Introduction - empoweringwriters.com · with grammar, subject/verb agreement, and fluency. ... •...

How often have you looked at a story a student has written with an eye for a good plot, vivid description, interesting characters and setting, or an expository essay about a curriculum topic and been totally discouraged because you couldn’t read it? One sentence flows into the next with little in the way of punctuation and capitalization. There are issues with grammar, subject/verb agreement, and fluency. Forget about content – this student needs basics concepts and skills such as:

• Parts of speech

• What is a sentence?

• Identifying sentences, phrases, and fragments

• Basic sentence construction

• Capitalization and punctuation

• Subject/verb agreement

• Comparative/superlative language

• Special usage problems (a/an, they’re/ their/ there, to/too/two)

Once these basic grammar/mechanics skills are learned, students can begin to approach more sophisticated skills such as:

• Identifying topic sentences, supporting details, extraneous material

• Chronological order

• Recognizing and revising on and on and run-on sentences

• Recognizing and revising awkward construction, sentence fragments

• Combining choppy or redundant sentences to build fluency

• Eliminating redundant word choice

• Using transition words

• Using specific versus general details

Some students seem to learn these skills naturally as the result of reading and communicating verbally with others. However, most children need specific instruction and practice opportunities in order to recognize, assimilate, internalize, and apply these skills effectively to their own writing. Students must understand the ‘why’ of grammar and mechanics. They need more than uninformed rote drill and will benefit by the deep understanding that comes from powerful direct instruction. Throughout this manual we provide the necessary background knowledge to enable teachers to successfully teach these skills through the use of the activities in the Student Resource Books. Essentially, this resource provides the specific background information, lesson plans and procedures, practice, and application opportunities for success. All of the fourth grade 21st century objectives are addressed, and opportunities to apply these skills are provided.

1 ©2016 Empowering Writers, LLC

Introduction

10350M04

For each skill area you will find: • A Detailed Lesson Plan with “Think and Discuss” pages for skills addressed in the student resource books. These Lesson Plans provide background information, teaching suggestions, and opportunities to expand on the basic activity found on the student resource pages, as well as student answer sheets. We have also provided opportunities to apply these skills to authentic pieces of narrative, expository and opinion writing. These lessons provide the “how and why” of grammar, mechanics and punctuation that students need in order to use language effectively. The activities are multi-layered and robust – providing student understanding that typical “skill and drill” worksheets cannot deliver.

• Assessment Opportunities: An additional feature of this book and CD set is the inclusion of ongoing assessments throughout the resource. These student pages are included on the CD and may be downloaded and printed. They are designed to test understanding and be used as a tool to adjust instruction around review, reinforcement, and reteaching. Each assessment is structured in paragraph form, with each sentence numbered for student reference. Students revise by studying each sentence and responding in a multiple-choice format. These assessments not only demonstrate students’ understanding and growth, but also provide valuable test-taking practice and strategizing in preparation for state testing. The assessments start off simply and become more complex as the year progresses. Some children have difficulty with the multiple choice format. By exposing them to many examples of multiple choice formats, they become more comfortable with the test-taking strategies necessary for success. These assessments should be used after instruction has taken place and students have had the opportunity to understand and practice the skills. The assessments can then be placed in the students’ writing portfolios as documentation of skills taught.

• Student Resource Books: Each skill is broken down simply for students, and many of the activity pages include an optional WRITING CONNECTION which encourages application of the skill within a writing experience or uses the skill or theme as a link to an authentic writing task. In this way, students see that these skills do not exist in isolation but rather in every type of writing they encounter.

Note to teacher: Many of the optional WRITING CONNECTION activities require prior knowledge of both the narrative and expository writing skills presented in Empowering Writers Comprehensive Narrative Writing Guide, the Comprehensive Expository Writing Guide and the Essential Guides to Writing for grades 3-5. Using the lessons from the Editing, Revising, and More Teacher’s Manual at least three times a week in conjunction with the activities in the Comprehensive and Essential Guides provides a solid foundation and integration of skills, mechanics, craft, and creativity in written communication. By studying the lesson plans in depth and consistently teaching writing, all students will improve. We feel that there is real value in empowering your students as editors and to affirm their efforts in this regard. As their confidence grows, they develop a positive attitude toward revision. Applying the skills in authentic ways also encourages editing and revising to become a natural part of the writing process. We strongly recommend that you incorporate writing across the curriculum daily.

(continued) 2 ©2016 Empowering Writers, LLC

Introduction

Planning and Pacing We recommend that you begin instruction at the beginning of the book, covering sentence construction. This encompasses a rudimentary knowledge of the parts and functionality of sentences, simple parts of speech, capitalization and punctuation. You may continue moving through the book in linear fashion, with the periodic assessments addressing material you just covered. This does not preclude also choosing specific lessons that may occur later in the book as necessary to meet the specific needs of your students. The key is consistency. Proactively schedule at least 3 lessons per week, have students explore the extension activities, and hold them accountable for applying these grammar and mechanics skills in their independent work. Since oral language precedes written, using and pointing out the use of these skills in oral language is also a critical foundational step.

