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Writing a Report With Facts

A 40-minute Grade 2 lesson on writing an informative report that introduces a topic, uses facts and definitions, and concludes.

Writing a Report With Facts is a free 40-minute Grade 2 English lesson plan for Common Core standard W.2.2 — write about a topic using facts and definitions, and end it properly. 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:
Grade 2
Length:
40 minutes
Standard:
W.2.2

Grade 2 · Writing

W.2.2

Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.

Objective

Students will be able to write a short informative paragraph that introduces a topic, gives at least three facts and one definition, and ends with a concluding sentence.

Students are successful when they can

  • Opens with a sentence that names the topic: "Volcanoes are mountains that can erupt."
  • Includes three facts that are true and can be checked.
  • Defines one subject word, e.g. "Lava is melted rock that comes out of a volcano."
  • Ends with a concluding sentence about the topic.

What you need

  • Fact cards on volcanoes (eight short facts, two of them opinions in disguise)
  • Model report "Volcanoes" on chart paper (in the Teach section)
  • A definition frame: "___ is/are ___ that ___."
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — fact or not?

5 min
  1. Read four statements: "A volcano can erupt." "Volcanoes are scary." "Lava is very hot." "Volcanoes are the best mountains."
  2. For each, ask: "Could we check it in a book?" Thumbs up for a fact, down for not.
  3. "Scary" and "best" are opinions. A report only uses facts.

Teach — introduce, fact, define, conclude

13 min
  1. Show the model report: "Volcanoes. A volcano is a mountain that can erupt. Deep under the ground, rock gets so hot that it melts. This melted rock is called magma. When magma comes out of the top of a volcano, it is called lava. Lava can be hotter than an oven. When lava cools, it turns into hard rock. Volcanoes are amazing mountains that are always changing."
  2. Underline the introduction: "A volcano is a mountain that can erupt." It tells the reader what the report is about.
  3. Number the facts: rock melts underground (1), lava comes out of the top (2), lava can be hotter than an oven (3), lava cools into rock (4).
  4. Box the definitions: "This melted rock is called magma." "it is called lava." Show the frame: "Magma is rock that has melted under the ground." A definition tells the reader what a subject word means.
  5. Circle the conclusion. Ask: "How is it different from the introduction?" Fish for "it sums up" or "it says something about the whole topic."
  6. Model starting a new report live on camels: "Camels are animals that live in deserts." Ask the class for a fact and a definition: "A desert is a place with very little rain."
“A report teaches the reader. Tell them the topic, give them facts, explain any hard words, then wrap it up.”

Guided practice — sort and write

12 min
  1. Give pairs eight fact cards on polar bears, including two opinions: "Polar bears live in the Arctic." "They have a thick layer of fat called blubber." "Their fur looks white." "They swim very well." "They eat seals." "Their skin is black." "Polar bears are cute." "Polar bears are the best animal."
  2. Pairs remove the two opinions, choose three facts, and find the subject word to define (blubber: a thick layer of fat).
  3. They write an introduction together and read it to another pair.
  4. Share: which three facts did you choose and why?
“Ask of every sentence: could I check this in a book?”

Independent practice

8 min
  1. Students complete the printable. One sheet gives a report topic, such as volcanoes or camels, with a checklist for the introduction, facts, definition and conclusion; the other asks them to number the stages of an explanation in order.
  2. Remind them to use the definition frame for at least one word.

Close

2 min
  1. Ask a child to read only their definition sentence. The class says which word it defines.

What goes wrong, and why

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

Mixes opinions into the report: "Volcanoes are cool and scary and lava is awesome."

Why: They are excited about the topic and do not yet see that a report and an opinion piece do different jobs.

Fix: Use the "could I check it?" test on each sentence and move opinions to the bottom of the page as "my thoughts" if they want to keep them.

Writes a story instead: "One day I went to a volcano and it erupted."

Why: Stories are the kind of writing they have done most, so "write about volcanoes" turns into a story with a volcano in it.

Fix: Put a story opening and a report opening side by side. Ask: "Which one teaches facts?" Point out reports do not use "I" or "one day."

Uses a subject word without explaining it: "The magma came up."

Why: Once they know a word, they assume the reader knows it too.

Fix: Ask a partner to point at any word they would not understand, then add a definition sentence using the frame "___ is ___."

If they are not there yet

  • Give the introduction ready-written; the child adds two facts and the conclusion.
  • Provide the facts on cards so the task is choosing and copying, not remembering.
  • Give the definition frame with the word already in: "Lava is ___."

If they finish early

  • Add a fact box or a labeled drawing with a caption to the report.
  • Write two short paragraphs with a subheading each, such as "What is a volcano?" and "What happens when it erupts?"
  • Find one fact in a second book that adds to the report, and write where it came from.

Exit ticket

Write a definition sentence for "desert" and one fact about deserts.

What to look for: e.g. "A desert is a place that gets very little rain." plus a checkable fact. An opinion ("Deserts are boring"): fact versus opinion needs revisiting. A definition that only names an example ("The Sahara"): show the "___ is a place that ___" frame again.

Printable practice for W.2.2

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

Questions about Writing a Report With Facts

How long does the Writing a Report With Facts lesson take?

40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 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 a Report With Facts teach?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.2 — W.2.2, Writing for Grade 2: “Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.” In plain terms, write about a topic using facts and definitions, and end it properly.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

Fact cards on volcanoes (eight short facts, two of them opinions in disguise), model report "Volcanoes" on chart paper (in the Teach section), a definition frame: "___ is/are ___ that ___." 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: mixes opinions into the report: "Volcanoes are cool and scary and lava is awesome."; writes a story instead: "One day I went to a volcano and it erupted." and uses a subject word without explaining it: "The magma came up.". 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: “Write a definition sentence for "desert" and one fact about deserts.” e.g. "A desert is a place that gets very little rain." plus a checkable fact. An opinion ("Deserts are boring"): fact versus opinion needs revisiting. A definition that only names an example ("The Sahara"): show the "___ is a place that ___" frame again. 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 a Report With Facts?

Yes — 1 printable W.2.2 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 a Report With Facts 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.2.2 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.