Middle School Transition School Counseling Bundle for 4th, 5th, 6th Grade

Help your 4th, 5th, or 6th grade students ease their worries about the middle school transition and amplify their excitement with EIGHT middle school transition resources! Includes middle school FAQs, how to open combination locks for lockers, exit interviews, Venn Diagram activities, a foldable book, task card scoot game, and writing prompts.

Teach this unit before taking your students on a tour of their respective middle schools or before they visit for orientation! They can write down any questions on their mini book and take it with them!

Middle School Transition FAQs Lesson:

Ease your fourth, fifth, or sixth grade students' worries and fears about the middle school transition with this lesson of frequently asked questions by rising middle schoolers during this classroom counseling and SEL guidance lesson.

Students will discover that their peers have many of the same questions about middle school as they do. You'll facilitate active, engaging discussions using the included topics before they head to middle school, from lockers to meeting new friends, to the cafeteria!

End of Year Transition Advice Writing Prompts:

Boost your students' confidence at the end of the year by encouraging them to write transition advice to the incoming class using writing prompts with "Advice for the Student Who Will Sit at this Desk Next Year."

Students in grades 3-12 will consider what they've learned and impart that wisdom to rising students with these EOY writing prompts.

Your 28-page PDF includes several versions of the writing prompt.

Choose from multiple design options, including both boy and girl clipart!

Two of the prompts have color versions, perfect to display or to include in a transition advice video.

How to Open a Combination Lock

Are your students worried about opening lockers? Help ease their nerves about the middle school transition with this favorite classroom lesson on how to open a combination lock! Students will practice opening locks you provide and even participate in a relay race.

The lesson includes:

• Detailed 2-page lesson plan with ASCA alignment/objectives
• 2 versions of a Master List for keeping track of up to 40 combination locks so you can record combinations and which students have checked them out
• Icebreaker question
• Locker FAQs: 9 Frequently Asked Questions students ask about lockers
• Strategies and suggestions for memorizing a locker combination
• Instructions for how to open a combination lock
• Troubleshooting slide for commonly mistakes
• Relay Race instructions for a classroom game!
• Alternate game instructions, including a faster version to play in a small group or classroom setting. (Locks not included!)

Educators like you are saying:

"My favorite part of this packet was the Master list to help me organize the combinations with my locks. The kids favorite was the combo relay race...super fun way to kick off my middle school transition unit! Thanks!" - Debbie B.

End of Year Student Exit Interview Program Survey

Collect EOY data for your school counseling program by administering student exit interview surveys! Choose from multiple versions specific to 5th graders and the middle school transition OR your students in any grade level at the end of the year! Writing prompts include favorite privileges, what your students will and will not miss, and more! They'll also write advice to rising students transitioning up to their grade level.

Your 8-page PDF download includes two variations of the survey. Choose from color and printer-friendly, blackline versions of each. One version is specific to 5th graders and their transition to middle school, and one version can be used for students in any grade level.

Educators like you are saying:

"I used this with my outgoing 3rd graders and they loved being able to be “interviewed” and get to talk to the counselor about their transition worries!: - Casey D.

Middle School Transition EOY Venn Diagram Activity

Help your 5th grade students prepare for the middle school transition with this set of four Venn Diagrams comparing and contrasting elementary school to middle school, 5th grade to 6th grade, and more! Use in your middle school transition unit or individually when a student is moving away to a new school or a new student is transitioning to your school.

The Venn diagram activities are perfect for:

• Middle school transition
• EOY activity (any grade)
• Students moving away
• New students

Your students will work individually or collaboratively to compare & contrast:

• Elementary School and Middle School
• 5th grade and 6th grade
• This Year and Next Year
• Old School and New School

Educators like you are saying:

"I used this in a counseling mini-session and it was a perfect introduction activity. Thanks!"- Emily M.

"Students loved talking about the transition to middle school and these diagrams helped to alleviate some stress." - Alexandra J.

Middle School Transition Lesson Short Writing Prompts for EOY

Address your rising middle school students' most common worries and fears about their middle school transition with three short writing prompts to normalize fears and facilitate engaging discussions about middle school!

For use:

Your 5th or 6th grade students will respond to 3 short writing prompts. Elevate the activity by asking students to cut out their 3 responses and drop into a corresponding bag or box labeled with “Unknown,” “Excited About,” and “Worried About.” Easily disaggregate the responses with included labels.

Educators like you are saying:

"Thank you. Great organizer of thoughts for our nervous future middle schoolers." - Sara S.

"My students loved this activity! Great way to work through the transition to middle school." - Rhiannon P.

Middle School Transition Counseling Lesson & Foldable Mini Book:

Facilitate engaging discussions as they make a tangible book to record questions about middle school, complete a maze, learn how to open lockers, make friends, and more!

You'll have instant access to a detailed lesson plan with ASCA Standards and five printables with discussion prompts that encourage your students to move around the room answering questions in their foldable mini book. Follow up with an engaging discussion.

Students will keep their mini books and use them as a place to record questions and their future locker combination.

Your students will explore:

• What I'm excited about...
• What I'm worried about...
• People who can help me
• What if I get lost? Maze with tips
• Opening a combination lock for lockers
• Making friends
• Questions I have...

Educators like you are saying:

"Students loved talking about the transition to middle school. The mini book was a nice resource for students to take home with them to continue the conversation." - Alexandra J.

"Used with a middle school transition camp for rising 6th graders. Gave the students an opportunity to have something tangible to take home at the end of camp! It was very helpful!" - Amy T.

Middle School Transition Task Card Scoot School Counseling Game

Ease your rising middle school students' worries about their middle school transition with an engaging, movement-based classroom task card scoot activity! They'll respond to 30 True or False prompts about the middle school transition during this school counseling and SEL game. A master list and an answer key are included for your convenience!

To play:

Scatter the 30 task cards around the room and give each student a response grid. Students will read each prompt and circle whether they think the statement about middle school is True or False.

Facilitate engaging discussions about the middle school transition as you review their responses together!

Implement in your:

• Large group classroom lesson
• Middle school orientation
• Small group counseling session activity
• Summer school activity

Educators like you are saying:

"This scoot game was a fun and interactive way to teach sixth grade students about their transition to middle school! Many of the students enjoyed this resource and it helped answer a lot of questions." - Kelsey B.

"It's that time of year again when our 5th graders are looking toward middle school and our 4th graders are getting ready to be top dogs on campus. This was a fun and engaging resource for my 4th and 5th graders!" - MaryBeth F.

"Great way to have conversations with my 6th graders about going into middle school. This opened a lot of conversations." - Jennifer S.

Looking for a no-prep, digital Middle School Transition Lesson? Find it here!

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