Title: How to write an instruction

Lesson plan elaborated by: Magdalena Trysińska

Topic:

We write an instruction, or important tips.

Target group

7th‑grade students of an eight‑year elementary school.

Core curriculum

II. Language education

2. Differentiation of language. Student:

1) recognises the diversity of vocabulary, including recognizing national vocabulary and limited vocabulary (eg scientific terms, archaisms, colloquialisms); recognizes native and borrowed words, knows types of abbreviations and abbreviations - defines their functions in the text;

7) understands the concept of style, recognizes colloquial, official, artistic, scientific and journalistic style.

III. Creating statements

1. Elements of rhetoric. Student:

1) functionally uses rhetorical means and understands their impact on the recipient;

3) creates a statement using the appropriate composition for a given form and the principles of linguistic consistency between paragraphs; understands the role of paragraphs as a coherent whole of thought in the creation of written utterances and applies the paragraph rhythm (interweaving of paragraphs longer and shorter).

IV. Self‑study. Student:

1) reliably, with respect for copyrights, uses information;

6) develops skills of independent presentation of the results of his work;

8) develops the ability to think critically and formulate opinions.

The general aim of education

The student develops the ability to read and write instructions.

Key competences

• communication in the mother tongue;

• communication in foreign languages;

• learning to learn;

• social and civic competences.

Learning outcomes

Student:

• educates the ability to read with understanding;

• performs activities in accordance with the instructions;

• can write the text of the instruction;

• uses the correct verb forms.

Teaching methods / techniques

• problematic: directed conversation;

• programmed: using a computer and e‑textbook;

• practical: subject exercises.

Forms of work

• individual uniform activity;

• collective uniform activity;

• group activity.

Before the lesson

The teacher asks the students to write instructions on how to make a jam sandwich.

Lesson plan overview (Process)

Introduction

1. The teacher defines the purpose of the course, which is to learn how to write instructions and formulate thoughts precisely. Together with the students, the teacher sets the criteria for success.

2. Introduction to the topic: a talk on non‑literary texts, including instructions. The teacher draws attention to its affinity to a tip, recommendation or command, as well as with the programming language. The teacher asks the students if they read instructions and whether these are texts are easy to receive.

Realization

1. The teacher draws a few works prepared as part of the homework. Then, either alone or with the help of assistants, the teacher runs a simulation of sandwich preparation according to the instructions the appropriate ingredients must be brought to the class). Thus, the teacher checks the accuracy of the written instructions. The effect should be similar to that achieved in „Exact Instructions Challenge - THIS is why my kids want to kill me. | Josh Darnit” on YouTube.

2. The teacher displays the mixed points of the toaster manual on the board (ex. 1 in the abstract). The students' task is to arrange the points in the correct order.

3. The teacher asks the students to pay attention to the verbs with which the sender addresses the recipient. Students select verbs in the imperative mode (ex. 2). They think about why such a form is preferred in the instruction manual.

4. The students arrange in sequence the instructions for hand washing (ex. 3 and 4) – they look at the illustrations in the abstract or displayed on the board beforehand. They form individual points of the instructions. They can do this task in pairs.

5. Summary of the first part of the lesson. Students write down a list of rules for creating instructions, and then they read the material on this subject in an abstract.

6. Students do ex. 5 from the e‑textbook, which consists in rewriting the directions. The students then read out their proposals, compare them with each other and choose the one that best meets the requirements of the instructions (are concise and understandable).

7. The teacher displays table from the e‑textbook showing a general instruction model. The students then search the Internet for the instruction manual of any device and compare it with the presented model – they indicate the individual parts, pay attention to their function.

8. Working in groups, the students do exercise 7. from the e‑textbook: they choose one person who will make paper spatial figures (e.g. aircraft model, ship model or a paper painter’s hat). Observing his/her activities, the rest of the students write them down in a table, in a notebook or on the board. At the end, they edit the instruction. They present it to other group. They check if the representatives of the other group are able to use it.

Summary

1. The teacher asks the students what they have learned today and if they found the lesson interesting. The teacher asks the students to perform self‑assessment of their individual work during the lesson. For this purpose, the teacher can use a previously prepared questionnaire or a decision tree, or can carry out the assessment orally.

2. Summary questions:

• What verbal mode do we use when writing the instructions and why?

• Good instruction – what is it? What elements does it consist of?

Homework

Use the genre template below and prepare your own instruction. This could be, for example, an instruction entitled: How to tell a funny joke?

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

How to write an instruction

In everyday life we very often come across functional texts. One of them is instruction which is related to such genres as guidance, recommendation, command. The aim of all these forms is to describe in a very simple and unambiguous way the rules of conduct and operation in specific situations. Instructions are not always easy to read – but they are very useful, especially if you want to do something efficiently.

Instruction is a genre in which the recipient is the most important. It is also a functional text. It is necessary to communicate in simple words who and how should act, how to use something properly. A concise but well thought‑out composition is very important in instructions. So how to write an instruction?

1. First of all, we distinguish two types of instruction: user’s, maintenance instruction, e.g. of an object, device; operating instruction, e.g. quick, ad hoc handling of matters that endanger our safety („fire instruction”), and longer operation, even consisting of multi‑stage activities („instructions for completing the document”).

2. Secondly, it is important that the content of the instruction is arranged in chronological order (i.e. each action described should precede the next one). First of all, it is necessary to predict how the instruction will be read by the recipient and what he/she will do (this condition must be met even when writing genres related to an instruction such as a “culinary recipe”). What forms should be used? Verbs in 2nd person imperative („prepare”, “go”, “exchange”, “use”). The expressions communicating that something is ‘allowed – forbidden’ („mind”, “remember”, “do not do something”) – are important in the description of devices, e.g. electronic. They warn of danger. Phrases that describe the next steps (e.g. “first”, “then”, “after”, “now”, “immediately after”) – it is worth to associate them with the style of the culinary recipe. Before writing an instruction one should think about its stages – they should be graphically distinguished. More and more often there are instructions in which the words are accompanied by pictures, such as instructions for efficient evacuation in the means of transport. Anyone who has ever been on a plane could (and had to!) listen to such instruction before taking off.