Y08W38WR The Great Barrier Reef

Part 1

How to Write

Informative – Informative report

An informative report presents organised information on a specific topic for a defined audience. It is written for readers who need clear, factual knowledge they can rely on. The tone is precise and impersonal — the writer’s role is to explain accurately, not to offer personal views.

  • Ideas & content: Select the most relevant facts for your topic and audience. Prioritise information that builds understanding, and leave out what does not serve the report’s purpose.
  • Structure & cohesion: Divide your report into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Open each paragraph with a topic sentence and use connecting words to link ideas across sections.
  • Voice & audience: Write in third person and maintain a consistently factual tone. Avoid personal opinions or casual phrasing — sound like someone who has researched carefully.
  • Language choices: Use precise, subject-specific vocabulary. Write in the present tense for facts and past tense for historical events. Vary sentence length to maintain readability.
  • Conventions: Spell all technical terms accurately. Use commas, colons and full stops correctly to present information clearly.

Common pitfalls: Including facts without connecting them to your purpose — each sentence should build the reader’s understanding, not just add detail. Losing paragraph structure — keep each paragraph focused on one clear idea.

Part 2

Your Task Plan for Today

The brief

Question: Write a three-paragraph informative piece explaining what the Great Barrier Reef is, why it is significant and what threats it currently faces. Select the most important information for a Year 8 audience and write entirely in your own words.

Stimulus: A community environment newsletter is preparing a special feature on the Great Barrier Reef. Your audience is a mixed community group — some have visited the reef, some have not, but most know it is important and under threat. Write to inform and deepen their understanding.

Task Analysis: This task asks you to explain the Great Barrier Reef in three paragraphs for a Year 8 audience. You must explain what it is, why it is significant, and what threats it faces. A strong response is clear and specific, helping readers understand why this ecosystem matters and why it is under pressure.

Quick Plan

Plan your three paragraphs:

  • Paragraph 1: What the Great Barrier Reef is — its location, scale, composition
  • Paragraph 2: Why it is significant — ecological, cultural, economic
  • Paragraph 3: Current threats and conservation efforts
  • Focus on what a Year 8 reader needs to know.

Define the key concept

Explain what the reef is — where it is, how it is formed, its scale. Help readers visualise it.

Significance

Explain why the reef matters — the biodiversity, the cultural importance, the economic value. Connect it to readers’ world.

Current threats

Be clear about what threatens the reef — climate change, pollution, overfishing. Be specific rather than vague.

Tone & voice

Write with respect for the reef’s importance. Your tone should convey both wonder and concern.

Ending technique

Close on a note that encourages readers to care — why does the health of this reef matter?