Sequence
Background Information & Activities

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This movie will explore sequence and introduce common transition words that give clues to the order of events in a piece of writing. You may wish to screen or review the How-To Essay movie in conjunction with this topic. As you explore sequence and other comprehension skills, encourage children to be active readers! They should take notes on the plot or jot down important events and their dates to help them keep track of the sequence.

Remind children that the plot is all the events that happen in a story. Events in a story occur in a certain order. Sequence is the order in which things happen or are described. Read a short book together and analyze the plot and the sequence of events. What happens first? What happens next? What happens last?

Review with children that a transition is a word that connects ideas together. Transitions can describe the order of events or tell about time. Brainstorm transitions together, such as first, second, third, then, next, finally, lastly, before, after, while, and meanwhile. You may want to describe a process or read aloud a how-to essay and have children describe the order of events. Then have children explain how to do something, such as borrowing a book from the library or getting ready for bed, by using time order words. You may also want to tell a story, using the transitions before, after, or meanwhile to show how sometimes events can be told in a different order than they actually happen. For example, you may want to share the following scenario: "First, Moby feeds the dog. Before he gives it a bath, he walks it. Finally, he gives it a treat." Have children tell what happens first, second, third, and last.

Sometimes transitions are called signal words because they signal the reader to pay attention to the order of events. Encourage children to look for signal words as they read and take notes on the sequence of events. They may want to use a graphic organizer, such as a sequence chart or a flowchart to help them take notes. When reading nonfiction, children may want to take special note of important dates. Sometimes events might be presented out of order in a piece of nonfiction writing and the dates are signals about the sequence. They may want to create a timeline to help them keep track of important events.

Remind children to ask questions as they read and take notes about their thoughts, ideas, inferences, and predictions. They should stop occasionally to think and reflect on what has happened. Encourage them to read actively and make connections.

See more lesson plans and resources: BrainPOP Educators.

Sequence Teacher Activities

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Do-It-Yourself

Have students write a do-it-yourself guide to completing an activity. This may be a guide that teaches how to cook something, build something, or even do a dance. Encourage children to be creative! Remind them to use transitions or time-order words as they write their guides. Then have students swap their work and read how to do the activity. Have them circle the transition words their partner used, and follow the guide to learn something new! Afterward, have students talk about how the transition words helped them determine the order of events.

Put it in Order

Have students draw a series of pictures that tell a story. They may want to illustrate a few scenes from a book or even a movie. Then have them cut the pictures out and have a partner put the pictures in order. What clues let them know how to order the pictures? Challenge students to write a caption for each picture, using transitions or signal words where appropriate.

Sequence Family Activities

© 1999-2012 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Our Day

Spend the afternoon with your child doing a few different activities. You may want to go to the park and play a game, or go to the library and hear a read-aloud. At end of the day, have your child describe or write down what happened, using time-order words and transitions. What happened first? What happened next? You may want to write a diary, journal entry, or blog post together.

Recipe

Create a recipe together. You may want to choose something simple, such as making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. List all the materials you need (such as a plate or knife) as well as the ingredients, and measure each one out. Make the dish together. Then have your child write down the recipe using time-order words. You can repeat this activity and create your own kid-friendly recipe book!