informative essay planning sheet

Informative Essay Guide

Informative Essay Outline

Last updated on: Jun 20, 2023

Learn How to Create an Informative Essay Outline

By: Jared P.

Reviewed By: Melisa C.

Published on: Jun 1, 2021

An informative essay is written to educate readers on a particular topic. This type of essay can be written for several purposes, such as defining a term or comparing and contrasting something. This type of essay doesn’t require your opinion on the topic.

The purpose of writing an informative essay is to educate others on a certain topic. You should not express your opinion and do not try to persuade others to take a certain action.

If you are writing an informative essay for the first time, better create an outline first. The informative essay outline will help you structure your essay in the best way possible.

In this blog, you will learn about the basic rules for creating an informative essay outline. These guidelines and a sample outline are designed to help students get started with their projects successfully.

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What is an Informative Essay Outline?

An informative essay outline is like a checklist or action plan that you need to complete. The outline helps the writer not to lose focus while working on the essay. Creating an outline is not necessary, but expert writers recommend it. An outline is the only way not to get lost in the middle of the writing process.

The purpose of an outline for an informative essay is to highlight ideas that you want to include in your essay.

Writing an outline is important because of the basic structure that it provides. In addition, the outline should contain some specific details regarding the layout of the essay. Creating an outline prior to the essay writing process is the key to writing a successful essay.

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How to Write an Informative Essay Outline?

The layout of an informative essay is similar to other types of academic essays. These include argumentative essays, persuasive essays, narrative essays, etc.

The outline for an informative essay should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Understanding what to include in each part of the informative essay is very important for a successful informative essay.

Informative Essay Introduction

Any idea how to start an informative essay?

Remember this is the section where you need to introduce your topic and provide a thesis statement. In a few lines, introduce the topic you are writing your essay on and provide some background information.

The introduction should end with a strong thesis statement. This statement should tell the audience what direction your essay is going to take. Therefore, make sure the thesis statement is brief, clear, and concise.

Tips for Writing an Effective Introduction:

• Make sure to narrow down the scope of your essay.
• There must be a connection between your introduction and thesis statement.
• Hook your readers at the start of your introductory paragraph.

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Informative Essay Body Paragraphs

The main body of an informative essay is usually composed of three paragraphs. There are two things that you should consider while composing the body paragraphs of an informative essay. One is the target point, and the second is supporting facts.

Each body paragraph of an informative essay should begin with an idea (topic sentence). This is one sentence statement on which the whole paragraph will be based on. This statement must be in cohesion with the thesis statement written in the introductory paragraph.

After that, provide supporting evidence from the most credible sources. The evidence you provide must relate to your main target point. Don’t forget to quote sources and properly cite information to avoid plagiarism.

At the end of each body paragraph, summarize your points and explain their relevance to the thesis statement. Effective body paragraphs for an informative essay depend on the following points.

• Making a claim
• Evidence in support of the claim
• Provide an explanation in the last

The informative essay can have more than three body paragraphs depending upon the chosen topic.

Tips for Effective Body Paragraphs:

• Do not provide your opinion or point of view on the topic.
• Completely rely on facts and research.
• Discuss the strongest point in the first body paragraph.
• Don’t forget to use transition words for a smooth flow of information in your body paragraphs.

Informative Essay Conclusion

This is the last part where you need to wrap up your information. Begin the conclusion by restating the thesis statement. After that, write about your major arguments and their purpose. The goal of the conclusion is to provide the reason for your informative essay and its importance in the real world.

The conclusion should describe the purpose of your informative essay and what it means for your readers. You should summarize your key arguments and provide a strong closing statement to summarize all your key points.

Tips for a Strong Conclusion:

• Highlight the key points of your argument.
• Do not introduce any new ideas in the conclusion.
• Restate the thesis in other similar words and terms.

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Informative Essay Outline Template Free

Most of the essay outline contain the same elements. But each essay outline has particular points that you need to focus on. It is important to be well-aware of the distinctive features to come up with a good informative paper.

