Note on English and Reading Transitional Curriculum Frameworks

Note on English and Reading Transitional Curriculum Frameworks

The activities in the English Curriculum Framework can be pulled into the Reading framework to provide skills-based lessons that supplement the reading work happening in those lessons. A sample series of activities, using all six strands of the College Readiness Standards, has been developed as an example of how to use these activities with the Reading texts located in the Reading Curriculum Framework.

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  Increase the likelihood for successful performance at benchmark on the PLAN assessment.
  

Each individual teacher who teaches this course will need to be very intentional, very purposeful with their planning. Each unit in the transitional course framework contains resources, activities, and strategies to use with texts. The teacher will need to consider the needs of the students and choose the activities that best meet their needs. Not every activity will work with every group of students, and sometimes a combination of activities may be paired or partnered in a group setting so that different groups of students complete different activities.

2. Some type of collaborative or small group work

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  Literacy Leader: Gradual Release of Responsibility
  

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  Program Research: A Gradual Release of Responsibility
  

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  Literacy Reader: Eight Best Practices in Writing
  

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  Language Arts: Secondary Language Arts Writing
  

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  Integrating Reading and Writing Instruction Into Content-Area Classrooms
  

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  Writing Across the Curriculum: The Importance of Integrating Writing in ALL Subjects
  

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  Key Literacy Component: Writing (National Institute for Literacy)
  

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  http://wac.colostate.edu/
  
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  http://www.uwlax.edu/catl/writing/index.htm
  
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  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
  
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  http://www.nwp.org/
  
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  http://carnegie.org/fileadmin/Media/Publications/WritingToRead_01.pdf
  
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  http://www.all4ed.org/files/WritingNext.pdf
  

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  Give frequent, early, positive feedback that supports the students’ beliefs that they can do well
  
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  Ensure opportunities for student success by assigning tasks that are not too easy or too difficult
  
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  Help students find personal meaning and value in the material
  
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  Create a positive, open, atmosphere in the classroom
  
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  Help students feel they are a valued member of a learning community
  

By the same token, students should also be actively engaged in goal setting. A teacher can help students see the best direction to take, and help students set small goals along the way in order to reach those goals.

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  Vanderbilt University, Center for Teaching
  

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  Student Goal Orientation, Motivation and Learning
  

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  Enhancing Students’ Motivation
  

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  Help Students Set Goals
  

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  Classroom Assessment for Student Learning: Doing It Right- Using It Well by Rick Stiggins, Judith Arter and Jan and Stephen Chappuis
  

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  Seven Strategies of Formative Assessment by Jan Chappuis
  

There is also a training module on Building a Community of Learners available through KDE with the Kentucky Cognitive Literacy Model (KCLM). You can access this training at the following link: http://www.education.ky.gov/KDE/Instructional+Resources/Literacy/Kentucky+Cognitive+Literacy+Model.htm

Grammar Girl: http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/

Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

ReadWriteThink: http://www.readwritethink.org/

SAMPLE ACTIVITY SERIES
The following activities were selected as a sample means of integrating the skills from the English curriculum framework into the Reading curriculum framework. Each activity addresses one of the six strands listed under the College Readiness Standards in English:

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  Topic Development in Terms of Purpose and Focus
  
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  Organization, Unity, and Coherence
  
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  Word Choice in Terms of Style, Tone, Clarity, and Economy
  
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  Sentence Structure and Formation
  
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  Conventions of Usage
  
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  Conventions of Punctuation
  

The skills covered by these activities fall within the 13-15 scoring range, although some activities (where noted) will also include skills addressed in the 16-19 scoring range.

Each activity is designed to provide 10-15 minutes of work for students, including a brief skill review from the teacher and then group and/or individual student practice. These can be used at any point in the unit.
It is important to note that ANY of the activities that have been created for the English Curriculum Framework can be integrated into the Reading units from the Reading Curriculum Framework. Many of these activities require minimal prep time and can be adapted for use with the included reading texts or with texts selected for your classroom units. You can choose to use an activity from each strand, as we’ve shown here, or you can choose to focus on particular strands and skills, depending on the needs of your students.

Theme: The Science of Star Wars

Activity #1: Topic Development in Terms of Purpose and Focus

Text: “R2-D2 and C-3PO: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” excerpted from The Science of Star Wars by Jeanne Cavelos (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=star-wars-science-droid-dreams)

College Readiness Standards: TOPIC DEVELOPMENT There are no skills identified for the 13-15 range; however, the Ideas for Progress notes (http://www.act.org/standard/planact/english/p1.html) indicate that students should practice identifying sentences that convey the main idea of a passage.

KY Academic Standards: R.CCR.2- Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key and supporting details and ideas

Skill Review: Main Idea The main idea of passage is the point that the author is trying to make. Everything else in the passage should be connected to the main idea. Sometimes the main idea is STATED, meaning that the author comes right out and tells you what the passage is about. Sometimes the author simply IMPLIES the main idea, and the reader must connect the various details to come up with the author’s purpose. To identify the STATED main idea, follow these four steps: 1. Read the passage. 2. Ask yourself, “What is this passage about?” 3. Explain the answer to #2 in one sentence, using your own words. 4. Look for the sentence in the text that most closely matches your answer. To identify the IMPLIED main idea, follow these four steps: 1. Read the passage. 2. Ask yourself, “What do each of the details in the passage have in common?” 3. Express this idea in your own words. When choosing a main idea from questions that give you several options from which to choose, make sure that you don’t make the following common mistakes: 1. Selecting a main idea statement that is too narrow. 2. Selecting a main idea statement that is too broad. 3. Selecting a main idea statement that has the right level of complexity but means the opposite of the author’s intended purpose.

Optional Skill Review Activity: Keep It or Junk It Students read a specific text in small groups, and then they mark the words they feel are most important in the text. Then, they list these words on the board (or on chart paper, or notebook paper). Two students go to poster and ask the group to vote to keep the word, junk the word (cross it off the list) or put it in “the cloud” (another way of saying to “table it”) to decide on later. The idea is they have conversation to decide what the most important parts of the text are. This is a way to decide what the main idea is and details that support that idea. https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/organize-your-thinking-to-critically-analyze-text

Guided Practice: Peat. Repeat. Threepeat. One of the simplest ways to identify the main idea of a paragraph is to look for repeating words, phrases, ideas, and concepts. Walk through this activity once with the class as a whole group, and then allow students to work in pairs to complete it a second time. Read Paragraph 1 out loud to students. Have them underline or circle repeating words, phrases, or ideas. Once they have identified these repeating elements, ask them to tell you what the paragraph is about. If their response is limited to just a subject (robots, for example), then ask them to elaborate by answering the question “What’s the point the author is trying to make about robots, then?” Have students work in pairs to complete this activity with paragraphs 2-7. You can assign one paragraph to each group, or you can have each group complete all 6 paragraphs. Note: This activity is also a great way to get students to think about multiple main ideas as they occur in a text. After completing this activity, students could talk about/ write about how these ideas develop and build on one another to make the entire text strong and cohesive.

Individual Practice: Tweet All About It A “tweet” is a social media status update that consists of 140 characters or less. Have students individually tweet the main idea of this entire text. Students should share their tweets with the class. Have the class as a whole rate each tweet as “too broad,” “too narrow,” or “just right.” Tweets that earn a rating of “too broad” or “too narrow” just revise their tweets.

Extension: Have students determine whether the main idea of the passage is STATED or IMPLIED. If the main idea is STATED, have students find the sentence from the passage that most closely matches their main idea tweet and explain why this sentence is the closest match. If the main idea is IMPLIED, have students identify the details they used to construct their main idea tweet and explain how they formed these connections.

Theme: The Science of Star Wars

Activity #2: Organization, Unity and Coherence

Text: “Might a Sarlaac Really Take a Thousand Years to Digest Its Prey?” excerpted from The Science of Star Wars by Jeanne Cavelos (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=star-wars-science-sarlacc-prey)

College Readiness Standards: ORGANIZATION: (13-15) Use conjunctive adverbs or phrases to show time relationships in simple narrative essays (e.g., then, this time)

KY Academic Standards: L.CCR.1- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Skill Review: Time Transitions Conjunctive adverbs are words that provide transitions between ideas in a paragraph and show the passage of time. The list below contains some commonly used time transitions. After, afterward, before, then, once, next, last, at last, at length, first, second, etc., at first, formerly, rarely, usually, another, finally, soon, meanwhile, at the same time, for a minute, hour, day, etc., during the morning, day, week, etc., most important, later, ordinarily, to begin with, afterwards, generally, in order to, subsequently, previously, in the meantime, immediately, eventually, concurrently, simultaneously, shortly after that, along the way, before long, earlier, after all of that, later on, an hour/day/week/month later, without delay, at last, later that same day, at that very moment, during all of this, as soon as, not a moment too soon, while this was happening

Guided Practice: Use paragraphs 3 and 4 from the text to have students complete this activity. Working in small groups, students should take the events from these paragraphs and create a timeline of activity. Some events will clearly take place in a certain order, as explained in the text, while the order of other events is implied and will have to be determined from clues the author has embedded in the text. Students should be prepared to defend their ordering of events, using specific details from the text for support. Extension: Have students highlight, underline, or circle any time transitions used in paragraphs 3 and 4.

Individual Practice: Using just the words and phrases from the timeline developed during guided practice, have students write two to three paragraphs explaining the process the ant lion uses to trap and devour its prey. Students should use the list of time transitions above to signify the order of events.

