Tiffany Bills

English 329 Ostenson

April 12, 2011

LESSON PLAN 2 – Sentence Beginnings

PLANNING

Date: Class and Grade Level: English 7

Title/Subject of Lesson: Sentence Opening Scrutiny (SOS) Activity

Objective(s): Students will be able to revise their writing to vary sentence beginning.

State (or District) Core Curriculum Standard(s): Standard 2, Objective 3 (Revision and Editing), a. Evaluate and revise for: Varied sentence beginnings and sentence length.

Concept(s) to Be Taught: Verbs, Varying sentence beginnings, SVO sentence order, “scrutiny” definition.

Materials Needed: Sample text example with similar sentence length and beginnings, sample text example with varied sentence length and sentence beginnings. SOS worksheet.

Strategies to Be Used: [What learning strategies, e.g., K-W-L, semantic mapping, will you use?]

Weaver’s Framework

PERFORMING

Announcements:

Continuation from Previous Lesson: I’m passing back your drafts of your narrative essay. Today we’re going to work on making our sentences more interesting for the reader. We’re going to do this by varying sentence beginnings. The beginning part of your sentence is what convinces your reader to keep reading.

Lesson Presentation:

A)Getting Started: [anticipatory set] First we’re going to look at examples of a professional writer’s sentences from the first four pages of her book. read entire book or print lines from first few pages on overhead:

Jason got on the bus.

He paid the bus driver.

Then he found a good seat.

Jason looked around.

Ziefert, Harriet. Jason’s Bus Ride. Puffin: New York, 1987.

What do these sentences have in common?

most start with the subject—Jason/he; short in length; simple to read>

What type of reader is this author writing for? How can you tell?

<It’s an early reading book for young readers; simple words; similar structures; expected sequence>

There are definite benefits for this type of writing, but the type of writing we’re working on for our narrative essay assignment is for a different audience. Your audience needs something more interesting to keep the reader engaged and moving forward. A great way to do this is by varying the way we start our sentences.

B)Directing the Learning: [learning activities]

Modeling/Examples

As a class we’re going to look at a small paragraph from a YA mystery novel. (see overhead)

Lauren didn’t answer. A bee bounced across the windshield, then crawled slowly along the wiper blade. Lauren could hear Janaan shift in her seat, but concentrated on the delicate bee legs as they groped across the chrome shaft. Janaan’s voice, hanging somewhere between a murmur and a whisper, broke again into the silence. (Ferguson 8)

Ferguson, Alane. Show Me the Evidence. Avon: New York, 1990.

Let’s imagine the same paragraph written with similar sentence beginnings:

Lauren didn’t answer. She saw a bee bounce across the windshield, then crawl slowly along the wiper blade. Lauren could hear Janaan shift in her seat, but concentrated on the delicate bee legs as they groped across the chrome shaft. Lauren hearJanaan’s voice.

Complete the overhead for the selected paragraphs.

Guided Practice

I’m assigning each desk cluster a passage to work with.<Pass out worksheets A,B,C to respective groups.> Complete the worksheets as a group. You have 10 minutes. If you finish early, please read quietly from your SSR book.

Discuss

Ask for a speaker from each group to summarize their findings for the class.

C)Bringing the Lesson to a Conclusion: Starting your sentences in different ways is more engaging for the reader.Pass out copies of SOS document to each student and give instructions for homework:

I want you to scrutinize (examine carefully) your sentence beginnings in your narrative essay.

1. Write the first four words of each sentence.

This step will show the writer whether the sentences have varied beginnings.

It will also show whether transitional elements have been included.

2. Write the number of words in each sentence.

This step will show whether the sentences vary in length.

It will also be a cue to non-sentences. A sentence of six words may be a fragment; a sentence of 43 words my be a run-on.

3. Write all the verbs used in each sentence.

This step will show whether a variety of verbs is being used.

It will also show whether the tense is consistent.

4. Write down any punctuation (besides apostrophes) used in each sentence.

If there are 5 commas, 7 semi-colons, 3 dashes, etc., they may consider revising.