INFORMATIVE ESSAY OUTLINE ELEMENTARY

5Th TO 8TH GRADE INFORMATIVE ESSAY OUTLINE TEMPLATE

INFORMATIVE ESSAY OUTLINE TEMPLATE FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL

INFORMATIVE ESSAY OUTLINE HIGH SCHOOL

INFORMATIVE ESSAY OUTLINE FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

Informative Essay Outline Example

Wondering where you can get free informative essay outline examples? Having a well-written example in hand will help you in coming up with successful work. You can easily find many informative essay examples online for your help.

5 PARAGRAPH INFORMATIVE ESSAY OUTLINE

Sample Informative Essay Outline

Hopefully, the above guidelines and examples help you in writing a great informative essay. However, informative writing is sometimes not easy, especially when you are working on an unfamiliar topic.

In this situation, it is better to get help from professional writers. At 5StarEssays.com, we provide the best ‘ do my essay paper ’ help to students struggling with their academic papers.

Our essay writers can help you create high-quality essays and research papers in no time. To get the best custom essay writing help, all you need is to contact us and hire our essay writer.

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Masters Essay, Literature

Jared P. is a renowned author and writing service provider with over fifteen years of experience in the publishing industry. He has a Ph.D. degree in English Literature and has spent his entire career helping students achieve their academic goals by providing expert writing assistance.

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• Outstanding Informative Essay Topics for Students

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How to Write an Essay Outline | Guidelines & Examples

Published on August 14, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An essay outline is a way of planning the structure of your essay before you start writing. It involves writing quick summary sentences or phrases for every point you will cover in each paragraph , giving you a picture of how your argument will unfold.

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Table of contents

Organizing your material, presentation of the outline, examples of essay outlines, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about essay outlines.

At the stage where you’re writing an essay outline, your ideas are probably still not fully formed. You should know your topic  and have already done some preliminary research to find relevant sources , but now you need to shape your ideas into a structured argument.

Creating categories

Look over any information, quotes and ideas you’ve noted down from your research and consider the central point you want to make in the essay—this will be the basis of your thesis statement . Once you have an idea of your overall argument, you can begin to organize your material in a way that serves that argument.

Try to arrange your material into categories related to different aspects of your argument. If you’re writing about a literary text, you might group your ideas into themes; in a history essay, it might be several key trends or turning points from the period you’re discussing.

Three main themes or subjects is a common structure for essays. Depending on the length of the essay, you could split the themes into three body paragraphs, or three longer sections with several paragraphs covering each theme.

As you create the outline, look critically at your categories and points: Are any of them irrelevant or redundant? Make sure every topic you cover is clearly related to your thesis statement.

Order of information

When you have your material organized into several categories, consider what order they should appear in.

Your essay will always begin and end with an introduction and conclusion , but the organization of the body is up to you.

Consider these questions to order your material:

• Is there an obvious starting point for your argument?
• Is there one subject that provides an easy transition into another?
• Do some points need to be set up by discussing other points first?

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Within each paragraph, you’ll discuss a single idea related to your overall topic or argument, using several points of evidence or analysis to do so.

In your outline, you present these points as a few short numbered sentences or phrases.They can be split into sub-points when more detail is needed.

The template below shows how you might structure an outline for a five-paragraph essay.

• Thesis statement
• First piece of evidence
• Second piece of evidence
• Summary/synthesis
• Importance of topic
• Strong closing statement

You can choose whether to write your outline in full sentences or short phrases. Be consistent in your choice; don’t randomly write some points as full sentences and others as short phrases.

Examples of outlines for different types of essays are presented below: an argumentative, expository, and literary analysis essay.

Argumentative essay outline

This outline is for a short argumentative essay evaluating the internet’s impact on education. It uses short phrases to summarize each point.

Its body is split into three paragraphs, each presenting arguments about a different aspect of the internet’s effects on education.