Extension: Have students exchange paragraphs with each other and offer peer comments. Students can compare the original text to the rewritten paragraphs for clarity and to gauge the effectiveness of the time transitions selected by their peers.

Optional Activity: Another activity students could do after they are familiar with conjunctive adverbs is to look for it in their own writing. Students could go back to a piece (or pieces) in their writing folder. First they would list the first word of each sentence. Then they could write a summary about their writing based on this finding. Students who have used some of the words from the Skill Review list above could be used as examples. Use student samples to talk about ways to change some of the beginning words to a conjunctive adverb. Talk about how that affects the paper. A teacher could give a paper with each sentence beginning with one as an example piece and talk about why it is difficult to read or why it doesn’t flow very smoothly.

Theme: The Science of Star Wars

Activity #3: Word Choice

Text: “Darth Vader: The Six-Million-Dollar Sith” excerpted from The Science of Star Wars by Jeanne Cavelos (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=star-wars-science-darth-vader)

College Readiness Standards: WORD CHOICE: (13-15) Revise vague nouns and pronouns that create obvious logic problems; revise sentences to correct awkward and confusing arrangements of sentence elements

KY Academic Standards: L.CCR.1- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. L.CCR.3- Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

Skill Review: Pronouns A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. Here is a list of common personal pronouns: I you he she it we they mine yours his hers its ours theirs me myself you yourself him himself her herself itself us ourselves them themselves Remind students that it is very important for readers to be able to easily identify the person or object to which a pronoun refers. This word is called an “antecedent.” The teacher will have to gage where students are in terms of pronoun usage. Pronoun identification is somewhat elementary, but middle school students may still struggle in this area. A teacher might consider working with students to choose an objective, rather than a subjective, pronoun.

Guided Practice: This activity requires a small amount of preparation. Print and cut out an image of the following three Star Wars characters (Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine), then mount them on popsicle sticks. Alternately, write each character’s name on a strip of paper. Briefly modify the first paragraph of the text prior to the start of this lesson by replacing each proper noun with a pronoun. Choose three student volunteers and bring them to the front of the room. Give each student one character/name. Read the paragraph out loud to the class. Read it a second time, stopping at the end of each sentence. Have students hold up the image/name of the character that they think each sentence is about. Have the class verify their responses with a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down.”

Individual Practice: Assign one or more of the remaining paragraphs in the passage to students. Have students draw a circle or a box around the personal pronouns in the text. Have them draw an arrow from the antecedent back to the pronoun.

Extension: This activity can be prepared in advance and set up at a small table at the back of the room; allow students to work in small groups on it after finishing other activities. Select a couple of paragraphs from the text and rewrite them, replacing all the nouns with pronouns. Place the nouns in a word bank attached to each paragraph. (These could be cut into slips and placed into a sandwich bag). Students should break into pairs to compete against each other. Have students roll a die; the number rolled will indicate how many pronouns they should replace with nouns from the word bank. Students will have to determine which pronouns MUST be replaced to make the paragraph more clearly understood. The goal is to create the clearest paragraph using a limited number of noun/pronoun pairs.

Optional Activity: The teacher may also want to take the article and weaken some of the nouns and verbs or leave out some (just have a blank) and direct students replace the weaker words (or fill in the blanks) with stronger words. Students could then read the original article (with no changes) and see how the author did it. This is also a way to get students to read closely and re-read text.

Theme: The Science of Star Wars

Activity #4: Sentence Structure

Text: “Science and the Original Star Wars Trilogy” by Michael A. Dexter (http://www.apeculture.com/movies/swscience.htm)

College Readiness Standards: SENTENCE STRUCTURE: (13-15) Use conjunctions or punctuation to join simple clauses; revise shifts in verb tense between simple clauses in a sentence or between simple adjoining sentences

KY Academic Standards: L.CCR.1- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. L.CCR.3- Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

Skill Review: Conjunctions A compound sentence is made up of two or more independent clauses (simple sentences). These independent clauses are joined by a comma and a conjunction. Ex. She asked me to the dance, and I said yes. Ex. You eat this banana and peanut butter sandwich, or I’ll never make you lunch again. A conjunction is a word that joins other words or parts of sentences together. Conjunctions are like glue; they form strong connections between two sentences. Conjunctions that join independent clauses are called coordinating conjunctions. Coordinating conjunctions join words, phrases, and sentences (independent clauses) together. You can use the mnemonic device FANBOYS to remember this list of coordinating conjunctions. For and nor but or yet so Coordinating conjunctions must be punctuated correctly. The formula looks like this: Independent clause + , + conjunction + independent clause.

Guided Practice: The author uses a number of semicolons to combine sentences in the third paragraph of the text. Display this paragraph on the board/whiteboard/projector screen. Allow students to work in pairs to replace the semicolons with a comma and coordinating conjunction. Have pairs be prepared to justify their choice of conjunction by explaining the relationship the connected sentences share.

Individual Practice: Give each student the paragraph shown below. (This is the 7th paragraph from the text. It has been modified so that any introductory or other clauses have been removed, stripping it down to just the most basic sentence parts.) Have students use commas and conjunctions to combine these sentences into more complex pairs. Aircraft wings are convex on the top and either flat or concave on the bottom. They’re typically tilted so that the leading edge (the front of the wing, where moving air first hits) is slightly higher than the trailing edge. The aircraft moves forward. Air hitting the underside of the wing is deflected downward to a degree. Air hits the wing. It is deflected downward. The air pushes the wing upward. This generates lift. Oncoming air is split as it hits the leading edge of the wing. Air traveling over the convex top of the wing has a greater distance to travel than does air traveling under the wing. The air moving over the top of the wing speeds up. The pressure generated by a fluid decreases as its speed increases. The air moving over the top of the wing generates less downward pressure than the air moving across the bottom of the wing generates upward pressure. The net difference pushes the wing upward. This generates lift. The faster the aircraft is moving, the greater is the difference in speeds between air on the tops and bottoms of the wings. This generates more lift.

Extension: Have students exchange paragraphs with each other and offer peer comments. Students can compare the original text to the rewritten paragraphs for clarity and to gauge the effectiveness of the conjunctions selected by their peers.

Optional Activity: Please refer to the “Student Self Analysis Grid.” It is a student self-analysis of writing to help them determine if they have sentence variety and varied sentence starts. Students use the grid to graph how many words they have in the first 25 sentences of their writing. (However, it could also be used to analyze a text). They write summary sentences based on their findings of this and the way they start their sentences. Students could do this early on and keep using the info or looking for more info. When students graph their sentence lengths, they begin to see if they have short, choppy or really wordy sentences. Based on this analysis, they can work on varying them more.

Student Self-Analysis Grid

Maxi Lessons

Each of the following lesson ideas is designed as a “maxi-lesson.” The concept is the same as a mini-lesson: a short period of direct-instruction designed to teach or reinforce skills as they are needed. This format has been shown to be an effective method of teaching grammar skills through writing. Students are taught (or re-taught) the skill, they practice the skill, and then they apply it to their current writing-in-progress.
The key difference with these “maxi-lessons” is length. These lessons are longer and consist of more activities than the standard mini-lesson. The initial activities in each lesson are intended to be used through direct instruction so that students can master the skill. The remaining activities can be used for additional practice; these are designed for easy integration into any thematic unit and can be modified for use with multiple texts and types of writing. This provides students with the opportunity to continue practicing these skills with more complex situations and to transfer their use of these skills from one situation to another.
The Extension skills and activities use the same concept; these skills provide the teacher with a means of differentiating instruction for more advanced students, as well as a means of providing additional practice at higher levels of performance.

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  Topic Development in Terms of Purpose and Focus
  
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  Organization, Unity, and Coherence
  
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  Word Choice in Terms of Style, Tone, Clarity, and Economy
  
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  Sentence Structure and Formation
  
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  Conventions of Usage
  
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  Conventions of Punctuation
  

The skills covered by these activities fall within the 13-15 scoring range, although some activities (where noted) will also include skills addressed in the 16-19 scoring range.

Each activity is designed to provide 10-15 minutes of work for students, including a brief skill review from the teacher and then group and/or individual student practice. These can be used at any point in the unit.

