Let’s Spice It Up

Melinda Kennedy

Purpose:

The purpose of this mini lesson is to show students the importance of sentence variety. This mini lesson is to show students how a variety of sentences can make a piece of writing come alive and flow better. This mini lesson should be taught after students have written several pieces of writing.

Material:

Overhead projector

Pens

Sentence Variety transparency

Sentence Variety handouts for students (it is the same as the transparent)

Highlighters

Time Required:

Approximately 15-20 minutes

Objectives:

NCTE

#5 Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purpose.

NCSCS

Competency Goal 6 - The learner will apply conventions of application of grammar and language usage.

6.01 Model an understanding of conventional written and spoken expression by: Using a variety of sentences correctly, punctuating them properly, and avoiding fragments and run-ons.

Script:

“Everyone in this room can be successful writers; it just takes some practice. When you write papers, I want you to capture the individual’s attention who is reading your paper. I want that individual to have a desire to keep reading instead of falling asleep trying to read it. By making the choice to use sentence variety, you can capture an individual’s attention. Sentence variety is very important in writing. Using sentence variety helps the paper to have a better flow, it helps the reader to stay focused, and it creates a balance.

Let’s do a quick review of the types of sentences. (I will write the following types of sentences on the overhead). A declarative sentence makes a statement. This type of sentence usually tells something about a person, a place, a thing, or an idea. An interrogative sentence asks questions. An imperative sentence makes commands. Usually this type of sentence will have an understood subject (you). An exclamatory sentence reveals strong emotion or surprise.

Now let’s look at sentence structure. When writing papers, use simple sentences to explain a complete independent thought. A simple sentence has one independent clause. On the other hand, you should use a compound sentence when you have two ideas that are related, or have equal importance. A compound sentence has two independent clauses. Coordinating conjunction or a semicolon joins this type of sentence. In addition, you should use a complex sentence when you have an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. (Put the Sentence Variety transparency on the overhead projector. We will read over the transparency as a group. Next, hand the students their own sentence variety worksheet.) I want you to get out the last paper you turned into me. I want you to complete this worksheet using the papers I just handed back to you.”

Website for Sentence Variety Worksheet:

http://www.pearsoned.ca/sightlines/gr_8/common/language_workshop/gr8_lwm8.pdf