• Importance of the internet
• Concerns about internet use
• Thesis statement: Internet use a net positive
• Data exploring this effect
• Analysis indicating it is overstated
• Students’ reading levels over time
• Why this data is questionable
• Video media
• Interactive media
• Speed and simplicity of online research
• Questions about reliability (transitioning into next topic)
• Evidence indicating its ubiquity
• Claims that it discourages engagement with academic writing
• Evidence that Wikipedia warns students not to cite it
• Argument that it introduces students to citation
• Summary of key points
• Value of digital education for students
• Need for optimism to embrace advantages of the internet

Expository essay outline

This is the outline for an expository essay describing how the invention of the printing press affected life and politics in Europe.

The paragraphs are still summarized in short phrases here, but individual points are described with full sentences.

• Claim that the printing press marks the end of the Middle Ages.
• Provide background on the low levels of literacy before the printing press.
• Present the thesis statement: The invention of the printing press increased circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation.
• Discuss the very high levels of illiteracy in medieval Europe.
• Describe how literacy and thus knowledge and education were mainly the domain of religious and political elites.
• Indicate how this discouraged political and religious change.
• Describe the invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg.
• Show the implications of the new technology for book production.
• Describe the rapid spread of the technology and the printing of the Gutenberg Bible.
• Link to the Reformation.
• Discuss the trend for translating the Bible into vernacular languages during the years following the printing press’s invention.
• Describe Luther’s own translation of the Bible during the Reformation.
• Sketch out the large-scale effects the Reformation would have on religion and politics.
• Summarize the history described.
• Stress the significance of the printing press to the events of this period.

Literary analysis essay outline

The literary analysis essay outlined below discusses the role of theater in Jane Austen’s novel Mansfield Park .

The body of the essay is divided into three different themes, each of which is explored through examples from the book.

• Describe the theatricality of Austen’s works
• Outline the role theater plays in Mansfield Park
• Introduce the research question : How does Austen use theater to express the characters’ morality in Mansfield Park ?
• Discuss Austen’s depiction of the performance at the end of the first volume
• Discuss how Sir Bertram reacts to the acting scheme
• Introduce Austen’s use of stage direction–like details during dialogue
• Explore how these are deployed to show the characters’ self-absorption
• Discuss Austen’s description of Maria and Julia’s relationship as polite but affectionless
• Compare Mrs. Norris’s self-conceit as charitable despite her idleness
• Summarize the three themes: The acting scheme, stage directions, and the performance of morals
• Answer the research question
• Indicate areas for further study

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You will sometimes be asked to hand in an essay outline before you start writing your essay . Your supervisor wants to see that you have a clear idea of your structure so that writing will go smoothly.

Even when you do not have to hand it in, writing an essay outline is an important part of the writing process . It’s a good idea to write one (as informally as you like) to clarify your structure for yourself whenever you are working on an essay.

If you have to hand in your essay outline , you may be given specific guidelines stating whether you have to use full sentences. If you’re not sure, ask your supervisor.

When writing an essay outline for yourself, the choice is yours. Some students find it helpful to write out their ideas in full sentences, while others prefer to summarize them in short phrases.

You should try to follow your outline as you write your essay . However, if your ideas change or it becomes clear that your structure could be better, it’s okay to depart from your essay outline . Just make sure you know why you’re doing so.

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Informative Essay | Definition, Examples & Structure

Jeremy taught elementary school for 18 years in in the United States and in Switzerland. He has a Masters in Education from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. He's taught grades 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8. His strength is in educational content writing and technology in the classroom

Kelly earned her Master of Mass Communication from Arizona State and has taught consumer behavior and communication courses at the undergraduate level.

What is the meaning of an informative essay?

An informative essay is a non-fiction writing piece that is written to inform readers on a certain topic or subject. They are always fact-based and do not include arguments or opinions from the author.

What does an informative essay contain?