For information on Empowering Writers and their complete line of resources and professional development opportunities, please visit us at our website:

www.empoweringwriters.com or you can contact us at:

731 Main Street, Suite 117 Monroe, CT 06468

866-285-3516


Introduction


Table of Contents

Recognizing a Sentence ................................................................................................ p.5

The Two Parts of a Sentence: Subject and Predicate ................................................. p.8

Recognizing Helping or Linking Verbs ...................................................................... p.15

Other Kinds of Simple Sentences ............................................................................... p.20

Capitalization and Punctuation ................................................................................. p.32

Using Commas ............................................................................................................. p.47

Recognizing Sentence Fragments Within a Paragraph ........................................... p.58

Recognizing “On and On” Sentences .......................................................................... p.61

Revising Run-On Sentences ....................................................................................... p.67

Using Comparative/Superlative Language ............................................................... p.75

Revising Choppy Sentences, Improving Sentence Variety ...................................... p.83

Chronological Order .................................................................................................... p.88

Recognizing Main Idea Paragraphs and Eliminating Extraneous Details............. p.97

Subject/Verb Agreement ........................................................................................... p.105

Parts of Speech: Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives ........................................................ p.110

Reflexive Pronouns .................................................................................................... p.116

Adjectives of Purpose ................................................................................................ p.121 Use of Quotations and Quotation Marks ................................................................. p.130

Using Apostrophes .................................................................................................... p.136

Writing Contractions ................................................................................................. p.152

Using Words that are Often Tricky and Hard to Remember ................................. p.158

Homophones ............................................................................................................... p.162

Transitional Words and Phrases .............................................................................. p.165

Adverbs ....................................................................................................................... p.186

Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases .................................................................. p.189

Punctuation of Coordinating Conjunctions ............................................................. p.194

Interjections ............................................................................................................... p.196

Spelling Plurals ......................................................................................................... p.213

Alternate Ways of Spelling the /sh/Sound ............................................................... p.221

Prefixes and Suffixes ................................................................................................. p.223

Silent Letters ............................................................................................................. p.227

Understanding Domain Specific Language ............................................................. p.229

Using General Academic Vocabulary ...................................................................... p.233

Using Words and Phrases to Signify Actions, Emotions, and State of Being ...... p.235

Literal vs. Figurative Language ............................................................................... p.237

Words with Multiple Meanings ................................................................................ p.242

Using Contextual Clues to Infer Meaning from Nonsense Words ........................ p.244

Building Vocabulary by Using Contextual Clues ................................................... p.246

Formal vs. Informal English ..................................................................................... p.251

Using Glossaries, Dictionaries, and Thesauruses .................................................. p.255


Think and Discuss

Skill: The Two Parts of a Sentence: Subject and Predicate

Student pages:

p. 2 The Two Parts of a Sentence

p. 3 Who/What and Doing/Describing

pp. 4-5 Be a Sentence Detective!

Objective: Students will recognize the simple subject and predicate of a variety of sentences.

Necessary Background: Explain to the class that sentences are made up of a subject and a predicate. The subject of a sentence tells the reader who or what the sentence is about. The predicate tells something about the subject. In order to make sense, a sentence needs both a subject and a predicate. For teaching purposes we introduce subject and predicate to students as follows:

SUBJECT: the WHO/WHAT part of the sentence

PREDICATE: the DOING/DESCRIBING part of the sentence

Procedure for Whole Group Instruction: Analyze the two parts of a sentence.

1.) Write these sentences on the board or project them and analyze with the class:

Libby/ sat on the swing. She/ loved to go flying high. The slide/ was curvy and twisted. She/ slid down. Libby/ played on the jungle gym. She/ played tag with her friend.

2.) Go through the sentences together, pointing out the WHO/WHAT and the DOING/DESCRIBING part of each sentence. The subject and predicate are delineated by the use of a slash.

3.) Proceed similarly through student pages 2-5. Model for the students what they are to do with each activity.

4.) During Guided Practice you will circulate and check for understanding as students work independently.

Lesson Plans


The Two Parts of a Sentence

REMEMBER: Sentences have two parts. Here’s an easy way to think of the two parts of a sentence:

Part 1: Part 2: WHO/WHAT + DOING/DESCRIBING Together, the WHO/WHAT part and the DOING/DESCRIBING part make a sentence!

DIRECTIONS: Look at each sentence. The subject (WHO or WHAT) of each sentence is underlined. The predicate (DOING or DESCRIBING) is boldfaced.

1.) Miss Edwards walked into the school. WHO was this about? Miss Edwards What did Miss Edwards DO? walked into the school

2.) She opened her classroom door. WHO was this about? She

What did she DO? opened her classroom door

3.) The children came inside. WHO was this about? the children

What did the children DO? came inside

4.) Mia put her backpack in the cubby. WHO was this about? Mia

What did Mia DO? put her backpack in the cubby

5.) The backpack was pink. WHAT was this about? The backpack

What was the backpack like? was pink

Refer to Student Page 2

Teacher Answer Key


Who/What and Doing/Describing DIRECTIONS: Read the sentences below. Circle the WHO or WHAT part, and put a squiggly line under the DOING or DESCRIBING part. The first one has been done for you.

Cowboy Pete rode the wild pony. He yelled and held on tight.

The pony tried to throw him. The cowboy hat flew off his head.

Cowboy Pete stayed in the saddle! Pete yelled and cheered.

In the box below draw a picture of Cowboy Pete and his horse.

WRITING CONNECTION: Write a sentence about Cowboy Pete. Circle the WHO/WHAT part of the sentence and put a squiggly line under the DOING/DESCRIBING part.

Answers will vary.


Teacher Answer Key


Think and Discuss

Skill: Recognizing Sentence Fragments Within a Paragraph

Student pages:

p. 32 Find the Sentence Fragments-1

p. 33 Find the Sentence Fragments-2

Objective: Students will identify and revise sentence fragments within a paragraph, even when punctuated to look like sentences.

Procedure:

1.) Review the characteristics of a sentence:

• A sentence is made up of a WHO/WHAT part and a DOING/DESCRIBING PART (SUBJECT and PREDICATE)

• A sentence must make sense when it stands alone.

• A sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with punctuation (.!?) Write the following on the board: To the sandy beach.

2.) Ask the students: It begins with a capital letter and ends with a period, but is it a sentence? Students should be able to point out that the subject is missing. Who or what was at the sandy beach? To the sandy beach is a sentence fragment. In earlier work, students have identified sentence fragments in isolation. Now, they must recognize fragments in the context of a paragraph.

