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Explain-it explainer
Students become the experts: they research a topic from your current unit, draft by speaking instead of typing, and publish a narrated, illustrated book for a younger audience.
Standards
- CCSS W.5.2 — Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly (introduce the topic, group related information, develop it with facts and details, use linking words, and provide a conclusion).
- ISTE 1.6 Creative Communicator — Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively using digital tools suited to their purpose and audience.
Objective
Students will be able to write an informative text that introduces a topic, groups related facts into sections, uses linking words, and ends with a conclusion — and publish it for a real audience.
Materials & setup
- A short list of topics from your current science or social studies unit.
- 2–3 vetted sources per topic, posted in Google Classroom.
- A paper or digital note-taking organizer (intro / 3 sections / conclusion).
- Voice typing in Google Docs (Tools → Voice typing) — see Speech-to-text & dictation.
- Book Creator (or Google Slides as a picture book) — see Digital storytelling.
- Headsets with microphones if you have them; a quiet corner if you don't.
Lesson sequence
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Day 1
Research and organize
Introduce the task and audience ("a book a 2nd grader could learn from"). Students pick a topic, read the sources, and fill the organizer with facts grouped into three sections.
Tech: Curated links in Google Classroom, with read-aloud available for every source (text-to-speech).
Why it helps: Curated sources keep research focused and safe; read-aloud lets every student access grade-level texts.
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Day 2
Draft by voice, then revise
Mini-lesson on linking words (also, for example, because, another). Students dictate each section from their organizer, saying punctuation aloud, then partner-read and revise.
Tech: Voice typing in Google Docs.
Why it helps: Students' ideas aren't capped by typing speed or spelling — the writing reflects what they actually know. Revision is still required.
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Day 3
Publish and share
Students build one page per section in Book Creator, add a diagram or image, and record themselves reading each page. Finish by sharing with a buddy class or families.
Tech: Book Creator with audio narration.
Why it helps: A real audience raises effort, and reading aloud catches errors while building fluency.
Differentiation
Support
Pre-select one source per section and provide sentence starters for the introduction and conclusion.
English learners
Allow drafting in the home language first, then translate together. Provide a topic word bank with images.
Stretch
Add a glossary page and a labeled diagram, or a "did you know?" sidebar that uses a second source.
Assessment
Score the finished book with a four-criterion rubric built from W.5.2 (see Rubrics that save time):
| Criterion | Look for |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Clearly introduces the topic and its importance. |
| Organization | Related facts grouped into sections with headings. |
| Development | Facts, definitions, and details from the sources; linking words connect ideas. |
| Conclusion | A closing section related to the information presented. |
Sources & further reading
- Grade 5 Writing (W.5) — Common Core State Standards.
- ISTE Standards for Students — International Society for Technology in Education.