An informative essay contains an introductory paragraph that begins with a hook sentence and contains the topic sentence, or thesis. The body of the essay generally contains three to five paragraphs that expand on the introduction. The conclusion paragraph restates the main topic and summarizes the main points.

What is an example of informative writing?

There are four types of informative essay. One example would be a definition essay about gothic architecture. Another is a compare and contrast essay focusing on the similarities and differences between public and private school. An analysis essay might be about the cost of living in New York City, and a process essay might describe how to build a porch swing from pallet wood.

Table of Contents

What is an informative essay, examples of informative essays, lesson summary.

When a teacher assigns a class the task of writing an essay , the room usually fills with groans and moans. Writing essays can be hard, and there are many different kinds of essays that can be written.

An informative essay serves the single purpose of informing or educating the reader about a topic. Informative essays are non-fiction essays that deliver content to the reader in a simple manner.

There is a slight difference between an expository essay and an informative essay, and it's important to understand that difference. An expository essay is also intended to inform readers, but it is a much more complex essay that uses lots of evidence and facts to back up the main topic. Expository essays can also be argumentative or opinion-based, which informative essays cannot be.

Informative essays can be found in non-fiction books, magazines, and online content. While they don't have a specific length, they are generally not really long or detailed. Informative essays are the first type of longer writing that younger elementary students learn how to write.

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• 0:05 Defining an Informative Essay
• 1:46 Informative Essays: Definition
• 3:48 Informative Essays:…
• 5:17 Informative Essays:…
• 6:17 Informative Essays: How-To
• 6:58 Lesson Summary

When a writer decides to write an informative essay, they generally have a few different types of essays to choose from. The following are the main types of informative essays and an example of each one.

Writing Informative Essays

Writing an informative essay is a step-by-step process that should be followed in the right order to get the best results. The steps to writing an informative essay are as follows:

• Pick a Topic - It may seem like a no-brainer, but picking a good topic that is interesting for the writer and the reader is very important. Starting off with a bad topic can cause problems further in the process.
• Research - It's important to get the information correct, so doing good research and writing down sources is the next logical step. It's also important to make sure there is adequate information available on the topic chosen.
• Outline - Once the research notes have been taken, it's time to organize the information in an outline. Outlines take many forms, like bullet points, columns, or graphic organizers (see example below).
• Write the Body - It's actually easier to write out a good informative essay by writing the body first rather than starting with the introduction. Use your outline and group topics by paragraphs. Include the major and minor details and use good transitions between main ideas. Once all the vital information is written down and organized, it's easier to write the introduction and conclusion so they fit the structure of the body.
• Write the Introduction and Conclusion - The introduction paragraph should act as a preview of the information in the body. Be sure to include the overall topic and mention the sub-topics, but save details for the body paragraphs. It should give the reader an idea of what you WILL talk about in the essay. The body and introduction should all connect nicely. The conclusion is more or less a restatement of the topic and a summary of the main points. It reminds the reader of what you HAVE talked about in the essay.
• Proof and Edit - Once the essay is written, check the writing for spelling and grammar errors. It's also important to check the essay for continuity. Continuity is the flow of the essay and how well each part transitions into the other.

Informative Essay Structure

One of the reasons informative essays are taught early in the writing process is because they have a very straightforward and easy structure to follow while writing. The simple layout makes it easy for the writer to construct and for the reader to follow.

Informative Essay Topics

Finding topics for informational essays can be a bit tricky, but if you narrow down the type of essay you want to write, it makes it a bit easier. The list below will give some examples of different topics based on the types of essays.

An informative essay is written to inform the reader of a single topic or subject. They are the most common essay and the one that students learn how to write first. Informative essays are always fact-based and not based on opinion or argument. Most informative essays consist of between three and five paragraphs, but there is no minimum or maximum size.

Informative essays often come in one of four different types:

• A definition essay , which explains a single term or concept.
• A compare and contrast essay , which focuses on the similarities and differences between two things.
• An analysis essay , which uses data and numbers to explain a concept and is the simplest form of essay.
• A process essay , which explains how to do something and that often has steps in a progression.

