ELA Lesson: Punctuation

Hello!

I was back in the field today and decided to do a grammar lesson. For my edTPA I decided I want to do a 3 day unit on writing. My class is going to write a narrative story, and I am preparing for it now. First step: Punctuation. I need to make sure my class understands how to end their sentences. We focused on periods, exclamation points and question marks. (This lesson is about 45 mins)

I started my lesson by asking my class what they know about sentences and punctuation. All of them were able to answer that periods go at the end and sometimes exclamation points and questions marks. However, none of them knew when to use them or why you use them. I started off by telling them all about periods and when we use them at the end of the sentence. I first asked them and then told them the definition. I made vocabulary cards and showed the one that talks about periods and told them how we use them at the end of a sentence when we are telling someone something or stating a fact. I then cut out a period and showed them what it looks like. After as a class we all went around saying sentences that would need a period.  (Ex: I like ice cream. *Insert students name* go pick up the pencil please.-one of my students made sure we knew that we need to add please when we are asking someone to do something)

Next, we talked all about question marks. I again asked the students what they knew about question marks and then showed them the vocabulary card and cutout question mark I made. I proceeded to tell them that you use a question mark when your sentence is asking a question. We all went around the room giving sentences that are asking questions. (Ex: Do you like ghosts? Do you like to read?)

Finally, we talked about exclamation points. I asked my students when we would use this in a sentence. One of them knew to use it when showing excitement. I was surprised and happy! I then showed them the vocabulary card and the exclamation point I made. I told them we use exclamation points when we want to show excitement, emotion, or feelings. I emphasized that we don't only have to use them when we are excited. I gave them them an example by saying: I don't like waking up early! I let them know I was showing the emotion of frustration because waking up early isn't fun for me. They then went around and gave sentences with various emotions that could have an exclamation point.
(Visual and Verbal learners)

Vocabulary Cards

Cutouts

Afterwards, we looked at the book Punctuation Station by: Elsa Bruno & Jenny Whitehead. I didn't have the book so we watched it on YouTube.

This book is awesome because it has a short poem about every single punctuation. We focused on the poems about periods, exclamation points, and questions marks.

After we watched the school house rock video "Interjections" to help reiterate again the exclamation points can help show ALL emotions, not just excitement.

Next, we did a punctuation worksheet. The worksheet had 10 sentences and we had to figure out what punctuation goes at the end. You can do this worksheet anyway you like. 

My students can't read so I decided to do this worksheet as a group. I read the sentences with inflection to allow them to figure out if a period, question mark, or exclamation point was needed. We worked as a group to complete this worksheet. (Interpersonal learners)

You can also have your students cut out and glue the punctuation on the paper.

Lastly, we went outside and play Red light, Green Light- Punctuation Edition.  I got back out the cutouts I made.

First, the students all had to go to one end of the fence. When I held up green (exclamation point), the students had to run to me. When I held up yellow (question mark), students had to slowly walk to me. When I held up red (period), the students had to stop. The first person to make it to the other side of the fence and touch my hand won. If I held up the red, I would randomly call on students to tell me when we would use a certain punctuation. If they got it wrong, everyone had to go back to the fence and start over. The first person to touch my hand had to tell me when we use all three of the punctuations in a sentence.  If they got it wrong they had to go back and the game continued. If they got it right, then they won the game. (Kinesthetic learners). My students loved playing this game and it really helped them learn when to use what punctuation at the end of the sentence.

Now after doing this, I realized I maybe should have played this game with Mother May I. Red light green light got a little rough and I think Mother May I would have made the game more controlled. Before the students could take the requested steps forward, they would have to answer a punctuation question!

This lesson took about 45 minutes total and my students learned so much. I am so happy and I know this will help us when we write a narrative story next semester for my edTPA!