Lesson Plan #: AELP-INT0202

Focus on Sequencing Skills

Date: January 1990

Grade Levels: Kindergarten, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Subject(s):


Putting ideas in sequence can be difficult for children. Much time is spent working on beginning, middle, and end of a story in the early grades because the logical order of events or ideas is not always equally evident to every child. Sequencing must be practiced often and in many contexts before it becomes automatic for children. The following activities suggest teaching sequencing in several subject context.

Art
Prepare a display of origami animals from an art book. An example of each fold may be placed on the display, with several steps omitted. The students must identify the missing procedures. Grades 3-6.

Health
Select paragraphs or excerpts from books about anatomy or nutrition which describe a sequence of events or activities. Place one of the sentences in the paragraph out of order, and ask the students to find the sentence which is scrambled and makes the reading confused. Students must correct the position of the sentence so that the sequence makes sense. Grades 2-5.

Music
After lessons on reading musical notation, give students sheet music on which notes of a familiar song have been rearranged. The students may be told that the notes on the pages have been mixed up. The students must rearrange the notes in the sequence which produces the song which is familiar to them. Grades 5-8.

Reading/Language Arts
Select a library media center activity which is familiar to students, such as checking out materials, using audiovisual equipment, etc. The sequence of events for the activity may be written out of order on a handout or described on an audio tape. The students must read or listen and identify what is out of order. They may reorder the written sequence or tape a corrected version of the activity. Grades K-5.

Select a story with several versions to tell to the children -- e.g., "Little Red Riding Hood" or a folk tale. The first selection may be read aloudand the students may identify the sequence of events in story and record them on chart paper. The students may then be read other versions of the story and may compare the sequence of events with the first version. Grades 1-4.

A story which has been read to students may be typed on cards, enough cards so that every student involved may be given a card with part of the story typed on it. The library media specialist may explain that they are going to read the story together. Each student will read a part, but they must listen to each reader so that they know when to begin reading their part. Grades 1-4.

Select ten random pictures from a magazine. The students must examine the pictures, put the pictures in an order which tells a story. Students may share individual arrangements of pictures and stories. The library media specialist and students may then discuss why picture sequences may be different even when the same pictures are involved. Grades 4-8.

Students may develop a sequenced vocabulary list using a dictionary and thesaurus. The library media specialist may begin by describing words whichgive clues to sequence -- e.g., first, then, next, in the morning, after, while, finally, meanwhile, etc. Students may use a dictionary and thesaurus to develop a list of these sequence clues. A simple computer database of the words (and definitions) may be developed, if desired. Grades 3-8.

Science
Cut out sequences of events illustrated in a nature or science magazine-- e.g., the eruption of a volcano, the change of seasons, the metamorphosis of tadpoles, flowers to seeds, etc. Mount these illustrations on cards. For each set of illustrations, the students may find a book which describes the event and may put the illustrations in the correct sequence. Grades 1-5.

Social Studies
Play a version of the game, "My Uncle Went to France." In this version, the library media specialist may select Dewy Decimal numbers and topics related to a specific social studies topic. Before beginning this sequence game, the students may introduced to Dewey Decimal Classification numbers and matching subjects which relate to the topic. These may be listed on a large chart. Students may gather in a circle and begin the game. Using a rhythm of slapping their knees twice and then clapping their hands twice, the first student may begin by the game with "Our class is studying _________. "The whole group responds with "What should we find?" The student responds, "I need __ (Dewey Number) __ to learn about __ (corresponding subject)__. "The next student in the circle repeats the first statement and the group again responds. The student gives the number that the previous student mentioned and adds a Dewey number and subject. Play continues until the sequence is missed. Students must then start over. Students may see who can remember the longest sequence of numbers and subjects. Grades 3-6.

Ask students to locate biographical information about a person, using more than one source. Students may be shown the usual time sequence (chronological) in which biographies are written. Ask students to search for a biographical article which differs from chronological sequencing. Grades 7-8.


These integrated lesson plans and suggestions for teaching library and information skills in connection with various classroom subject areas are provided by LMS Associates and were originally published in "School Library Media Activities Monthly". Lessons may be used for the non-commercial purpose of education. All materials are held in copyright by LMS Associates for the magazine, "School Library Media Activities Monthly". For more information, contact, LMS Associates; 17 E. Henrietta Street; Baltimore, MD 21230 410-685-8621.