D. Composition: Expressing Ideas and Creating Texts · Writing with Purpose and Voice

Informational Texts: Reports and How-To Procedures

D2.1 D1.3 D1.4 D2.4 A3.1About 45 minutes

Learning goals

I can write an information report with an introduction, body paragraphs with headings, and a conclusion.
I can use text features like headings, labelled diagrams, captions and bold words.
I can write a how-to procedure with a goal, materials and numbered steps.
I can use what I learn in science and social studies in my informational writing.

Words to know

informational text
A text that gives true facts or explains how to do something.

information report
A text that gives facts about one topic, organized into subtopics.

procedure
A how-to text that explains steps in order.

text features
Parts that help readers find and understand information: titles, headings, diagrams, captions, bold words, glossaries.

heading
A title for one section of a text.

caption
A sentence that explains a picture or diagram.

glossary
A short list of important words and their meanings, at the end of a text.

command verb
An action word that tells the reader what to do: mix, cut, pour, tie.

Remember from Grade 2

In Grade 2 you wrote how-to texts with steps in order, and information reports with facts grouped by subtopic. In Grade 3 your reports will have paragraphs with headings, an introduction and conclusion, and text features like labelled diagrams and a glossary. Your how-to texts will use exact command verbs and safety tips.

A model information report

Earthworms: Underground Helpers

Introduction

Have you ever seen a worm wriggling on the sidewalk after a rainstorm? Earthworms may be small, but they are very important. This report tells about their bodies, how they live and how they help the soil.

Their Bodies

Earthworms have long, soft bodies made of many rings. They have no eyes, no ears and no legs. Instead, they have tiny bristles that grip the soil and help them move. Earthworms breathe through their skin, so their skin must stay damp.

How They Live

Earthworms live underground in the soil. They dig tunnels by pushing through the dirt and eating it as they go. They eat dead leaves and bits of rotting plants. Earthworms stay away from bright light. They can sense light through their skin, even without eyes.

How They Help the Soil

Earthworms are like tiny farmers. Their tunnels let air and water get down to plant roots. Their droppings, called castings, add nutrients that help plants grow. Gardeners are happy when they find lots of worms!

Conclusion

Earthworms may not be pretty, but they keep our soil healthy. Next time you see one on the sidewalk, you can gently move it back to the grass.

Glossary

bristles: tiny stiff hairs on a worm's body
castings: earthworm droppings
nutrients: things in food and soil that help living things grow

A labelled diagram of an earthworm. Labels and a caption are text features that help readers understand.

Report part	What it does	In the model
Title	Tells the topic	Earthworms: Underground Helpers
Introduction	Hooks the reader and tells what the report is about	A question about worms after a rainstorm
Body paragraphs with headings	One subtopic each, with a topic sentence and facts	Their Bodies, How They Live, How They Help the Soil
Conclusion	Sums up and leaves the reader thinking	They keep our soil healthy.
Text features	Help readers find and understand facts	Headings, bold words, a labelled diagram, a glossary

Parts of an information report. Notice it is written in the third person.

Worked example

Let's turn notes into a report paragraph

Ivy's notes about snowshoe hares, subtopic Staying Safe: fur turns white in winter, brown in summer, hard for predators to see, big back feet, run fast on snow.

Write a heading: Staying Safe.
Write a topic sentence: Snowshoe hares have clever ways to stay safe.
Turn notes into sentences in her own words: Their fur turns white in winter and brown in summer, so predators have a hard time seeing them. Their big back feet work like snowshoes, so they can run fast on top of the snow.
Check the point of view: third person (they, their). No I think.

Staying Safe: Snowshoe hares have clever ways to stay safe. Their fur turns white in winter and brown in summer, so predators have a hard time seeing them. Their big back feet work like snowshoes, so they can run fast on top of the snow.

Just for fun

What do you call a worm that loves reading reports?

A bookworm!

A model procedure

How to Make a Pine Cone Bird Feeder

Goal: Make a simple feeder to help birds in winter.

You will need:

1 large, dry pine cone
a piece of string about 50 cm long
3 spoonfuls of sunflower seed butter or vegetable shortening
a plate of birdseed
a spoon

Steps:

Tie the string tightly around the top of the pine cone.
Spread the sunflower seed butter into the gaps of the pine cone with the spoon.
Roll the pine cone in the birdseed until it is covered.
Hang the feeder from a tree branch where you can see it from a window.
Watch for chickadees, nuthatches and other birds!

