Amy Ballard

ECI 430
3 October 2014
Punctuate That Sentence!
Conflict Unit
Context: This grammar lesson would fall into a larger unit on conflict. The unit transitions from
focusing on small conflicts between 2 or 3 parties to larger conflicts that lead to revolutions, such
as the American revolution. This would be one of the earlier lessons in the unit while we are still
focusing on small conflicts. This specific lesson would fall into the several-day section in which
we focus on short stories. Specifically, this lesson addresses punctuation. This is vital for
students to have a grasp on as it will aid the clarity of their writing.
Standard:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
Objectives:
Students will be able to identify different types of punctuation.
Students will be able to utilize punctuation marks.
Students will be able to appreciate the need for punctuation.
Materials:
125 copies of the story
projector
computer
Time: 50 minutes
Procedure:
-When students walk in have the following projected on the board: Get out your journals and
answer this question: How do you express your tone when you are writing? Do you do it
through word choice, punctuation, syntax, etc? Take about 5 minutes to do this freewrite.
-Students will have already learned the meaning of tone.
-Give students one minute warning for finishing up freewrite.
-Ask students, by a show of hands, how many of them use punctuation of some kind to express
tone.
-If any students raise their hands ask them how they use punctuation. (Up to 5 min discussion)

-Segway into presentation: For those of you who did not talk about punctuation in your freewrite,
we get to talk about it now!
-Pull up Dat punctuation, tho Google Presentation. (3 minutes)
-Ask students if they have any questions about periods, question marks, or exclamation marks.
-Transition into activity:
Hand out copies of the following text:
A magician was working on a cruise ship in the Caribbean the audience would be different each
week, so the magician allowed himself to do the same tricks over and over again there was only
one problem: The captain's parrot saw the shows each week and began to understand how the
magician did every trick once he understood he started shouting in the middle of the show:
"Look, it's not the same hat" "Look, he is hiding the flowers under the table" "Hey, why are all
the cards the Ace of Spades" the magician was furious but couldn't do anything; it was, after all,
the captain's parrot one day the ship had an accident and sank the magician found himself on a
piece of wood in the middle of the ocean with the parrot, of course they stared at each other with
hate, but did not utter a word. this went on for a day, and another, and another after a week the
parrot said: "OK, I give up where's the boat"
-Instruct students to read the text in partners and determine where to put the periods, exclamation
marks, and question marks. They do not have to capitalize the first word of the new sentences.
Focus only on the punctuation marks.
Allow 6 minutes for this.
-Give them a one minute warning.
-If groups are not done at the 6 minute mark. Allow for more time to complete the activity.
-When everyone ask the class who can tell where they put the first punctuation mark. After a
student answers, ask the rest of the class if they agree. Confirm or correct as needed. Allow 10
minutes for this.
The correct version of the story.
A magician was working on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. The audience would be different each
week, so the magician allowed himself to do the same tricks over and over again. There was only
one problem: The captain's parrot saw the shows each week and began to understand how the
magician did every trick. Once he understood he started shouting in the middle of the show:
"Look, it's not the same hat" "Look, he is hiding the flowers under the table" "Hey, why are all
the cards the Ace of Spades?" The magician was furious but couldn't do anything; it was, after
all, the captain's parrot. One day the ship had an accident and sank. The magician found himself
on a piece of wood in the middle of the ocean with the parrot, of course. They stared at each
other with hate, but did not utter a word. This went on for a day and another and another. After a
week the parrot said: "OK, I give up. Where's the boat?"

-After students have correctly identified how to punctuate the text, ask them what it was like to
try to read the story without these punctuation marks.
-What was it like to read once the proper punctuation was in place?
-This discussion should last 10 minutes.
-Exit slip: With the remaining time, ask students to write their opinions on punctuating the end of
a sentence. Is it important? Why or why not? If you were to switch around the punctuation in a
story, (Maybe trade the periods for question marks) how would it be different?
-Turn in on the way out for a participation grade.
Evaluation: This lesson will involve formative evaluation of the class discussion, and the exit
slip.