BELL RINGER

BELL RINGER / EXIT TICKET

Sequencing the News

Grade:

3-5, 6-8

Uses:

Current Events Connection

/ Review of Content or Skill

Materials:

Sequencing the News handout, display, Britannica School In the News! article, coloring supplies, and writing utensils

Description

Students practice sequencing the main events described in a news article.

Preparation

Select a Britannica School In the News! article that aligns with your learning objectives and describes clear sequential events.

Implementation

Display or distribute printed copies of the article along with the Sequencing the News handout. Have students read the article independently and then list the main events in chronological order on the handout. Explain that the article might not describe the events in the order in which they occurred, so students may need to look for clues such as dates.

Teaching Tips

Select news from Britannica School In the News! tailored for elementary or middle school students.
Consider using the Teach Britannica Sequence graphic organizer, to limit students to three key events, or the Storyboard graphic organizer, to encourage drawing instead of writing.
To extend the activity, choose one or two relevant videos or images from Britannica School or Britannica Library, or ImageQuest Jr. to deepen understanding through visual analysis and real-world connections to the topic.

Supporting All Learners

For students needing extra support: Provide sequential sentence starters such as “First…,” “Second…,” “Next…,” “Then…,” and “Finally…” to help organize events in order, and consider limiting the number of events to three or four instead of five.

For advanced learners: Challenge them to analyze the sequence of events to make predictions about potential future outcomes.

For multilingual learners: Pre-teach vocabulary that will appear in the news story and vocabulary related to sequencing (e.g., first, next, later, last), and pair students with supportive peers to draw and label the main events.

Note: Provide accommodations and modifications based on your learners’ needs to ensure full participation.

Skyrocket PreK-2 Curiosity!

In the News