Procedural Draft Workshop

Overview

Students complete a sustained procedure draft for a real classroom, home or games context. They apply their knowledge of procedural structure and precise language while revising through peer and teacher conferences, then edit spelling, sentence boundaries and joined handwriting.

Learning intentions

• WALT plan and draft an engaging, accurate procedure for a real audience.
• WALT organise steps in a clear sequence using precise verbs and linking words.
• WALT revise our writing through feedback and editing.
• WALT consolidate -ble spellings, sentence boundaries and diagonal/horizontal joins.

Success criteria

• I can introduce my procedure and name the materials or preparation needed.
• I can use numbered steps, command verbs and clear sequencing words.
• I can check that each step is accurate, complete and easy for someone else to follow.
• I can correct -ble spellings, sentence boundaries and selected joined handwriting.

Curriculum links

• English — Writing to inform: texts such as procedures organise information clearly into paragraphs or sections.
• English — Writing to inform: develop a topic with facts, related examples, precise vocabulary and concluding sentences.
• English — Oral Language / Communicating and Presenting: use words such as “because”, “so” and “this means that” to explain reasons, results and links between ideas.
• Key competencies: thinking; using language, symbols and texts; managing self; relating to others.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–6 min · Hook and purpose. Teacher displays a deliberately unclear procedure, such as “Make a playground obstacle course: get things and put them there,” using the hook and learning-purpose slides; students identify what a reader would need to know and share one improvement with a partner.

2. 6–15 min · Revisit success criteria. Teacher models planning a short procedure, thinking aloud about audience, purpose, materials, preparation and ordered steps, then highlights command verbs, sequencing words and precise vocabulary in the model procedure slides. Students annotate their own plan or use the procedural drafting workshop sheet to record a topic, audience, materials and three or more main steps.

3. 15–30 min · Sustained drafting. Teacher conferences briefly with selected students, prompting: “What must happen first?”, “How will the reader know exactly what to do?” and “What could go wrong?” Students independently draft a complete procedure for a genuine context, such as organising a class game, making a simple snack, caring for a pet or completing a home task. They include a title, purpose, materials or preparation, ordered steps and a final helpful tip or check.

4. 30–42 min · Peer revision conference. Teacher models respectful feedback using “Notice, Ask, Suggest” and the checklist in the peer-conference instruction slides. In pairs, students read their procedures aloud to a partner, who checks whether the sequence is logical, any materials are missing, instructions are precise and the procedure could be followed safely. Writers make at least two revisions and explain one change using “I changed… because…”.

5. 42–53 min · Edit and transcribe. Teacher leads a focused editing mini-lesson from the editing and handwriting slides, revisiting common -ble and derivative spellings such as comfortable, washable, enjoyable, reusable and comfortably. Students use the spelling, sentence-boundary and handwriting check to locate and correct spelling, capitals, full stops and run-on sentences, then neatly rewrite two selected sentences practising diagonal and horizontal joins. Students may use a classroom dictionary for unfamiliar words.

6. 53–60 min · Share and reflect. Teacher invites two or three students to read an effective section and displays the reflection prompt in the sharing and exit-reflection slide. Students complete the final reflection on the drafting workshop reflection: one strength, one revision made and one next step for completing their polished procedure.

Resources

• the Procedural Draft Workshop slide deck
• the procedural drafting workshop worksheet
• Exercise books or writing folders
• Pencils, pens, highlighters and erasers
• Classroom dictionaries
• Timer
• Whiteboard and markers
• Optional exemplar of an unclear procedure

Assessment

• During planning and drafting, check that students have a clear audience, purpose, materials or preparation and a logically ordered sequence.
• Listen to pair conferences and note whether students give specific feedback about clarity, accuracy and missing information.
• Collect or scan the workshop sheet and draft, checking for procedural features, at least two meaningful revisions, corrected sentence boundaries and accurate application of the target spelling pattern.

Differentiation

• Support writers with a teacher-scribed oral rehearsal, a visual planning sequence, a reduced number of steps, a word bank of command verbs and sentence starters such as “First…”, “Next…” and “This means that…”.
• Confer with students who need help maintaining a clear topic or audience; allow speech-to-text or oral recording before drafting where appropriate.
• Provide EAL learners with pictures or real objects for materials and actions, paired rehearsal, and explicit modelling of unfamiliar procedural vocabulary.
• Extend confident writers to include a troubleshooting section, safety warning, precise measurements or an explanation of why one step matters, using “because” or “so”.