Informative, Narrative & Research Writing
Aligned to W.4.2 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
What this lesson teaches
Informative writing groups related facts and uses topic words; narrative writing brings a story to life with dialogue and description; research means learning from a few sources and writing it in your own words. Each kind has its own job.
Worked examples
Example 1
For a report on whales, you might write: 'Whales are mammals. They breathe through a blowhole.' Group facts by idea, and pull details from two kid-friendly sources.
Example 2
For a report on earthquakes: 'Earthquakes happen when tectonic plates slip. The shaking spreads outward as waves.' Facts grouped by idea, not in the order you found them.
Example 3
Put a source in your own words before you write it down. If your note is the book's sentence, your report will be too.
Practice questions
- Write two grouped facts about a topic you researched.
- Add a line of dialogue to a short story.
- Find two sources on a topic and list one fact from each.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Escritura Informativa, Narrativa e Investigación
La escritura informativa agrupa datos relacionados y usa vocabulario del tema; la escritura narrativa da vida a una historia con diálogos y descripciones; la investigación consiste en aprender de varias fuentes y escribirlo con tus propias palabras. Cada tipo tiene su propia función.
Ejemplo 1: Para un reporte sobre ballenas, podrías escribir: 'Las ballenas son mamíferos. Respiran a través de un espiráculo.' Agrupa los datos por idea y obtén detalles de dos fuentes apropiadas para estudiantes.
Ejemplo 2: Para un reporte sobre terremotos: 'Los terremotos ocurren cuando las placas tectónicas se deslizan. El temblor se propaga hacia afuera en ondas.' Datos agrupados por idea, no en el orden en que los encontraste.
Ejemplo 3: Pon una fuente en tus palabras antes de anotarla. Si tu nota es la oración del libro, tu reporte también lo será.
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