Informative essays are best written by using the following process:

• Pick a topic,
• Research the topic,
• Outline the information,
• Write the body,
• Write the introduction and conclusion, and
• Proofread the essay.

Informative essays have a simple structure of an introduction paragraph , several body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph.

Video Transcript

Defining an informative essay.

It's Sunday night and you're finding any way possible to procrastinate on your English homework assignment: to write an informative essay. 'It's gotta be easy enough,' you say to yourself, remembering your English teacher's simple explanation of an informative essay - to educate your reader on a topic. The only problem is, with a definition that broad, you're having a really hard time narrowing down what exactly you'd like to inform your audience about.

Flipping channels, you come across a music awards show. You hear the announcer say one of your favorite stars growing up, Smiley Virus, is set to perform next. As Smiley takes the stage, you're completely shocked. She comes out half-dressed in some kind of stuffed animal costume, and just keeps doing the same spastic dance moves over and over again. It just keeps getting more and more bizarre. It's obvious she's trying to be 'edgy'. As the camera pans the crowd, no one is sure how to react toward her 'cutting edge' performance.

As it all ends, you immediately start thinking of a way you can turn this into an informative essay - it's just too good not to write about. Your mind begins to fill with the different options your English teacher gave you.

'Informative essays come in many forms,' she said. 'They can define a term, compare and contrast something, analyze data, or provide a how-to.' 'No matter what form you choose, remember that an informative essay does not give the writer's opinion on the topic or attempt to persuade their reader to change their beliefs,' she said. Finally excited about writing your informative essay, you begin to brainstorm your options.

Informative Essays: Definition

The definition essay is the most basic form of an informative essay. Its goal is to simply provide an explanation. Informative essays that define provide their explanation using one of three methods: They can use synonyms to explain what the new term is similar to, categories to help the reader see where the term fits in compared to others, or negation to allow the reader to understand the term by seeing what it isn't.

In addition to the three methods, there are several ways you can organize an informative essay that provides a definition. The most important thing is to present them in a logical order that makes sense, and there's not one method that's best in every case. Some organization schemes you might consider include presenting examples from most important to least or presenting them chronologically.

In your case, a definition essay might simply tell about who Smiley Virus is. You begin to work on a rough draft for a definition-focused informative essay. You know the introduction should contain a thesis along with a compelling way to draw the reader in.

'As the lights dim, the crowd waits in anticipation. Slowly a beat emerges, then, as if rising from the ashes of her child star persona, a shadowy figure appears in a cloud of smoke on stage, ready to give an infamous performance no one will soon forget. As she makes her way across the stage, the spotlight shines down, showing off a new woman. No longer a little girl, this is the new Smiley Virus, the adult pop sensation.'

'Not bad,' you think. You begin with a compelling description of what you just saw and tell your reader what you'll be defining: the new adult pop sensation, Smiley Virus. You also note how you've already started to provide your explanation, through negation - letting your reader know that Smiley is not a little girl or child star anymore - and categorizing - classifying her as an 'adult pop sensation.'

Informative Essays: Compare and Contrast

Although you think the definition of Smiley Virus, adult pop sensation, could make for a good essay, you also start to ponder some of the ways this performance is similar to other ones you've seen on the same awards show. An informative essay using compare and contrast would fit the bill here. It allows the reader to understand the topic by looking at similarities or differences compared to other subjects.

Writing a compare and contrast informative essay would allow you to focus on Smiley's performance at the awards show, rather than just simply defining her as a pop star. You could compare and contrast her controversial performance with others from the past that were also seen as scandalous at the time.

You start to craft a thesis statement for an informative essay using compare and contrast. 'Although Smiley Virus's edgy performance made top headlines Monday morning, it's not the first time a pop sensation turned heads with their awards show performance. In fact, it's nothing new at all. In 1984, rising pop star Mona Lisa shocked fans with her controversial performance.'

