Informational Essay: Creating an Outline for a Draft

Introduction

• Tell the class that the key to writing an effective informational essay is communicating about the topic clearly and concisely. Explain that today they will write out more formal statements for each part of their essay.
• Invite students to practice articulating a more formal thesis statement based on a simple main idea statement. Write an example on the board, such as “Pollution harms the oceans.”
• Ask for student input as you talk through the formation of a more formal statement, such as, “Pollution has a significant impact on the ocean because the presence of trash and chemicals in the water threatens marine animals and their environment.”
• Explain that the focus of today’s lesson will be to create an outline of their essay, on which they’ll generate an official thesis statement, supporting points, and a concluding statement.