How to . . .

Teach Instruction and

Explanation Text
in KS3 Science and Design Technology

National Basic Skills Strategy for Wales

The Basic Skills Agency on behalf of the
Welsh Assembly Government
 Pupils are introduced to text types in KS1/2 The main text-types used in KS3 are:
and so many will start KS3 secure in their
• Information
handling of some of the main text type
features and conventions. A significant • Recount
number of pupils, however, will be not be so
• Persuasion
secure and will need intensive support from
subject teachers to develop the writing skills • Discussion
required by KS3 programmes of study. The
• Explanation
leaflets in this series are designed to help
teachers provide that support. • Instructions

This leaflet focuses specifically on Explanation and Instruction Text-types but will begin with a general
model common to all and one which you will find with minor variations in many publications on literacy:

An approach to teaching writing

Engage*
(range of oral/practical activities to engage pupils in a topic
and secure understanding)

Familiarise and Focus

– on text type model
(shared reading/discussion of key features/activities based on text)

Model/Share
(writing frames completed jointly with pupils/
shared writing)

Support/Scaffold
(pupils individually use writing frames to support their writing/
shared proofreading)

Compose/Construct
(pupils structure their own writing/proofread)

* Increasing pupils’ access to subject content (e.g. by engaging pupils in practical activities; by using
visual and verbal stimuli as alternatives to reading; by using differentiated worksheets) is very important
but it is vital that the strategies outlined in the rest of the model are also used in order to develop
pupils’ literacy skills and enable them to progress and become independent learners.
 Instruction Text

Instructions are probably the easiest text-type to

teach. They are found in recipes, leaflets, E-mails
manuals, text-books
• Deleting items

• tells us how to do things

To delete an open item first click on
• starts with the goal or purpose
the file. If you want to delete more
• gives a list of things needed
than one item in a list, click on the
• sets out steps in time order first one, hold down the shift key and
• uses bullet points or numbers press the down arrow. Then either
• often uses one sentence for each press the delete key or right click on
step the list and select ‘delete’ from the
• often starts each step with a verb: drop down menu…
(Place – Add - Pour)
• uses adverbs to make things
clearer: (tightly – carefully)
There are words and phrases for beginning and
• sometimes uses diagrams or connecting sentences which are characteristic of
pictures this text-type:

Examples
Useful connectives in instructive
Recipe writing:

How to make a banana

smoothie (Time/Sequence)
You need:
• first; • then;
1 banana
2–3 handfuls of your favourite fruit • before; • next;
1 pint glass of ice • gradually; • meanwhile;
285 ml single cream
• once; • after
A liquidiser
2 cocktail glasses • when; • while;

• Place the fruit into a liquidiser • finally

• Whizz for 30 seconds
• Add ice and cream
(Add)
• Place lid back tightly
• and; • as well as;
• Pulse the liquidiser a couple of times
on and off, to break up the ice • also; • too;
• Whizz until the liquid is semi-slushy, • however; • despite this;
like a milkshake
• Pour carefully into the two glasses • again; • in addition
 Teaching and learning Strategies

Here are some suggestions for how activities could be sequenced to help pupils learn the skill of
Instruction writing:

What to do . . . Why do it . . . ? Some teaching and learning strategies

Engage pupils in Introduces importance of clarity and • Teacher demonstrates simple

oral/practical sequence • process and asks pupils to provide
activities e.g. – • instructions; teacher follows
simple instruction • instructions making ‘mistakes’ when
giving • they are unclear/in wrong order;
refinement of instructions focusing
on clarity and sequence
• Groups of 3: A observes B
performing actions from written
instructions, then gives oral
instructions to C to repeat sequence
– review differences in performance,
focus on clarity and sequence

Model/Share: Further emphasises sequence • Shared construction of flowchart of

constructing • above process
Flow charts

Focus on different Useful in determining pupils’ familiarity • Class brainstorming – where/when

types of instruction with the features of instructions in • we use instructions, different types
general before focusing on examples • (oral/diagrammatic/written)
specific to Science/Technology • Post it stickers from groups/pairs