3.) To help students focus, project a copy of Student p. 32 Find the Sentence Fragments-1. Read it out loud, and see if students can pick out the sentence fragments. In other words, which sentences do not make total sense? (Hay on the ground. Mice or maybe rats. Up to the loft.) If students are unable to recognize these fragments, move through the piece, sentence by sentence, identifying the subject and predicate of each. This will help to reveal the sentence fragments.

4.) On subsequent days, work through Student p. 33 Find The Sentence Fragments-2. You can proceed in a similar directed fashion or assign the page as independent work in order to assess understanding.

5.) Writing Connections: On Student p. 33, you may choose to have students (or some students) actually write the three expository paragraphs.

Lesson Plans


Teacher Answer Key

Find the Sentence Fragments-1

REMEMBER: Sentences have 2 parts - a SUBJECT (the WHO/WHAT part) and a PREDICATE (the DOING/DESCRIBING part).

DIRECTIONS: Read this passage. The author needs to go back and edit because there are three sentence fragments. Underline the 3 sentence fragments and insert a caret (^) to add the missing sentence part.

The Old Barn

I grabbed hold of the creaky old barn door and pushed hard. It made a rusty, squeaky sound.

I stared into the dark barn. Hay on the ground. Cobwebs hung from the rafters. I heard soft skittering sounds along the dirt floor. Mice or maybe rats. were scurring around.

I tiptoed inside to investigate. It was very dark and spooky. My heart beat faster and faster, and a shiver went down my spine.

Up to the loft. I climbed the ladder. Something furry brushed against my shoulder. I screamed and turned my head to see what it was. WRITING CONNECTION: 1.) Do you think that this is part of a narrative story or an expository piece? narrative story 2.) The author has built some SUSPENSE. The reader is wondering about the furry thing. On the line provided, add a sentence that tells what the furry thing was.

3.) On another paper, draw a picture of the mysterious furry thing and write a segment of elaborative detail describing it.


I noticedh

uI decided to go

/


Teacher Answer Key

Find the Sentence Fragments-2

REMEMBER: Sentences have 2 parts - a SUBJECT (the WHO/WHAT part) and a PREDICATE (the DOING/DESCRIBING part).

DIRECTIONS: Read this passage. The author needs to go back and edit because there are three sentence fragments. Underline the 3 sentence fragments and insert a caret (^) to add the missing sentence part Add a title that is correctly punctuated. (First word, last word and all important words need a capital letter.)

Title: Earthworms

1 Earthworms are found in soil in all parts of the world. Found deep in

the sea. Did you know there are 2,700 different kinds of worms? These amazing creatures

have been around for millions of years and have played an important role in the

history of the world.

2 In an acre of dirt you will find a million or more worms eating decayed leaves and

sticks. These underground farmers eat 10 tons of leaves, sticks, and stems every year.

Imagine billions of them tunneling through soil, chewing up debris, and pushing

heavy stones. Once, my mother made me move the heavy shoes in the garden. Don’t

forget the poop! Their poop, called castings, contains recycled nutrients from the food

they eat. It Fertilizes and adds air to the soil.

3 Amazingly, the earthworm has five hearts. Each heart beats in turn. Keeps

the worm alive. They are hatched from a cocoon no bigger than a grain of rice. That must

be something to see!

4 The next time you’re in the garden remember to thank the lowly earthworm for all

its hard work!

WRITING CONNECTION: 1.) Is this a narrative or an expository piece of writing? expository 2.) Go back and number each paragraph. 3.) Can you find the sentence in paragraph number 2 that does not belong? Cross it out when you find it.


They aref

f

kThey

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Lesson Plans

Think and Discuss

Skill: Recognizing “On and On” Sentences

Student pages:

p. 34 On and on and on and on . . .

p. 35 Each Detail in a Separate Sentence

p. 36 The Never Ending Sentence

p. 37 And then, and then, and then . . .

Objective: Students will recognize “on and on” sentences and revise them effectively. Necessary Background: An “on and on” is a lengthy sentence which is actually at least three sentences linked together with a conjunction such as “and.”

Procedure:

1.) Model by writing this sentence on the board or projecting it for the students.

Mike played football at the park with his friends and they chose teams by the color shirt each was wearing and the blue team kicked off first and scored a touchdown and now the red team had a chance and they fumbled the ball with only seconds to go and the blue team won the game.

Make an effort to read the entire sentence in one breath, emphasizing the “ands” that create the “on and on” effect.

2.) Ask the class what they think of the sentence. Where is the WHO/WHAT part? (There are several!) Where is the DOING/DESCRIBING part? (There are several!) Hopefully, students will be able to see that this is really a series of 5 sentences.

3.) Punctuate it for them and eliminate the “ands” to demonstrate how to break up the “on and ons.”

The Revision:

Mike played football with his friends. They chose teams by the color shirt each was wearing. The blue team kicked off first and scored a touchdown. Now the red team had a chance. They fumbled the ball with only seconds to go. The blue team won the game.

Another way to introduce this skill is to ask a volunteer to choose a favorite read-aloud from the classroom library. Have one student read a paragraph aloud. Then assign another student to be the “on and on.” Have one student read the paragraph again, with the “on and on” student adding the word “and” in place of each period, question mark, or exclamation point.


Lesson Plans

4.) Work through Student p. 34 On and on and on and on . . . On subsequent days assign Student p. 35 Each Detail in a Separate Sentence, p. 36 The Never Ending Sentence, and p. 37 And then, and then, and then . . .

You may work as an entire class or have students work independently while you circulate and check for understanding.

Note:

For the Writing Connection on Student page 37, see the Comprehensive Narrative Writing Guide 2nd Edition – Main Event section for opportunities to work on a fully elaborated main event.


Teacher Answer Key

On and on and on and on...

DIRECTIONS: Sometimes an author will join three or more sentences using the word “and.” This makes the sentence go on and on. Read each “On and on” below. Cross out the “ands,” capitalize, and punctuate to create separate sentences on the lines below.