The questions at the bottom of the page encourage you to reflect about the strengths and weaknesses of your writing and to make decisions about how to improve it.

Assignment:

Independent Practice: Fill out the SOS worksheet table for the first three paragraphs of your essay. Highlight your sentences with your most common sentence beginning. Rewrite three sentences with new beginnings reflective of your scrutinizing your own writing.

Evaluation:

overhead

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Saturdays were different. She treated herself by reading a book not in the alphabetical sequence. On that day she asked the librarian to recommend a book. (Smith 23)

Sentence Beginnings

First Four Words / # Words in the sentence / Verbs Used / Punctuation Used
Saturdays were different / 3 / were / .
She treated herself by / 12 / Treated / .
On that day she / 11 / Asked, to recommend / .

Lauren didn’t answer. A bee bounced across the windshield, then crawled slowly along the wiper blade. Lauren could hear Janaan shift in her seat, but concentrated on the delicate bee legs as they groped across the chrome shaft. Janaan’s voice, hanging somewhere between a murmur and a whisper, broke again into the silence. (Ferguson 8)

Ferguson, Alane. Show Me the Evidence. Avon: New York, 1990.

Sentence Beginnings

First Four Words / # Words in the sentence / Verbs Used / Punctuation Used
Lauren didn’t answer / 3 / Answer / .
A bee bounced across / 13 / Bounced, crawled / , .

Sentence Beginnings– A Group

Name: ______Date: ______

Directions: Work in small groups to examine the paragraphs, fill out the sentence/word count table, and answer the questions.

The Call of the Wild

Buck staggered over against the sled, exhausted, sobbing for breath, helpless. This was Spitz’s opportunity. He sprang upon Buck, and twice his teeth sank into his unresisting foe and ripped and tore the flesh to the bone. Then Francois’s lash descended, and Buck had the satisfaction of watching Spitz receive the worst whipping as yet administered to any of the team. (London 39)

Sentence Beginnings

First Four Words / # Words / Verbs / Punctuation Used

What is the most effective way to start a sentence? Why?

What does using a verb early on in a sentence add to it?

How does the punctuation used by the author contribute to the meaning of the sentences?

Sentence Beginnings – B Group

Name: ______Date: ______

Directions: Work in small groups to examine the paragraphs, fill out the sentence/word count table, and answer the questions.

Hoot

Beatrice clicked off the light and they waited. The steps in the gravel sounded heavy and ponderous, like those of a large man. Something jangled as he moved; a set of keys, maybe, or loose coins in a pocket. Roy held his breath.

As the watchman approached the ice-cream truck, he whacked one of the fenders with what sounded like a lead pipe. Roy jumped but made no noise. Luckily, the man kept walking. Every so often he’d bang the pipe loudly on another junker, as if he were trying to scare something out of the shadows. (Hiaasen 75)

Sentence Beginnings

First Four Words / # Words / Verbs / Punctuation Used

What is the most effective way to start a sentence? Why?

What does using a verb early on in a sentence add to it?

How does the punctuation used by the author contribute to the meaning of the sentences?

Sentence Beginnings – C Group

Name: ______Date: ______

Directions: Work in small groups to examine the paragraphs, fill out the sentence/word count table, and answer the questions.

Homecoming

With her brothers and sister near, with the two youngest asleep in the back seat, sitting as they were in a cocoon of darkness, she should feel safe. But she didn’t. Though it was standing still, the car seemed to be flying down a highway, going too fast. Even the dark inside of it was not deep enough to hide them. Faces might appear in the windows at any time, asking angry questions. (Voigt 14-15)

Sentence Beginnings

First Four Words / # Words / Verbs / Punctuation Used

What is the most effective way to start a sentence? Why?

What does using a verb early on in a sentence add to it?

How does the punctuation used by the author contribute to the meaning of the sentences?

S. O. S. (sentence opening scrutiny)

Name: ______Date: ______

Fill out the following chart from your own sentences of your essay draft. Answer the questions at the bottom of the sheet.

First Four Words / # of Words / Verbs / Punctuation Used

What do you notice about your writing?

What will you do to improve your writing?

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