Organizing a compare and contrast informative essay like this is fairly straightforward. You can present your information by points of comparison - maybe comparing Mona Lisa and Smiley's outfits, then dance moves, then popularity - or just look at your topics, Mona Lisa versus Smiley, one at a time.

Informative Essays: Analyzing Data

You're just not sure you know enough about the Mona Lisa performance to do a good job on the compare and contrast option, so you move on to another choice. You think about how Smiley ended up in that position in the first place. Perhaps an informative essay that analyzes data might work. You could look at whether life as a child star leads to outlandish behavior as an adult.

When using an informative essay to analyze data , you are simply explaining how something might have happened based on data you've gathered. It's basically like looking at cause and effect with no opinions presented. In this case, it's usually easiest to look at things in chronological order. This will help your reader best follow what you are trying to explain.

It's important to have lots of supporting data and statistics to explain the cause and effect situation in an analytical essay. Realizing you don't have much more than anecdotal evidence as to why many child stars end up the way they do, you move on to your final option, the how-to.

Informative Essays: How-To

The how-to informative essay does exactly what the name says. It explains to your reader how to do something. It's most often presented in the order of the steps involved. It dawns on you - you could provide a how-to for the new, spastic dance move Smiley showcased, 'The Bizzerk.' Easy enough, if you were able to even put those spastic dance moves into words, let alone do it well enough to explain the Bizzerk step-by-step.

You pass on that option and go back to your first idea: to write your informative essay as a definition of Smiley Virus, adult pop sensation.

As you finish your informative essay, you start to expand on your explanation of who Smiley is. You give more background on the pop star category you put her in, and continue explaining how she is no longer the sweet, child star the public once thought her to be. You go through the basics your English teacher shared with you in class one more time.

An informative essay educates your reader on a topic. They can have one of several functions: to define a term, compare and contrast something, analyze data , or provide a how-to . They do not, however, present an opinion or try to persuade your reader.

Learning Outcome

After watching this lesson, you should be able to define an informative essay and explain the four formats they could be written in.

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Informative Essay — Purpose, Structure, and Examples

What is informative writing.

Informative writing educates the reader about a certain topic. An informative essay may explain new information, describe a process, or clarify a concept. The provided information is objective, meaning the writing focuses on presentation of fact and should not contain personal opinion or bias.

Informative writing includes description, process, cause and effect, comparison, and problems and possible solutions:

Describes a person, place, thing, or event using descriptive language that appeals to readers’ senses

Explains the process to do something or how something was created

Discusses the relationship between two things, determining how one ( cause ) leads to the other ( effect ); the effect needs to be based on fact and not an assumption

Identifies the similarities and differences between two things; does not indicate that one is better than the other

Details a problem and presents various possible solutions ; the writer does not suggest one solution is more effective than the others

Purpose of informative writing

The purpose of an informative essay depends upon the writer’s motivation, but may be to share new information, describe a process, clarify a concept, explain why or how, or detail a topic’s intricacies.

Informative essays may introduce readers to new information .

Summarizing a scientific/technological study

Outlining the various aspects of a religion

Providing information on a historical period

Describe a process or give step-by-step details of a procedure.

How to write an informational essay

How to construct an argument

How to apply for a job

Clarify a concept and offer details about complex ideas.

Explain why or how something works the way that it does.

Describe how the stock market impacts the economy

Illustrate why there are high and low tides

Detail how the heart functions

Offer information on the smaller aspects or intricacies of a larger topic.

Identify the importance of the individual bones in the body

Outlining the Dust Bowl in the context of the Great Depression

Explaining how bees impact the environment

How to write an informative essay

Regardless of the type of information, the informative essay structure typically consists of an introduction, body, and conclusion.

Introduction

Background information

Explanation of evidence

Restated thesis

Review of main ideas

Closing statement

Informative essay introduction

When composing the introductory paragraph(s) of an informative paper, include a hook, introduce the topic, provide background information, and develop a good thesis statement.

