Informational Writing Work Journal 2

Types of informational writing

Main idea and supporting details Main idea is presented Main idea supported with details that tell more Main idea is often found in the thesis sentence Examples: How do computer games influence kids? Why is divorce so difficult for teenagers? What is it like to be an illegal alien?

Problem and solution A problem is presented Solutions to the problem are presented Examples: Junk food is causing lifestyle diseases. How to avoid it? Bullying in schools should be stopped immediately. Discuss.

Compare and contrast Subjects are presented to show their similarities and differences in their characteristics Examples: Compare buying a puppy and buying an older dog. Compare physical beauty to inner beauty.

Cause and effect describes something that has happened which has had an effect on or caused something else to happen. Writing presents the cause and then the effect Examples: Discuss the causes of the Reformation and its effect on religion. (both) The five main causes of dementia. (cause) Why oil spills are a serious threat to marine environments. (effect)

Chronological order Information is presented in the order in which it happened Often used in biographies and historical writing Examples: The history of the American Revolution. The life of Tina Turner.

Process Step by step How to do something or how things work Examples: How to survive the first week of college. Give instructions on how to ride a bike.

Informational writing products

Types of products you can create besides an essay Pamphlet News article Podcast Book (with cover) Bookcreator.com (interactive book online) Instruction manual Travel Book/ Brochure Recipe Biography

Research/ note-taking skills

Researching in 4 steps

Step 1: Find good sources Multiple sources Change the google search more than once Reliable sources Cross check other sources for the same facts Check for reliable authors and dates Try something other than a website Books at the library Online resources are often short Skill in taking a wealth of information and synthesizing (pulling out important information) Experts Documentaries Field trips

Step 2: Create an outline Figure out which product For each paragraph or section, decide what main topic the student is covering

Essay about Penguins Create main topics for body paragraphs 2 and 3

Step 3: Read and Take notes Now that you have the main topics outlined, you can start taking research notes for each paragraph 2 methods: Print out, highlight and put in your own words Graphic organizer We don’t want to go straight to the rough draft or final draft. So we aren’t touching the pamphlet until we have taken notes

Method 1: Print out, highlight and put in your own words Print the article out or scan from a book (if not your own) Highlight all of the information that covers the topic for each paragraph Student rewrites highlighted parts in their own words

1. Read the article 2. Underline or highlight important information. 3. Pick one sentence and write it in your own words

Method 2: Graphic organizer

Your turn

Step 4: Prewrite Intro Ways penguins survive the cold Thesis Topic subtopic elaborate

Fleshed out TOPIC SUB-TOPIC ELABORATE Penguins are able to use various strategies to survive in extreme cold. First, they have feathers that insulate cold. Their feathers are able to protect from outside cold air and also trap pockets of air. The pockets of air trap in heat from the penguin’s warm body. Second, penguins have veins and arteries that circulate warm blood from the body to the feet. In addition, penguins huddle together to escape the cold. They take turns sitting in the middle of a group, and according to National Geographic, “...once a penguin has warmed a bit it will move to the perimeter of the group so that others can enjoy protection from the icy elements”. Finally, the penguin species survives by protecting their eggs and young. Male penguins stand over the eggs for 2 months and cover them in feathered skin called a brood pouch. If the eggs survive the cold, the species survives.

Transition words Transition words make us better writers Carry the reader from one idea to the next smoothly Shows relationships between ideas Prevent sudden, jarring mental leaps→ choppy writing

The focus Research Skills Organization Where can we find good sources? Where do we find desired information? Am I an expert on the topic? What information is important? How do we cite? Research takes time, effort, organization! Organization How does organization reflect our purpose? How are we presenting ideas? Is it logical? Will the reader be confused? The focus

Share your resources https://tinyurl.com/ybhoynfx Type in into the address bar and share some informational writing resources with the group