Activities

1. Define and understand the use of transitional phrases and words. 
   
   
2. Recognize how writers use transitions to convey sequence or to signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.

3. Determine effective transition phrases to use in writing.
   
   
4. Classify transition phrases depending on their meaning or purpose.

5. Develop sentences using the generative sentence approach to build stronger, more cohesive sentences. 
   
   
6. Critique a narrative text for words, phrases, and clauses that convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Student defines transitional words as words that connect thoughts.  Students recognize that although these words serve the same purpose, each transition word has subtle nuance and meaning.
   
   
2. Students will recognize transition words and phrases in a written narrative text.  Students will evaluate the effectiveness of those words in conveying sequence or to signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.
   
   
3. Student will identify which transition phrases they are most likely to use.  Using a chart of transition phrases and words, students should look over the words and highlight which word/phrases they could incorporate into their writing.  A good source is http://www.smart-words.org/linking-words/linking-words.pdf.
   
   
4. Students will classify transition words by meaning.  Using a list such as this https://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/lrc/handouts/Revised_Transitional%20Words%20worksheet%2004%203%202007.pdf, students can cut up the words and then organize them into categories of meaning.
   
   
5. Student demonstrates an ability to build strong sentences using a strategy called “generative sentences.”  Teachers can instruct students to write a sentence of a certain word length incorporating each of the transition words.  Teachers can extend this to include new vocabulary words.  This works to develop varied sentence structure and more complex writing.
   
   
6. Student will demonstrate an understanding of how writers and speakers use transitions to build a strong narrative text.  Students can critique the narrative text looking for transitions and how those helped to convey sequence or indicate a shift in time or place.