Rhetorical Skills
Skill #1: Identifying and Composing Topic Sentences
LEARNING TARGET(S): I can identify the main idea of a passage I can compose topic sentences
College Readiness Standards: Topic Development in Terms of Purpose and Focus, 1-12 Ideas for Progress: Identify sentences that convey the main ideas in a variety of texts and then practice composing such sentences. (*Note: There is no standard identified for the 13-15 score range, although the Ideas for Progress for 13-15 reads: “Revise writing to ensure that every sentence is necessary to the purpose of the piece and that no important information has been left out.”)
KY Academic Standards: L.CCR.1- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking L.CCR.2- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation and spelling when writing. W.CCR.4- Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose and audience
FOR THE TEACHER: Introduce “Main Idea” – Show YouTube video song and review by discussion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W24RyhtX1qA
Model: Demonstrate how to identify a topic sentence Find the topic sentence of this paragraph: Kitty Hawk was made famous on December 17, 1903, when the Wright brothers made the first airplane flights. The exact location where they flew their first airplane is known as the Kill Devil Hills. It is a small coastal area in Kitty Hawk town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States of America. The town was established in 1700s. The town was established in 1700s. It is a small coastal area in Kitty Hawk town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States of America. Kitty Hawk was made famous on December 17, 1903, when the Wright brothers made the first airplane flights. The exact location where they flew their first airplane is known as the Kill Devil Hills.
Teaching Activities:
Activity #1: Main Idea	The main idea of a paragraph is what all the sentences are about. Read the paragraph and ask, “What’s your point?” That will help you zero in on the main idea. Read each paragraph carefully. Choose the best answer to the questions that follow. 1. Juan loves to play games. His favorite game is chess because it requires a great deal of thought. Juan also likes to play less demanding board games that are based mostly on luck. He prefers Monopoly because it requires luck and skill. If he’s alone, Juan likes to play action video games as long as they aren’t too violent. What is the main idea of this paragraph? a. Juan dislikes violence. b. Juan likes to think. c. Juan enjoys Monopoly. d. Juan enjoys playing games. 2. Maria is watching too much television. A toddler shouldn’t be spending hours staring blankly at a screen. Worse yet, those awful cartoons she watches have inspired some of her wild behavior. We need to spend more time reading books with her and pull the plug on the TV! What is the main idea of this paragraph? a. Watching a lot of television isn’t good for Maria. b. Books are good. c. All cartoons are bad. d. Some cartoons are bad for Maria. 3. Samantha, I can’t eat or sleep when you are gone. I need to hear your scratchy voice and see your lovely toothless smile. I miss that special way that you eat soup with your fingers. Please come home soon! What is the main idea of this paragraph? a. Samantha, you have bad manners. b. Samantha, you should see a dentist. c. Samantha, I miss you. d. Samantha, I have lost my appetite. 4. Someday we will all have robots that will be our personal servants. They will look and behave much like real humans. We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers and they will be able to respond in kind. Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience. They will be smart, strong, and untiring workers whose only goal will be to make our lives easier. Which sentence from the paragraph expresses the main idea? a. Someday we will all have robots that will be our personal servants. b. We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers and they will be able to respond in kind. c. They will look and behave much like real humans. d. Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience. For Additional Practice: http://www.quia.com/ba/111120.html http://www.quia.com/pop/120023.html http://www.quia.com/quiz/1169917.html
Activity #2: Save the Last Word for Me	A main idea captures what a passage is really about. Middle school reading expert, Kylene Beers, developed a strategy she calls, “Save the Last Word for Me” to give readers a way for determining the main idea. It works because it gives you an opportunity to think deeply and say what you think about a text. Directions: Read the designated pages of a text out loud with at least two other people. (For the sample activity, Beers recommends using the first two pages of Hoot by Carl Hiasson.) Have each person make a very brief comment about the entire passage. Listen to what each person says. After everyone has had a turn to comment, work on your own. Do the following two things: Underline one or two sentences in the passage that you felt were significant. Explain why you chose this part of the passage When everyone is finished with this individual task, ask each person to tell what he or she wrote under the heading “I underlined this particular part of the passage because…” No one may comment during this part of the strategy rehearsal…You get the last word! What you hear shared will be main ideas. I underlined this particular part of the passage because…
Activity #3: Main Idea Mapping	This simple strategy teaches students to generate a graphic organizer containing the main ideas of a passage. Preparation: Prepare sample passages (6-paragraph) and make copies - one per student. Method: Introduce the strategy by telling students that we can draw pictures, or Main Idea Maps, that help us to understand how the ideas of a multi-paragraph passage fit together. Material: You will find the organizer mentioned below at this link: http://www.interventioncentral.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/pdfs_interventions/main_idea_map_graphic_organizer.pdf Present these three steps: Locating the Main Ideas of Paragraphs – Read through the passage with students. Show the blank graphic organizer (or use chart paper) and begin building by writing the title of the passage in the center. Draw a box around the title (if no title, ask the class to give a suitable title based on the reading). Tell students that some paragraphs have summary sentences that state the main idea or “gist” of the paragraph or passage. Other paragraphs have implied main ideas, which the reader must figure out, based on key facts or ideas that they contain. Go through each paragraph in the practice passage and identify the paragraph’s main idea. Demonstrate how to summarize that main idea as a single, succinct phrase. Building the Main Idea Graphic Organizer – As you summarize each paragraph’s main idea, write the number of the paragraph and main-idea summary phrase on the graphic organizer. (Start writing at the upper left corner of the organizer sheet and continue clockwise around the page. Space the summary phrases to allow space to write under each.) Adding Key Facts – When you have written the main idea for all of the paragraphs onto the graphic organizer, return to the passage. For each paragraph, pull out 2-3 important facts, ideas, or supporting details. On the graphic organizer, write these key pieces of additional information under the main-idea phrase for that paragraph. Then draw a box around the main-idea and supporting details and move on to the next paragraph. Assess: Give students new practice passages and have them create their own graphic organizer. Alternative Interaction: Draw a giant version of the graphic organizer and lay it on the floor. Assign each individual in the class to read through a practice passage and write out a summary main-idea phrase and key ideas or facts for each paragraph. Review the passage with the group. For each paragraph, invite a volunteer to stand on the space that corresponds to the paragraph and read aloud his or her summary for class feedback. Continue until all paragraphs have been reviewed. Other Graphic Organizers: http://my.hrw.com/nsmedia/intgos/html/igo.htm http://teacher.scholastic.com/reading/bestpractices/vocabulary/pdf/sr_allgo.pdf http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/h/mainidea.htm http://www.enchantedlearning.com/graphicorganizers/mainsupportingideas/ http://www.edhelperclipart.com/clipart/teachers/org-mainidea3details.pdf http://www.teachervision.fen.com/creative-writing/graphic-organizers/43083.html http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/graphic-organizers/web-higher.pdf http://www.jimwrightonline.com/pdfdocs/mainidea.pdf
Activity #4: Where’s My Funny Paper?	Introduction: Each cartoon has a main idea that the cartoonist is trying to get across. Sometimes it can be very subtle and the reader must think about what the cartoonist is trying to say. Sometimes it is very blatant. The same is true with many passages we read. Sometimes the main idea is very obvious and sometimes it is unstated. An unstated main idea is one that the writer expresses through other key points. To understand the main idea, we must see how all of the key points are related to determine the “real” main idea. Method: Distribute copies of the cartoon page(s) from local newspapers (use enlarged copies with document camera if needed). Divide group into teams and have them find the main idea for each cartoon. The first team to identify the main idea of each cartoon within the newspaper wins a point. Have a bell or buzzer available for students to signal they have finished. Evaluation: As the team gives its main idea, check to see if the other teams agree or disagree with the team’s determination. If there is disagreement about the main idea, stop and discuss the cartoon and its main idea with the entire group. Advanced Connection: Provide students with editorials, articles, or letters that they may see in the newspaper. Have them identify the main idea of each document. This will provide students with an opportunity to use the types of documents they will encounter in real-life.
Activity #5: Heads Up for Headlines	Description: Students write headlines expressing the main idea of a group of de-headed news stories. Preparation: Newspaper articles without headlines Lesson: Students can work on this activity individually, in pairs, or in small groups. Collect from your local newspaper, or from some online resources (listed a the bottom), a wide variety of news articles that will be of interest to your students. Photocopy the articles and cut off the headlines. Distribute the photocopies of the de-headed articles, and have students write a headline reflecting the main idea of the assigned article. Provide time for students to share their news stories and headlines with their classmates. Post all the original headlines in an accessible place; have students select that headline that goes with the article they read. EXPLORE the following questions with students: Do the students’ headlines match the actual headline? Do they express the same idea as the newspaper headlines? Are the student-written headlines an improvement on the actual headlines? Assessment: Provide five news stories without headlines, and challenge each student to write headlines for all five stories. At least four of five headlines should correctly identify the main idea of the news story. Online Resources: CNN Student News New York Times Learning Network PBS Online NewsHour Extra: News for Students Scholastic News Zone StudentNewsNet TIME for Kids Weekly Reader
Activity #6: Why? What? Do!	Images and other information for this lesson can be found here: http://escurriculum.spps.org/sites/0986df53-fb39-4fa2-816b-03b698926774/uploads/writingc_topicsentences_j.pdf Why? Before beginning the lesson, take a few moments to explain to students the purpose – to practice writing short paragraphs that include a topic sentence. Model this process by writing a paragraph about one student in class. Elicit information from the class to form a topic sentence and detail sentences. Sample: ___________ is a student in this class. She has long black hair and a big smile. She studies English and math at this school. She is a friendly and hard-working student. Her family is from ____________. Note: If you feel the students would benefit from another warm-up practice, point to an object in the room, and ask them to help you write a short paragraph about the object (e.g. That is a chair. It is made of plastic, and it is blue. It is hard, but it is also comfortable. There are many chairs like that in this school.) What? Put A Busy Street Scene on an overhead or document camera and explain to students that this is the picture they will describe in a paragraph at the end of this lesson. Distribute a worksheet packet to each student, so that they can look at their own copies. Do! Help students understand how to write a paragraph with a topic sentence and 3-4 detail sentences. Show Is This a Clear Paragraph? To briefly discuss with students why this is a poor paragraph. The paragraph contains complete sentences and doesn’t have any punctuation or spelling mistakes, but it doesn’t have a main idea to guide the reader. There are lots of sentences, but they aren’t connected, and they don’t explain the picture. Compare the next paragraph – Is This Paragraph Better? Discuss with the students the merits of this new paragraph. It explains the picture; it has a main idea and detail sentences, the capitalization and punctuation are good, etc. Help the students to see that the paragraph could be much clearer if the main idea of the paragraph (the topic sentence) came first and was then followed by detail sentences that appeared in logical order. Write down the topic sentence on A Much Clearer Paragraph. Ask students which of the detail sentences should come next and have them copy the paragraph onto their worksheet. Improved Paragraph: This man is not paying attention. He just hit a lady with his shopping cart. She is angry. I think she is going to yell at him. He should apologize to her. Controlled Practice – Show just the picture What’s the Main Idea? Encourage students to suggest some topic sentences that could be used in a paragraph about the drawing of the woman holding groceries. Then tell the students to find their copy and choose the best topic sentence from the list provided below the drawing. Discuss with students why choice “D-The woman is not safe” would be the best topic sentence. Help students to understand that choice “D” explains the story behind the picture best. The other sentences are each true, but they don’t tell a larger story about the image. Help students to see that the main idea of this image is represented in the larger picture of the busy street scene. Elicit detail sentences to support the topic sentence: Why do you think this woman is not safe? What is happening in the picture that makes you think she isn’t safe? What might happen to the woman? What should she do? Possible responses: She is in the middle of the street. She might fall down because her dog is pulling her. She should use the crosswalk to be safe. Write 3-4 of the students’ suggestions for detail sentences on the displayed sheet Adding Detail Sentences and have them copy the paragraph onto their own sheets. If more practice is needed, discuss why choice “C-This boy is not being careful” is the best topic sentence to explain the main idea of the drawing of the boy on rollerblades. Elicit 3-4 detail sentences to explain the topic sentence and have students copy the finished paragraph onto their sheets: Why is the boy not being careful? What is he doing that proves he is not being careful? What should he do? Possible responses: He is rollerblading on the sidewalk. He isn’t wearing a helmet, and he is going very fast. He isn’t paying attention. He is looking at the girl on the bike, so he doesn’t see the man in the wheelchair. He might have an accident. Assessment: Students will demonstrate their ability to write a short paragraph that includes a topic sentence and 3-4 detail sentences by spending 15 minutes writing a paragraph by themselves about the busy street scene. Possible Response: There are a lot of problems in this picture. A woman is walking her dog, but she isn’t using the crosswalk. She is in the middle of the street. A man is holding a lot of boxes, but he is also in the middle of the street. Another man is yelling because he just had a car accident. He is very angry. The boy and the girl are having fun, but they’re not paying attention. The boy might hit the man in the wheelchair, and the girl might hit the man with the boxes. The police need to help these people. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: http://freeology.com/graphicorgs/ http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/graphic-organizers/hamburger-writing.pdf