Ex. Here’s the “On and on”:

John pulled the wagon full of toys down the driveway and set up the tag sale and after the toys were sold John bought a new bike

Here’s the revision:

John pulled the wagon full of toys down the driveway. He set up the tag sale. After the toys were sold, John bought a new bike.

Here’s the “On and on”:

1.) The ugly troll crawled out from under the bridge. and he blocked the road so Amy couldn’t get through. and she was mad so she stamped her feet to frighten the troll away, and he jumped into the river below.

Your Revision: ____________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________ Here’s the “On and on”:

2.) Gymnastics is an interesting sport. and some gymnasts perform tumbling and jumps on the balance beam. and other athletes are experts on the uneven bars. and the parallel bars are also used by gymnasts to perform many different swinging moves.

Your Revision: ____________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

WRITING CONNECTION: Was the first example about the troll taken from a narrative story or an expository piece? narrative

Was the example about gymnastics from a narrative story or an expository piece? expository


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Teacher Answer Key

X

X

X

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Each Detail in a Separate Sentence!

DIRECTIONS: Read Kristin’s descriptive paragraph. She has included many powerful details, but she ran them all together in an “on and on” sentence. Help Kristin revise her paragraph. Cross out each “and,” then capitalize and punctuate the new sentences you create. Be sure that each detail is in a separate sentence!

I couldn’t take my eyes off of the peculiar character!

He towered over me, standing taller than a tree. and the

unusual man wore a long, flowing robe of brown animal fur.

and long straggly yellow hair hung around his massive shoulders.

and the gigantic person stared at me with his

twinkling brown eyes and I could almost

see the hint of a smile on his lips.

WRITING CONNECTION: What kind of character was Kristin describing?

Kristin was describing a giant. ________________________________________________________________________________

She could have used the word “giant” over and over, but she used some other word referents instead. This makes the writing more interesting. Circle the three phrases that Kristin used in place of the word “giant.”



Teacher Answer Key

Assessment 5:

Skills: Capitalization, Commas in a List, Extraneous Details, Sentence Combining

Read this:

The Groundhog

The groundhog is also called the woodchuck. They are members of the squirrel family. This large rodent is found in north america, Europe, and Asia. They have flat noses short legs short ears and short bushy tails. The woodchuck eat plants and enjoy raiding farmer’s gardens and eating their crops. There are deer in my yard. These animals hibernate during the winter in burrows under the ground. The legend of the groundhog is thought to have come from Germany and Great Britain. According to the legend. On February 2nd people wake up the groundhog and chase him out of his burrow. If he sees his shadow people think he gets frightened and runs back to his burrow. This is supposed to mean that there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, people think he will stay outside of his burrow. This is supposed to mean that we will have an early spring and that spring will come early.

Is this a narrative story or expository piece? Expository What is the author’s purpose? to give information

(1) The groundhog is also called the woodchuck. (2) They are members of the squirrel family. (3) This large rodent is found in north america, Europe, and Asia. (4) They have flat noses short legs short ears and short bushy tails. (5) The woodchuck eat plants and enjoy raiding farmer’s gardens and eating their crops. (6) There are deer in my yard. (7) These animals hibernate during the winter in burrows under the ground.(8) The legend of the groundhog is thought to have come from Germany and Great Britain. (9) According to the legend. (10) On February 2nd of each year people wake up the groundhog and chase him out of his burrow. (11) If he sees his shadow people think he gets frightened and runs back to his burrow. (12) This is supposed to mean that there will be six more weeks of winter. (13) If he doesn’t see his shadow, people think he will stay outside of his burrow. (14) This is supposed to mean that we will have an early spring and that spring will come early.

1. The author wrote this passage to give you information about:

a.) groundhogs and winter holidays

b.) groundhogs and the damage they do to farmer’s crop

c.) animals that are related to squirrels

d.) groundhogs and the legend of Groundhog Day


Teacher Answer Key

2. Sentence 3 is not correct. Which sentence is correct?

f.) This large Rodent is found in north america, europe, and asia.

g.) This large rodent is found in North America, Europe, and Asia.

h.) This large rodent is found in north America, Europe, and Asia.

j.) This large rodent is found in north america, europe, and asia.

3. Sentence 4 needs help with punctuation. The correct way to express this idea is:

a.) They have flat noses short, legs short ears, and short bushy tails.

b.) They have, flat noses, short legs short ears and short bushy tails.

c.) They have flat noses, short legs, short ears, and short bushy tails.

d.) They have flat, noses, short, legs, short, ears, and short, bushy tails.

4. Which sentence does NOT belong in this passage:

f.) Sentence 4

g.) Sentence 8

h.) Sentence 6

j.) Sentence 10

5. What is the best way to combine sentences 9 and 10: a.) according to the legend on February 2nd people wake up the groundhog and chase

him out of his burrow.

b.) According to the legend, on February 2nd people wake up the groundhog and chase him out of his burrow.

c.) according to the legend on February 2nd of each, year people wake up the groundhog and chase him out of his burrow.

d.) On February 2nd of each year people wake up the Groundhog and chase him out of his burrow according to the legend.


Lesson Plans

Think and Discuss

Skill: Subject/Verb Agreement

Student pages:

p. 53 Subjects and Verbs Agree! p. 54 Past or Present?

p. 55 Get Going With Verbs

Objective: Students will modify verb forms according to tense (present/past)

Procedure: 1.) Chart these pairs of sentences:

Now I eat. Now I sing. Now I watch. Yesterday I ate. Yesterday I sang. Yesterday I watched. Now I jump. Now I want soda. Now I see. Yesterday I jumped. Yesterday I wanted soda. Yesterday I saw.