Safety tip: Ask a grown-up to help, and wash your hands when you're done. Use sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter if anyone in your home or school has a nut allergy.

A black-capped chickadee clinging to a pine cone covered in seeds, hanging by a string from a snowy branch. — A chickadee visits a pine cone bird feeder in winter. This is what the finished project from the model procedure can look like. AI-generated image

The first four steps of the pine cone feeder. Each step starts with a command verb: Tie, Spread, Roll, Hang.

Worked example

Let's check what makes the procedure work

Look at the pine cone feeder procedure.

Title that says How to...
Goal: tells what you will make and why.
Materials list with exact amounts: 50 cm, 3 spoonfuls.
Numbered steps in the right order.
Each step starts with a command verb: Tie, Spread, Roll, Hang, Watch.
A safety tip.

A good procedure is so clear that someone who has never done it can follow it exactly.

Writing across subjects

Informational writing is a tool for every subject. You can write a report about a structure for science, a procedure for a math game, or a report about a community in early Ontario for social studies. Use the same parts each time: a clear title, an introduction, organized facts and text features.

Hands-on activity

Make a mini report booklet

You need: 3 sheets of paper folded in half and stapled (a grown-up can help with the stapler), pencils and crayons.

Choose a topic you researched (or pick an animal or plant from your yard or park).
Cover: a title and a picture.
Page 1: an introduction that starts with a question or an amazing fact.
Pages 2 to 4: one subtopic per page, each with a heading and a paragraph.
Add a labelled diagram with a caption on one page.
Page 5: a conclusion.
Back page: a glossary of 3 words and your source list.

Bonus: Write a short how-to for something you're good at (tying skates, making a sandwich, folding a paper airplane), with materials and numbered steps.

Your turn

What are the three main parts of an information report?

Name three text features.

What is a caption?

What point of view is the earthworm report written in?

What two lists does a procedure need before the steps?

Circle the command verb: Pour the water into the cup.

Write a heading for a paragraph about what moose eat.

More practice: warm-up

Is an information report true or made up?

Where is a glossary usually found?

Are the steps in a procedure numbered?

What do worms breathe through?

Name one command verb.

More practice: on your own

Write an introduction sentence that hooks the reader for a report on bats.

Fix this step so it starts with a command verb: Then you should probably put the bread in the toaster.

Why does the procedure say 50 cm instead of some string?

Which sentence does NOT belong in a report about earthworms? a) Earthworms eat dead leaves. b) I think worms are gross. c) Worms have bristles.

What subject could the earthworm report be connected to?

Challenge

Write a short procedure (goal, materials, at least 4 numbered steps with command verbs) for How to Make a Snow Angel.

Plan the headings for a 3-paragraph report on Canada geese.

Turn these notes into a report paragraph with a topic sentence: Topic: beavers' teeth. Notes: big front teeth, never stop growing, orange colour, chew trees.

Check your understanding

Quiz

What is the job of a heading in a report?

Which is a text feature?

Which step uses a command verb?

What does a glossary do?

Which sentence fits best in an information report about owls?

Where does the materials list go in a procedure?

For parents and teachers

Big idea (D2.1, D1.3, D1.4, D2.4): Grade 3 writers draft informational texts: reports with an introduction, body paragraphs with headings, a conclusion and text features, and procedures with a goal, materials and numbered steps using command verbs. Reports are written in the third person. Informational writing is used across subjects (A3.1).

How to help at home:

Look at non-fiction books together and go on a "text feature hunt": headings, captions, diagrams, glossary.
Follow a recipe or a toy's instructions together and talk about what makes them clear or confusing.
Let your child write instructions for a game, then follow them exactly as written (it's funny and very instructive!).

Common difficulties:

Copying facts from sources. Return to note-taking and "read, cover, say, write" (Research lesson).
Adding opinions to reports. Save opinions for persuasive writing.
Skipping steps in procedures because "everyone knows that." Remind them the reader has never done it before.

Safety: supervise the bird feeder activity, check for nut allergies, and handle the stapler for your child. When moving worms, use gentle hands and wash them afterwards.