Rhetorical Skills
Skill #2: Organization, Unity and Coherence- Transition Words/ Phrases
LEARNING TARGET(S): I can use transitional words/phrases effectively I can combine sentences using two kinds of transition words: time transitions and thought (logical) transitions I can incorporate time and thought transitions into my writing
College Readiness Standards: 13-15 range: Word choice in terms of style, tone Use conjunctive adverbs or phrases to show time relationships in simple narrative essays Use paragraphing as an organizational device
KY Academic Standards: L.CCR.1- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking L.CCR.2- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation and spelling when writing. W.CCR.5- Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach
FOR THE TEACHER: Students will learn to combine sentences using two kinds of transition words: time transitions and thought (logical) transitions. Transitions words link related ideas and hold them together. They can help the parts of a narrative to be coherent or work together to tell the story. Coherence means all parts of a narrative link together to move the story along. Think of transition words as the glue that holds a story together. Using transition words helps avoid the “Listing” problem in stories. This lesson follows the direct instruction, guided practice, independent practice format. Assessment questions are included at the end.
Teaching Activities:
Activity #1: Time Transitions	Tell students that there are different kinds of transition words. Explain that one kind of transition word is time transitions, which helps the reader know the order of events in a story. Discuss how using different transition words changes the meaning of a sentence. Put the following 2 sentence strips in the pocket chart: Dad and I went fishing. Mom made our lunch. Show students how you can connect the sentences by adding transition words. The sentences below are examples: Dad and I went fishing. /Meanwhile/ Mom made our lunch. After/ Dad and I went fishing, /Mom made our lunch. Before/ Dad and I went fishing, / Mom made our lunch. Dad and I went fishing /after/ Mom made our lunch. While/ Dad and I went fishing, / Mom made our lunch. Discuss how the different transition words change the meaning of the sentences by changing the sequence (order) of events. Put the following 3 sentences strips up on the pocket chart. Marty saw the puppy. He recognized it. He picked it up. Give 3 student volunteers three cards with 3 transition words on them (First, Then, After that). Tell students that the transition words on the cards will help them put the sentences in the correct order: First, Marty saw the puppy. Then he recognized it. After that, he picked it up. Give students other transition words on cards and ask them how the words change the meaning of the sentences; After Marty saw the puppy, he recognized it, and he picked it up. As soon as Marty saw the puppy, he recognized it and immediately picked it up. Time Transitions Shortly after that Meanwhile Soon Along the way Before long Earlier After all of that Later on Eventually An hour later Without delay Immediately At that very moment At last Next Later that same day During all of this As soon as Not a moment too soon While this was happening Point out that other transition words link related thoughts on a subject. Use the following 3 sentence strips: The puppy shivered. It was afraid. Marty spoke in a gentle voice. Have students select transition strips to make the sentence come to life. For example, the following sentences can be combined through transitions to change the meaning. The puppy shivered/ because obviously/ it was afraid /even though/ Marty spoke in a gentle voice. Although/ Marty spoke in a gentle voice, the puppy shivered/ because/ it was afraid. Without warning/ the puppy shivered, /even though/ Marty spoke in a gentle voice. Obviously,/ it was afraid. Thought transitions Also Furthermore For example Mainly Because Otherwise Without warning Even though Suddenly Which, if I must say so myself Guided Practice More Practice Have students select a draft from their writing folder. Have them highlight the transition words they used. Then have them choose a paragraph to revise by adding 3-5 transition words. Have students read their revised paragraphs to a partner. Have students identify transition words in books that they can then use in their own writing. Transition words are the glue that holds sentences and paragraphs together. They signal that this is a new part of the story. Independent Practice Activities under “Guided Practice” can be used for Independent Practice as well. Assessment Can students make a list of time transition words and thought transition words? Can students select the appropriate time transition words to link three sentences? Can students select the appropriate thought transition words to link three sentences? Can students identify time and thought transition words in their own writing? Can students revise their own writing to link related sentences with the appropriate transition words? Borrowed from the English Transition Course Curriculum Framework for high school
Activity #2: Order Up	Narratives are usually organized in chronological (time) order. Transition words and phrases (first, second, after that, then, before long) can help you put your events in order. Focus on the Traits Organization—A good story has an easy, natural order. Think of stories you’ve read or heard from your teacher, family, or friends. They often sound as if someone is “telling” it just the way it happened. Transitional Time Line First…………… my parents decided we wouldn’t watch TV for a whole week. Next………….. we ate supper, and it got dark outside. After that….. we made a campfire in the backyard. Then………….. we went inside and carved pumpkins. Before bed… we played a board game. Finally……….. my family decided to turn off the TV every Tuesday night and have fun together. Create your own list. On your own paper, make a list like the one above. Use transitions to help you list important events or details in the order in which they happened. Here are some additional words that show time. Today I saw frost on the lawn. Yesterday it was warm when I walked to school. about during until yesterday first meanwhile at second today soon as soon as third later tomorrow when
Activity #3: The Friendly Feud	Students will practice adding transitional words and phrases to a basic paragraph to improve the flow of sentences and promote the overall effectiveness. (Teachers may have students compete for privileges or prizes.) Teachers will divide students into teams of 5 or 6 students. Students will compete with two teams at a time. The teacher will have a paragraph prepared with basic sentences, but no transitional words or phrases. During the toss-up round, the first sentence from the paragraph will be read aloud and/or shown on an ActivBoard/ white board. The first student to “buzz” in with an appropriate transitional word or phrase gets to start the direction of the paragraph. As each sentence is given, students must “buzz” in with an additional transitional word or phrase that follows and enhances the original line. Transitional words thereafter must continue with the direction started to create a cohesive paragraph where all sentences support the main idea. If an answer is given that does not fit, the opposing team may consult one another and provide an answer. (Teachers may present the paragraph on a flip chart (paper or ActivBoard) and allow students to fill in their answers.)

