Lesson video

Hi, everybody.

I'm Miss Gardner.

Thank you so much for joining today's lesson.

I'm really excited for today's learning and I hope you are, too, so let's get started.

In today's learning, you're going to begin writing your explanation text.

So your learning outcome is I can write the introduction of an explanation text about how bees make honey.

Let's have a look at the key words.

We will do my turn and your turn.

Introduction.

Title.

General facts.

Let's have a look at what these mean.

The introduction is the opening paragraph of a nonfiction text that encourages the reader to read on.

The title is the name of the text.

General facts are the most basic or necessary facts, and we include general facts in our introduction about how bees make honey.

We're not gonna go into really specific details about the process in the introduction.

So there are two learning cycles in our lesson today.

The first is preparing to write, and then we will be writing the introduction.

So let's start with preparing to write.

Our explanation text explaining how bees make honey can be structured into three sections.

Firstly, we'll have our introduction, which we're writing today.

Section one will explain everything that takes place within the honey-making process outside of the hive.

And then finally, section two will explain everything that takes place inside of the hive.

And in this lesson, we are writing the introduction.

When we write, we always try to do these things.

Plan and say each sentence before we write it so that we can check and hear if it makes sense.

Use punctuation where we know the rules.

Showcase, show off every sentence that we know, each sentence type, so a simple, a compound, and a complex.

Write letters on the line using joined handwriting.

Use spelling strategies to spell words accurately.

And check and improve our writing when we think we have finished.

I always read back through my work to check if there's any improvements I need to make or any mistakes I need to correct, and that's okay.

So first, let's plan what we are gonna write, because we know that's something we need to do before start writing.

In our introduction, we need to include some general facts about the honey-making process.

There are some general facts that the reader just needs to know about the honey-making process before they can start reading about the more detailed and precise facts.

So making honey is a long, complicated process.

Honey bees make make honey that humans eat.

Honey bees turn nectar from flowers into honey.

And I think this is really interesting, but honey bees are actually the only insect that produce food that humans eat.

So let's check for understanding.

Which two of these are true about the honey-making process? A, it is a complex, natural process.

B, honey is made by humans.

C, bees turn nectar into honey.

And D, one bee produces one kilogramme of honey in its lifetime.

Think about which of these are true based on the general facts we've just learned.

Pause the video now.

Okay, let's go through it.

So A is true.

It is a very complicated, but also a natural process as part of the natural world.

It's not a manmade process.

And C, bees turn nectar into honey.

Yes, that's true.

Bees go and collect the nectar from flowers which eventually becomes honey.

We know it's not B.

Honey is not made by humans, and D, we don't know if that's true just yet, one bee produces one kilogramme of honey in his lifetime.

That was not one of the general facts we've learned.

Well done, everyone.

So now we need to think about our title, what we are going to name our text.

So the title of the explanation text should be eye-catching.

We want the reader to be able to see it and it stand out from the rest of the text.

Encourage the reader to read the whole text.

They wanna see the title and think, "Oh, this looks interesting.

I wanna read on." Be underlined and centrally aligned.

Centrally aligned means it's in the middle of your page in your book.

And be capitalised.

We want every word to start with a capital letter.

That's how titles of explanation texts look.

So for example, "How Bee Make Honey" could be a great title for our explanation text.

You'll notice every word, How, Bees, Make, and Honey, all are capitalised.

They all start with a capital letter, and it is in the central part of the screen, so it'll be in the central part of your page.

Or you could do that, "The Amazing Honey-Making Process." That's quite eye-catching and exciting.

Maybe the reader will want to read on if it's an amazing process, and again, it's underlined and in the middle of the page.

And finally, another option could be "How Bees Produce Sweet Honey." I really like the adjective choice of sweet in this title, and once again, every word is capitalised.

The title is underlined and it is centrally aligned in the middle of the page.

So those are just some options for the title, but you are definitely able to choose whatever you want to name your text.

The purpose of the introduction is to give the reader the most basic information about the subject.