Focus on range of Helps pupils to identify the key • Pairs/groups look at two examples,
subject specific features (including language features) • compile list of similarities and
examples of instruction writing as well as why • differences and report to whole class
(e.g. recipes; there can be differences – purpose, • Look at an example together and
operating audience • convert into a flow chart
instructions on • Shared consideration of
packaging and • organisational and presentational
labels/in manuals; • features – where are there changes
signs and notices; • in font and why?
instructions to carry • – why is this in capitals?
out experiments; • – are more diagrams needed?
safety notices) • Shared/pair highlight connectives
• and compile a list of additional ones
• Shared focusing on adverbs and
compiling of a list of adverbs needed
to produce instructions for a
particular investigation/process e.g.
carefully, gradually, vigorously
• Shared/pair ‘translating’ an account
of investigation/process into
instructions
What to do . . . Why do it . . . ? Some teaching and learning strategies

2. Further focus on sequencing • Shared and/or Pair/group re-

ordering of cut out and jumbled up
steps from set of instructions

Use flowcharts/ To provide support and scaffolding • Pupils use flow charts and writing
writing frames • frames to write their own
instructions
• Pupils try to follow each other’s
instructions
• Group design and make a simple
artefact having first created a
flowchart of steps to be taken;
flowchart amended as changes
made; results shared
• Shared/group/individual writing of
more complex instructions for a
filmed experiment/process

Compose/ As pupils become more skilled they • Using IT as much as possible,

Construct can make judgements about • pupils write their own instructions for
instruction writing • a range of purposes, using a range
of organisational and presentational
devices and act as ‘critical friends’
for each other’s results
 Explanation Texts

Explanation texts are more complex than Instructions. Usually they are used to explain processes
or sequences of activity. One of the main things that makes them different from Instructions is the
focus on Cause and Effect, and many pupils find that difficult. It is one thing to describe what you
see when you watch a scientific process or experiment, but another thing to make links and to
speculate about how one thing has led to another.

Explanations are found in text-books, guides A lever is a bar that pivots, or turns,
and manuals, history books
against a point known as the fulcrum to
lift a load. Levers help make work
• tells us how or why something easier not by decreasing the amount of
happens or happened work but by reducing the effort or force
needed to move a load.
• uses paragraphs to give different
reasons or different steps in the
process
There are again words and phrases for beginning
• uses steps in time order and connecting sentences which are
characteristic of this text type:
• uses the present tense: is, are
(except for events in history)
Useful connectives:
• uses an impersonal style

• uses passives (Time/sequence)

• first; • then;
• focuses on cause and effect
• next; • gradually;
• uses technical words • meanwhile; • once;
• sometimes has diagrams • after; • when;
• while; • finally

Examples (Cause)
• because; • therefore;
• as a result of; • so;
The blood returning to the heart from the
• consequently
body is low in oxygen because muscles
and other organs use oxygen taken from (Compare)
the blood. So it needs to pick up some • on the other hand; • although;
more oxygen before being pumped round • however; • compared with;
the body again. The blood from the body • unlike
goes to the right side of the heart, and is (Add)
pumped from the right ventricle through • and; • as well as;
the pulmonary artery to the lungs where it • also; • in addition;
picks up oxygen. • what is more
 Teaching and learning Strategies

Here are some suggestions for how activities could be sequenced to help pupils learn the skill of
Instruction writing

What to do . . . Why do it . . . ? Some teaching and learning strategies

Engage pupils in Explanations are difficult to write so • While engaging pupils with a wide
oral/practical pupils will need to have a really clear • range of visual and active learning
activities: develop understanding of topic before they • resources encourage them to give
thinking skills – begin • explanations for their ideas
cause and effect

Sequencing Flowcharts can also be quite difficult • Teacher modelling the construction
to construct but engaging in the • of a variety of flowcharts, concept
process will help pupils’ • maps, etc
understanding • Display flowcharts and diagrams
• Pair work – sequence simple
explanations on cards, joined by
arrows; produce concept maps
related to simple explanations;
encourage drafting and redrafting
• Shared and/or Pair/group re-
ordering of jumbled up
flowcharts/simple written
explanations