Rhetorical Skills
Skill #3: Organization, Unity and Coherence: Give Me a Break- Teaching Paragraphs
LEARNING TARGET(S): I can understand that paragraphs have purpose-they help readers and writers chunk information together, and separate it as well. I can understand that paragraphs can have any number of sentences I can understand that paragraphs focus on one main idea and that its parts should be related (unity) I can develop correct paragraphs
College Readiness Standards: Strand range: 13-15 Organization, Unity and Coherence: Use paragraphing as an organizational device; Rearrange the sentences in a fairly uncomplicated paragraph for the sake of logic.
Kentucky Academic Standards: L.CCR.1- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking L.CCR.2- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation and spelling when writing. W.CCR.4- Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose and audience W.CCR.5- Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach
FOR THE TEACHER: Students tend to be confused by the idea of paragraph breaks. Even though you would expect that they would know some of the basics of paragraphing, most students have numerous misconceptions about paragraphs and their purpose in a longer piece of writing. Misunderstandings that need to be clarified: Thinking that, because paragraphs have a purpose, they must be difficult Thinking that paragraphs have to follow a formula Thinking that all paragraphs must be at least 5 sentences long Ultimately, there is no real formula for a paragraph and there is no real list of what has to be done to make a paragraph a paragraph. Paragraph breaks are very much up to the discretion of the writer. Writers make choices about where they want readers to stop and refocus, or where they want readers to take a breath. They get to decide where they want readers to change directions or where they want readers to change their thinking. Sometimes it takes 8 sentences to lead readers to an understanding, and sometimes it only takes 2 sentences. Different forms of writing have different kinds of paragraphs and different kinds of paragraph breaks. What is most important is that young writers need to understand their power as writers to influence the thinking and actions of others, and to understand their responsibility as writers to supply readers with this map or path for their reading.
Teaching Activities:
Activity #1: Give Me a Break	Begin your class or lesson by giving students a piece of text that has been typed without paragraph breaks or indentations. Distribute copies of the text to students, read aloud, and ask students what they notice about the text. Hopefully, and eventually, they will notice that the text is one long paragraph. Admit to the students that you typed a piece of writing for them without any of the indentations or breaks. Give students directions to correct the text by inserting breaks in the places that they feel are most appropriate to divide the text. ******Now may be a good place to teach the editing mark of the pilcrow. That’s right, the pilcrow…that little backwards-looking “P” that editors use to mark where new paragraphs should begin. Create a paragraph chart. What we know about paragraphs: Paragraphs aren’t always 5 sentences long Indenting paragraphs Gives readers a break Shows when one thought ends and another begins Helps writers connect and organize thoughts Pilcrow = indent new paragraph here Students share their divisions and the class compares and contrasts the different responses and reasoning. Some things that may come as conclusions to the lesson are Paragraphs show readers how information is chunked and connected Paragraphs indicate to readers when a new idea is coming Paragraphs (and breaks) are open to interpretation You can add these things to your paragraph chart and continue to add to the chart as you examine and notice things in other short, mentor texts. Borrowed from the English Transitional Course Curriculum Framework for high school
Activity #2: Getting the Big Picture	Students will learn to use the details of a story to organize a narrative paragraph and paragraphs within a narrative. When details are in order, paragraphs are in order, and transitions are used well throughout, a narrative is very easy to read. The examples below show how the parts of a personal narrative fit together. You’re ready to write your essay once you have… Gathered enough details to tell your story, and Put the events of your story in time order. This helps to avoid the “then, then, then” mistake as in the following: I got up in the morning and then I got out of bed. And then I brushed my teeth and then I ate my breakfast and then I got on the bus and then I saw my teacher and then I sat at my desk……….. Beginning—The beginning catches the reader’s attention. Opening Sentence: My parents decided we all watch too much television. Middle—The middle part gives details about what happened during the experience. My brother was upset…… Just then, the doorbell rang. We put on our warm jackets and headed to the backyard. Once we got back in the house…… Ending—The ending shows how you feel, how you were changed, or what you learned from your experience. Closing Sentences: Now we shut off the TV every Tuesday night, and we have family time. Now we all can’t wait for Tuesday night. Independent Practice: Now, let students try it with their own stories. Have them create a timeline using details from a personal experience. They should use transitions to help list important details in the order in which they happened. They should have a beginning, middle and end to their stories. EXTENSION SKILLS: Select the most logical place to add a sentence in a paragraph The following activity can be done as a whole group, in pairs or individually. Provide students with a paragraph that seems complete. (This paragraph can be drawn from current reading.) Then provide students with an additional sentence. Ask students to place the sentence in the best place. As necessary, have students debate the best placement.

Rhetorical Skills
Skill #4: Word Choice- Vague Pronoun Reference
LEARNING TARGET(S): I can identify and correct vague pronoun references. I can compose sentences and paragraphs with clear pronoun references.
College Readiness Standards: Word Choice (13-15): Revise sentences to correct awkward and confusing arrangements of sentence elements.
Kentucky Academic Standards: L.CCR.1- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking L.CCR.2- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation and spelling when writing. W.CCR.5- Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach
FOR THE TEACHER: Students should already be able to identify pronouns prior to this lesson, even though they may not understand the concept of antecedents. Specific passages are not included in the lessons. This would be an excellent time to use passages from mentor texts either from the suggested reading lessons or from other reading students are completing. Any of the activities can be used for formative assessments. For those who teach this lesson to the point of a summative assessment, student writing should be evaluated. A sample revision guide is included in the last activity. Suggested sequence: Students will review passages with unclear pronoun references to recognize the problem. Students will in pairs and then individually mark text to show pronouns and their antecedents. Students will peer review previously composed passages to indicate vague pronoun references. Students will write paragraphs with clear pronoun references. Although the activities are sequential, teachers may choose to enter the cycle at any point, depending on the expertise and experiences of their students.
Teaching Activities:
Activity #1: Confusing Stories	The teacher will select a short paragraph with vague pronoun references. She will ask students to listen to a first reading in order to list all of the pronouns. Compare lists so that students have a complete list in sequence. A “T-chart” would be a useful organizer for this activity, such as the one found at: http://www.worksheetworks.com/miscellanea/graphic-organizers/tchart.html Teacher then asks students to listen to a second reading of the same paragraph and identify what each pronoun refers to. Ask students to quickly write their first impression of what each pronoun refers to. Once the students complete their lists, have them compare with a partner. Students will probably have different answers. The teacher should record all of the possible answers and lead a brief discussion of why people thought the pronouns referred to different things. Next, the teacher will use a document camera or other projector to share a passage filled with vague pronoun references with the entire class. Through questioning, teacher will guide students to possible meanings based on possible antecedents. Lead students to understand how confusing passages can be to the reader if the references are not clear. One possible passage: My friend and I decided to go to McDonalds for dinner. Janie decided to go with us. That is our favorite thing to do. Someone ordered a hamburger, fries and a shake. It was really beautiful. They were full. She had a fun time. Teachers can then have students “correct” the pronoun references so that the meaning is clear.
Activity #2: Marking Text	The teacher defines “antecedent” as the word to which the pronoun refers. Link the word to ancestor as both refer to something that came earlier. Teacher shows a passage and leads students through identifying each pronoun. Pronouns should be noted by underlining, highlighting or boxing. Then lead students through identifying the antecedents and draw arrows from the pronouns to their antecedents. Once the teacher has modeled the procedure, students should practice with another passage. The teacher then reads a short passage written in first person. Through questioning, lead students to understand that passages written in first person do not always have a clear antecedent. Refer back to the passage from Activity 1. Students may receive additional practice through marking text in their content-area texts or independent reading. Note: This activity could also be used for the subjective/objective case. It is important to establish when to say I/me, he/him, she/her, we/us. This skill could be combined here.
Activity #3: Where Did the Pronouns Go?	Provide students with a passage that has all of the pronouns removed. Give students small slips of paper with a pronoun on each. Have students insert the pronouns where they go. Ask students to share their passages with other small groups to determine any differences and how the alternative versions change the meaning. The teacher can then share the original passage for what the author originally intended.
Activity #4: Writing Pronouns Correctly	Provide pairs of students with a passage and ask them to collaborate to write a brief summary. (Summaries should be 50 words or less depending on the length of the passage.) Once the summaries have been written, ask them to reduce the number of words in the summary by at least five through using pronouns. This step may be repeated, depending on the length of the summary. Once the summaries have been completed, have pairs exchange summaries. Students should mark pronouns and antecedents (See activity 2) to determine whether the antecedents are clear. (Activities adapted from Mechanically Inclined by Jeff Anderson)
Activity #5: Writing My Own	Ask students to draft a narrative that includes two people. This may be a personal narrative, a biographical sketch, a story, memoir, vignette or other format. Teachers may want to choose a genre that has been the focus of recent instruction or follows a mentor text. Ask students to review their own or another’s writing with a focus on pronouns. Have students use the steps in the revision guide below. Teachers may choose to have students continue with this piece of writing as a portfolio entry or other authentic writing. Revision Guide As you review your own or another’s writing: Highlight or underline each pronoun. Draw an arrow to its antecedent, the word to which it refers. If you are uncertain, write a question mark in the margin. Re-read the sentence in which the pronoun occurs and any earlier sentences in the same paragraph. If that makes the reference clear, put a check mark beside the question mark. If the reference is still unclear, rewrite the sentence until the meaning is clear. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Solving vague pronoun references guide: http://www.pvc.maricopa.edu/lsc/faq/eng/enggrapro.htm Exercise on vague pronoun references: http://www.methodist.edu/english/dd_pref.htm YouTube video comparing pronouns to David Beckham: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qszmU6GRziE&feature=related Rabbit Season pronoun trouble episode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e1hZGDaqIw&feature=related

