance, sequencing, or sentence construction before drafting.

Differentiation

• Offer three or four topic choices, picture prompts, fact cards, and a word bank. Read short texts aloud and allow students to dictate ideas or rehearse them orally before writing.
• Provide a partially completed planning frame with the topic sentence or one fact already included for students who need a stronger scaffold. Confer individually with each learner in the group of five.
• Support EAL learners with visuals, pronunciation and meaning checks for key vocabulary, bilingual resources where available, and sentence stems such as “My topic is…”, “One important fact is…”, and “Overall…”.
• Extend confident writers by planning two linked paragraphs with headings, grouping facts into subtopics, and deciding the most effective order for the information.

Extension

• Plan a second linked paragraph with a heading, ensuring it adds new information rather than repeating the first paragraph.
• Explain orally why the chosen order will help the reader understand the topic.