Informative writing teaches students how to explain ideas clearly, support claims with evidence, and organize information logically. This tag brings together lessons on thesis statements, summarizing, hooks, formal vs. informal language, firsthand and secondhand accounts, audience awareness, and other essential skills for writing strong explanatory essays. Use these resources to help students move from basic paragraph writing to polished, well‑structured informational pieces aligned to CCSS W.4–6.2.
Sep 22
Have you ever noticed that newspaper articles don’t waste time with suspense? They hit you with the most important facts right away. Boom—who, what, when, where, why, and how—all in the first few lines. That’s not laziness; it’s strategy. It’s called the Inverted Pyramid, and it’s the writing style journalists have been using for over …
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Sep 01
Teaching middle schoolers to write a thesis statement can feel like trying to convince them that comma rules actually matter or that no, emojis do not count as textual evidence. It’s one of those uphill climbs where clarity meets resistance, and every lesson feels like a mix of grammar boot camp. But once students crack …
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Aug 18
Let’s face it—terms like retell, recount, and summarize are tossed around in ELA standards like confetti, but their meanings can blur. If you’re an upper elementary teacher, you’ve likely scratched your head wondering, “Aren’t these all basically the same thing?” Short answer: not quite. Let’s unpack each term, explore the skills students need at different …
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Apr 07
Let’s face it: teaching summarizing can feel like trying to teach a cat to fetch. Sure, it might happen eventually—but it’s going to take patience, creativity, and possibly snacks. Summarizing is one of those deceptively tough skills. It sounds simple—“just tell me the important stuff”—but getting students to actually condense a text without turning it …
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Oct 27
Let’s talk audience. No, not the kind clapping politely at a school talent show while someone’s recorder squeaks out “Hot Cross Buns.” I’m talking about the kind of audience your students should be thinking about every time they put pencil to paper – or fingers to the keyboard. Getting kids to shift their tone and …
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Oct 23
Before students begin their informative essay writing journey, they must learn the necessary skills. One such skill is the art of writing hooks, which captivates readers and makes their writing stand out. This blog post will explore four activities to help your upper elementary students master the art of writing hooks. With some practice, their …
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Sep 25
Firsthand and secondhand accounts are one of those things that are easy to say but a little trickier to teach reading skills. Before we dive in, here’s a little story from my family archives. My dad was a genealogy buff. The kind of guy who had color-coded binders and could connect us to people like Frances Scott Key. …
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