Rhetorical Skills
Skill #5: Word Choice- Vague Pronoun Reference (Overabundance of Pronouns)
LEARNING TARGET(S): I can delete obviously wordy material in a sentence.
College Readiness Standards: Word Choice (16-19) Delete obviously synonymous and wordy material in a sentence.
Kentucky Academic Standards: L.CCR.1- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking L.CCR.2- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation and spelling when writing. W.CCR.5- Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach
FOR THE TEACHER: One of the benefits of using pronouns correctly is that they provide variety to sentences and allow a writer to compose more targeted sentences. This extension builds on the prior lesson activities that focus on correct use of pronouns through a variation of sentence combining. Lesson Outline: 1. Review concept of pronoun/antecedent agreement. (Activity 1) 2. Guided Practice (Activities #2 and #3) 3. Independent Practice (Activity #3)
Teaching Activities:
Activity #1: Who in the World?	Review with students the definition of antecedent. Ask students to complete a Mad Libs activity. (Some are available at http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/language_arts/madlibs.) Once the Mad Libs have been shared, ask students to match the nouns they included with the pronouns in the Mad Lib. Do they match? Are there problems? How should they be changed? Do they contribute to the humor?
Activity #2: Gossip	Ask students to write a series of sentences in a “gossip” game format with these additional rules: The first student must make sure that he/she writes a sentence with a person or thing as the subject. The second student must use at least one pronoun. The third student must introduce a new noun. The fourth student must use at least one pronoun. The pattern continues for the number of students in a group. (It is recommended that the class be broken into smaller groups for the sake of time and variety.) Review with students some examples of combining short sentences into more effective ones. Make sure that examples include sentences that have pronouns that refer to the nouns in the first sentence. EX: Julie ate lunch. It was tasty. Ask student groups to combine the sentences they wrote earlier by focusing on correct use of pronouns. The temptation will be to eliminate all pronouns, but encourage students to think about using a combination of pronouns and antecedents. This will be easier as students write paragraphs rather than just sentences. Have students share their story paragraphs with the class and ask for suggestions for refining the sentences to eliminate any additional wordiness. Lead students in establishing guidelines for when to use pronouns to eliminate wordiness
Activity #3: Using Relative Pronouns to Combine Sentences	Explain to students that a special type of pronoun is often used to combine sentences. Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses. Relative clauses modify a word, phrase or idea in the main clause. The most common relative pronouns are who/whom, whoever/whomever, whose, that, and which. In certain situations, "what," "when," and "where" can function as relative pronouns.) Give students sentence strips that have two related sentences that can be combined with relative pronouns. (See http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-use-pronouns-to-combine-sentences.html for samples.) Post student work as examples.
Activity #4: Working Backwards	Provide students with sentences that have been combined. Ask them to re-write the sentences by separating the elements. Their examples will be redundant and wordy. Ask each student to write a short paragraph on why using sentence combining helps reduce wordiness. Teachers can extend this activity by having students share their paragraphs for peer review to determine whether any sentences could be combined to be more effective. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Worksheets on sentence combining: http://education.yourdictionary.com/worksheets/sentence-combining-worksheets.html Worksheets on sentence combining: http://www.sinclair.edu/centers/tlc/pub/handouts_worksheets/english/sentence_combining_and_sentence_variety.pdf Sentence Combining Quizzes: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/combining_skills.htm PowerPoint on sentence combining: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CCoQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fteach.clarkschools.net%2Fjbernhard%2Fliteracy_web%2FWeb_Files_Literacy%2FCombining_Sentences.ppt&ei=a2QxT63FMomFtgefmcjoBg&usg=AFQjCNEFU0JgbX_Hw3OuHx8oWRU57FW8wg&sig2=EhmNG1bYC5Ts3BZJEg-WJA More on relative pronouns: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/645/01/

Usage & Mechanics
Skill #1: Word Choice: What’s in a Good Sentence?
LEARNING TARGET(S): I can identify essential elements of good sentences. I can construct sentences that flow naturally. I can edit sentences to remove unnecessary elements.
College Readiness Standards: Word Choice (13-15): Revise sentences to correct awkward and confusing arrangements of sentence elements.
Kentucky Academic Standards: L.CCR.1- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking L.CCR.2- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation and spelling when writing. W.CCR.5- Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach
FOR THE TEACHER: Since students often write poor sentences because they don’t understand sentence structures, the lesson progresses through the four activities below in increasing difficulty. They quickly move into complicated sentences and whether the elements work together effectively. Each activity has an independent task that can be used for formative assessment. Technology and manipulatives can be very effective tools for this lesson. Because the EXPLORE and PLAN assessments do not require students to identify the types of phrases and clauses, the activities in this lesson are not focused on labeling, but on writing and editing sentences effectively using elements. However, it will be helpful if students know the difference in phrases and clauses prior to the activities.
Teaching Activities:
Activity #1: The Bicycle as a Sentence	Often students struggle to construct good sentences because they don’t understand the structure of a sentence. The PowerPoint presentation at this site: www.ateg.org/grammar/tips/bike.ppt compares the parts of a sentence to a bicycle, starting with simple subjects and predicates and moving to phrases and clauses. After viewing and discussing the PowerPoint, ask students (individually or in groups) to create their own extended analogies about how sentences work together to form a paragraph or on a specific format of a sentence (e.g., command). Students can present to the class or can participate in a technology gallery walk by moving from computer to computer. At the end of all presentations, ask students to create one sentence exemplar for each type.
Activity #2: How Much is Too Much?	Give each student a long, complicated sentence on a sentence strip. (Faulkner’s writing would be an excellent resource for these.) Ask each student to read his/her sentence aloud. This may be done as a partner activity. Ask them to mark each place where they had to stop to figure out what came next or to get a breath. Explain to students that these elements are often interrupters to the flow of the meaning of the sentence. To try to figure out what is essential in the sentence, ask students to use one color highlighter to mark the simple subject and verb. Then ask students to mark through each phrase, clause or even word that is not essential to the meaning. Ask students to read the new sentence aloud and compare the flow of the two sentences. Direct students to reflect why writers use a variety of sentence structures. Answers should include points such as emphasis, diction, style, characterization, etc. This could be an exit slip task.
Activity #3: Naming My Parts	Show the students a complex sentence like the following: “On a bitter cold winter morning, Malcolm Maxwell, a young man of simple means but good intentions, left the quiet country town in which he’d been raised, and set off on the bold errand he’d been preparing for all his life.” Ask students to identify which information is essential and which is helpful or nice to know. Divide students into small groups or pairs. Give each group of variety of sentences of different lengths and structures. (These could come from texts for this class or others.) Ask students to identify the different parts of the sentences and categorize them (some sentences will have only one part and others will have multiple parts). Each group should share their categories. This can happen in verbal sharing or in a gallery walk if students post the sentences and label as parts. Ultimately, students should come up with four categories: (1) Main Parts. These parts usually contain the main action of the sentence: “Malcolm Maxwell,… left the quiet country town in which he’d been raised,….” (2) Lead-In Parts. These parts lead into other parts, often main parts: “On a bitter cold winter morning,…” (3) In-Between Parts. As the name implies, these parts go in between other parts. They feel like a slight interruption: “…a young man of simple means but good intentions,…” (4) Add-On Parts. These are extra parts that convey additional information about any of the other parts and are usually used to make things more specific: “…and set off on the bold errand he’d been preparing for all his life.” Ask students to use the parts to write sentences of their own that follow specific patterns. This lesson can be extended through focus on correct punctuation for the different parts. Adapted from a lesson at http://www.ttms.org/writing_quality/sentence_fluency.htm.
Activity #4: Fitting it All Together	Although there may be differences, good sentences should flow naturally, not just have clauses and phrases added on. Use magnetic phrases (like poetry kits) to model for students how sentences fit together. You could also do this in a Prezi presentation. Lead students to understand that putting phrases together in particular ways can change the meaning or emphasis of a sentence, even if they can be correct. Give small groups, pairs or individual students’ envelopes with a group of 3-5 phrases and clauses that have come from a single sentence in a mentor text. Have them put the elements together in a logical order and then defend why that is the best order. Then share the way the author originally put the elements together. Lead students to discuss why one is better than another if there is a difference. Have copies of students’ writing available (not the originals). Ask students to identify complicated sentences in their writing and cut them out of the paper. Students should then cut the sentences apart into shorter elements. Some may be single words, some phrases and some clauses. Partner with another student to see if another person can put the sentence back together as it was originally or if there is another way. Students may also discuss whether some of the elements are necessary. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Tips on sentence variety: http://www.ttms.org/writing_quality/sentence_fluency.htm Basics of sentence types for ELL students: http://www.eslbee.com/sentences.htm How to write good sentences: http://www.earlytorise.com/weekly/061500.htm. Information from this website would be especially helpful if you move into the extension activities.

Usage & Mechanics
Skill #2: Word Choice: Style
LEARNING TARGET(S): I can identify the author’s style in an essay. I can revise expressions to remain consistent with an author’s style.
College Readiness Standards: Word Choice (16-19) Revise expressions that deviate from the style of an essay.
Kentucky Academic Standards: L.CCR.1- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking L.CCR.2- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation and spelling when writing. W.CCR.5- Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach
FOR THE TEACHER: Before students can revise expressions that deviate from the style of an essay, they must be able to identify elements of that style. While this extension does not go deeply into style, it includes basics to help students recognize when an expression does not fit. Lesson Outline: 1. Introduce material in Class Review section and complete Activity #1 (direct instruction) 2. Guided Practice (Activity #2) 3. Independent Practice (Activity #3)
Teaching Activities:
Activity #1: What’s My Style?	Prepare two different samples of writing from three or four very different writing styles. You might use authors such as Hemingway, Poe, Faulkner and Jefferson. Show students one sample and ask them to characterize how this author writes. Possible answers might include observations such as short sentences, big words, lots of fragments. Divide the class into small groups and give them one of the prepared samples. Ask them to identify four to five characteristics of that writer’s style. This could be done on chart paper so that students can share with the entire class. As an extension, students could write one or more sentences following the same style as the original.
Activity #2: Making a Style Consistent	Prepare sets of sentence strips from a variety of authors. In each set, three or four sentences should be from the same passage. Include one to three sentences from the other authors whose passages are in a different style. (Notecards could also be used.) Give each group a mixed-up sentence set. Ask students which sentences belong together and which don’t. Students need to defend why some sentences don’t belong. Post the matched sentences for a modified gallery walk. Ask students to take their strips that don’t belong and match them to the correct style. The original groups should then put the sentences in the correct order and compare with the original text.
Activity #3: Changing a Style	Give students a short passage in which there is at least one phrase or sentence that doesn’t fit the style of the paper. First ask students to describe the style of the passage. Second, ask them to identify the incongruent part. Then ask them to revise the part so that it fits with the style of the whole piece. This activity can be a continuation of Activity 2 by re-writing the sentences that do not fit. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: This college website addresses style and offers several suggestions for reducing wordiness: http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/citation/style A quick guide to revising for style that could be made into a simple checklist for students: http://www.grammarsoftware.com/blog/editing-revising-style/ Advice on revising a novel for style. It could prove helpful for students to understand that professional writers continue to revise. http://www.novel-writing-help.com/revising-a-novel.html

