Informational Writing Unit

Get your students excited about informational writing! This complete informational writing unit includes daily lesson plans, notebook charts, mentor texts and more. This unit takes your students through the whole writing process. Students will begin with getting ideas and end with a published piece of informational writing. The informational writing lessons included can be used in two ways:

1. Students get their own ideas for their essay.
2. Students write based on a prompt.

✋🛑 The materials in this resource are the same ones included in The Literacy Loft Membership. If you are a monthly or annual member, please do not purchase! If you'd like to learn more about the membership, click here!

✋ This unit is also part of the Writing Units Bundle which includes Narrative, Opinion, & Informational Writing Units.

🛑 Are you a member of the TLL Membership? These materials are already included. If you are not a member, click here to learn more. The TLL Membership gives you an all-access pass to hundreds of ELA resources for teachers in Grades 3-5.

What is included in the informational writing unit?

✏️Writing Minilessons:

There are a total of 24 minilessons. The lessons can be skipped, moved around, modified as needed based on your students' needs.

1. Study a Mentor Text
2. Writers are teachers.
3. Getting Ideas
4. Prepare for research
5. Writers research
6. Look for Big Ideas (Main Ideas for Text)
7. Sort Information
8. Plan with Boxes & Bullets
9. Draft Paragraphs
10. Paragraphs with Purpose
11. Use Text Evidence
12. Balance Facts with Voice
13. Using a Teaching Tone
14. Elaboration: Using Mini Stories
15. Using Figurative Language
16. Craft Moves & Elaboration Strategies
17. Expert Words (Domain-Specific Vocabulary)
18. Transitional Words & Phrases
19. Introductions
20. Conclusions
21. Revise: Add Text Features
22. Revise: Eliminate Unnecessary Words
23. Edit
24. Polish & Publish!

✏️PowerPoint: 

For each lesson above, PowerPoint slides are included that can be used to model and teach the lesson. 

✏️Notebook Charts/Binder Charts for Students (see full list below):

For each lesson, a notebook chart is included to support student learning.

✏️More Writing Resources Included:

• Rubrics & Checklists
• Graphic Organizers
• Mini Word Wall
• Sort
• Teacher Example Essay + Planning
• Mentor Text Recommendations
• Publishing Paper

 ✏️ Writing Notebook Anchor Charts + Graphic Organizers

• Characteristics of an Informational Text
• Writing an Informational Text
• Wise Readers Ask Questions
• Cause and Effect
• Sort Out the Details
• What does the TEXT say?
• Using Text Evidence
• Transition Words for Informational Writing
• Organizing an Informational Text
• See, Think, Wonder
• See, Think, Wonder Notes on How to Use the Strategy
• Text Features
• Informational Writing Editing Checklist
• Informational Writing Checklist and Rubric
• Solving Our Spelling Problems
• Paragraphs with Purpose
• Instead of Says
• Introductions
• Conclusions
• Building the Main Idea of a Paragraph
• Craft Moves and Elaboration Strategies 1
• Craft Moves and Elaboration Strategies 2
• Craft Moves and Elaboration Strategies 3
• File it Away! (Graphic Organizer/Boxes and Bullets)
• Show Me the Evidence (Graphic Organizer for gathering evidence from 3 sources with lines)
• Show Me the Evidence (Graphic Organizer for gathering evidence from 3 sources without lines)
• Show Me the Evidence (Graphic Organizer for gathering evidence from 4 sources with lines)
• Show Me the Evidence (Graphic Organizer for gathering evidence from 4 sources without lines
• Sorting My Evidence (Graphic Organizer to sort information)
• 4 Square Boxes and Bullets Writing Planner
• Boxes and Bullets Planning Page
• Informational Writing Checklist

✅You can try a sample of this unit for FREE here!

✅You can also read THIS BLOG POST about the unit.

What other teachers are saying about the unit:

"My school adopted a curriculum which was just had guidelines as to what should be taught but was lacking resources. I purchased this writing unit and was so pleased with how comprehensive the lessons and graphic organizers are! I will definitely purchase the other units! Thank you!" - Jessica M.

"Your units are amazing and my students have benefited greatly. Before this, I used to hate teaching writing. But this is honestly now one of my favorite subjects to teach." - Brittney B.

"Excellent resource. This is jam packed with information and is everything you promise and more. Thank you for a thorough product." - Ms. Duffy's Dream

📹 Click play on the video to see the complete unit.