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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Lewis and Clark Worksheet - RACES Writing Strategy
Practice using the RACES writing strategy for text evidence with a Lewis and Clark Passage, graphic organizer, and worksheet.
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Boston Tea Party - RACES Writing Strategy Worksheet
Integrate reading, writing, and American history with a worksheet about the Boston Tea Party using the RACES writing strategy for text evidence.
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Reindeer Research Guide - Mini Workbook
Research all about reindeer and use this guided research template to organize student learning.
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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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Informative Writing - Animal Research Task
Use a printable animal research organizer booklet for students to record facts about animals when learning to write informative texts.
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Information Text Graphic Organizers
Get your students to plan and write informational texts with this set of 6 differentiated graphic organizers.
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Triple Venn Diagram Template
Download a printable Triple Venn Diagram Template to use when comparing and contrasting three topics.
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World Changing Women 3D Cube Project
Research and record biographical information about 6 historical women and discuss the impacts of their contributions.
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Biography Timeline Worksheet
Download this biography timeline template to help students organize key life events for a person's biography with a clear, structured format.
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Interactive Build A Snowman Sequencing Activity
Practice sequencing and writing procedural texts with an interactive How to Build a Snowman game.
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George Washington Carver Constructed Response Worksheet
Read and write about George Washington Carver using the RACES strategy for constructed response paragraphs.
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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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Note-taking Graphic Organizer
A graphic organizer for students to use when taking notes.
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Weathering and Erosion – RACES Writing Strategy Worksheets
Combine reading, writing and science with two worksheets about weathering and erosion using the RACES writing strategy for text evidence.
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Boston Massacre Passage and Writing Prompt Worksheet
Learn facts about the Boston Massacre with an informational reading passage and an informational writing prompt for fourth grade.
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Urbanization Constructed Response Worksheet
Use this nonfiction constructed response worksheet to teach your students about urbanization.
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Industrial Revolution Worksheet - Constructed Response
Blend reading, writing, and history concepts surrounding the Industrial Revolution with a constructed response worksheet and graphic organizer.
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5 W's and 1 H Graphic Organizer - Portrait
A blank 5 W’s and 1 H graphic organizer to use when planning a piece of writing text.
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Assessment Rubric - Informative Writing
An assessment rubric designed to help teachers to assess students' informative writing.
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Sentence Starters for Writing Slides
Spark creativity with our sentence starters for writing slides that provide your students writing prompts across three writing genres.
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Compare and Contrast - Tornadoes and Hurricanes Worksheet Pack
Compare and contrast tornadoes and hurricanes with a set of printable paired passage reading worksheets.
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Informative Writing Fact Files - Differentiated Writing Worksheets
Teach your students to write informative texts using a pack of differentiated Informative Writing Fact File Worksheets.
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Monthly Writing Prompt Calendars - Lower Grades
Encourage your little learners to write with fun writing prompts for kids in early elementary school.
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How To Build a Snow Globe – Procedural Writing Craftivity
Use this engaging, hands-on snow globe craftivity to teach your students all they need to know about procedural writing!
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Procedural Writing Templates – "How to" Prompts
Get your students to write procedural texts with this set of differentiated procedure writing prompt templates.
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Describing Animal Adaptations - Informative Writing Prompt Worksheets
Write to describe animals and their adaptations with a printable pack of informative writing worksheets.
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Dogs Make The Best Pets - Reading Comprehension PDF
Assess 3rd grade reading comprehension skills with a printable Reading Comprehension Test using an opinion text.
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Penguin Craft & Writing Template
Research and write about penguins and their adaptations, then create a fun penguin craft to display student work.
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How to Decorate a Christmas Tree - Kindergarten Writing Worksheet
Practice kindergarten writing skills with a Christmas procedural writing prompt.
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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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Biography Cube
Research and create an interactive biography for a historical figure.
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Information Text Fact Files and Scaffolding Sheet
Use this set of informational writing prompts to support your students in writing a detailed and well-structured factual report.
- Expository Writing Templates
- Expository Writing Worksheets
- Expository Writing Word Walls
- Expository Writing Projects
- Expository Writing Posters
- 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