Lesson focus: Transition Statements

CCCS: W.4.4- Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization
are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
Objective: Students will improve the transition statements that they have written in their
personal essays.

Connections

Teaching

Active
Engagement

Link

Independent
Work Time

Writers, you have been working on your personal essays lately during
writing workshop. Today, I am going to teach you some transition
words and statements that you can use in your personal essays that
will improve your essays and also improve other writing pieces you
do.
Ask- Does anyone know what a transition word or statement is?
Explain- A transition statement or word creates a link between our
thoughts in our essays.
Let me show you some examples.
First, Second, Third
Also, Next, For instance
Dogs are better than cats. First, they are more fun to play with.
Next, they are easier to care for. Lastly, dogs will go swimming
with you.
Now we are going to going to come up with some transition
statements and words together. Turn and talk with a writer next to
you and come up with some transition statements and words, then
we will come together and make a chart on the board with some of
our transition words.
Once turn and talk is done, the student will raise hands and tell
me transition words/statements to write on the board
Ok writers, now that you know about transition words and
statements; you have this knowledge to use in your personal essays
and all of your other writings to help you improve.
Now it is time to go back to your desk and work on your personal
essays. I want you to pick one of the paragraphs that you have written
and circle all of words that you can change into transition words or
underline where you can put a transition word. Then go in and add
your transition words. Can I have a thumbs up if you are ready to go
back to your seat and work on your personal essays?

Informal assessment: I will be assessing students during their turn and talks, based off of who
volunteers to have an answer on the board, and the thumbs up at the end. I will base my small
group instruction off of this informal assessment.
Individual Conferencing: After small group is done, I will go around and conference with
students individually to check for comprehension.

Workshop Interruptions: I will stop students during workshop to show good ideas as I see them
throughout the workshop.
Closure: When we are wrapping up I will reiterate the link that was taught during the carpet
time. I will also have a chart will a list of transition words and statements on it. I will have the
students look at the chart and see if they want to fill in any words that they think are important
to add to the list.