If the hook or introduction creates interest in the first paragraph, it will draw the readers’ attention and make them more receptive to the essay writer's ideas. Some of the most common techniques to accomplish this include the following:

Emphasize the topic’s importance by explaining the current interest in the topic or by indicating that the subject is influential.

Use pertinent statistics to give the paper an air of authority.

A surprising statement can be shocking; sometimes it is disgusting; sometimes it is joyful; sometimes it is surprising because of who said it.

An interesting incident or anecdote can act as a teaser to lure the reader into the remainder of the essay. Be sure that the device is appropriate for the informative essay topic and focus on what is to follow.

Directly introduce the topic of the essay.

Provide the reader with the background information necessary to understand the topic. Don’t repeat this information in the body of the essay; it should help the reader understand what follows.

Identify the overall purpose of the essay with the thesis (purpose statement). Writers can also include their support directly in the thesis, which outlines the structure of the essay for the reader.

Informative essay body paragraphs

Each body paragraph should contain a topic sentence, evidence, explanation of evidence, and a transition sentence.

A good topic sentence should identify what information the reader should expect in the paragraph and how it connects to the main purpose identified in the thesis.

Provide evidence that details the main point of the paragraph. This includes paraphrasing, summarizing, and directly quoting facts, statistics, and statements.

Explain how the evidence connects to the main purpose of the essay.

Place transitions at the end of each body paragraph, except the last. There is no need to transition from the last support to the conclusion. A transition should accomplish three goals:

Tell the reader where you were (current support)

Tell the reader where you are going (next support)

Relate the paper’s purpose

Informative essay conclusion

Incorporate a rephrased thesis, summary, and closing statement into the conclusion of an informative essay.

Rephrase the purpose of the essay. Do not just repeat the purpose statement from the thesis.

Summarize the main idea found in each body paragraph by rephrasing each topic sentence.

End with a clincher or closing statement that helps readers answer the question “so what?” What should the reader take away from the information provided in the essay? Why should they care about the topic?

Informative essay example

The following example illustrates a good informative essay format:

Free Printable Informative Essay Structure worksheets

Informative Essay Structure: Discover a collection of free printable Reading & Writing worksheets to help students develop strong essay writing skills. Ideal for teachers and learners alike.

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Informative Essay Structure worksheets are an essential tool for teachers looking to enhance their students' reading and writing skills. These worksheets provide a clear and concise framework for students to follow when organizing their thoughts and ideas in a well-structured essay. By incorporating these worksheets into their lesson plans, teachers can effectively guide students through the process of writing an informative essay, ensuring that they understand the importance of writing organization and structure. With the help of these worksheets, students will be able to develop strong writing skills, which are crucial for success in both academic and professional settings. As a teacher, utilizing Informative Essay Structure worksheets in your curriculum will not only improve your students' writing abilities but also foster a deeper understanding of the topics they are exploring.

Quizizz, a popular online platform for creating and sharing educational quizzes, offers a variety of resources for teachers, including Informative Essay Structure worksheets. This platform allows teachers to access a vast library of reading and writing materials, as well as create their own quizzes and worksheets to cater to their students' specific needs. By incorporating Quizizz into their lesson plans, teachers can provide engaging and interactive learning experiences that reinforce writing organization and structure concepts. Additionally, Quizizz offers real-time feedback and analytics, allowing teachers to track their students' progress and identify areas for improvement. With its user-friendly interface and extensive resource library, Quizizz is an invaluable tool for teachers looking to enhance their students' reading and writing skills.

EL Education Curriculum

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• ELA 2019 G8:M2:U2:L9

Write an Informative Essay: Plan Proof Paragraphs

In this lesson, daily learning targets, ongoing assessment.

• Technology and Multimedia

Supporting English Language Learners

Materials from previous lessons, new materials, closing & assessments, you are here:.