Usage & Mechanics
Skill #3: Sentence Structure and Formation: Combining Simple Sentences
LEARNING TARGET(S): I can use the formula “IC, coordinating conjunction IC” to join simple clauses into a compound sentence. I can use semicolons to punctuate a compound sentence created from two simple clauses.
College Readiness Standards: Sentence Structure and Formation (13-15): Use conjunctions or punctuation to join simple clauses
Kentucky Academic Standards: L.CCR.1- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking L.CCR.2- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation and spelling when writing. W.CCR.5- Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach
FOR THE TEACHER: Lesson Outline: Introduction of skill/content (class review and demonstration) Student practice (Activities 1 and 2) Additional activities to be used in any thematic unit (3-6) Extension activities These lessons can be used in the sequence presented above, or they can be pulled as needed and dropped into an existing unit. Activities 1 and 2 are more appropriate for direct instruction and guided practice, while the remaining activities can be used for additional guided practice, independent practice, or modified for assessment purposes. Extension activities are designed to be used with students at higher levels or to continue working with related concepts and skills. Prior information to review with students: A clause is a group of words that has a subject and a predicate. A main clause can stand alone as a sentence (ex. The principal closed the school.). (Source: Terban, M. Scholastic Guides: Checking Your Grammar. Scholastic, New York. 1993.)
Teaching Activities:
Activity #1: Visual Demonstration	New information to be introduced: A compound sentence is made up of two or more independent clauses (simple sentences). These independent clauses are joined by a comma and a conjunction. Ex. She asked me to the dance, and I said yes. Ex. You eat this banana and peanut butter sandwich, or I’ll never make you lunch again. A conjunction is a word that joins other words or parts of sentences together. Conjunctions are like glue; they form strong connections between two sentences. DEMONSTRATION: Here’s a visual exercise to demonstrate how conjunctions connect simple sentences. Materials needed: Two different colored electrical wires, 7-10 inches each, (make three sets of these wires), regular transparent tape, a wire connecter with a bright color. (To prepare the wires, make sure the plastic coating is cut away 2 inches from one end of each wire. Use a different set of wires for each part of the demo because once you cut the plastic the ends get bent and tangled and a little harder to work with. ) Description: Bring three students to the front of the class. Give one wire to two students and have the other student standing by. Explain to the students: “Each colored wire represents a single independent clause. To add variety to our writing, we sometimes want to combine these clauses into a single sentence. There are clause-combining rules that we need to follow in our writing. Let’s say the black wire is ‘Matt was hungry’ and the white wire is ‘He made himself a sandwich.’ What is something simple we do to connect these two wires, these two independent clauses?” (You want to elicit “twist the wires together” or something similar. When someone suggests it, ask the third student in front of the class to twist the wires together, with the other two students still each holding one part.) “Do you think this connection is strong and secure?” (Take the wire from the two students in front and give it to two other students in their seats.) “Try to separate our two clauses. They come apart pretty easily, don’t they? So is just pushing the wires together a good way to combine them?” (Elicit – No.) “So let’s try another way to make a connection.” (Hand another pair of wires to the students in the front. Try to elicit that they can be taped together. Someone usually comes up with it! Bring out the tape and ask a third student to tape the wires together.) “What do you think about this connection? Is it a strong one?” (Ask the pair holding the wires to bring them to seated students and ask the seated students to give them a tug. The wires will fall apart.) “So tape was not a good idea either. Let’s try one more thing.” (Bring out the connector and the final set of wires. As the two students each hold a wire, attach the connector securely. The teacher should do this -- after a little practice -- because if the student doesn’t do it right, the wires will fall apart and blow the demonstration! Then bring the connector-attached wires to seated students and ask them to tug. The wires will not come apart.) “It looks like we finally have a secure connection for our two wires and our two independent clauses! Now, let’s see how this relates to our writing.” Extension: Have students create other visual examples of this connection (example: “Conjunction Junction” from Schoolhouse Rocks! uses the concept of train boxcars to illustrate this concept.) (source: http://www.azargrammar.com/assets/advanced/UUEGExpansionActivities/UUEGExp16.pdf) New information to be introduced: Conjunctions that join independent clauses are called coordinating conjunctions. Coordinating conjunctions join words, phrases, and sentences (independent clauses) together. You can use the mnemonic device FANBOYS to remember this list of coordinating conjunctions. For and nor but or yet so
Activity #2: Who’s a Fan?	Write the following two sentences on the board. Walk students through the process of using a comma and a conjunction to connect the two sentences, emphasizing the changes in punctuation and capitalization that have to be made. The brother dove deeply. His sister splashed in the shallow end. Repeat (with less teacher guidance and more student-initiated input) with these two sentences. Father built up the fire. The wet dog crept closer to the hearth. Have students complete the next three sentences at their desks; discuss the results. The girl smiled. She said nothing. James phoned home. No one answered his call. The assistant told the team, “You can stay. You can go home.” New information to be introduced: Each conjunction plays a special purpose in sentence combining. Discuss the examples provided. FOR - is to introduce the reason for the preceding clause Do not skimp on the spices required by the recipe, for they add a delicious flavor to the stew. AND - joins two similar ideas together The ballroom was decorated with vases of fresh flowers, and the twinkle lights added a festive touch. NOR - The conjunction nor is not extinct, but it is not used nearly as often as the other conjunctions. Its most common use is as the little brother in the correlative pair, neither-nor I am not interested in seeing a movie tonight, nor am I interested in going bowling. BUT - joins two contrasting ideas together You can call Amy, but I do not think she is at home. OR - joins two alternative ideas I will wear my cardigan sweater, or I might wear my hooded sweatshirt. YET - is very similar to 'but' as it also joins two contrasting ideas together The concert ended an hour ago, yet the traffic in the parking lot is still congested. SO - shows that the second idea is the result of the first Everyone is hungry, so we will stop by the ice cream parlor on the way home. Sometimes you can use a semicolon to join independent clauses instead of a comma and a conjunction. The mechanical dinosaur in the museum had a short circuit; it started to dance! Chorus meets every Tuesday; band rehearsal is on Wednesday.
Activity #3: Gimme a Reason	Prep: Write each of the conjunctions above on an index card. Create 2-4 sets of these cards and clip them together (you can also store them in plastic sandwich baggies). Divide your students into teams; depending on the size of the class, you can have two larger teams or a number of smaller teams. Give each team a set of conjunction cards. Display the following sentences, one at a time, for students to see. Ask Team #1 to choose the conjunction that best completes the sentence. The team captain should hold up the card and then provide a rationale for their response. If the response is correct, the team earns one point; if the response is incorrect, the opposing team gets an opportunity to answer. I normally like to run, ___ today I am walking. I am smarter than my brother, ___ he still got a higher grade on the test. I don’t make good grades, ___ do I try very hard in school. It is raining outside today, ___ I think I will wear my raincoat. He is always crying, ___ he is very sad. The old man doesn’t have much money _____ he always seems to have nice things. Either we are going to win ______ they are going to win. I don’t have much time _____ hurry up! He wasn’t a popular king _____ all of his countrymen hated him. I want to get there early ____ we should leave soon. I don’t like red ____ do I like blue. I ran after the cat _____ could not catch her. We played very well ____ we still lost the game.
Activity #4: Picture Pairs	Find a series of illustrations or photographs that are action-based. There are several different ways to prepare these images for use with the activity. Take large images and cut them in half. You can also use smaller illustrations and just make matching copies of the image. Magazine images will work, particularly from magazines such as National Geographic. Images from children’s books make good choices as well. Shuffle the illustrations and pass one out to each student. Have each student write a strong simple sentence about the illustration. Instruct the students to find the person who has the same or matching illustration. Students must then read their sentences to each other, and use a coordinating conjunction to combine the two sentences. (If the sentences that the students have written are too similar, then they should revise those sentences first.) Share the sentences with the class (ex., students can write them on the board or read them out loud).
Activity #5: The Dating Game	The purpose of this activity is to have students complete the second half of a compound sentence by selecting the option with the most correctly used conjunction. The set-up is similar to “The Dating Game” where one person interviews three hidden candidates. Choose 8 students; these students will be looking for a “date.” Give each student one of the bolded sentences below; these can be written on strips of paper. For round 1, select three additional students and hand them each a copy of the sentence that matches the bold sentence. These three students should each choose a different conjunction to place in front of their sentence; using a semicolon is also an option. NOTE: These students should not see the first sentence of the pair. The first student will read his/her sentence. Then s/he will ask each of the “candidates” to read their conjunction and sentence. After all options have been read, the first student should choose the option that most correctly combines the sentences. Repeat the process with each of the sentences below. She went to work.  She did not want to go. The scientists trained him well.  They helped him find a job when his training was through. Polar bears are fierce, territorial animals.  Grizzly bears are the same. Mark told me not to come with him.  He looked longingly at me as I left. I will not give in to you.  I will not let you push me around. He loves to drive during the day.  They will let him drive before 9pm. My cat was hungry.  It had not eaten since breakfast. A book can be a lot of fun to read.  A book can be boring.
Activity #6: Easy Edits	Display the following sentences on the board. Students will need a sheet of paper; you can have them copy all the sentences, or you can just have them write down the answers. For each sentence, have the student identify the incorrectly used conjunction and/or punctuation mark, and then replace it with the correct answer. I heard the news about a fire on the radio, so my family saw it on the television.  They said it was caused by an exploding computer but I didn't understand how. The fire chief called in all his men, he ordered them to stay back.  The building became engulfed in flames so they stood by.  The police wanted to inspect the scene of the fire, but the fire chief did too.  They needed to examine everything, and they did not think it was an accident. The police could not find the source of the fire, so could the fire chief.  Someone set the fire and someone caused the fire accidentally. The dogs found the source of the fire, yet they found the burned-out computer. The fire chief wanted to close the case so the police asked to keep it open.
Activity #7: I Can Do it Myself	Have the students find a passage from one of the drafts in their writing folders and revise it. Student should also provide a rationale paragraph, explaining why they chose to combine the sentence they did and the effect this has on the passage as a whole.
Additional Resources	Crossword puzzle game: http://iteslj.org/cw/1/vm-conj.html http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/coconj1.htm

