Expository Writing Teaching Resources
Whether you call it expository writing, informational writing or writing informative texts in your classroom, it's important for students to learn to write in a manner that shares straightforward information on a certain topic to educate their reader. It's a skill that will serve them well throughout their education and well into adulthood.
Getting your students started with informative writing this school year? The Teach Starter team of teachers has put together everything you need to teach this core writing type to your elementary writers, including printable worksheets, writing prompts, writing templates, and more.
Each resource in this collection has been thoroughly reviewed to ensure it's ready to be used in your classroom, and you'll find editable options so you can make the adjustments you need to meet state-level standards and meet your students where they are.
New to teaching this type of writing or looking for a handy refresher? Read on for a primer from our teacher team, including a definition you can use explain what you mean when you introduce expository or informative writing to your students.
What Is Informative Writing or Expository Writing? A Kid-Friendly Definition
We have always found it is helpful to have a definition handy when we are introducing the different genres of writing to our class. Here's one the ELA teachers on our team use for expository writing:
Expository writing is a type of writing that is created to educate the reader with facts.
This type of writing goes by a number of names, so maybe your district calls it something else. Here's a look at just a few of the names it may be called:
- Expository writing
- Informational writing
- Explanatory writing
- Informative Writing
Informative Writing vs. Persuasive Writing — How to Explain the Difference to Your Students
Informative writing is just one of the many writing styles your students will learn in elementary school, but it's important to establish the clear differences between them.
Take persuasive writing, for example. Like informational writing, it requires becoming educated on the topic a student is writing about, and it involves using facts in writing.
On the other hand, a persuasive writing essay is written to convince the reader of something. In higher grades, it transitions into opinion writing because it takes a side on a topic rather than remaining impartial.
That's not true of an expository writing piece, which takes a "just the facts, Jack" form.
What Are the 5 Elements of Informative Writing?
As you dive into teaching informational writing, there are 5 elements you'll want students to focus on explaining to the reader. They're often called the 5 Ws:
- Who
- What
- When
- Where
- Why
Students may also include a sixth element, which explains "how" something happened.
5 Informative Writing Examples to Share With Your Students
You may want to start your students off on your informational writing unit with examples to help familiarize them with this sort of writing. Fortunately, informational writing is found all around us in daily life.
Students have almost surely read more than a few examples of expository writing along the way, but they may not have known what to call it.
Some examples that students will likely recognize include:
- Procedural or "how to" texts such as instruction manuals or recipes
- School cafeteria menus
- Road signs
- Event flyers
- This description of informative writing!
Consider challenging students to bring an example of informative writing to class as a form of homework!
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French and Indian War - Brochure Project Template
Create a graphic summary of the French and Indian War with a brochure template.
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4th Grade Writing Worksheets: Tornado Text-Based Writing
Enhance your students' comprehension, vocabulary, and writing skills using 4th Grade writing worksheets and a high-interest reading passage about Tornadoes.
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Amelia Earhart Constructed Response Worksheet
Use this passage, second grade writing prompt, and worksheet to help students write a constructed response paragraph about Amelia Earhart.
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Soccer vs. Football -Differentiated Paired Passage Worksheets
Differentiate reading instruction with nonfiction texts, compare and contrast activities, and response to text writing opportunities.
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"All About ..." - Informational Writing Template
Practice informative writing with this versatile template.
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Topic Sentence Starter Cards
A pack of 32 narrative, persuasive, and report (informative) writing sentence starter cards.
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Informative Text Writing Task - Doctors
A writing activity to help students construct an informative text based on factual information.
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Informative Texts Writing Task - Weather
A fact file and a scaffolding template that can be used to write an informative text about weather.
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Informative Text Structure Sorting Task - The Apple iPad
A sorting task to help students learn about informative text structure.
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Biography Writing Template
Guide students through the structure and elements included in biography writing.
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Procedural Writing Prompt Task Cards
Need some procedural writing ideas? Download these task cards to use as a writing center activity during your procedure writing unit.
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How to Make Hot Chocolate Flipbook
Use this “How to Make Hot Chocolate” procedural writing activity to help familiarize your students with the structural elements of procedure texts.
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Procedural Writing Posters
Display this set of 5 procedural writing anchor charts in your classroom during your procedural writing unit.
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Build a Procedure Text – Cut and Paste Worksheets
Use these different examples of procedure writing to teach your students about the structural features of procedure texts.
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Objects in the Sky – Writing Prompts
Describe objects in the sky such as the clouds, moon, and sun with this set of 8 writing prompts.
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Recycling Writing Prompts - Primary
Show off your procedural writing skills with a pack of recycling writing prompts.
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Using Descriptive Adjectives - Tree Sloth Writing Prompt
Help your struggling writers build their skills with a descriptive paragraph prompt worksheet about tree sloths.
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Memorial Day Writing Craftivity
Remember and celebrate important heroes with this Memorial Day writing prompt and craft.
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The Boston Massacre Reading and Writing Worksheets
Integrate Reading and Social Studies content with a set of Boston Massacre worksheets.
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Patriotic Holiday Worksheets – Sentence Building
Build and write sentences about different patriotic holidays with this cut-and-paste worksheet
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Westward Expansion Close Reading and Writing Pack
Enhance your students' close reading strategies, vocabulary, and writing skills with a Westward Expansion reading passage and accompanying activities.
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Writing a Biography Project
Use this PowerPoint template for students to author a researched-based biography on a historical figure.
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Planning an Informative Text
A planning sheet that can be used to write an informative text.
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How Do Rocks Form? – Informative Text Structure Sorting Activity
A sorting task to help students learn about the structure of an informative text.
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My Research Project - Pennant Banner
Create a pennant banner for students to record and display their biography research.
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10 Fun Facts Writing Template
Use this template to distinguish between fact and opinion when studying informational or biographical texts.
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Biography Research Template
A research template for older students to use when writing a biography.
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Biography Writing Checklist – Structure, Language, and Features
A checklist for students to use when proofreading and editing their biography writing.
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What Causes the Seasons? Informative Text Writing Task
Use this scaffolded writing task to have students write about how seasons change.
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Informative Text Writing Task – Why Do Volcanoes Erupt?
A scaffolded writing task for students to complete when learning about the informative text type.
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Procedural Writing Topic Cards
Use these ideas for procedure writing with your students to help them hone their procedural writing skills.
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Writing A Procedure Poster
Display this poster in your room as a visual reminder of the structure of a procedural text.
- Expository Writing Templates
- Expository Writing Worksheets
- Expository Writing Posters
- Expository Writing Word Walls
- Expository Writing for Kindergarten
- Expository Writing for 1st Grade
- Expository Writing for 2nd Grade
- Expository Writing for 3rd Grade
- Expository Writing for 4th Grade
- Expository Writing for 5th Grade
- Expository Writing for 6th Grade