2.) Point out the past tense –ed suffix, as well as the irregular past tense forms (ate and saw) Ask students to think of other irregular verbs and start a class list of their responses. As they discover irregular verbs, have them add to the list. Here are a few to get them started: drive/drove, took/take, sleep/slept, catch/caught, begin/began. 3.) Look at the following excerpt from a narrative story. All of the past-tense verbs are in bold. Rewrite the paragraph changing the verbs from past tense to present tense. Project the past tense sample and rewrite it in present tense as a class. (The present tense response has been provided.)

Past Tense: The little green man peeked out from under the bush. His eyes were a most unusual shade of blue. They looked like the water in the Caribbean Sea. He jumped back as I stepped forward to get a better look. I peered closely and noticed his huge smile full of clean white teeth. I decided he was a friend.

Present Tense: The little green man peeks out from under a bush. His eyes are a most unusual shade of blue. They look like the water in the Caribbean Sea. He jumps back as I step forward to get a better look. I peer closely and notice his huge smile full of clean white teeth. I decide he is a friend.


Lesson Plans

EXTENSION ACTIVITY: A great extension to this activity is to have the students go through the same exercise using a passage from a narrative story.You will find that most stories are written in past tense.

Student p. 53 Subjects and Verbs Agree! - Read the sentences together and then the directions. Do one or two as a class and have students work independently on the rest of the sentences.

Student p. 54 Past or Present? - Discuss that verbs change depending on when the action took place. Highlight the words Now and Yesterday and have students read the sentences on the top of the page. Work through the paragraph giving as much or as little guidance as necessary.

Student p. 55 Get Going with Verbs… - Introduce the terms, present tense, past tense, and future tense. Work through the page together. Have students suggest additional words they could add to the chart. If you created a chart for the past and present tense, go back and have the students add the future tense.


Teacher Answer Key

Subjects and Verbs Agree!

The WHO/WHAT part of the sentence determines how we write the DOING part of a sentence. In other words, the subject and the verb must agree. Read each sentence below. Do you see a pattern?

The rabbit eats cabbage. My sister laughs at me. The tree is green.

The rabbits eat cabbage. My sisters laugh at me. The trees are green.

The snake slithers away. The ball goes over the fence. The flower is pretty.

The snakes slither away. The balls go over the fence. The flowers are pretty.

DIRECTIONS: Read each sentence below and circle the DOING WORD (verb) that matches the WHO/WHAT part of the sentence.

1.) The chair (is/are) new. The chairs (is/are) new.

2.) The girl (pour/pours) water on the grass. The girls (pour/pours) water on the grass.

3.) Alex and Avery (play/plays) at the park. Alex (play/plays) at the park.

4.) The women (cook/cooks) dinner. The woman (cook/cooks) dinner.

5.) Some cookies (crumble/crumbles) A cookie (crumble/crumbles)

on the floor. on the floor.

6.) Teachers (use/uses) chalk on the board. My teacher (use/uses) chalk on the board.

7.) The clarinet (sound/sounds) funky! The clarinets (sound/sounds) funky!

WRITING CONNECTION: Read sentence 7 again. Write 3 or more sentences that tell about the rest of the marching band. Be sure that your DOING WORDS (verbs) match the WHO/WHAT word! ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________



Teacher Answer Key

Past or Present?

Doing words (verbs) change depending on when the doing took place. Are you doing something now? (present tense) Or did you do it a little while ago, yesterday, or years ago? (past tense) Read the sentences in the chart below and pay attention to the verb tense.

Now I eat. Now I sing. Now I watch.

Yesterday I ate. Yesterday I sang. Yesterday I watched.

Now I jump. Now I want soda. Now I look.

Yesterday I jumped. Yesterday I wanted soda. Yesterday I looked.

Now I see. Now I laugh. Now I do the dishes.

Yesterday I saw. Yesterday I laughed. Yesterday I did the dishes.

DIRECTIONS: Read the passage below and circle the correct tense of each verb.

What a Difference a Day Makes!

What a difference a day makes! Yesterday I (walk/walked) through the leaves. Now I (walk/walked) in deep drifts. Yesterday I (travel/traveled) on my bike. Now I (travel/traveled) on my sled! Yesterday I (plan/planned) to rake the leaves. Now I (plan/planned) to shovel the sidewalk. Yesterday I (wear/wore) my sweatshirt. Now I (wear/wore) my parka. Yesterday I (jump/jumped) in a pile of leaves. Now I (jump/jumped) in a pile of snow.

1.) What happened overnight? Overnight it snowed.

2.) This is a compare/contrast piece of writing. What is the author comparing and contrasting? The author is comparing/contrasting fall and winter.

3.) Why is this piece boring to read? This piece is boring to read because it begins the same each time.

WRITING CONNECTION: Think of some good sentence starters to use in this piece. Write them on the lines below.



Teacher Answer Key

Get Going with Verbs

Verbs are words that show action in the present, past, and future. Sometimes verbs are known as “doing” words. Here is a list of verbs below.

PRESENT PAST FUTURE

Today I… Yesterday I… Tomorrow I…. speak spoke will speak work worked will work cook cooked will cook sing sang will sing play played shall play think thought will think draw drew shall draw

Verbs can also appear with “helping verbs” to show a state of action or being. The helping verbs are in italics.

I am speaking. I was speaking. I will be speaking.

I am working. I was working. I will be working.

We are thinking. We were thinking. We shall be thinking.

He is playing. He was playing. He will be playing.

Verbs, together with helping verbs, are sometimes called verb phrases. Here is a list of a variety of verb phrases:

are driving were shocked have been waiting may be eaten might be stolen am riding was going had been cleaned could be won has been helping is heating will be completed

DIRECTIONS: Read the sentences below. Circle the verbs. Underline the verb phrases.

1.) Pat sees the mountain and the trail. PR 2.) Kara found a diamond necklace. P

3.) Eric ran across the parking lot. P 4.) Phillip was texting on the cell phone. P

5.) They wanted a new computer. P 6.) She will be washing the dishes every day. F

7.) The students had been learning about China. P 8.) Gracie reads the newspaper. PR

9.) Jose and Jack were diving. P 10.) Cindy might be going to the theater. F

WRITING CONNECTION: Read each sentence. If the action takes place in the PRESENT, write “PR” after it. If it took place in the PAST, write a “P” after it. If it will take place in the future, write an “F” after it.



