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Writing to Teach Somebody

A 35-minute Kindergarten lesson on writing to inform — naming a topic and supplying facts that belong to it.

Writing to Teach Somebody is a free 35-minute Kindergarten English lesson plan for Common Core standard W.K.2 — draw and write to teach someone about a thing you know. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the meaning, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.

Grade:
Kindergarten
Length:
35 minutes
Standard:
W.K.2

Kindergarten · Writing

W.K.2

Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.

Objective

Students will be able to name a topic and write two true facts about it, by drawing, dictating and writing.

Students are successful when they can

  • Starts with the topic: "This is about frogs."
  • Gives two true facts that belong to the topic: "Frogs eat bugs. Frogs can jump far."
  • Leaves out stories ("One day my frog...") and opinions ("Frogs are the best").

What you need

  • The "what we learned" chart from the information reading lessons
  • A drawing-and-writing frame with a picture box, a topic line ("This is about ___.") and two fact lines
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — teach me one thing

5 min
  1. Say: "Pretend I am a visitor from far away and I have never seen a dog. Teach me one thing about dogs." Take three facts: "Dogs bark." "Dogs have four legs." "Dogs have fur."
  2. Then ask: "If I say my dog is called Rex, have I taught you about all dogs?" Let them think. Fish for "no, just your dog."
  3. Say: "A teaching fact is true for all dogs, not just one. That is the kind of writing we do today."

Teach — topic first, then facts

11 min
  1. Choose a topic from the class learning chart: frogs. Write on the topic line: "This is about frogs." Say: "First I tell my reader the topic, so they know what they are going to learn."
  2. Write fact one: "Frogs eat bugs." Ask two questions aloud and answer them: "Is that true for frogs? Yes. Does it belong to my topic? Yes."
  3. Write fact two: "Frogs can jump far." Ask the class the same two questions.
  4. Now write a sentence that does not belong: "I like pizza." Read all four sentences. Ask: "Does pizza teach you about frogs?" Fish for "no." Cross it out.
  5. Write one more that does not belong in a different way: "One day a frog sat on my shoe." Ask: "Is that true for all frogs?" No, it is a story. Cross it out too.
  6. Draw a frog catching a bug in the picture box. Say: "My picture teaches too. It shows the tongue catching the bug."
  7. Read it back: "This is about frogs. Frogs eat bugs. Frogs can jump far." Ask: "Did I teach you something?"
“First, tell your reader the topic. Then teach two facts that belong to it. Ask each fact: is it true, and does it belong?”

Guided practice — say the topic, say two facts

9 min
  1. Each child chooses a topic they know a lot about: an animal, a food, a vehicle or a place. Give the chart topics as a back-up for anyone stuck.
  2. They say to a partner: "This is about ___." then two facts. The partner asks the two checking questions for each fact: "Is it true? Does it belong?"
  3. Listen for stories ("One day my cat...") and redirect: "Is that true for all cats? How could you say it so it is?" Fish for "Cats can climb trees."
  4. Children draw their topic in the box, showing one of their facts in the picture.
“Tell your partner your topic, then your two facts. Partner: ask if each one is true and belongs.”

Independent practice

8 min
  1. Children write or dictate their topic sentence and two facts under the drawing. Accept invented spelling: "Cats hav wiskrs." Scribe for anyone who has the facts in speech but cannot yet write them.
  2. The printable asks them to draw and write facts about a given topic, or number the steps of a "how to" in order. Read every box and step aloud before they start.

Close

2 min
  1. Two children read their writing. Ask the class: "What did you learn about ___?"
  2. If the class can say both facts back, the writing taught them.

What goes wrong, and why

Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.

Writes a story: "One day my cat ran up a tree and got stuck."

Why: Stories are the writing they have heard most, so "writing" sounds like "once upon a time" to them.

Fix: Ask: "Is that true for ALL cats, or just your cat one day?" Then help turn it into a fact: "Cats can climb trees." Keep the story for the narrative lesson.

Drifts off the topic: "This is about cats. Cats have fur. Dogs bark."

Why: One fact reminds them of another, and the chain leads away from the topic without them noticing.

Fix: Before each new fact, reread the topic sentence aloud and ask: "Is it about cats?" The topic sentence is the fence every fact must stay inside.

Starts with a fact and never names the topic: "They have whiskers. They sleep a lot."

Why: The topic is obvious to the writer, and the picture shows it, so they do not think the reader needs it said.

Fix: Cover the picture and read only the words. Ask: "Who is they? Would a reader know what this is about?"

If they are not there yet

  • Choose a topic from the class chart where facts are already written and illustrated.
  • Give a frame: "This is about ___. ___ can ___. ___ have ___."
  • Write one fact and draw the second, then dictate it.

If they finish early

  • Write three facts and a closing sentence: "Frogs are amazing animals."
  • Label the drawing with two words that match the facts.
  • Write a "how to" with steps: "How to wash your hands. First... Then... Last..."

Exit ticket

Tell me or write: what is your topic, and two facts about it?

What to look for: A topic sentence and two true facts that belong. A story means the child hears all writing as stories. Facts that wander off topic mean rereading the topic sentence before each fact. No topic named: cover the picture and ask.

Printable practice for W.K.2

Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.

Questions about Writing to Teach Somebody

How long does the Writing to Teach Somebody lesson take?

35 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 11 min, guided practice 9 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.

Which standard does Writing to Teach Somebody teach?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.2 — W.K.2, Writing for Kindergarten: “Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.” In plain terms, draw and write to teach someone about a thing you know.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

The "what we learned" chart from the information reading lessons, a drawing-and-writing frame with a picture box, a topic line ("This is about ___.") and two fact lines and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.

What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?

Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: writes a story: "One day my cat ran up a tree and got stuck."; drifts off the topic: "This is about cats. Cats have fur. Dogs bark." and starts with a fact and never names the topic: "They have whiskers. They sleep a lot.". The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.

How do I know whether the lesson worked?

The exit ticket asks: “Tell me or write: what is your topic, and two facts about it?.” A topic sentence and two true facts that belong. A story means the child hears all writing as stories. Facts that wander off topic mean rereading the topic sentence before each fact. No topic named: cover the picture and ask. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.

Is there a worksheet to go with Writing to Teach Somebody?

Yes — 1 printable W.K.2 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.

Is Writing to Teach Somebody free to use?

Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on October 8, 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.

Last reviewed 2026-10-08. Aligned to W.K.2 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.