Introduction to Informative/Explanatory Writing

Explain It, Don't Argue It

📚

Subject

ELA

⏱️

Duration

45 min

🎯

Standard

W.5.2

📋 Standards & Objectives

📜Standards

W.5.2Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas clearly.

W.5.2aIntroduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically.

RI.5.1Quote accurately from a text and make inferences when explaining what the text says explicitly.

🎯SWBAT

Explain the difference between opinion writing and informative writing.
Identify the key parts of an informative essay (topic sentence, facts, details, conclusion).
Write an informative paragraph using a neutral, factual tone.

📖 Key Vocabulary

📝Informative Writing

Writing that explains or teaches about a topic using facts and details — no opinions.

"Hurricanes are large tropical storms that form over warm ocean water and bring heavy wind and rain."
👆 This sentence teaches facts. It's informative writing.

A science textbook entry about how volcanoes erupt is an example of informative writing — it explains, it doesn't argue.

📝Topic Sentence

The first sentence in a paragraph that tells the reader what the paragraph is about.

"There are several ways animals survive harsh winter conditions."
👆 This topic sentence tells you the whole paragraph will be about animal survival strategies.

A strong topic sentence is like a headline — it previews the main idea without giving every detail.

📝Evidence

Facts, examples, or details from a source that support or prove a point.

In the sentence "Bears can lose up to 30% of their body weight during hibernation," the statistic is evidence supporting the idea that hibernation is extreme.

When a teacher says "prove it," they're asking for evidence — the specific facts that back up your statement.

📝Neutral Tone

Writing that stays fair and factual — no personal feelings, no "I think," no "you should."

Neutral: "Hurricanes cause widespread damage to coastal communities."
NOT neutral: "Hurricanes are the scariest storms ever."
👆 "Scariest" is an opinion. The first sentence has a neutral tone.

A news reporter uses a neutral tone — they report what happened without telling you how to feel about it.

🚀 Two Kinds of Writers

Which one are YOU today?

⚖️ The Lawyer (Opinion)

"Dogs are the best pets anyone could have. Everyone should adopt a dog because they are loyal, fun, and way better than cats. I believe every family needs one."

Goal: Convince you to agree

📰 The Reporter (Informative)

"Dogs are one of the most common pets in the United States. According to the ASPCA, about 44% of American households include a dog. Dogs provide companionship and can be trained to assist people with disabilities."

Goal: Teach you the facts

💡 Click to highlight the key differences, or use J/K keys

🚀 The Big Difference

Opinion vs. Informative

A lawyer tries to convince you. A reporter tries to teach you.

⚖️Opinion Writing

Takes a side. Uses words like: should, best, I believe, everyone needs to, in my opinion

📰Informative Writing

Stays neutral. Uses words like: according to, for example, one reason, this shows, as a result

Today we switch from lawyer mode to reporter mode. New style, not a new skill.

💡 Test-Taking Tip

💡 "INFORMATIVE" Means Explain, Not Argue

If the prompt says "explain," "describe," or "tell about," don't use words like should, best, or I believe. Those are opinion moves — they lose points on an informative essay.

How to use it: Before you write, circle the prompt word. If it says "explain" or "describe" — you're a reporter, not a lawyer.

💬 Turn & Talk

🤔Discuss with a Partner

Think about the dog paragraphs we just read. What words or phrases told you which one was opinion and which was informative?

Sentence starter: "I could tell the ___ paragraph was opinion/informative because it used the word ___."

👨‍🏫 Parts of an Informative Essay

Every informative paragraph needs these pieces

1️⃣Topic Sentence

Introduces the topic in a neutral, factual way. Tells the reader what the paragraph is about.

2️⃣Facts & Details

Specific evidence that explains or supports the topic. Data, examples, descriptions.

3️⃣Elaboration

YOUR explanation of why the facts matter. Connects details to the main idea. (Still no opinions!)

4️⃣Concluding Sentence

Wraps up the paragraph by restating the main idea in a new way. No new facts here.

👨‍🏫 Model Paragraph

How Do Hurricanes Form?

📰 Informative Paragraph

Hurricanes are powerful tropical storms that form over warm ocean water. When ocean water reaches at least 80°F, it heats the air above it, causing the warm, moist air to rise quickly. As this air rises, it creates an area of low pressure near the water's surface, and surrounding air rushes in to fill the gap. This cycle of rising warm air and rushing cooler air begins to spin due to Earth's rotation, forming the circular wind pattern that defines a hurricane. Understanding how hurricanes form helps scientists predict and prepare for these dangerous storms.

💡 Click each button to highlight the parts of an informative paragraph

✅ Quick Check

Which part is which?

