Procedural & Instructional Texts Unit

Learning Area: English Year Level: 2/3

Strands: Proposed Duration: 4 weeks

Texts & Contexts (6-8 lessons)
Language
Strategies

Key Ideas:
Year 2
Texts & Contexts
Children recognise some of the purposes and advantages of writing as they express feelings, ideas,
information and imagination within written texts.
Language
Children produce written texts, drawing on the support of proficient writers as required. They identify
and talk about some basic features of written texts and visual images.
Strategies
Children share ideas and feelings as they experiment with strategies for planning, composing and
reviewing their own writing. They draw on strategies for spelling high frequency and common sight
words accurately and for attempting to spell unfamiliar words.

Year 3
Texts & Contexts
Students compose a range of written texts which contain some interrelated ideas and information
about familiar topics. They understand that certain text types are associated with particular
purposes and audiences and adjust writing accordingly.
Language
Students plan and compose, with increasing independence, a range of texts about familiar, new and
imaginary experience. They demonstrate knowledge about, and increasing control of, language
choices in written texts.
Strategies
Students respond to and express ideas and information as they integrate several strategies for
planning, composing and reviewing their own writing. They draw on knowledge of letter patterns and
letter sound relationships to spell familiar and unfamiliar words.

Standard Outcomes:
Year 2
1.4 - Composes a range of texts that include topics of personal interest, and some related ideas,
and that can be understood by others.
1.8 - Experiments with aspects of language when planning and composing a range of texts about
familiar experience.
1.12 - Experiments with strategies for planning, composing and reviewing own written texts and for
attempting to spell unfamiliar words.

Year 3
2.4 - Composes a range of texts that include interrelated ideas and information about familiar topics
and shows an awareness of different audiences, purposes and contexts.
2.8 - Uses aspects of language when planning and composing a range of well-structured texts about
familiar and new experience.
2.12 - Uses strategies for planning, composing and reviewing own texts and for consistently making
informed attempts at spelling.
Essential Learnings: Key Competencies:
 Identity – a sense of personal and group identity  KC1 – using information
 Thinking – a sense of creativity, wisdom and enterprise  KC2 – communicating ideas
 Interdependence – a sense of being connected with  KC3 – planning & organising
others and their world  KC4 – working in teams
 Futures – a sense of optimism about their ability to shape  KC5 – using maths
their futures  KC6 – solving problems
 Communication – a sense of the power and potential of  KC7 - using technology
literacy, numeracy and ICT
Key Questions:
What is an instructional text used for?
Where do I see instructional texts?
How is an instructional text set out?
What language is used in an instructional text?

Tasks for Enquiry:

Build the field
Modelled
Guided/Joint
Independent

Lesson 1 (Monday, Week 2)

Explain what a procedural text is - to instruct someone

Read a procedural text – find one

Look for procedural texts in the classroom

Point out the structure of the text

-Goal/Aim
-Materials/Requirements (in order of use)
-Method (steps)
-Evaluation (sometimes unnecessary)

Provide students with a jumbled procedure (How to grow radishes) and have them put it in order

Discuss the language features of the “How to grow radishes”

-Action verbs (place, take)
-adverbs(quickly)
-linking words for time (then, first)??? Probably just use numbered steps - check
-detailed/factual words to describe objects (shape, colour, size)

Begin to create a word chart for each type of word (action verbs, adverbs etc), to be displayed in the
classroom

Have the students highlight the language features in “How to boil an egg”. Use different colours

Add these words to the word chart

Compare “How to grow radishes” and “How to boil an egg”

Tues/Wed – ??students to view and read different procedural texts (online/books)

Lesson 2 (Thursday, Week 2)
Remind students of the structure of procedures. Demonstrate on the “How to grow radishes”
example

Point out the language features to remind students

Joint construction as a class - How to make vegemite on toast

“If I have never done this before what is the first thing you will need to tell me to do?’

Add words to word chart

Students to write their own ‘How to make a sandwich”

(Possibly watch the curse of Mr Bean, sandwich making episode OR make sandwich from paper
shapes, then record the process)

Demonstrate structure on the board

As a class brainstorm
-things you will need
-things you will put on the sandwich
-what’s something you would do first

Use checklist to check for structure and language

Share procedure with the class

Display different procedures and discuss the good aspects of them

??Use pictures, have students place in order, then write the procedure.
http://activemindsactivebodies.wikispaces.com/Procedural+Writing

Lesson 3 & 4 (Mon/Thurs, Week 3)

Online instructional (drawing/making)

http://www.unclefred.com/
http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/index.html
http://www.origami-resource-center.com/paper-airplanes.html - dart plane, paper airplane

View website, follow instructions, then write instructions in own words

Were the instructions good? Why or Why not? How could they be better?

Tues/Wed??
View some websites with instructional texts, discuss whether the instructions were good, why/why
not. How could they be better?

Lesson 5 & 6 (Week 4)

School yard games OR Board Games

Board Games
Show instructions for a board game
Point out the structure

Point out the language features

Add language to the word chart

Play board games in groups

Have the students work in pairs to record in their own words, how to play the game. Possibly use a
template

Share instructions and compare different instructions for the same game. Which instructions would
be better to use if you needed to know how to play the game?

Add language to the word chart

Provide students with examples of instructions for the board games. Have the students identify the
structure and language features

Add to the word chart

Lesson 7 & 8 (Week 5)

Linking in Japanese theme – cooking/origami

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this unit of work all students will be able to explain what an instructional text is used
for, where they may find an instructional text in their everyday lives and they will be able to write
instructional texts. They will present their instructional text in the appropriate structure for their level
of understanding (goal/aim (title), materials in order of use and method is step by step) and use the
language features that are also appropriate for their level of understanding (action verbs and
adverbs).

Equipment/Resources:
Display procedural text structure

“How to grow radishes”

“How to boil an egg”

Find instructions for a different board game

Check school for board games

??Template

Formative Assessment Summative Assessment Student Self Assessment

Use of checklist to check structure Self Assessment (attached)…How
and language features of a peers do they feel they wrote their
instructional text instructional text and how can it be
improved?
Plans, drafts and publishes at least
one instructional text (Teacher
assessed)