We are not going into the real nitty gritty, detailed facts just yet.

We'll save that for later on in the text.

It is also to tell the reader what they're going to read about.

So they're gonna outline the rest of the text and explain what they're gonna learn, and inspire the reader to read on.

What we need to remember is that the first sentence of the introduction must be general.

So let's check for understanding about the purpose of the introduction.

True or false, this sentence would open an introduction.

The enzymes in the bee's stomach break down the molecules in the nectar.

Is that true or false? Would you find this sentence in your introduction? Pause the video now.

That's correct.

It is false.

Can you use A or B to justify your answer? A, specific and detailed facts about the subject come later on in the report, or B, the introduction opens with a general fact.

Pause the video now.

It's correct.

It is A.

So the introduction can include the following features.

A general fact about the subject to open the text, an expanded noun phrase, an outline of the text explaining what the text will be about, and a command to the reader to continue reading.

So let's look at these in a bit more detail.

An expanded noun phrase or an ENP provides extra information about the noun.

We can use one to describe the honey-making process.

For example, we could describe it as the complex, comma, natural process.

Complex and natural are two factual adjectives.

Or the precise, comma, laborious process.

Precise means it's really accurate and careful.

Every step in the process is really accurate and precise and laborious.

It takes a really long time.

It's hard work.

The long, comma, complicated process.

We know the honey-making process is really long.

It takes a really long time for the bees to produce honey, and it is complicated.

It's not a really simple product to create.

So the listed adjectives I've just talked about, they describe the process in much more detail and they just give the reader a better understanding of what the process is.

But we could also use an ENP to describe the honey bees in further detail.

Instead of just calling them honey bees, we could call them the fascinating, industrious species.

Industrious means really hardworking.

Or you could call them the hardworking, communal insects.

Communal means they're part of a community.

They all work together to produce honey.

And the resourceful, social creature.

Resourceful, it means they're able to use all the natural resources around them to help them produce honey, and they come up with really creative ideas to help them with the process.

And also social, a bit like communal.

They work together.

They're part of a society and a community.

And you'll notice here that actually I used synonyms to refer to the nouns in different ways.

I didn't just keep calling them the bee, the bees, or the bee.

It was species, insects, and creature.

So a different, a synonym for the noun so you're not constantly repeating the bee, bee, bee.

So we are going to do a talk task now.

You need to say the first sentence aloud and include an expanded noun phrase.

So I'm gonna give you a sentence scaffold here to help you.

Making honey is a blank comma blank process, and honey bees have to work hard to turn nectar into honey.

So I need you to pause the video now and say this sentence aloud with two adjectives to describe the honey-making process to either a partner, or to an adult, or just to the screen.

Pause the video now, and off you go.

Okay, well done, everyone.

I wonder which adjective you chose to use to describe the process.

I went for complicated and natural, so I'm just gonna say my sentence again.

Making honey is a complicated, natural process and honey bees have to work hard to turn nectar into honey.

Or you could use other adjective choices.

Making honey is a long, precise process and honey bees have to work hard to produce food for humans to eat.

I wonder which adjective choices you made to describe the honey-making process.

Well done, everybody.

Our introduction must also inform the reader what the rest of the text will be about so that the reader knows what's coming up.

In our explanation text, we will be writing about how bees make honey in two sections.

First section, we'll be explaining what happens outside of the hive.

So when the bees go to collect, go to the flowers to collect the nectar.

And then the second section, we'll be talking about what happens inside of the hive.

So let's check for understanding.

Which two of these will the text have sections about? A, how bees make honey inside the hive.

B, what bees look like.

C, how bees make honey outside of the hive.

And D, what bees eat.

Pause the video now.

Okay, let's go through it.

It is A, how bees make honey inside the hive, and C, how bees make honey outside of the hive.

These are our two sections of our explanation text.

Well done, everyone.

At the end of our introduction, we need a command.

A command encourages the reader to continue reading.

