📖

Planning Your How-To

Informative Writing: How-To

Day 153of 180
Week 31of 36
25Minutes
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🖨️ Download Worksheet (PDF)
🎯 What You'll Learn

Learning Objectives

1

Understand how to plan a how-to writing piece

2

Use a graphic organizer to list steps in order

3

Choose a familiar task to explain

📖 Scripture Connection

Proverbs 4:7

“Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.”

— Proverbs 4:7 (WEB)

Learning to explain things clearly is a way of gaining and sharing wisdom

📦 Materials Needed

  • How-to graphic organizer
  • Pencils
  • Crayons
  • Writing paper
📚 Step-by-Step

Lesson Plan

1Opening (5 min)

Gather students and ask them about something they know how to do really well. Explain that today we'll learn how to plan writing that teaches others how to do something.

💭 Review Question: What is something you can do that you could teach someone else?
2Teaching (10 min)

Today we'll learn how to plan a how-to writing piece by using a special graphic organizer. This helps us put our steps in order, just like following a recipe or building with blocks.

📌 Key Talking Points:
  • Choose a simple task you know how to do
  • Think about the steps in order
  • Write each step clearly
💬 Discussion Questions:
  • What steps do you follow when making your bed?
  • How do you put on your shoes?
  • What are the steps to drawing a picture?
3Activity: My How-To Planning (8 min)
hands-on

Students will choose a simple task and use a graphic organizer to list steps in order.

📝 Instructions:
  1. Think of something you know how to do
  2. Take your graphic organizer
  3. Write your title at the top
  4. List materials needed
  5. Write steps in order using 'first', 'next', 'then', 'last'
🔄 Variations:

Simpler: Teacher helps student choose a very simple task

Challenge: Add details to each step with descriptive words

4Closing (2 min)

Share one step from your how-to plan with a friend.

📝 Review Questions:
  • What task did you choose?
  • How many steps did you write?
🙏 Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank you for helping us learn to share instructions and help others.

Coming up: Tomorrow we'll start writing our full how-to piece!

💎 Memory Verse

Proverbs 4:7

“Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom.”

— Proverbs 4:7 (WEB)

🎯 Activity: Make a wisdom crown and write the verse around the crown

👨‍👩‍👧 For Parents

Teaching Notes

📚 Background:

First graders are learning to organize thoughts sequentially and communicate instructions clearly.

💡 Teaching Tips:
  • Help your child choose a simple, familiar task
  • Encourage using sequence words
  • Be patient with spelling and writing
🤔 Common Struggles:

Children might struggle with breaking tasks into clear steps

👀 Signs of Understanding:

Ability to list steps in logical order

🚀 Want More?

Extension Activities

  • Draw pictures to match each step
  • Practice explaining task to a family member
  • Create a how-to poster

Ready for Tomorrow?

Great job completing today's lesson!

Continue to Day 154 →Back to Language Arts