You will learn
- Tell an informational text from a story.
- Use headings and pictures.
- Find facts.
- Ask and answer questions about a text.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Informational texts give facts.
- They have headings, pictures and captions.
- Look for key facts.
- Ask who, what, where, when, why, how.
Words to know
a text that gives true facts
a title above a section
a true piece of information
words under a picture
1. Discover: All about elephants
Elephants
What they look like
Elephants are the largest land animals. They have long trunks and big ears.
What they eat
Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. They drink lots of water.
Where they live
Elephants live in Africa and Asia.
Think: What do the headings tell you?
2. Understand: Informational texts
Idea 1: Facts not a story
An informational text gives true facts about a topic. A story has characters and made-up events.
Idea 2: Text features
Headings, pictures and captions help you find information fast.
Idea 3: Ask questions
Ask: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? Then look for answers in the text.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Fact
What do elephants eat?
- Read the heading.
Answer: grass, leaves and fruit
Example 2 (We do it together): Heading
Which heading tells where they live?
- Look at headings.
Answer: Where they live
Example 3 (You try): Type
Is the elephant text a story?
Show the steps and answer
- Does it give facts?
Answer: no, it is informational
Did you know?
Elephants can use their trunks to smell, drink, lift and make sounds.
Why this matters
Informational texts help you learn about the world.
4. Explore: Fact finder
Find facts in an informational text.
- Read the headings.
- Ask a question.
- Find the answer.
- Share a fact.
Think about it: what did you notice?
You can find facts.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- This text is about ___.
- The heading says ___.
- One fact is ___.
- I learned that ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is an informational text?
a text with facts
Question 2. What helps you find facts fast?
headings
Question 3. Where do elephants live?
Africa and Asia
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- A text with true facts is ___.
- A title above a section is a ___.
- Words under a picture are a ___.
- A true piece of information is a ___.
- Elephants are the largest ___ animals.
Level 2: Grow
- What do elephants eat?
- Where do elephants live?
- What helps you find information?
Level 3: Stretch
- Why read informational texts?
- Is a story the same?
- What do captions do?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: English in everyday life
Read an informational book and tell a family member three facts.
Show a sample answer
three facts
Another one. Write three facts about an animal you know.
Show a sample answer
Facts
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Look for facts.
Fix: Read headings first.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can tell informational texts from stories.
- I can use headings.
- I can find facts.
- I can ask and answer questions.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Informational texts give facts.
- Use headings and captions.
- Ask questions.
- Find the facts.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Text-based comprehension questions. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What is an informational text? [1 mark]
- Name two text features. [2 marks]
- Write one fact about elephants. [1 mark]
- Where do elephants live? [1 mark]
- Explain how to read an informational text. [3 marks]
Total: 8 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- a text with true facts [1]
- headings [1]; pictures/captions [1]
- a valid fact [1]
- Africa and Asia [1]
- read the title and headings [1]; ask questions [1]; find facts [1]
Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- A text with true facts is ___.
- A title above a section is a ___.
- Words under a picture are a ___.
- A true information is a ___.
- Elephants eat ___.
- True or false: an informational text gives facts.
- True or false: a story is informational.
- Where do elephants live?
- Write a fact about an animal.
- Ask a question about elephants.
Homework
Read an informational text and tell three facts.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. A text with true facts is ___. | informational | 1 |
| 2. A title above a section is a ___. | heading | 1 |
| 3. Words under a picture are a ___. | caption | 1 |
| 4. A true information is a ___. | fact | 1 |
| 5. Elephants eat ___. | plants | 1 |
| 6. True or false: an informational text gives facts. | true | 1 |
| 7. True or false: a story is informational. | false | 1 |
| 8. Where do elephants live? | Africa and Asia | 1 |
| 9. Write a fact about an animal. | a fact | 1 |
| 10. Ask a question about elephants. | What do they eat? | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 informational; 2 heading; 3 caption; 4 fact; 5 land. Level 2: 1 grass, leaves, fruit; 2 Africa and Asia; 3 headings. Level 3: 1 learn facts; 2 no; 3 tell about pictures.
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Tell an informational text from a story | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Use headings and pictures | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Find facts | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Ask and answer questions about a text | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: Thinking it is a story. Look for facts.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use pictures with facts.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child reads informational texts. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Read non-fiction together.
- Ask: What did you learn?
- Praise facts.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: tell an informational text from a story; use headings and pictures; find facts; ask and answer questions about a text.
Prerequisite knowledge. Summarising short texts.
Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Compare story and information.
Explanation (10 min). Teach features.
Guided activity (10 min). Practise.
Independent activity (10 min). Share.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What facts did I learn?
Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures. Extension. Read articles.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. Thinking it is a story. Look for facts.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use pictures with facts. Enrichment. Read a longer article. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 2 » Reading: Foundational Skills; Grade 2 » Reading: Literature; Grade 2 » Reading: Informational Text. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core RI.2.1, RI.2.5 (know and use various text features) and RI.2.7; IES What Works Clearinghouse Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade; Cambridge Primary English Stage 2 (reading). These sources informed the lesson.