• ELA 2019 Grade 8
• ELA 2019 G8:M2
• ELA 2019 G8:M2:U2

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Focus Standards:  These are the standards the instruction addresses.

• W.8.2b, W.8.3c, W.8.4, W.8.5, SL.8.4, L.8.1a

Supporting Standards:  These are the standards that are incidental—no direct instruction in this lesson, but practice of these standards occurs as a result of addressing the focus standards.

• RI.8.1, RI.8.10, W.8.6, W.8.7, W.8.8, W.8.10, SL.8.1, L.8.4, L.8.6
• I can plan Proof Paragraphs for an informative essay that include relevant details, examples, and evidence that support my focus statement. ( W.8.2b, W.8.5 )
• I can present my Proof Paragraphs plan to a partner, using appropriate eye contact and adequate volume. ( SL.8.4 )
• Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 9 ( W.8.2a )
• Work Time B: Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer: Plan for Proof Paragraphs 1 and 2 ( W.8.2, W.8.4 )

• Prepare and ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 9 at each student's workspace.
• Review the Model Essay: "GMOs" and Model Essay: "CSAs," focusing on Proof Paragraphs 1 and 2.
• Strategically group students into pairs for the work in this lesson based on the model essay that matches their research, and with at least one strong reader per pair.
• Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

• Work Times A, B, and C: Prepare a device with a projector to display Entrance Ticket: Unit 2 Lesson 10; Model Essay: "GMOs"; Language Dive materials; and the Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer, or student computers if using digital versions of these documents.
• Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout previous modules to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 8.I.B.5, 8.I.B.6, and 8.I.B.8.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

• To support ELLs, this lesson provides a sequence of tasks that guides students through writing Proof Paragraphs of an essay. In Work Time A, students participate in a Language Dive to analyze the topic sentence of the Proof Paragraph 2 of the Model Essay: "GMOs." Students then analyze the Proof Paragraphs of both model essays and continue to plan their informative essays, working on mapping out their own Proof Paragraphs. A pair-share during Closing and Assessment A offers an opportunity for supportive feedback and learning, as well as oral skills practice.  
• ELLs may find it challenging to plan the Proof Paragraphs of their essays. Allowing time for oral processing before writing may help some students gain clarity around their ideas, and collaborative support from peers will help build students' confidence. Encourage students to refer back to Model Essay: "GMOs" and Model Essay: "CSAs" as needed to remind themselves of the structure and type of content and language that is expected.
• Academic word wall (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening A)
• Model Essay: "GMOs" (example for teacher reference) (from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 7, Work Time A)
• Model Essay: "GMOs" (one for display; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 7, Work Time A)
• Model Essay: "CSAs" (example for teacher reference) (from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 7, Work Time A)
• Model Essay: "CSAs" (one for display; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 8, Work Time A)
• Informative Writing checklist (one for display; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 7, Work Time B)
• Model Essay: “GMOs” (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 7, Work Time A)
• Model Essay: “CSAs” (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 8, Work Time A)
• Painted Essay® template (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 3, Lesson 6, Work Time B)
• Access to Healthy Food: Independent Research note-catcher (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 4, Work Time B)
• Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 8, Work Time B)
• Informative Writing checklist (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 7, Work Time B)
• Independent reading journals (one per student; begun in Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 6, Work Time B)
• Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 9 (answers for teacher reference)
• Equity sticks
• Language Dive Guide: Model Essay: "GMOs," Paragraph 3 (for teacher reference)
• Language Dive: Model Essay: "GMOs," Paragraph 3 note-catcher (for teacher reference)
• Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 9 (one per student)
• Language Dive: Model Essay: "GMOs," Paragraph 3 note-catcher (one per student)
• Language Dive: Model Essay: "GMOs," Paragraph 3 sentence chunk strips (one per group)
• Devices (one per student, if using for planning essays; see Technology and Multimedia)

Each unit in the 6-8 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize students' understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

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