Super Sequencing!

First Grade, Second Grade Reading, Writing

by Dee Mulhern July 28, 2015

Teach your students about sequencing with this creative language arts lesson. After putting events in order and
drawing their own stories, kids will be pros at using the words "first," "next," "then," and "last."

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to use sequence words to describe the order of events in a story.

Materials and preparation Key terms

Printed images depicting parts of a morning sequence

routine (e.g. a toothbrush, a bowl of cereal, first
etc.) next
Magnets or tape then
Index cards with sequence words written on last
them
Picture Sequence worksheet
Draw a Story worksheet

Attachments

PDF
Picture Sequencing
PDF
Draw a Story

Introduction (5 minutes)

Ask students to describe their morning routine before coming to school. Let two or three students share
their routines with the group.
Explain that today they will learn the word sequence. Sequence is the order in which things happen.
Good readers need to know about sequence because it helps them understand different stories. Good
writers need to know about sequence because they need to make sure the events of their stories make
sense in order.

Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling (10 minutes)

Tell the students that you would like to share with them the sequence of your morning routine.
As you tell the students your routine, hold up the corresponding printed image for each step. For example
say, "First, I wake up and put on my warm and cozy slippers. Next, I go and brush my teeth using my
purple toothbrush. Then, I go to the kitchen and eat a bowl of cereal and drink some orange juice. Last, I
put on my coat and come to school."
Make sure that you use the words first, next, then and last in your description of your morning routine.
Emphasize each of these words as you speak.
After you have finished describing your morning routine, "accidentally" drop all of the picture cards on
the floor. Pick up the cards and hang them up out of order on the board using magnets or tape.

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 Ask the students if they can help you put the cards in the correct order. Make sure to let students
specifically describe where to place each card.
Guide them towards using the sequencing words. For example, ask questions such as, "What happened
last? What happened first?"
When the cards have been correctly sequenced by the group, explain that you heard the students use
some special words. The words first, next, then, and last are sequencing words. Explain that these
words help tell us the order in which events happened.
Retell the sequence of your morning routine again using the sequence words.
Place the sequence word index cards above or below each picture. Emphasize again that these key words
tell the reader about the order of the story.

Guided Practice (15 minutes)

Tell the students that you have more stories that need to be put in order and labeled.
This time, show the students the Picture Sequencing worksheet. Discuss what is occurring in each
picture.
Separate students into partnerships for a conversation about the sequencing worksheet. Have partners
build on each other's comments or link their comments to the their partner's. Provide some of the
following sentence frames:
"I agree with ____ because..."
"I disagree with ____ because..."
"What you said made me think about...."
Model using the sentence frames with a student if necessary.
Have each student work with a partner to determine which two events likely occurred first. As a group,
write a sentence to describe the events. Make sure to use sequencing words. Tip: allow students to cut
out the events, put them in order, paste them on a white construction sheet, and then write the
sentences if they need addtional support with sequencing the events.
Have students continue to work with their partners, then go over the answers as a group.

Independent working time (15 minutes)

Give each student a Draw a Story worksheet. Have students create at least three more events to
complete the story. Have students label each picture with a sequence word.

Differentiation

Enrichment:

Students in need of a greater challenge can be given another copy of the Draw a Story worksheet to
complete. On this copy, their stories should be as creative as possible.

Support:

Students in need of extra help can be asked to focus on ordering things in the order of beginning, middle,
and end instead of first, next/then, last.
Provide separate paper for writing the sequencing sentences if students need more room to write.

Assessment (15 minutes)

Ask students to use sequence words to describe the pictures they drew while sharing the pictures in
small groups or partnerships.
To assess student understanding over the course of the lesson, walk around the room while students are
working.
At the end of the exercise, collect the students’ worksheets. Review them later for further assessment.

Review and closing (5 minutes)

Call students together as a group. Ask them to tell about the new words they used today. Ask:

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 "Why do good readers and writers need to know and use these words?
"How did you know how to order and label the pictures?"
"What text evidence from the pictures help you determine the sequencing of the pictures?"
During the conversation, model building onto students' comments or linking students' comments.
Remind students that sequence means the order in which things happen. Words such as first, next, then,
and last tell us about sequence.
Encourage students to find these words in their independent reading.

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