Lesson plan
Sentence Scramble
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to use adverb phrases and conjunctions to combine and enhance sentences.
Introduction
(5 minutes)- Discuss: How is making sentences like playing with building blocks? Conduct a think-pair-share.
- Point out that words and phrases are ideas and you can put them in different orders like building blocks. Different combinations make sentences longer or shorter, choppier or smoother, clearer or more muddled.
- Add that it’s important to understand how to manipulate sentences and how those choices impact the flow of the piece.
Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling
(20 minutes)- Write the sentences on the board: "The girl received a pass." "The ball landed at her feet." "She looked at the goal." "She shot the ball."
- As a class, use adverb phrases and conjunctions to rewrite these into fewer sentences.
- Review adverb phrases (a phrase that starts with an adverb that modifies the verb) and conjunctions.
- Distribute the worksheet Spice Up Your Sentences with Adverb Phrases and complete this as a class.
Guided Practice
(15 minutes)- Write another series of short sentences on the board, similar to the previous set.
- Instruct students to work with peers to rewrite the sentences using adverb phrases and conjunctions.
- Share student revisions to the sentences. Discuss the different choices made by students.
Independent working time
(20 minutes)- Distribute Mix Up Your Sentences with Conjunctions and Adverb Phrases.
- Instruct students to complete the exercise independently or with a partner.
- Review and discuss student responses.
Differentiation
-
Support: Complete the Sentence Makeover 2 worksheet, conducting the paragraph revision as a class. Be sure to discuss revisions as options that make the writing flow better, modeling the use of adverb phrases and conjunctions to make more complex sentences.
- Enrichment: Have students complete Sentence Makeover 2 worksheet and share revisions with the class.
Assessment
(10 minutes)- Distribute the worksheet Sentence Makeover 1.
- Start the exercise together and model the revisions with adverb phrases and conjunctions one more time. Then have students complete the activity independently.
- Check for understanding.
Review and closing
(5 minutes)- DISCUSS: How is writing like creating art? Students will likely point out that they both express ideas and/or emotions, they both have creators and audiences, and they both involve making choices.
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