Writing Transitions Lesson Plans

Learners create a piece of writing with the help of your classmates. In the second part of this workshop you be editing your piece of writing. This exercise allow you to use your knowledge of grammar in your writing.

Fourth graders analyze the use of transitions in text. In this transitions lesson, 4th graders determine how and why a transition is used at a specific time in a piece of writing. They show transitions by using movements before incorporating transitions in their own writing.

If your students are good with blogs and Google Forms then this lesson could be right up their alley. Students link to a "Transition Word Story" using the class blog then write a transition word story of their own. Links to the class blog and Google docs are included. It you don't have access to the necessary technology simply have students write transition word stories on paper.

Kindergartners will write and illustrate a book about insects. First they will discuss their favorite insect. Then sing songs about them as well as read a book titled Benny the Beetle. In the end, they will write and illustrate a book about their favorite insect.

Students discuss transition metals, where they are located on the periodic table, some of the element in the group, and some characteristics of the group. They work in groups to conduct an experiment in which they mix transition metals and water together to create a homemade hand warmer. Groups experience an exothermic reaction and discuss the results of their experiment.

Students investigate properties of transition metals. In this chemical reaction lesson, students study the properties of transition metals. They will predict and observe a chemical reaction using a transition metal and explain how the chemical reaction observed is a property of the transition metal.

Students discuss transition metals, their properties, and where they are located on the periodic table as well as why transition metals are ideal for coins. After discussion, they conduct an experiment using copper in the form of old pennies and discover the chemical reaction that takes place between copper and oxygen.

Discuss the importance of a lead in writing with your upper graders. They examine several examples of leads from literature and practice writing leads for pieces of artwork. They then select a topic from a list and write an introdutory paragraph using a lead.

And...action! Turn your middleschoolers into filmmakers with this writing and visual arts lesson. After reading Monster by Walter Dean Myers, they create a viewfinder using an empty toilet paper roll to make a storyboard for their narrative movie script. They work through a writing process to write their narrative. 

Relate the structure of the essay to the structure of a building. The class compares an essay to a building, with the writer being the architect, the introduction being the foundation, and so on. They use the visual representation of a building analyze and evaluate essays as they identify the elements included. Great way to introduce solid writing techniques.