A command starts with an imperative verb.

So for example, read on to find out more about this fascinating species.

Read is an imperative verb.

It tells the reader to do something.

Or, continue reading to learn more about these unique creatures.

Again, continue is your imperative verb, and it comes at the start of your sentence.

Or find out more about this interesting insect in the rest of this text.

Find is your imperative verb.

The reader is motivated and encouraged to continue reading by having a command at the end of your introduction.

It's time for task A, our first practise task of the lesson.

We are gonna be doing a talk task, so you need to be saying the first two sentences of the introduction.

Make sure you include the following.

A general fact about the subject to open the report, so general fact about honey-making.

An expanded noun phrase.

Maybe you could describe the honey-making process in an expanded noun phrase.

And an outline of the report, explaining what the report will be about and what it will include.

So pause the video now and have a go at saying your first two sentences of the explanation text.

Welcome back.

I need you now to hold those sentences you've just said in your head, and think.

Does the first sentence include a general fact? Does the second sentence inform the reader about what the rest of the text will be about? If you don't think you've done that, pause the video now and have another go.

But if you think you did, really well done.

I'm gonna go through now with the sentences I've said.

Making honey is a complicated, long process and honey bees have to work hard to produce enough honey for humans to eat.

This informative text will inform you of the process of making honey in both the outside and inside of the hive.

So let's just check I've got the two things I need to include.

Does my first sentence include a general fact? Yes, it does.

I've explained that honey, making honey is a complicated and long process.

That's a general fact.

Does my second sentence inform the reader what the text will be about? Yes, I've said this text will inform me of the process of making honey in both the outside and the inside of the hive.

Well done, everybody, for working so hard on task A.

It's now time to write our introduction.

Here is your success criteria for today.

Your success criteria is what you're going to be using and referring to as you write to make sure you're including everything you need to make this a really successful piece of writing.

So firstly, I have written a title, then I have written a general fact about the honey-making process, then I have outlined what the report is about, and finally, I have written a command to encourage the reader to continue reading.

So we'll be referring to this throughout our writing of the introduction, to help us.

Okay, it's time for task B, and you are going to be writing your introduction.

Task B, you need to write the introduction of the explanation text about how bees make honey.

You need to use your success criteria to help you structure your paragraph.

So the first thing you need to do is stick in your success criteria and then use your success criteria to help you get started.

Pause the video now, and off you go.

Okay, welcome back, everybody.

We are gonna go through an introduction and check using success criteria if we've got everything we needed to make this a really successful piece of writing.

I'm gonna say it out loud first and then we'll go through the success criteria.

How Bees Make Honey.

Making honey is a complicated, long process and honey bees have to work hard to produce enough honey for humans to eat.

This informative text will inform you of the process of making honey in both the outside and inside of the hive.

Read on to find out more about these fascinating creatures.

Okay, first point on my success criteria.

I have written a title, "How Bees Make Honey." I have underlined, it's capitalised, every word's capitalised, and it's in the centre of my page, so I can give myself a tick.

I have written a general fact about the honey-making process.

I have my opening sentence was, making honey is a complicated, long process.

So that's a general fact, and I said that honey bees have to work hard to produce enough honey for humans to eat, another general fact.

Have I explained, outlined, sorry, what the report is about? I have.

This informative text will inform you of the process of making honey in both the outside and inside of the hive.

So I can give myself another tick.

And then finally, I have written a command to encourage the reader to continue reading.

Read on, read, my imperative verb.

Read on to find out more about these fascinating creatures.

I can give myself a tick.

Well done, everyone, for working so hard on task B.

Let's summarise everything we've learnt in this lesson.

The purpose of the introduction is to give a general fact about the subject, inform the reader of the outline of the text, and encourage the reader to continue reading.

A title is used to name the text.

A command motivates the reader to carry on reading the explanation text.

And finally, the introduction gives brief, general information about the subject.

Well done, everybody, on a fantastic lesson.

I hope you enjoyed it, too.