Unpack a Procedure

Overview

In this first lesson of the “Procedures and Explanations” unit, students examine model procedures and identify how purpose, audience and text structure shape writing. They then plan a simple procedure while practising spelling, punctuation and fluent diagonal-join handwriting through the Chunk, Check, Cheer routine.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify the purpose and audience of a procedural text.
• WALT recognise a procedure’s goal, materials, ordered steps and key language features.
• WALT plan a procedure using an organiser.
• WALT apply spelling, punctuation and handwriting routines when recording ideas.

Success criteria

• I can explain what a procedure is designed to do and who it is for.
• I can find the goal, materials and ordered steps in a model.
• I can use a planning organiser to prepare my own procedure.
• I can spell selected -ent words, punctuate sentences and form fluent diagonal joins.

Curriculum links

• English — Writing: spelling conventions for adding suffixes to root words.
• English — Writing: transcription skills, sentence punctuation and fluent handwriting.
• English — Reading: meaningful word parts, including base words, roots and affixes.
• English — Writing and Reading: planning, composing and analysing vocabulary, purpose, audience and text structure.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Hook and activate prior knowledge. Display a striking image of a tangled pile of ingredients beside a finished snack and open with the hook and learning intention slides. Ask: “What would happen if the instructions were in the wrong order?” Students discuss a familiar procedure they have followed, then share what made it easy or difficult to use.

2. 7–17 min · What is a procedure? Show the Procedure tile from the Genre Features Poster Pack and use the procedure definition and feature slides to establish that a procedure gives a reader clear instructions to achieve a goal. Teacher models identifying the purpose and audience of a short procedure, thinking aloud about why word choice and detail might change for a child, an expert or a visitor. Students suggest possible purposes and audiences and record one example in their books.

3. 17–30 min · Examine a model text. Display a short model procedure, such as “How to Make a Seedling Starter,” in the model-text analysis slides. Read it aloud once for meaning, then reread while students help locate the goal, materials, numbered or ordered steps, command verbs, time or sequence words, precise details and sentence punctuation. In pairs, students annotate the model on the procedure features and planning worksheet by labelling each feature and explaining how it helps the reader. Pause for checks: “Which part tells us what success will look like?” and “How does the order prevent confusion?”

4. 30–40 min · Unpack and plan for purpose and audience. Model choosing a practical topic, such as “How to organise a school bag,” and completing the purpose-and-audience section of the procedure features and planning worksheet. Think aloud: “If my audience is a new Year 5 student, I need familiar words, clear detail and no assumed knowledge.” Students choose a safe, achievable topic and plan the goal, audience and materials. Partners explain their choices and suggest one detail the intended reader may need.

5. 40–53 min · Transcription practice: Chunk, Check, Cheer. Use the transcription routine and practice slides. Teacher introduces or revisits the routine: Chunk the word or sentence into manageable parts; Check sounds, meaningful parts, spelling, punctuation and joins; Cheer a successful attempt or identify the next improvement. Practise -ent words such as different, important, excellent, present and discuss the root or base word where useful, for example differ + ent and import + ant as word-part comparisons rather than rules that apply to every word. Students complete a short dictated or copied sentence connected to procedures, such as “The important steps are written in a different order.” They check capitals, full stops and commas, then rewrite one sentence using fluent diagonal joins. Teacher circulates for a quick handwriting conference with selected students.

6. 53–60 min · Share, assess and exit. Students swap plans with a partner and use the checklist on the procedure features and planning worksheet to identify the goal, audience, materials and first three ordered steps. Invite two students to share one strong planning decision. Students complete an exit response: “A procedure helps its audience by …” and “One feature I will use is …”. Collect plans to group students for the next lesson.

Resources

• the complete procedure lesson deck
• the procedure features and planning worksheet
• the Genre Features Poster Pack
• Whiteboard and markers
• Exercise books or lined handwriting paper
• Pens or pencils
• Highlighters
• Model procedure displayed or printed within the worksheet

Assessment

• Listen for students’ explanations of purpose, audience and ordered sequence during pair talk.
• Check annotations and planning organisers for an identifiable goal, suitable audience, materials and logically ordered steps.
• Use the exit response and transcription sample to assess understanding of procedural features, -ent spelling, punctuation and handwriting. Record students needing further support with word chunks, sentence boundaries or sequencing.

Differentiation

• Support students with a partially completed model, a small bank of command verbs and sequence words, and oral rehearsal before writing. Allow students to dictate ideas to a partner or teacher before recording them.
• Provide the model text with colour-coded sections for students who need help locating the goal, materials and steps. Seat students strategically for partner reading and use enlarged, uncluttered text.
• For EAL learners, pre-teach procedure, audience, goal, materials, step with gestures or simple examples; accept labelled drawings alongside keywords during planning.
• Extend confident writers by asking them to choose two different audiences for the same procedure and explain how vocabulary, detail or warnings would change.