Focus on examples Teaching pupils to identify key • Use shared reading to illustrate a
of Science/ features • variety of explanation formats, such
Technology • as text only, text and diagram, text
explanation texts • with headings
• Teacher models turning a flowchart
into written texts, shared listing of
elements added
• Pairs/groups look at two examples,
and try to identify a common feature
– pupils may struggle to get beyond
differences in subject content and
need a lot of support

Focus on paragraph Teaching pupils to understand how • In shared reading, discuss use and
organisation, paragraphs tend to be constructed – • form of paragraphs – identify general
connectives and general statement, separate stages, • statement, definition of key terms,
use of illustrations definition of key terms, paragraph • separate stages
breaks marking significant stages, • Shared highlighting/ text marking to
links within and between paragraphs • identify common linking words/
phrases.
What to do . . . Why do it . . . ? Some teaching and learning strategies

• Focus on impersonal style – pupils

explain parts of process in own
words and compare with written
version, class discuss reasons for
differences (text needs to be clear,
concise and more formal), practice
turning actives into passives – ‘I
heated the liquid’ /’The liquid was
heated’
• Discuss illustrations, their purpose
and appropriateness during shared
reading
• Further teacher modelling and
shared writing of explanation text

Use writing frames To support and scaffold • Using writing frames pupils write
explanations based on class
resources/demonstrations/practical
activity; and proofread/comment on
the results
• Use writing frames to highlight
effects and their causes, in a variety
of contexts
• Supply pupils with/help them
generate appropriate vocabulary

Compose/ With continued support as necessary • Encourage pupils to produce their

Construct pupils will becoming increasingly • own flowcharts to use alongside
confident in their use of explanation • their own writing
text • Ask pupils to state the purposes of
their own explanation writing (e.g.
‘I’m writing to explain how/why’)
• Ask pupils to ‘headline’ their
explanations with a pithy statement
of purpose
• Ask pupils to write explanations from
class resources/demonstrations/
engagement in practical activity
• Allow pupils access to differentiated
selection of resources to research
specific topics and encourage
presentation in appropriate forms
including paragraphing,
subheadings etc and use of
illustrations, captions, etc).
• Arrange for pupils to write
explanations for specific PURPOSES
and AUDIENCES, e.g. explain earth
food to a Martian
 Progression

Here is an outline of progression in information writing. It should help to pinpoint the skills particular
pupils need to develop:

• Make notes through the use of simple formats, e.g. flow diagrams.
• Use an appropriate writing frame.
• Recognise that there are a variety of explanation formats, e.g. text only, text and
diagram, text with headings.
• Begin to explain cause and effect, e.g. because…
• Know and be able to use more appropriate vocabulary, e.g. crater, lava, erupt

• Organise work in simple paragraphs and be able to use more linking words.
• Begin to recognise and use impersonal styles – use of present tense and passive
voice.
• Use illustrations to support text.
• Identify the purpose of an explanation.
• Use information from a variety of sources to construct an explanation, e.g. wall
chart, diagram.
• Sometimes include information in a logical sequence.
• Link cause and effect in explanations, using linking words, e.g. if, then, when,
because.

• Plan, compose, edit and refine short explanatory texts using reading of a variety
of sources, focusing on clarity, conciseness and impersonal style.
• Use some technical language and terms.
• Use labelled diagrams to support writing.
• Use simple present tense appropriately and consistently.
• Usually include information in a logical sequence.
• Use appropriate passive forms in the majority of cases.
• Alter aspects of an explanation for particular audiences (self, peer, teacher).

• Select appropriate style and form to suit a specific purpose and audience.
• Select and elaborate appropriate information.
• Link information logically, to express cause and effect relationships.
• Begin explanations with a clear statement of fact.
• Express explanation in a logical sequence.
• Include evaluations where appropriate.
• Give explanations that are concise, full, logical and appropriate.
 For further information contact:
The Basic Skills Agency, Commonwealth House
1–19 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1NU
Tel: 020 7405 4017 Fax: 020 7440 7770
E-mail: [email protected]
www.basic-skills-wales.org

For further copies please contact:

The Basic Skills Agency
Admail 524, London WC1A 1BR
Tel: 0870 600 2400 Fax: 0870 600 2401