I.
Getting
Started/Warm-Up Activity:�������������������������������������������������������������
5 min.
Put
this quotation on the board for students to copy in their notebooks:
�Successful
writers are not the ones who write the best sentences�they are the ones who
keep writing.�� (Bonnie Friedman.)
II.
Review
& Introduction:��������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 10
min.
�We�ve been talking about topic sentences and opening
paragraphs.�
If we have the most beautiful sentences, but the ideas are not
properly connected, no one will appreciate them.� Readers need to be able to follow from one
idea to the next.� We cannot assume
people know what we know, or that they can follow jumbled up writing. �
�In writing, flowing smoothly from one thought to the next is called making transitions.� Does any one know what the word �transition� means?�
(Depending
upon the guesses)� Transition � A
change or passing from one condition, place, thing, activity or topic to
another.� �It is
this last use of change of topic that we need to think about today.�
�I am passing out a list of transition words.� Most of them will not be new to you.� If you look on the Internet, you can find
other lists � some are longer and more complicated.� This is a good list to start with.��
We use these transition words to move smoothly from one thought to another, sometimes within one sentence.� Sometimes we use transition words to tie sentences together, and sometimes we use a transition word to introduce a new paragraph.� We use these words as signals, so that our writing does not jar or confuse the reader.��
�����
�We
are going to practice together using these words, then I am going to ask you to
write two paragraphs using four of these words correctly, to hand in
today.� If we have time, we will read
some of them together.��
National
Standards 4 & 5:
#4
� Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g.,
conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of
audiences and for different purposes.�
#5
� Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different
writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences
for a variety of purposes.
�
NC
Competency goal 6:� The learner will
apply conventions of grammar and language usage.
NC
Objective 6.1: Model an understanding of conventional written and spoken
expression by:� using a variety of
sentences correctly, punctuating them properly, and avoiding fragments and run
on sentences.
Students will learn and use some transitional phrases correctly to add clarity, variety, and logical flow to their writing.��
Middle grade students are capable of incorporating new ideas into their writing, but many of them need to be told specifically what their writing lacks.�
IV.� ���������� Materials
Needed:
Purdue Owl handout on Transitional Devices (Connecting Words) available at http://wl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/print/general/gl_transition.html.
There are many similar lists available on the Internet.
Transparencies made up with sample sentences for guided practice, (see below.)� Students need paper, pens, and writing notebook.
�There
are many different types of transitions in writing; so today we will only talk
about �transitional phrases.�� We can
think of these as �connecting words�, but they are not exactly the same as
conjunctions.
(Remember,
conjunctions are words like �and, but, or, nor� that we use within one sentence
to join words together. Remember the
�Can
anyone guess what the connecting word is in this sentence?�
����� Hercules Hogan was huge, muscular, and athletic; therefore, he was confident he would make the football team.�
�Therefore�
is the transitional word.� Often we use a
transitional word to start a new thought, sentence or paragraph, instead of
using the transitional word within one sentence.�
�How
would I improve these sentences to include a better transition?�
I get thirsty and hot
in class all day with nothing to drink.�
We should be allowed to drink sodas in class.� I know the custodian wouldn�t want to mop up
spills every night.� We�re not babies; we
could clean up if an accident happened.�
I think we would do better work if we could have some caffeine in the
morning.�
Teacher reads aloud, pausing after each sentence,
asking, �Can you think of a transition word that
belongs here?�
.�
Above
paragraph with possible transitional words added:
I get thirsty and hot
in class all day with nothing to drink.� Therefore,
I believe we should be allowed to drink sodas in class.� However, I know the custodian wouldn�t
want to mop up spills every night.� In
fact, we�re not babies, we could clean up if an
accident happened. Furthermore, I think we would do better work if we
could have some caffeine in the morning!�
�In
each transitional spot, there are several different words that would have
worked.� You need to choose words that
feel natural and have the tone you desire in that particular piece of
writing.��
VI.
Independent
Practice:����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 20
min.
�Now, please write (in class) two short paragraphs giving an
opinion about any issue you choose.��
(You can pick an issue like the school dress code, amount of homework
you receive, chewing gum or eating in class, or your family�s rules regarding
bedtime, or curfew.)�� In these two
paragraphs, you must correctly use at least four transitional words from the
handout. �
�����������������������
If
time permits, students should trade with a neighbor to share their choice of
transitional words, and why they picked those words.
�����������
The teacher collects the paragraphs to determine if
the students now understand the appropriate use of transitional words.�
VII.
Closure/Expectations: ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� �3 min.
�Put this handout in your writing
notebook, and keep it for future reference.�
I want to see you try out different transitional words in your future
writings.� If you like, there are other
more detailed lists available, just ask me.��
(If
time remains, teacher can read from student paragraphs, with their permission.)�
Based
upon paragraphs written in class, the teacher should determine if the students
understand how to use these transition words.�
If many do not understand, she should do a read-aloud of a text that
uses many of these words, and point out the appropriate use of transition
words.�
����� After a second assessment of transition
use, the teacher should conference with those students who are still having
difficulty with this concept.� She might
ask them to highlight these words in the next paperback book they read.�
Teachers
and students can find additional transition word websites at:
http://www.uark.edu/campus-resources/qwrtcntr/resources/handouts/transitions.htm
http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/transitions.htm