"When ocean water reaches at least 80°F, it heats the air above it, causing the warm, moist air to rise quickly."

Is this sentence a Topic Sentence, a Fact/Detail, or an Elaboration?

👍 Hold up 1 finger for Topic, 2 for Fact, 3 for Elaboration

🔍 Same Topic, Different Style

Hurricanes — Opinion vs. Informative

⚖️ Opinion Version

Hurricanes are the scariest storms in the world. I believe we need to spend more money studying them because everyone should be prepared. The government needs to do a better job warning people.

📰 Informative Version

Hurricanes are powerful tropical storms that form over warm ocean water. According to NOAA, these storms can produce winds over 157 mph. This means coastal communities often experience flooding and property damage during hurricane season.

💡 Click to highlight the moves each writer makes. Use J/K keys to compare.

📓 Write This Down

Write this in your notebook!

Key Words

Informative

Topic Sentence

Neutral Tone

Notes

Informative writing EXPLAINS — it does NOT argue.

4 Parts: (1) Topic Sentence — introduces the topic, (2) Facts & Details — specific evidence, (3) Elaboration — explains why the facts matter, (4) Concluding Sentence — restates the main idea.

Reporter words: according to, for example, this shows, as a result
AVOID these opinion words: should, best, I believe, everyone needs to

🔄 What We Learned → What's Next

So Far...

Informative writing explains a topic using facts and a neutral tone. We saw the 4 parts of an informative paragraph and compared it to opinion writing.

Up Next: Your Turn to Analyze!

We'll read a short informative passage together and find the parts we just learned about.

👥 Read Together

How Animals Survive Winter

📰 Informative Passage

Animals have developed many different strategies to survive the cold winter months. Some animals, like bears and ground squirrels, enter a deep sleep called hibernation, during which their heart rate and body temperature drop dramatically to conserve energy. Other animals, such as geese and monarch butterflies, migrate hundreds or even thousands of miles to warmer regions where food is more plentiful. These strategies show how animals have adapted over time to handle extreme changes in their environment. Animals that stay active, like rabbits and deer, grow thicker fur and change their diets to survive on whatever food sources remain available. Whether they sleep, travel, or adapt in place, animals have remarkable ways of making it through winter's harshest conditions.

💡 Click buttons to highlight each part of the passage

👥 Analyze the Passage

Let's break it down together

🔍What's the topic?

What is this passage mainly about?

✅ The different ways animals survive winter — hibernation, migration, and adapting in place.

🔍What evidence is used?

Name two specific facts from the passage.

✅ (1) Bears and ground squirrels hibernate — heart rate and temperature drop. (2) Geese and monarchs migrate thousands of miles to warmer regions.

🔍How is it organized?

How does the author group the information?

✅ By strategy type — first hibernation, then migration, then adapting in place. Each group of animals gets its own section.

🔍Is the tone neutral?

Does the author share opinions, or stay factual?

✅ Completely neutral. No "I think," no "should," no "best." The word "remarkable" is the closest to an opinion — but it's describing the strategies, not arguing.

💬 Turn & Talk

🤔Would This Sentence Fit?

Imagine someone added this sentence to the animals passage:

"Hibernation is definitely the coolest way to survive winter, and I wish humans could do it too."

Does it belong in the informative passage? Why or why not?

Sentence starter: "That sentence does/doesn't belong because ___."

✅ Quick Check

"Wolves are an important part of the Yellowstone ecosystem."

📰 Informative — "important part" is a factual claim supported by science. No personal opinion words.

"Everyone should care more about protecting wolves."

⚖️ Opinion — "Everyone should" is trying to convince you. That's a lawyer move, not a reporter move.

📓 Write This Down

Write this in your notebook!

Key Words

Analyze

Organization

Notes

When reading informative text, ask:
1. What is the TOPIC? (What is it mainly about?)
2. What EVIDENCE does the author use? (Facts, examples, data)
3. How is it ORGANIZED? (By category, by time order, by cause/effect?)
4. Is the tone NEUTRAL? (No opinions sneaking in?)

🎯 SBA Spotlight

Genre Identification — The SBA tests this!

A student is writing about how hurricanes form. Which sentence would be BEST for an INFORMATIVE introduction?

A"Hurricanes are the scariest storms in the world."

❌ "Scariest" is an opinion word. This is a feeling, not a fact. A reporter wouldn't write this.

B"Everyone should know about hurricanes because they can hit anywhere."

❌ "Everyone should" is a persuasion move — it's telling the reader what to do. That's opinion writing.

C"Hurricanes are large tropical storms that form over warm ocean water and bring heavy wind and rain."