Lesson Plans

Think and Discuss

Skill: Using Words That Are Often Tricky and Hard to Remember

Student pages: p. 76 More Tricky Words p. 77 Pronouns as Subjects and Objects: ‘I’ or ‘Me’ p. 78 More Tricky Word Choices

Objective: Students will recognize and properly use the words “a” and “an,” “to, too, and two,” “know and no,” “I and me,” and “we’re, where, and were” when writing.

Necessary Background: There are a number of words that students will often misuse time after time. Each of these pages is designed to give students direct instruction in the usage of these words. You may need to revisit these words often.

Procedure: 1.) Write “a” and “an” on two separate index cards in large print. Explain that “a” is used in front of nouns that begin with consonants, “an” is used in front of nouns that begin with vowels.

2.) Next, read these sentences aloud: I saw ______elephant. I saw _____ bear. Ask students to choose the correct word to fill in the blank. We seem to know how to use these words when we speak, but as we write, these words are sometimes misused. Write these sentences on the board: Erin has ____ test tomorrow in science. Erin has ____ exam tomorrow in math. Have students tape the correct word onto the board in the blank space.

3.) Do the same with the words “to, too, and two”. This time write these sentences: There were _____ polar bears at the zoo today. I want to go to the mall _____. I must go ______ school today. Have students tape the correct card onto the blank spot where it belongs. These words and the ones that follow sound exactly alike but are spelled differently and have a different meaning.

4.) Finally, have cards with the words “know” and “no” on them. Write these sentences on the board: I have ____ more sticky notes in my desk. Does anyone ____ where my sticky notes have gone? Have students put the correct cards in the blank where they belong.

5.) Turn to p.76 More Tricky Words in the student book. There are rules that fit each word usage. Go over these with the students and then move to editing the sentences. Do one or two with students and then have them work independently.

6.) On a subsequent day, have students go to p. 77 Pronouns as Subjects and Objects: ‘I’ or ‘Me’. Read over these directions with the students. Walk them through each of the examples, calling attention to the check-yourself activity: Make two sentences out of the one that calls for either “I” or “me.”

7.) Finally walk students through p. 78 More Tricky Word Choices.


Teacher Answer Key

More Tricky Word Choices!

“Were” or “we’re” or “where?” Were - a linking verb used with an action verb - Sam and Jack were going to the beach.

We’re - contraction for we are - We’re asking Ms. Smith if we can go along. (Substitute “we are” to see if the contraction makes sense!)

Where - a direction word - Where will we meet when we get there? (TIP: the word “where” contains another direction word: here)

DIRECTIONS: Read each sentence and use “were,” “we’re,” or “where” correctly.

1.) We’re going to meet at the movie theater on 42nd Street.

2.) We’ve been waiting for my sister for twenty minutes, and now we’re going to miss the beginning of the movie.

3.) I don’t know where my sister could be!

4.) We were all excited to see this movie.

5.) Jen and Julie were discussing the movie yesterday.

6.) I’m not sure where the movie was filmed.

7.) We’re going to give my sister a call on my cell phone.

8.) We were not allowed to go to the movies without an adult last year.

9.) We don’t know where we are going to sit.

10.) Where is the restroom located?

11.) Jen, Julie, and Chris were hungry so they stopped by the concession stand.

WRITING CONNECTION: Think about an activity you enjoy doing with your friends. Explain what you like to do. Be sure to include the words “were,” “where,” and“we’re” in your segment and check to make certain you’ve used them properly.



Teacher Answer Key

Assessment 10

Skills: Punctuation, Pronouns, Subject/Verb Agreement, Common and Proper Nouns, Usage, Run-Ons, Use of Commas, Quotation Marks, Redundant Ideas, Sentence Combining

Read this:

Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

(1) On the third monday in january we honor reverend Martin Luther King. (2) He were a famous american leader of the civil rights movement. (3) Dr. King was born on january 15 1929 in Atlanta Georgia. (4) He was a baptist minister and a dedicated student and he attended morehouse college crozer seminary and boston university and during this time he became interested in the indian leader Mohandas Gandhi. (5) Gandhis ideas about protesting for human rights in nonviolent ways made a huge impression on young Martin. (6) These ideas became the inspiration for his own ideas about civil rights in the United States.

(7) In the 1950s schools restaurants and buses were segregated. (8) In the 1950s schools restaurants and buses separated white and black people. (9) Martin Luther King organized a boycott of buses in Montgomery Alabama in 1955. (10) Refusing to ride the buses forced them to reconsider segregation and the supreme court ruled that segregation on public transportation was illegal. (11) This proved that nonviolent protest can definitely bring about positive change.

(12) Martin Luther King was a man with a vision and a dream. (13) I have a dream he said, in his most famous speech that focused on all people living together in an atmosphere of respect, equality, and peace. (14) Martin Luther King envisioned a better world and believed Martin Luther King could help bring it about. (15) I’ve been to the mountaintop (16) and I’ve seen the promised land he said on April 3 1968. (17) Tragically, the next day he was killed by an assassins bullet in Memphis Tennessee.

(18) He did not die in vain. (19) Martin Luther King, Jr. influenced people of every race and creed. (20) Martin Luther King inspired generations of americans to work together to achieve equality for all people. (21) This is why we to honor him onMartin Luther King Day and why we continue to embrace his ideals.

1. What is the correct way to write sentence 1? (1) On the third monday in january we honor reverend Martin Luther King.

a.) On the third Monday in January we honor reverend Martin Luther King.

b.) On the third Monday in January we honor Reverend Martin Luther King.

c.) On the third monday in January we honor Reverend Martin Luther King.

d.) On the Third Monday in January we honor Reverend Martin Luther King.