Usage & Mechanics
Skill #4: Sentence Structure and Formation: Complex Sentences Note: This activity is an extension of the previous skill. Do we want to list it as a separate skill, or find a way to label it as an extension activity? I can always add a statement in the “For the Teacher” section. That’s what was done later on in the Conventions of Punctuation section with those extension activities (see page 81). Audrey… Audrey- however you want to resolve it is fine. Just make the decision based on what makes the most sense.
LEARNING TARGET(S): I can use a subordinating conjunction to combine an independent and dependent clause into a complex sentence.
College Readiness Standards: There is no College Readiness Standard identified that builds on this skill, but the following objective is a logical next step for students who have mastered the standard in the 13-15 score range: Use subordinating conjunctions to combine independent clauses and dependent clauses into complex sentences.
Kentucky Academic Standards: L.CCR.1- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking L.CCR.2- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation and spelling when writing. W.CCR.5- Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach
FOR THE TEACHER: Lesson Outline: 1. Introduce material in Class Review section and complete Activity #1 (direct instruction) 2. Guided Practice (Activity #2) 3. Independent Practice (Activity #3) Before doing the exercise, the students are introduced to coordinating conjunctions in a previous class. Before you continue with these activities, you might want to do a five minute traditional blackboard review of independent clauses, coordinating conjunctions, and comma/semicolon placement. All three activities taken from: http://faculty.ccp.edu/dept/viewpoints/s01v2n3/strips.htm
Teaching Activities:
Activity #1: Class Review	New information to be introduced: A complex sentence contains an independent clause and a dependent clause. The two clauses are joined by a subordinating conjunction. We’ll just have to wait here until the spaceship comes. Whenever I see that monkey, I think of my counselor at camp. Notice that in the last sentence above, the dependent clause (the one that begins with the subordinating conjunction whenever) comes at the beginning of the sentence. In a complex sentence it doesn’t matter which comes first, the independent or the dependent clause. That sentence could have been written I think of my counselor at camp whenever I see that monkey. A subordinate clause is used with the main clause to express a related idea (Ex. The principal closed the school because so many students are sick with the flu.). A subordinating conjunction joins a dependent clause to an independent clause. After before so till where although for so that unless Whereas as if than until wherever as if once that When whether because since though whenever while While you mind the baby, I’m going shopping. I’m never talking to him again unless he tells me the secret.
Activity #2: He Said, She Said	Type the following sentences in 16 point type. Print out and cut each strip.  Although he/she wanted to get married, _________________ Although the apartment is not expensive, ________________ After we broke up, __________________________________ After I spilled chocolate all over my shirt, ________________ After I get my college degree, _________________________ As the car sputtered to a stop,_________________________ Because I love you to the ends of the earth, ______________ Because she hated giraffes, __________________________ Before she would go out with me, ______________________ Before she would introduce me to her parents, ____________ Before I even let him/her kiss me, ______________________ Even if you can dance all night, ________________________ Even though you may be able to eat five pizzas, ___________ Ever since you braided your hair, ___________________ Ever since she started playing drums, ___________________ If you are going to sell your rap songs, __________________ If you get an A in math, ______________________________ Since I went to Atlantic City, ___________________________ Since he lost 40 pounds, ______________________________ Since I learned how to use a computer, __________________ Though she wanted to mud wrestle with him, ______________ Unless my mother changes her mind, ____________________ Unless she has absolutely no money, ____________________ Until he understands women, ___________________________ Whatever you do, ____________________________________ When you grow up and have your own children , ____________ When you buy your first car, ____________________________ When I sit down to eat, ________________________________ Whenever they go out, ________________________________ Wherever I go shopping, _______________________________ Whether you are male or female, ________________________ Procedure  Tell the students they're going to play a silly game. Have them move the desks and chairs back against the walls to create a playing area. Choose a student and demonstrate. Give him/her a strip. Choose one strip for yourself.  Demonstration  Teacher: Kim, I'm going to read my strip to you. Listen carefully, add to it to make it a complete sentence, and tell me where the comma should go. "Since he lost 40 pounds, _____."  Kim: "He can play basketball."  Teacher: Give me the whole sentence beginning with "Since."  Kim: "Since he lost 40 pounds COMMA, he can play basketball."  Teacher: Good. Now read me your strip.  Kim: "After I spilled chocolate all over my shirt, _______."  Teacher: "After I spilled chocolate all over my shirt COMMA, I licked it up. Now exchange strips with me and go and find another partner and do the same thing.  This is an oral activity, so I tell students they must read aloud from their strips to their partners rather than allowing their partners to just read the strips silently before responding orally. While students are exchanging strips, I roam around and monitor to see if they are answering in complete sentences. If there are an odd number of students, I also participate. After a few minutes, I start giving new strips to each pair.
Activity #3: Chain Stories	Type or print each of the story prompts below at the top of a blank page of paper. Put a list of coordinating conjunctions and common subordinating conjunctions on the board.  It was a strange night, there seemed to be a chill in the air... As soon as I arrived, I could sense that something was out of place... One night, I Iooked out the window and I saw the neighbor... I was reading a book when I looked up. There in the window I saw... I decided to go for an evening stroll.  I walked about three blocks when I felt it... They would have been fine if they hadn't stopped for the stranger... Everyone avoided the big old mansion. It was believed to have... They said she was able to utter a few words before she died... Something is drastically wrong! Every time I pick up the telephone... Sometimes I think my friend has strange powers. Every time he's around... I never expected that one day I'd open my closet and find....... It was obviously going to be an unusual day when my mom came into my bedroom and said..... She was a funny old lady, but I knew she had come to tell me..... It was my best friend's deepest secret and it would be a hard one to keep....... Goats, sheep, and chickens belong on the farm, not in the middle of........ Late one night the neighbor knocked on the front door and asked.......... Something brushed up against my foot and my surprise turned to horror as I looked down and saw..... Procedure  Writing Class Chain Stories is a variation of an old parlor game. Students get involved in both the creative and the editing process because each student has contributed at least one sentence to the 12-15 chain stories.  Distribute the story prompt sheets to the class by giving one prompt to each student. (It helps if the class is seated in a circle).  Tell students they must continue each story they receive by adding a complete sentence. The twist is each sentence must contain either a subordinating conjunction or a coordinating conjunction and must be correctly punctuated. Then they fold the paper down accordion style so that only the last sentence written can be seen and pass the sheet to the person on the right. (You can monitor for momentum: if the next student is not ready for a new sheet, just take the sheet and pass it to the first student who is ready.)
Activity #4: Chain Stories	Preparation   Number the following sentences. Print out one sheet for each pair of students.  _____________________________although I tried very hard. _____________________________although she drives me crazy. _____________________________after he won the lottery. _____________________________as she got on the crowded bus. _____________________________as they argued with the clerk. _____________________________as if he had never seen a beautiful woman before.  _____________________________because they had never climbed a mountain before.  _____________________________because her mother was very strict with her.  _____________________________before the volcano erupted. ____________________________before they got married. ____________________________in order that her car could start on a freezing day. ____________________________in order that she could go to law school. ____________________________since the cheesecake melted. ____________________________so that we can continue to mud wrestle. ____________________________though he sang like an elephant in pain. ____________________________unless he shot a deer. ____________________________until her father found out. ____________________________whatever happens. ____________________________whatever makes you happy. ____________________________when pigs fly. Procedure  Put students into pairs. Give one sheet of numbered dependent clauses to each pair. Divide the number of clauses by the number of pairs and give each pair a different group of sentences to do. (Encourage humorous sentence production.) After ten minutes, have the pair who did the first group of sentences present them to the class. Have them reverse the clauses and tell where the comma goes. Continue with all the pairs until all the sentences have been done.
Additional Resources	Crossword puzzle game: http://iteslj.org/cw/1/vm-conj.html http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/coconj1.htm