Hey Rockstars! Do you LOVE writing? I do! We’ve been talking about the three different types of writing: Narrative, Opinion, and Informative. In this post, we’re focusing on informative writing. What is informative writing? 

What is Informative Writing?

Informative writing is actually exactly what it sounds like! It is when you share FACTS and INFORMATION. This type of writing should be supported with sources, giving credit to where you find the information needed to support your text. I have found that illustrations, charts, diagrams, and maps are useful visuals to reinforce data within informative writing. Writers can organize informative pieces however they wish in order to present important details about the subject. 

When writing an informative piece, there are certain elements that need to be included:

How Do You Teach Informative Writing?

Table of Contents: Not all informative essays will have a table of contents or glossary, but I am going to include them to show how they fit within the structure! Start with the table of contents. The table of contents is an outline of what is in the essay. It tells the reader the order of our information. 

Introduction: Then, we move to the introduction. The introduction should introduce the topic and also quickly reference what information will be covered about the topic. What are the body paragraphs about?

Body: After the introduction comes the body. The body should be several paragraphs divided into subtopics that support the main topic. There should be a heading for each of these subtopics. The body includes specific factual details about each subtopic and also includes features like quotes, statistics, keywords, diagrams, maps, and charts. These help to explain the topic to the reader. 

Conclusion: After the body comes the conclusion. The conclusion should remind the reader of the topic as well as provide a brief summary of each of the subtopics. 

Glossary: Then comes the glossary. Informative pieces should include academic-specific words—keywords related to the topic. The glossary shows these words along with the definition of each so the reader can comprehend the information.

Credible Sources: The last piece of informative writing is the inclusion of sources. Sources tell the reader where you found the information for your essay. Make sure the sources are credible! What does that mean? It means information should come from an expert in that field. Don’t rely on Wikipedia. Sources should include the title of the source, type of source, author, and year it was published. If it came from the Internet, it should include a link.

What are Organizational Structures?

There are several structures of informative writing. Most factual articles fall within one of the following structures:

Descriptive:  This is when the topic is described in great detail.

Compare/Contrast: This is when you discuss similarities and differences within a topic. 

Problem/Solution:  This is when we tell the reader about a problem that exists and lay out a plan to solve it. 

Cause/Effect: This when there is a relationship between events or things and one is the result of another. 

Definition: This is when you take a difficult term or concept and explain it by breaking it down into sections. 

Classification: This is when you break up the topic into different categories. 

Chronological: The prefix “chrono” means time, and “logical” means order. This is when you are writing in time order. Many history events are in time order.

Example of Informative Writing

Let’s get to writing! 

I went to my September Informative Monthly Writing Prompts for some inspiration. The prompt we’re using today says, “September is National Honey Month. What is the history of honey and how important are honey bees to the process of making honey? Write an informative article about your findings.”

WHY ARE HONEY BEES IMPORTANT?

Did you know it takes about twelve honey bees, working their entire lives to make one teaspoon of honey? Honey bees are an important part of the ecosystem and our everyday life. Not only are they responsible for producing honey, they also play a large role in the pollination of plants and flowers. This article will explain why they are important, what honey bees do, and how they make honey.

WHY HONEY?

Humans have been using honey for years, dating back to 2000 BC. The way honey is made hasn’t changed over the years; however, the way we use it has changed significantly. Not too long ago, honey was used for many medicinal purposes. For example, up until the first part of the 20th century, using honey for wound dressings was a part of everyday care. Although we no longer depend on honey for medicinal reasons, many people still choose to use it for home remedies. After all, it is natural! In fact, honey is the only food that includes all the substances necessary to sustain life, like enzymes, vitamins, minerals and water. 

POLLINATION

Honey is just one thing honey bees are able to produce for us. Honey bees are pollinators. Pollinators need us, and we need them. Without honey bees, our agriculture would suffer; therefore, so would we. We depend on pollinating animals for countless fruits, vegetables and nuts, as well as half the world’s oils, fibers, and raw materials. The process also helps prevent soil erosion and increases carbon sequestration, which filters our air!

HOW HONEY IS MADE

How do bees make honey? First, worker bees collect a substance called nectar by sucking it out of flowers and carrying it in a special sac called a honey stomach. Next, worker bees go to the beehive and pass the nectar to house bees. This process causes the nectar to have too much water to store for the winter. The next step is to dehydrate the honey. Bees do this in two ways: by spreading it across the honeycombs and by fanning it with their wings. Once the honey is dehydrated, it’s time to store it. The honey is placed into honeycomb cells and then capped with beeswax to keep it fresh. 

In conclusion, honey bees are an important part of our world. This information helps us understand the importance of honey, how honey bees work, and the honey-making process. Remember, honey bees are a key component to our agriculture needs. You can help save the bees by avoiding pesticides or planting a tree in your own backyard!

Identifying Informative Elements

Introduction:

The topic is introduced: Honey bees are an important part of the ecosystem and our everyday life. 

The subtopics are mentioned: This article will explain why they are important, what honey bees do, and how they make money.

Body 1: WHY HONEY

Body 2: POLLINATION

Body 3: HOW HONEY IS MADE

Transition words: Not only, however, although, in fact, first, next, the next step, in conclusion

Keywords: Honey bees, pollination, medicinal, nectar, honey, beeswax

Variety of sentences: Did you know it takes about twelve honey bees, working their entire lives to make one teaspoon of honey? Not too long ago, honey was used for many medicinal purposes. Although we no longer depend on honey for medicinal reasons, many people still choose to use it for home remedies. Remember, honeybees are a key component to our agriculture needs.

Conclusion: 

Topic: Honey bees are an important part of our world. 

Summary of subtopics: This information helps us understand the importance of honey, how honey bees work, and the honey-making process.

Now you know what informative writing looks like. I hope you find this post helpful! You can learn more about other styles of writing, like OPINION and NARRATIVE by clicking the links below! 

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