Write several sentences on the board that start the same way, such as, "I made my grandma a card for her birthday" or "I ate cake at the party." Ask your students what all these sentences have in common. If no one figures out the answer, tell them that they all start with the word "I."
Explain to your students that starting your sentences the same way makes your writing boring. Tell them that it's important to change the way you start sentences to keep readers interested and engaged.
Show your students how they can change the way the sentences on the board are written. For example, instead of writing, "I made my grandma a card for her birthday," write, "When my homework was finished, I made my grandma a card for her birthday."
Ask your students to write the sentences you listed on the board in a different way. For example, instruct them to start every sentence with an -ing form of a verb. Walk around to each student's desk to see if they're doing it correctly. After everyone is finished, ask students to write their sentences on the board.
Divide your students into small groups. Instruct each group to come up with five sentences, each sentence beginning differently. Tell them to start their sentences with an adjective, adverb, appositive, prepositional phrase and simile. Once they're finished, ask the groups to share their sentences in front of the class.