Outcome/Goal: I can use a graphic organizer to make a plan to write an

informational piece.
Teaching Point: How to prepare to create an informational piece of writing.

Set the Goal and Purpose: Today we are going to learn a strategy for helping
us to create a special kind of writing called informational writing. You have
learned about graphic organizers. Today we are going to learn how to use a
graphic organizer to help us make a plan to write an informational piece.

Review: First, let’s review what a graphic organizer is.

My turn first. A graphic organizer is a chart or diagram that helps us
understand something.
Say it with me. A graphic organizer is a chart or diagram that helps us
understand something.
Now it’s your turn. what does a graphic organizer do?

New Instruction: Today I am going to use a graphic organizer to show you how
to plan and organize a piece of informational writing. The graphic organizer will
help you understand how to organize the informational writing when it’s time to
write..
My turn first. Informational writing is when writers use facts and information to
explain their topic.
Say it with me. Informational writing is when writers use facts and information
to explain their topic.
Now it’s your turn: What is informational writing?

Now I am going to show you how I begin to organize an informational piece

using a graphic organizer. I will show you how I organize and develop my
thinking about my topic before I start writing.

Model: Watch me. I am going to think about an invention that is interesting to

me. I am thinking about an accidental invention called the Post-It Note
(sometimes called the Sticky Note). The inventor’s name was Arthur Fry. Using
the informational writing graphic organizer I will add the word Post-It Notes to
the topic section of my graphic organizer. This section will also help me to write
the introduction to my piece when I am ready.

Model: I have my topic, now watch me as I use my graphic organizer to

organize my thinking about my topic. I will take the information I have and put it
into groups. This will help me to organize my informational piece when it is time
to do the writing. Looking at my facts and information based on my reading
about this invention, I see that I can put my information into four groups. I will
think of a label for each group:
· The Inventor: The inventor’s name and what I know about the inventor.
(Arthur Fry)
· The Discovery: How the Post-Note was accidentally discovered. (It began as
a failed invention)
· The Interesting Facts: Interesting and unusual facts about the Post-It Note.
(Why yellow was the first color)
The Good Invention: What makes the Post-It Note a good invention.(It’s
reusable; it also has a digital form)

Active Involvement and Practice: Now it’s your turn to use a graphic organizer.
You will write your topic on the graphic organizer in the same place that I did.
Next, you will look at your information and think about how your information
goes together. That will help you to make groups of related information. Add
your information in each section of the graphic organizer. Be sure to reread
your information to make sure that it fits in the right group.

Link: Remember your informational piece is going to teach your reader about
your special topic.

Share: We will share ideas and talk about how the graphic organizer helped
you to get ready for writing.

Reflection:
When I first started to explain my mini lesson, I had a hard time getting the kids
to focus and pay attention to what I was saying. They wanted to write their
graphic organizer at the same time that I was instead of doing it after I
demonstrated. They made me write in cursive. They told me that they knew
how to do it and did not need too much explaining. I then summarized my mini
lesson so that they had more time to fill out their graphic organizer. 2 of my
students knew exactly what their groups would be titled but one of them had a
hard time coming up with the subtitles. It took her a little bit longer to find
information about them once she figured them out. They got off track a little
bit and started googling random facts that were not too important so I had to
remind them a few times what the task was. They actually got pretty into what
they were researching and started to have a good time. Once we finished
filling out our graphic organizer, I briefly began to explain to them how they are
going to actually write their papers. I explained that they do not put all of their
important information into the opening paragraph but instead this is where
they should put their group titles. They did not know that is what they were to
do so I think that helped them a lot. Once I left, they seemed to be more on the
right track for when it was time to actually write their papers using their
graphic organizer information. Overall I think that it went well but it was a lot
different than what I was expecting. They knew a lot more about their topic
and graphic organizers than what I thought they would know. They were
interested and engaged almost the whole time.