✅ Neutral, factual, and specific. It defines what hurricanes are and where they form — no feelings, no persuasion. This is exactly what an informative introduction looks like.

D"I think hurricanes should be studied more by scientists."

❌ "I think" and "should" — two opinion red flags in one sentence. This is 100% a lawyer move.

🎯 SBA Debrief

How to spot the right answer

The SBA Pattern

When the SBA asks "Which sentence is best for an informative essay?" — eliminate any answer with opinion words first. The correct answer will always be the one that sounds like a reporter, not a lawyer.

🚫Red Flag Words

should, best, worst, I think, I believe, everyone, always, never, in my opinion, definitely

✅Green Light Words

according to, for example, one reason, studies show, this means, as a result, in fact

⚖️ Rubric Awareness

What the scorer is looking for

1️⃣Organization & Purpose (TODAY)

Your paragraph has a clear topic sentence, facts grouped logically, and a conclusion that restates the main idea.

✅ We're focusing on THIS trait today.

2️⃣Evidence & Elaboration

You use specific facts and explain why they matter. Not just listing — connecting.

We'll dig deeper into this next lesson.

3️⃣Conventions

Spelling, punctuation, and grammar are correct (or mostly correct).

Always check these, but content comes first.

✏️ You Try: Write an Informative Paragraph

Reporter mode — ON

Your Mission

Pick ONE topic from the list below and write one informative paragraph (4–6 sentences).

Step 1: Choose your topic.
Step 2: Write a topic sentence that introduces the topic (no opinions!).
Step 3: Add 2–3 facts or details that explain the topic.
Step 4: Write a concluding sentence that restates the main idea.

🏔️ How Mountains Form

🐺 How Wolves Hunt in Packs

🌊 How Rivers Shape the Land

✏️ Self-Check Before You Finish

Informative Paragraph Checklist

☐ My topic sentence introduces the topic — no opinion words.
☐ I included at least 2 facts or details (evidence).
☐ I explained WHY the facts matter (elaboration).
☐ My concluding sentence restates the main idea.
☐ I used a neutral tone — no "should," "best," or "I believe."
☐ I used at least one reporter transition: according to, for example, this shows, as a result.

📝 Short Constructed Response

SBA-Style Writing Prompt

✍️Writing Prompt

Using details from the "How Animals Survive Winter" passage, explain TWO different ways animals survive winter. Write 3–4 sentences in INFORMATIVE style (no opinions).

Remember:
1. Start with a topic sentence.
2. Use evidence from the passage (quote or paraphrase).
3. Explain why the details matter.
4. Keep a neutral tone — reporter, not lawyer.

⭐ Model Response

What a strong answer looks like

✍️Sample Response

Animals use different strategies to survive winter's harsh conditions. Some animals, like bears and ground squirrels, hibernate — their heart rate and body temperature drop to conserve energy during the coldest months. Other animals, such as geese and monarch butterflies, migrate thousands of miles to warmer places where food is easier to find. These adaptations show how animals have evolved to handle extreme seasonal changes.

Why it works: Neutral tone ✅ | Two strategies explained ✅ | Evidence from the passage ✅ | Topic sentence + concluding sentence ✅

🎫 Exit Ticket

Show what you know — 4 questions!

1️⃣Genre ID

"Salmon is a healthy fish that everyone should eat at least twice a week."

Opinion or Informative?

⚖️ Opinion — "everyone should" is persuasion.

2️⃣Parts ID

Name the 4 parts of an informative paragraph in order.

1. Topic Sentence → 2. Facts & Details → 3. Elaboration → 4. Concluding Sentence

3️⃣SBA-Style

Which is a better informative topic sentence?
A) "Volcanoes are really cool and fun to learn about."
B) "Volcanoes form when hot magma rises through cracks in Earth's surface."

B — It's neutral, factual, and specific. "Really cool" in A is an opinion.

4️⃣🔄 Spiral Review

In opinion writing, what are the 3 main parts of a strong opinion essay?

Think back to our opinion unit!

Claim + Reasons + Evidence (and a strong conclusion!)

📓 Summary Note

Write 1 Sentence

In the bottom of your notebook page, write one sentence explaining what you learned today about informative writing.

Sentence starter: "The biggest difference between opinion and informative writing is ___."

🏁 Wrap-Up

What's coming next

Today You Learned

Informative writing explains a topic with facts and a neutral tone. You know the 4 parts. You can tell the difference between opinion and informative. You wrote your first informative paragraph.

📅Tomorrow — Day 10

Multi-Source Informative Writing — using more than one source to build a stronger informative essay.

Good news: informative writing uses many of the same moves as opinion. New style, not new skill. You've got this.