1. Informational Writing
Work Journal 2

2. Types of informational writing

3. 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?

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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)

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. Informational writing products

10. 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

11. Research/ note-taking skills

12. Researching in 4 steps

13. 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

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

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

16. 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

17. 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

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

19. Method 2: Graphic organizer

20. Your turn

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

22. 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.

23. 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

24. 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

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