Teacher Answer Key

2. What is the correct way to write sentence 2?

(2) He were a famous american leader of the civil rights movement.

f.) He is a famous American leader of the Civil Rights Movement.

g.) He was a famous American leader of the Civil Rights Movement.

h.) He was a famous American leader of the Civil Right’s Movement.

j.) He were a famous American leader of The Civil Rights Movement.


(3) Dr. King was born on january 15 1929 in Atlanta Georgia.

a.) Dr. King was born on January, 15 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia.

b.) Dr. King is born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia.

c.) Dr. King was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta Georgia.

d.) Dr. King was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia.

4. Sentence 4 goes on and on. What is the best way to write it?

(4) He was a baptist minister and a dedicated student and he attended morehouse college crozer seminary and boston university and during this time he became interested in the indian leader Mohandas Gandhi.

f.) He was a Baptist minister and a dedicated student. He attends Morehouse College, Crozer Seminary and Boston University. During this time he became interested in the Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi.

g.) He was a baptist minister and a dedicated student and attended Morehouse College, Crozer Seminary and Boston University. During this time he became interested in the indian leader Mohandas Gandhi.

h.) He was a Baptist Minister and dedicated student but attended Morehouse College, Crozer Seminary and Boston University where he became interested in the Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi.

j.) He was a Baptist minister and a dedicated student. He attended Morehouse College, Crozer Seminary, and Boston University. During this time he became interested in the Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi.


Teacher Answer Key


(5) Gandhis ideas about protesting for human rights in nonviolent ways made a huge impression on young Martin.

a.) Gandhis idea’s about protesting for human right’s in nonviolent way’s made a huge impression on young Martin.

b.) Gandhi’s idea’s about protesting for human right’s in nonviolent way’s made a huge impression on young Martin.

c.) Gandhi’s ideas about protesting for human rights in nonviolent ways made a huge impression on young Martin.

d.) Gandhi’s ideas about protesting for Human Rights in nonviolent ways made a huge impression on young Martin.


(7) In the 1950s schools restaurants and buses were segregated.

f.) In the 1950s Schools Restaurants and buses were segregated.

g.) In the 1950s schools, restaurants and buses were segregated.

h.) In the 1950s schools, restaurants and buses was segregated.

j.) In the 1950s, schools, restaurants, and buses were segregated.

7. Read sentences 7-10. One of these sentences is redundant and needs to be deleted. Which sentence should be deleted?

(7) In the 1950s schools restaurants and buses were segregated. (8) In the 1950s schools restaurants and buses separated white and black people. (9) Martin Luther King organized a boycott of buses in Montgomery Alabama in 1955. (10) Refusing to ride the buses forced them to reconsider segregation and the supreme court ruled that segregation on public transportation was illegal.

Delete:

a.) Sentence 7

b.) Sentence 8

c.) Sentence 9

d.) Sentence 10


Lesson Plans

Think and Discuss

Skill: Adverbs

Student Page: p. 81 Adverbs

Objective: Students will recognize adverbs and use them appropriately when writing.

Necessary Background: Adverbs are words that modify or describe verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. Adverbs answer the questions how, when, where, how often and to what degree. Many adverbs of manner end in the letters “ly”, but just ending in –ly doesn’t make a word an adverb. The words, “friendly,” “lonely” and “lively” are actually adjectives even though they end in -ly.

Adverbs of Manner - (tell how) carefully, cautiously, gently

Adverbs of Place - (tell where) downstairs, there, here

Adverbs of Time - (tell when) before, next, yesterday

Adverbs of Frequency - (tell how often) usually, sometimes, never

Adverbs of Intensity - (tell to what degree) almost, a lot, always

Procedure:

1.) Tell the students that adverbs are important because they provide details for your reader.

2.) Write the following sentence on the board: She/He _____________opened the box. Have the students imagine that they have been given a gift. Ask them to pantomime what it would look like to open the gift eagerly. Next, have them show you what it would look like if they opened the gift cautiously. Point out that both words end in the letters –ly and they both give information about how the gift was opened. Adverbs that answer the question “how” are called adverbs of manner and often end in -ly. Have the students suggest other words that end in –ly. Start a list as students make suggestions. (slowly, calmly, happily)


Lesson Plans

3.) Adverbs also answer the questions, when, where, how often and to what degree. Ask the students to identify the adverbs in the following sentences, and the questions they answer.

• She sang loudly. Loudly tells how she sang.

• She sang very loudly. Very is an adverb of intensity. It tells us to what degree.

• She sang yesterday. Yesterday is an adverb of time. It tells us when she sang.

• She sang outside. Outside is an adverb of place. It tells us where she sang.

• Sometimes she sang. Sometimes is an adverb of frequency. It tells us how often she sang.

4.) Make five columns on the board and label them Adverbs of Place, Adverbs of Time, Adverbs of Manner, Adverbs of Intensity, and Adverbs of Frequency. Copy the boxed words below on 3 x 5 cards.

Adverbs of Place: Indoors, here, there, anywhere, behind, off, on, elsewhere, nowhere, somewhere Adverbs of Time: Tomorrow, yesterday, soon, now, later, recently Adverbs of Manner: Secretly, slowly, quickly, deliberately, joyfully, solemnly, promptly, cautiously Adverbs of Intensity: Somewhat, almost, extremely, rather, very, quite, too Adverbs of Frequency: Sometimes, never, always, often, rarely, seldom

Pull one adverb card at a time. Ask the students where the word belongs. Write the word in the appropriate column. 5.) Students will complete the student page 81. Model how to draw an arrow from the adverb to the word that it modifies. Circulate as the students work, checking for understanding.


Teacher Answer Key

Adverbs

DIRECTIONS: Read each of the following sentences. Circle the adverb and draw an arrow to the word it modifies. As a class, explain the question the adverb answers.

