- Sentence Fluency
- Top Ten and Above - Students discuss the importance of prepositional phrases within their sentences to strengthen sentence fluency. Students used prepositions that showed movement (how), location (where) and time (when) when writing using sentence starters I provided them.
- Word Choice
- Sounds Abound- Students discussed the significance of onomatopoeia and created sentences using sounds.
- Writing Road Signs- Students discussed the different uses of transitional words/phrases within writing. We wrote a story together and then students were assigned one to write using at least five different "road signs" with a topic of their choice for homework.
- Conventions
- Commas for a Cause- Here, my participant reviewed the different functions of a comma and then chose three he felt he needed to work on most and wrote a sentence demonstrating each of the skills.
After I have the students apply their Trait skills they've learned, I am going to re-assess (on a smaller scale than the pre/post-assessments) and determine if groups need to be adjusted.
These assignments looks really engaging and take these concepts to things they can apply in the real work. Look forward to seeing how these lessons turn out for your kiddos.
ReplyDeleteHannah,
DeleteThe kids seem really responsive to them. They enjoy helping me research, but I think they also like the format of the lessons themselves. The kids feel less pressure, than say with the modes of writing (argumentative, informative and narrative).
Thanks for your feedback,
Emily
I like these lesson especially the prepositions lesson. I will be anxious to hear how this lesson goes, if you feel like students really understand prepositions. I am always amazed when I say "preposition" to my 8th graders that they look at me like I have four-heads. It seems like a concept they just don't get!
ReplyDeleteMiss Geri,
DeleteI completely feel your pain! I say things and often I get the deer in the headlights stare. They seem better when I provide an example immediately after I say the term, but unfortunately, it isn't always like that on our statewide assessment, now is it?
The kids actually did really well with this lesson. There were only a select few that struggled with it, as they've heard this concept before. Do you do any type of grammar/language arts flashback/bell-ringer in the morning or at the beginning of class?
Emily
I teach Social Studies, but my students always say that it is Language Arts in a Social Studies classroom ;-) I do a lot of reading and writing; I also require them to write in complete complete sentences and use correct structure and spelling. I also do flashback/bellringers every day. Flashbacks are SS content. But my bellringer is writing a 3.8 paragraph over the course of the week (brainstorming, drafting, peer editing, and final).
ReplyDeleteI am sure you have heard this but I was taught that a preposition is any word that fits in to this sentence "The mouse ran ____ the stove." This maybe helpful on the "test" since like you said there are certainly no examples.