Punctuation

At the end of the unit, students will be able to...

a. Use the period correctly.

b. Use the question mark correctly.

c. Use the exclamation mark correctly.

d. Use the comma correctly.

e. Use the apostrophe correctly to form possessives and contractions.

f. Use the hyphen correctly to divide words at the end of a line.

g. Use quotation marks correctly in direct quotations and titles.

Yes

Informal Evaluations-Teacher observations will be made during all quided practice. Several sentences and word examples will be used for lecture and student understanding. Guided practice will occur after each new concept is introduced.

Independent Activities-Daily assignments will be made as necessary after quided practice is accomplished and achieved. In independent practice, students will complete a variety of assignments which demonstrates their knowledge on punctuation. Students will use periods, question marks, exclamation marks, commas, apostrophes, hyphens, and quotation marks correctly in sentences. Students will demonstrate their knowledge in daily assignments, but also through a writing assignment where they will have to use all the types of punctuation.

End of Unit Exam-Students will take a unit exam over punctuation.

80%

The students will:

1. Participate in a discussion about the use of a period.  Remember periods are used at the end of a sentence, after initials, after abbreviations, and after each numberal or letter in an outline. Looking at several example sentences, decide where to use periods.

2. Using a sheet of paper, write question sentences using the main interrogative words (who, what, where, when, why, and how).  Have a class discussion about the punctuation needed at the end of all these sentences. All questions should end with a question mark.

3. Create five exclamatory sentences using the following emotions: surprise, excitement, joy, shock, and caution.  Read your sentences to one another. If it was read with alot of emotion, it should end with an exclamation point. If you sentences are read with little emotion, it should just end in a period.

4. Review the eight uses for commas. Practice using the comma correctly.

5. On a sheet of paper, create a two column chart. In the first column, write down examples of singular nouns. In the second column, take those singular nouns and make them possessive. 

6.  Using a small writing sample where the author divided every last word on every sentence at the right hand margin, read that writing and understand that it just doesn't look good.   Llearn which words can be divided and which ones cannot. Practice dividing a long list of words. When in doubt, look up words in a class dictionary to determine if it has syllables.

7. Write a dialogue between a famous actor or sports figure and a reporter.  Remember, quotation marks are not only used for conversation, but also for identifying short stories, magazine articles, chapter titles, songs, and poems.

8. Write a story where one of the criteria is that you must use all types of punctuation correctly.

9. Take an exam over punctuation.

The teacher will:

1. Students should have an ample background in the use of a period, but a review is good. Periods are used at the end of a sentence, after initials, after abbreviations, and after each numberal or letter in an outline. Using the smartboard or the markerboard, provide students will lots of examples for each area listed previously, together as a class, decide where to use periods.

2. Using a sheet of paper, have students write question sentences using the main interrogative words (who, what, where, when, why, and how). You may even give them a topic to write their questions about. After they have completed their questions, have a class discussion about the punctuation needed at the end of all these sentences. All questions should end with a question mark.

3. Have students create five exclamatory sentences using the following emotions: surprise, excitement, joy, shock, and caution. Have the class read their sentences to one another. If it was read with alot of emotion, it should end with an exclamation point. If their sentences are read with little emotion, it should just end in a period.

4. Introduce to students that there are eight uses for commas. Commas are use to separate day of the month from year, separate city from state or country, set off name of a person spoken to, after introductory words, set apart words or names in a series, before or after a direct quotation, after the greeting of a friendly letter, and in a compound sentence. After the discussion of these eight rules, students should be able to use the comma correctly.

5. On a sheet of paper, have students create a two column chart. In the first column, have students write down examples of singular nouns. In the second column, have students take those singular nouns and make them possessive. Students ability to do this demonstrates their ability to use the apostrophe correctly.

6. Provide students with a small writing sample where the author divided every last word on every sentence at the right hand margin. Have students read that writing and determine it just doesn't look good. Introduce to students that occasionally, it's appropriate to make word divisions, but don't overuse it. In order to use the hyphen, students need to learn which words can be divided, and which ones cannot. To do this, provide a long list of words for them to divide. When in doubt, students can look up words in a class dictionary to determine if it has syllables.

7. Stress that quotation marks enclose only what is actually spoken. Have students write a dialogue between a famous actor or sports figure and a reporter. Check students work for correct use of quotation marks. Remind students that quotation marks are not only used for conversation, but also for identifying short stories, magazine articles, chapter titles, songs, and poems.

8. Students will write a story where one of the criteria is that they must use all types of punctuation correctly.

9. After a review, students will be ready to take an exam over punctuation.

McDougal, Littell Basic Skills in English

Writing Sample

Classroom Dictionaries

Additional Exercises

Available Tutoring

Modified Assignments

Peer Coaching

Tutoring

Shortened Assignments