1.) Macy ran rapidly and won the race. (modifies ran, explains how)

2.) We will be there later. (Modifies will be, explains where and when)

3.) Mia is always thrilled to see you. (modifies thrilled, explains how often)

4.) Let’s eat outside. (modifies eat, explains where)

5.) She cleans the playroom daily. (modifies cleans, explains how often)

6.) Her mom will call my mom today. (modifies will call, explains when)

7.) The athlete readily accepted the challenge. (modifies accepted, explains how)

8.) He threw the bowling ball backwards. (modifies threw, explains where)

9. That is a brand-new shirt. (modifies new, explains to what degree)

10. Play your video game quietly. (modifies play, explains how)

DIRECTIONS: Circle the correct word to complete the sentence.

1.) He ran (quick/quickly) across the field.

2.) She sang (beautifully/beautiful) last week.

3.) Time passed (slow/slowly).

4.) Tina spoke (politely/polite) to her guests.

5.) The baby played (happy/happily) with his toys.

WRITING CONNECTION: Write one sentence using an adverb of manner. Remember an adverb of manner will answer the question “how.” Most adverbs of manner will end in –ly.



Lesson Plans

Think and Discuss

Skill: Spelling Plurals

Student pages: p. 87 Spelling Plurals p. 88 Plural Rules

Objective: Students will learn rules to use when forming the plurals of words. Necessary Background: Learning to spell is a process that is never complete. Most people work on spelling throughout their lives. Learning basic rules will help people learn to spell. However, there are exceptions to every rule that also must be learned. Procedure: 1.) Remind students that singular means “one” and plural means “more than one.” Rule: Most nouns are made plural simply by adding an “s” to the end of the word. Examples: more than one cupcake - cupcakes • more than one animal - animals • more than one ski - skis

2.) Explain the rule.

Rule: Words ending in –ch, sh, x, s, or ss will need an “es” to form the plural. Examples: • more than one bus - buses • more than one box - boxes • more than one beach - beaches • more than one glass - glasses • more than one wish - wishes

3.) Explain the rule.

Rule: Words ending in f, fe or ff often form their plural by dropping the “f,” “fe” or “ff” adding “ves” Examples: • more than one loaf - loaves • more than one hoof - hooves • more than one elf - elves • more than one knife - knives • more than one shelf - shelves

Ask students for additional examples: (wolf, calf, leaf). Create an ongoing list that students can add to as they discover other examples.


Lesson Plans

4.) Point out that there are exceptions to spelling rules. If in doubt, you should check the dictionary. Two exceptions to note would be roof and dwarf. The plural of roof is roofs and the plural of dwarf is dwarfs.

Rule: If a noun ends in a “y” and has a vowel preceding the “y,” you simply add an “s” to form the plural. Boy would become boys. If there is a consonant preceding the “y,” then you change the “y” to an “i” and add “es.” Baby becomes babies when you make it plural.

5.) Play the game Boys and Babies, p. 216 to help your students remember this plural rule.

Rule: Irregular nouns are words that form the plural by ways other than adding “s” or “es” to a word.

6.) Ask the students what they think the plural of child would be be? Give them the following sentence: In the library, there were many___________________.

Chart the examples: • more than one child - children • more than one tooth - teeth Instruct the students to think of other examples of additional irregular nouns that form their plural in ways other than adding “s” or “es” to a word. Create a chart for future reference.

• mouse - mice • person - people • foot - feet • man - men • woman - women • goose - geese • ox - oxen • cactus - cacti

EXTENSION ACTIVITY: For a new twist on an old activity, try the Spelling Bee lesson

on p. 218.


Spelling Activities

BOYS and BABIES

DIRECTIONS: Introduce the activity called BOYS and BABIES for the students by creating a class set of nouns that end in the letter “y.” (See list for possible words to use.) Procedure: 1.) Explain to the students to make the plural of boy that they should look at the letter that precedes the “y.” Tell them: Since it is a vowel, you know that you only need to add an “s” to form the plural. With baby, you also look at the letter preceding the “y” and you will notice it is a consonant. Therefore you know that you must change the “y” to “i” and add “es.” 2.) Pass out the noun cards. Make two columns labeled BOYS and BABIES on the board. 3.) Tell the students to look at the words they have each been given and decide if their word goes in the “BOYS” column or if it belongs with the “BABIES.” 4.) One child at a time comes up to place his or her card in the appropriate column. The student will explain why that card goes with either “BOYS” or “BABIES.” They need to explain that the letter before the “Y” determines the spelling. It might sound like this: I know the word “party” goes with babies because the letter before the “y” is a “t.” Since “t” is a consonant, that tells me to change the “y” to “i” and add “es.” Parties would be spelled p-a-r-t-i-e-s. If the child had the word “monkeys” they would explain: I know the word monkey goes with boys because the letter before the “y” is a vowel. This tells me that I only need to add an “s” to make the word plural: m-o-n-k-e y-s. 5.) Once the students understand the rule for forming plurals of nouns ending in “y”, they can be given a stack of cards within their groups and asked to sort them by the rule: Add “s” or add “ies.”

List of possible words ending in “y” for the cards:

• toy • hobby • copy • batboy • turkey • cranberry • guppy • cowboy • puppy • baby • monkey • strawberry • forty • gypsy • bunny • hoody • library • lobby • panty • pansy • poppy • penny • pigmy • spray • fly • city • cherry • army • beauty • family • lady • kitty • story • fairy • university • dictionary • duty • country • injury 6.) You can also add additional words that do not end in “y” that just need to add an “s”: • shoe • dog • truck • notebook • pencil • marker • street • movie • computer • house 7.) Once the students are comfortable with this activity, add a third category. Words that need “es” to form a plural:

• dish • wish • glass • bench • box • church • brush • fox • cross• radish • compass • cross

8.) Another possible category would be irregular plurals.

•child • woman• tooth • die • foot • ox • person • mouse • man • goose

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