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Writing Facts About a Topic

A 40-minute Grade 1 lesson on writing an informative piece that names a topic, supplies facts about it and closes.

Writing Facts About a Topic is a free 40-minute Grade 1 English lesson plan for Common Core standard W.1.2 — write about a topic with some facts and an ending. 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 1
Length:
40 minutes
Standard:
W.1.2

Grade 1 · Writing

W.1.2

Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.

Objective

Students will be able to write an informative piece with a topic sentence, at least three facts and a closing sentence.

Students are successful when they can

  • Writes a topic sentence that names the topic: "Cats are interesting animals."
  • Writes three facts, not opinions: "Cats have whiskers. Cats sleep a lot. Cats clean themselves with their tongues."
  • Ends with a closing sentence: "Now you know some facts about cats."

What you need

  • A class list of ten facts about one topic (collected in the Warm-up)
  • A planner per child: topic sentence, three fact lines, closing
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — collect ten facts

5 min
  1. Choose a topic the class knows well, such as cats. Ask for facts and write ten on the board.
  2. If someone gives an opinion ("Cats are cute"), write it to the side and ask: "Is that a fact? Would everyone agree?" No — it is an opinion.
  3. Say: "Today we write facts only. Facts are true for everyone."

Teach — topic, facts, close

13 min
  1. Write the topic sentence: "Cats are interesting animals." Say: "This tells my reader what I am writing about."
  2. Choose three facts from the list. Write: "Cats have whiskers that help them feel their way in the dark. Cats sleep for most of the day. Cats clean themselves with their rough tongues."
  3. Think aloud as you choose: "I will not use cats are cute — that is an opinion."
  4. Write a closing: "Now you know some facts about cats." Say: "This tells my reader I am done."
  5. Read the whole piece aloud. Ask the class to raise a hand at the topic sentence, count the facts on fingers, and raise a hand at the closing.
  6. Show a piece with no topic sentence: "They have whiskers. They sleep a lot." Ask: "What is this about?" We do not know until later. The topic sentence fixes that.
“Tell your reader what you are writing about. Give them three facts. Then tell them you are finished.”

Guided practice — three facts

12 min
  1. Each child chooses a topic they know a lot about: a pet, a sport, a food, a place.
  2. They tell a partner three facts out loud. The partner says "fact" or "opinion" after each one.
  3. They fill in the planner: topic sentence, three facts, closing.
  4. Then they write the piece from the planner.
  5. Circulate and check facts. If a child writes "Soccer is the best game," ask: "Would everyone agree? What is a fact about soccer?" Help them find one: "Soccer is played with a round ball."
“Tell your partner your facts. Partner, if you hear an opinion, say "opinion" so they can swap it.”

Independent practice

8 min
  1. Students complete the facts page, writing on the lines and using the checklist.
  2. Point to the checklist: topic sentence, three facts, closing.
  3. Ask finishers to add a fourth fact and a picture with a label.

Close

2 min
  1. Read: "Dogs are fun pets. Dogs have four legs. Dogs can bark. Dogs are the cutest." Ask which sentence does not belong.
  2. Fish for "Dogs are the cutest — it is an opinion."

What goes wrong, and why

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

Mixes opinions in with facts: "Cats have whiskers. Cats are so cute."

Why: They care about the topic and their feelings feel like true facts to them.

Fix: Use the "would everyone agree?" test on each sentence. Opinions go in a different piece. Swap the opinion for a fact from the class list.

Starts with a fact and has no topic sentence: "They have whiskers."

Why: They know what they are writing about, so they forget the reader does not.

Fix: Read it to someone who did not see the topic and ask "What is this about?" Their confusion shows why the first sentence must name the topic.

Writes a list of single words: "whiskers, sleep, tongue."

Why: Planning was done in single words, and they copy the plan instead of turning it into sentences.

Fix: Ask them to say each word as a full sentence aloud: "Cats have whiskers." Then write what they said.

If they are not there yet

  • Give the topic sentence and closing, so the child writes only the three facts.
  • Use the class fact list so the child chooses facts rather than thinking of them.
  • Accept labeled drawings for one or two facts.

If they finish early

  • Add a detail to each fact with "because" or "so": "Cats have whiskers so they can feel in the dark."
  • Group facts under two small headings, such as "What they look like" and "What they do."
  • Write a piece on a topic from a library book and name the book.

Exit ticket

Write a topic sentence and one fact about a topic you know well.

What to look for: A topic sentence that names the topic and a true fact: "Frogs are amazing animals. Frogs can jump far." An opinion as the fact means the "would everyone agree?" test is needed. A fact with no topic sentence means they need to read it to someone who does not know the topic.

Printable practice for W.1.2

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

Questions about Writing Facts About a Topic

How long does the Writing Facts About a Topic 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 Facts About a Topic teach?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.2 — W.1.2, Writing for Grade 1: “Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.” In plain terms, write about a topic with some facts and an ending.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

A class list of ten facts about one topic (collected in the Warm-up), a planner per child: topic sentence, three fact lines, closing 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 in with facts: "Cats have whiskers. Cats are so cute."; starts with a fact and has no topic sentence: "They have whiskers." and writes a list of single words: "whiskers, sleep, tongue.". 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 topic sentence and one fact about a topic you know well.” A topic sentence that names the topic and a true fact: "Frogs are amazing animals. Frogs can jump far." An opinion as the fact means the "would everyone agree?" test is needed. A fact with no topic sentence means they need to read it to someone who does not know the topic. 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 Facts About a Topic?

Yes — 1 printable W.1.2 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 Facts About a Topic 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.1.2 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.