How to Write Procedural Texts

Today I had the privilege of working with a group of bilingual fourth graders that were just beginning a unit on procedural texts.  The TEKS for procedural texts are:

(13)  Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Texts. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are expected to:

(A)  determine the sequence of activities needed to carry out a procedure (e.g., following a recipe); and

(B)  explain factual information presented graphically (e.g., charts, diagrams, graphs, illustrations).

(18) Writing/Expository [and Procedural] Texts. Students write expository [and procedural or work-related] texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to:

(A) create brief compositions that

(i) establish a central idea in a topic sentence;

(ii) include supporting sentences with simple facts, details, and explanations; and

(iii) contain a concluding statement.

We made an anchor chart listing the structure and key features that are found in procedural text but I forgot to take a picture of my chart!  I then handed out pieces of paper with the different features (time order words, verbs at the beginning of the sentence, etc.) and asked the students to help me identify these features in this Reading A-Z text.  We found them all!

After this short introductory lesson to procedural texts, I really wanted to use a language frame to see if the students could identify one key feature of procedural texts and explain why it is important.  Here are some of the sticky notes they wrote!  I think they did a great job!  As they brought their notes up to the board, I asked them to read it to a partner in front of me.  Just like that, we quickly addressed all four of the language domains (writing, reading, speaking, and listening)!