Researching facts
Choose a plant or animal you like. Then find facts from reliable places: a school library book, a science website of a museum or university, or an adult who knows (a farmer, a teacher).
- Write the fact in your own words. Do not copy.
- Check each fact in two places.
- Pick three: how it looks, where it lives, and one surprising thing.
- Write down where you found it, so you can say it when you present.
Designing the poster
Use the four parts:
- Title: big letters, two or three words, top of the poster.
- Picture: one large picture, drawn or printed, with a label.
- Facts: three short facts with space between them. Use a different colour for the key word.
- Border: a simple border to finish it.
Leave empty space. A crowded poster is hard to read. Use dark letters on a light background.
Describing in simple English
Use the simple present for facts: A sunflower grows tall. It turns to the sun. A goldfish lives in water. It breathes with gills. Use numbers when you can: It can grow 3 metres tall.
Also use words like because and so for one idea: The sunflower turns to the sun because it needs light.
Try it
Take an A3 or a big sheet. Choose one plant or animal. Write the title first, draw the picture, then add three facts and a border. Stand three steps back. Can you read all of it? If not, make the letters bigger.
Key formulas and definitions
- Poster = Title + Picture + Facts + Border
- 3 facts = look, home, surprise
- Facts in the simple present: It lives... It eats...
- Check every fact in 2 places
Worked examples
1. Pick the best title for a poster about elephants: "Elephants", "Everything I Know About Elephants and Their Lives in Many Countries", or "El".
"Elephants". It is short and big enough to read from far.
2. Write three facts for a poster about the banyan tree.
It is the national tree of India. It grows roots from its branches. It gives shade to many animals.
3. Fix this sentence for a poster: "Peacock are very much beautiful and live in many places."
"Peacocks live in India. The male has a long, bright tail."
Common mistakes
- Copying long sentences from a book or website instead of writing short facts in your own words.
- Putting too many words and pictures, so nothing stands out.
- Using small letters or light colours that cannot be read from a distance.
- Not checking the facts, so a wrong fact goes on the poster.