CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3c

ELA6th GradeText Types and Purposes

The Standard

Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students connect narrative events so readers can follow the order. They choose varied transitions that clearly mark changes in time or place.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students use words, phrases, and clauses such as “later,” “after lunch,” and “when the rain stopped” accurately. Their narratives move smoothly between events, times, and places.
Common Misconceptions: Students may repeat “then” or “next” for every event. They may choose transitions that do not match the event order. Some shift time or place without giving readers a clear signal.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: Write four narrative sentences using three varied transitions. Include one transition that marks a time shift and one that marks a setting shift.

Lesson moves

Give pairs six shuffled story sentence strips; students order them and add transition cards showing time or setting changes.
Ask, “How does ‘Hours later, across town’ guide a reader differently from ‘then’?” Students explain in two sentences.
Play Transition Swap: students replace repeated “then” words in a short narrative, earning points for accurate, varied choices.
Examine transitions in a sports recap, then write a recap that moves clearly between game moments and locations.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3c, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

Learning progression

If students are struggling here, check these first.

Mastery here sets students up for these next.

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