Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Common Core State Standards, Grade 5, Writing · Read it at the source · Checked October 14, 2026
What W.5.2 Means in Plain English
Fifth graders explain a topic so a reader learns something: an opening with a general observation, facts, definitions and quotations grouped under headings, precise words like “evaporate” instead of “the water goes away,” links such as in contrast, and a closing section.
Fourth graders (W.4.2) link ideas within a category. Fifth grade asks for links across categories too, with words like in contrast and especially, and a clear focus stated up front. Sixth grade (W.6.2) adds strategies such as cause and effect and a formal style.
W.5.2 I Can Statements
I can open with a general observation and a clear focus.
I can develop each section with facts, definitions and precise vocabulary.
I can link ideas across sections and close with a concluding section.
W.5.2 Worked Example
Both paragraphs are accurate. The difference is how much a classmate would actually learn from each one.
Prompt
Explain how honeybees turn nectar into honey. Write a paragraph a classmate who knows nothing about bees could learn from, using facts from our science reading.
Not YetBees make honey. They get it from flowers and bring it back to the hive. Then it turns into honey. Honey is really sweet and I like it on toast.Nothing in it is wrong, but “it turns into honey” skips the whole process, nectar is never named or defined, and the last sentence swaps information for the writer’s taste.
Meets the StandardEvery jar of honey starts as nectar, a sugary liquid that flowers make to attract insects. Forager bees sip the nectar and carry it home in a pouch called the honey stomach, where enzymes begin to break down the sugars. Fresh nectar is very watery, which is a problem, especially for food that has to last all winter. To thicken it, the bees spread it into honeycomb cells and fan their wings until much of the water evaporates. In contrast to the thin nectar they started with, the result is thick honey, and the bees seal each cell with a cap of beeswax. That sealed honey is the food the colony lives on until flowers bloom again.The first sentence defines nectar and sets the focus. Each step arrives in order with its exact term (forager, honey stomach, enzymes, evaporates, beeswax), “especially” and “in contrast” link the ideas, and the last sentence closes the explanation.
Moves to Use
Open with a general observation that sets the focus.Define the key term the first time it appears.Name each step of the process with its exact science word.Link ideas with words like especially and in contrast.Close with a sentence that shows why the process matters.
Common Mistakes with W.5.2
Headings that do not match their section
A heading “Where Bees Live” over a section about making honey
Try this: Have students write each heading after the section is drafted, as a short answer to “What is this part about?”
Everyday words where science words belong
“The bees do stuff to it and it gets thick.”
Try this: Give a word bank for the topic (nectar, enzyme, evaporate) and ask students to replace every “stuff” and “thing” with one of them.
Ending on an opinion or a stray fact
“Honey is the best food ever. Also, bees can sting.”
Try this: Teach the closing as a look back: one sentence that answers “So what does all of this add up to?”
Writing Prompt GeneratorFree ToolAn informative prompt for 5th grade when you want a topic outside the current science or social studies unit.InformativeGrade 5On screen