Linguistic Lesson Series

LINGUISTIC LESSON SERIES
Addressing Common Writing Errors Day 1

Purpose/rationale:
The purpose of this lesson series is to correct common writing mistakes found among students;
mistakes such as misplaced apostrophes, words incorrectly made in to contractions, and the
different uses of "their, there, and they're." This lesson will point out the places these mistakes
might occur in authentic, real world scenarios, such as in pop culture or simulated career
opportunities (such as a cover letter or job application). Using materials other than the traditional
worksheet will activate the students' Zone of Proximal Development in a safe, dynamic, and
engaging environment.
Florida Standards:
LAFS.1112.RI.2.5 - Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author
uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points
clear, convincing, and engaging
LAFS.1112.W.2.4 - Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
LAFS.1112.L.1.1 - Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
o Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over
time, and is sometimes contested.
LAFS.1112.RI.2.5 - Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses
in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear,
convincing, and engaging
Objectives:
SWBAT identify mistakes in writing in real-world texts.
SWBAT: modify these mistakes to create proper sentences.
SWBAT: produce writing that contains corrected common mistakes.
Materials:
Computer with audio capabilities
Projector
Anticipatory set:
Students will come in and sit at their desks. Teacher will greet the class, and then say something
along the lines of this:
Ive been noticing a lot of common mistakes in your writing recently, so I wanted to take a few
minutes every day this week to try to correct them. One of the things we will be covering is
apostrophes. Today we will be watching a few videos that explain some of the rules for using
apostrophes.
Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity:
Time
2 minutes
3 minutes
3 minutes
3 minutes
4 minutes
Student is doing
Students are listening to the
instructions (see anticipatory set).
Students are watching video on the
origin of the apostrophe (link in
resources).
apostrophe as pluralization (link in
resources).
apostrophe as possessive (link in
resources).
Students are listening (see
summary/closure)
Teacher is doing
Teacher is explaining the activity (see
anticipatory set).
Teacher is also watching video (to stop at
3:13).
Teacher is also watching the video (to stop
at 2:43).
Teacher is also watching (to stop at 3:15).
Teacher is talking (see summary/closure).
Summary/Closure:
Teacher is wrapping up the lesson by saying this: Alright, so, there are the basic rules for how to
use apostrophes in your writing. Tomorrow we will be going in to more detail on the apostrophe,
but if you have any questions right off the bat we can take a minute or two to answer them.
Teacher will then field any questions. If there are none, the class will move on to the rest of the
days lessons.
Assessment:
Formal assessment: None.

Informal assessment: Teacher will take note of the students reactions to the videos.
Homework/follow-up assignment:
None.
Accommodations/adaptations:
The gifted student will be given lots of positive feedback to address her negative selfimage.
The student with ADHD will be given a stress ball at the beginning of the year to keep
with him so that he has something to do with his hands. The teacher will keep a spare in
her desk in case he loses his. If the student begins to get antsy, the teacher will walk over
to stand by his desk as a signal to him that he is being distracting.
The student with OCD will be given the links to the videos so that she can watch them at
home, to address her anxiety, as she may want to view them more than once.
Plan B:
If the students are unable to stay focused on the videos, they will be told to partner up and look
up the word apostrophe in the dictionary (there is a class set) and summarize the definition.
Resources:
Chalking Points 02: Origin of the Apostrophe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=a6DlnQNDoHE&index=12&list=PLKzZsi6GFCOp0e_SB09o39JaN9LZYulYU
Chalking Points: Apostrophes and Plurals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlXX3zjr26A
Chalking Points: History of the Possessive Apostrophe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=YDRdIZYLq6c&list=PLKzZsi6GFCOp0e_SB09o39JaN9LZYulYU&index=11
Purpose/rationale:
Florida Standards:
Objectives:
Materials:
Copies of passage from Looking for Alaska for each student

Highlighters
Document camera
Anticipatory set:
Students will come in and sit at their desks. As the teacher passes out the copies, she will explain
the activity, which will go something like this:
All right, so yesterday we watched some videos explaining the history of the apostrophe and its
uses. Today we will be discussing more about apostrophes and how they can be used as a
contractive device. So, what I want you all to do is take out a highlighter (I have extras if you
need them) and highlight some words you see in this excerpt that use an apostrophe, and make a
notation of what the apostrophe is replacing. Then I want you to take a different color highlighter
and find a few places where an apostrophe could have been used, but wasnt. When youre done,
well have some volunteers show their work and discuss. You have about five minutes, so get
started.
Time
2 minutes
5 minutes
7 minutes
1 minute
Student is doing
instructions (see anticipatory
set).
Students are reading the
excerpt and highlighting as
instructed.
Students are volunteering
answers.

summary/closure).
Teacher is doing
anticipatory set).
Teacher is supervising students.
Teacher will ask for some volunteers. Students

will show their examples of contractions with
correct fill-in words, and then students will show
examples of where contractions could have been
used. Hopefully, along with some appropriate
answers, a student will volunteer something like
just as theyd at home in Florida. The teacher
will take the opportunity to explain that just
because something can be made in to a
contraction, doesnt mean that it should.
Teacher is speaking (see summary/closure).
Summary/Closure:
Teacher will end the lesson by saying Okay, now that we have a little bit of a better
understanding of when to use the apostrophe, we will be looking at some real-world examples
tomorrow.
Assessment:

Informal assessment: Teacher will take note of who seems to be grasping the material
and who is not.
None.
It will be made clear to the student with OCD that she will be allowed to finish at home,
so there is no rush to complete in the allotted class time, to address her anxiety.
Plan B:
If students become too rowdy in discussion, they will be asked to write an essay on the different
ways that apostrophes can be used.
Resources:
Lesson plan adapted from: Mechanically Inclined - "Apostrophe-thon."
Green, J. (2005). Looking for Alaska. New York, NY: Dutton Children's Books.
"I got rid of that problem quickly." She smiled. "By November, I'd gotten him his
first girlfriend, a perfectly nice non-Weekday Warrior named Janice. He dumped her
after a month because she was too rich for his poverty soaked blood, but whatever.
We pulled our first prank that yearwe filled Classroom 4 with a thin layer of
marbles. We've progressed some since then, of course." She laughed. So Chip
became the Colonelthe military style planner of their pranks, and Alaska was ever
Alaska, the larger-than-life creative force behind them. "You're smart like him," she
said. "Quieter, though. And cuter, but I didn't even just say that, because I love my
boyfriend." "Yeah, you're not bad either," I said, overwhelmed by her compliment.
"But I didn't just say that, because I love my girlfriend. Oh, wait. Right. I don't have
one." She laughed. "Yeah, don't worry, Pudge. If there's one thing I can get you, it's
a girlfriend. Let's make a deal: You figure out what the labyrinth is and how to get
out of it, and I'll get you laid." "Deal." We shook on it. Later, I walked toward the
dorm circle beside Alaska. The cicadas hummed their one-note song, just as they
had at home in Florida. She turned to me as we made our way through the darkness
and said, "When you're walking at night, do you ever get creeped out and even
though it's silly and embarrassing you just want to run home?" It seemed too secret
and personal to admit to a virtual stranger, but I told her, "Yeah, totally." For a
moment, she was quiet. Then she grabbed my hand, whispered, "Run run run run
run," and took off, pulling me behind her.
one hundred twenty-seven days before
Early the next afternoon, I blinked sweat from my eyes as I taped a van Gogh poster
to the back of the door. The Colonel sat on the couch judging whether the poster
was level and fielding my endless questions about Alaska. What's her story? "She's
from Vine Station. You could drive past it without noticingand from what I
understand, you ought to. Her boyfriend's at Vanderbilt on scholarship. Plays bass in
some band. Don't know much about her family." So she really likes him? "I guess.
She hasn't cheated on him, which is a first." And so on. All morning, I'd been unable
to care about anything else, not the van Gogh poster and not video games and not
even my class schedule, which the Eagle had brought by that morning. He
introduced himself, too: "Welcome to Culver Creek, Mr. Halter. You're given a large
measure of freedom here. If you abuse it, you'll regret it. You seem like a nice young
man. I'd hate to have to bid you farewell." And then he stared at me in a manner
that was either serious or seriously malicious. "Alaska calls that the Look of Doom,"
the Colonel told me after the Eagle left. "The next time you see that, you're busted."
"Okay, Pudge," the Colonel said as I stepped away from the poster. Not entirely
level, but close enough. "Enough with the Alaska already. By my count, there are
ninety-two girls at this school, and every last one of them is less crazy than Alaska,
who, I might add, already has a boyfriend. I'm going to lunch. It's bufriedo day." He
walked out, leaving the door open. Feeling like an over infatuated idiot, I got up to
close the door. The Colonel, already halfway across the dorm circle, turned around.

Purpose/rationale:
Florida Standards:
Objectives:
Materials:
Computer
Smart board
Anticipatory set:
Students will come in and see an image projected on the board (link in resources). Teacher will
then explain the activity, which will go something like this:
Alright, you guys should be pretty familiar with apostrophes by now. Ive found an archive of
real-world examples of misused apostrophes online. Im going to be pulling them up on the
Smart board, and you guys will be correcting them on the screen.
Time
2 minutes
Student is doing
Students are taking turns correcting
the mistakes on the public signs.
summary/closure).
11 minutes
3 minutes
Teacher is doing
anticipatory set).
Teacher is guiding students when they need
help.
Teacher is explaining the purpose of the
activity (see summary/closure).
Summary/Closure:
Teacher will end the lesson by saying something like: You did an excellent job correcting
everything! And Im glad you all enjoyed yourself. But you may notice that while you laughed
and thought it was funny whenever you found a mistake, you also lost respect for whoever the
sign represented. This is why you need to double check your work. In the professional world,
your bosses or potential employees will do the same to you when they spot mistakes. Keep that
in mind in your future endeavors.
Assessment:

Informal assessment: Teacher will take note of who correctly fixes problems.
None.
10
The student with OCD will be called on to fix the apostrophe mistakes unless she
volunteers, to address her anxiety.
Plan B:
If the students become too rowdy doing group work, the problems will be displayed on the
board, and they will correct them individually to be turned in at the end of class.
Resources:
Image for beginning of lesson: http://www.mrwallpaper.com/wallpapers/apostrophe-catastrophe1920x1080.jpg
Site with archive of misused apostrophes: http://www.apostropheabuse.com/
11
Purpose/rationale:
Florida Standards:
Objectives:
Materials:
Computer
Projector
Powerpoint on theyre/their/there
12
Anticipatory set:
Go over their/there/theyre rules
Time
2 minutes
Student is doing
instructions (see anticipatory
set).
Students are listening and
volunteering answers.
10 minutes
3 minutes

summary/closure).
Teacher is doing
anticipatory set).
Teacher is presenting the PowerPoint. After
each slide, teacher will ask for student
examples, and the class will discuss the
correctness of each example.
Summary/Closure:
Now, I want you to remember that this lesson can apply to many other words. There are other
word groups, such as were and were, or youre and your to which the same concept
applies. When youre writing, its important that you think about the meaning behind the word,
not just the way it sounds, when youre figuring out how to spell it.
Assessment:

Informal assessment: Teacher will take note of who participates in discussion.
None.
The gifted student will be given the option to work on her own, so as to be able to excel
without having another student holding her back. She will also be given lots of positive
feedback to address her negative self-image.
13
The student with OCD will be given the option to work alone, to address her anxiety. It
will be made clear to her that she will be allowed to finish at home, so there is no rush to
complete in the allotted ten minutes of class time.
Plan B:
If the lesson moves too quickly, the class will progress to the lesson for the rest of the day.
Resources:
Lessons adapted from: Grammar Gallerys lesson Special Topic Lesson: theyre, there, their.
Retrieved at http://www.grammargallery.org/ggoct11splesson.pdf
PowerPoint, screenshots below:
14
15
16

Purpose/rationale:
Florida Standards:
17
Objectives:
Materials:
Computer
Smart board
Anticipatory set:
Students will come in and sit down and see and image projected on the board (link in resources).
The teacher will explain the activity, which will go something like this:
Alright, so weve looked at the differences between their, theyre, and there. Today well be
doing something very similar to what we did on Wednesday. Were going to look at some mentor
texts that use them, and youll have to correct them.
There will be correct usages mixed in with incorrect usages, to make sure the students are really
grasping the material.
Time
2 minutes
11 minutes
2 minutes
Student is doing
Students are taking turns correcting
the examples.
summary/closure).
Summary/Closure:
Teacher is doing
anticipatory set).
Teacher is guiding students to the correct
answers.
18
So now you see why proper spelling and usage is so important. I know it seems silly to you
now, because the only consequence is a few lost points on a paper, but it will really matter to you
in the future. If you misspell something on your rsum, or you hand in a report to your boss
with an incorrect word, your consequence will be much more severe, and much more lifechanging.
Assessment:

Informal assessment: Teacher will take note of students that seem to be grasping the
material.
None.
The ADHD student will be given a stress ball at the beginning of the year to keep with
him so that he has something to do with his hands. The teacher will keep a spare in her
desk in case he loses his. If the student begins to get antsy, the teacher will walk over to
stand by his desk as a signal to him that he is being distracting.
The OCD student will not be called on unless she volunteers, to address her anxiety.
Plan B:
If students become too rowdy, they will be asked to write a series of sentences that correctly use
the words theyre, there, and their.
Resources:
Lesson adapted from:
RWT's lesson "Analyzing Grammar Pet Peeves." It uses the advice column "Dear Abby" to look
at common grammar mistakes.
Beginning image:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/I4IEQYwWVNaJ4tFn7vBZA91742w_9MZYhoDn6LcvzmQi
kNMvShx9J99lksZ6PMS3QBoUqvukqSH6PrF6dACbh6qnF1GI6OqY5tv9lC3JRsvwCSLJeg
Activity quotes:
19
1. Thomas Edisons last words were I hope its beautiful over there. I dont know where
there is, but I believe its somewhere and I hope its beautiful. Like you. - Correct
Green, J. (2005). Looking for Alaska. New York, NY: Dutton Children's Books.
2. The loneliest moment in a persons life is when they are watching there whole world fall
apart, and all they can do is stare blankly. Incorrect, their
Fitzgerald, F. S. (1995). The great Gatsby. New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction.
3. It isn't running away their afraid of. We wouldn't get far. It's those other escapes, the
ones you can open in yourself, given a cutting edge. Incorrect, theyre
Atwood, M. (1986). The handmaid's tale. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
4. The black mustachioed face gazed down from every commanding corner. Theyre was
one on the house-front immediately opposite. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the
caption said, while the dark eyes looked deep into Winston's own. Incorrect, There
Orwell, George. 1984. New York: Penguin, 1992.
5. The overalls of the workers were white, their hands gloved with a pale corpse-coloured
rubber. Correct. This one may also spark a discussion on the differences between
American and British spelling.
Huxley, A. (1946). Brave new world. New York: Harper & Bros.
6. At that time there were many blank spaces on the earth, and when I saw one that looked
particularly inviting on a map (but they all look that) I would put my finger on it and say,
'When I grow up I will go there.' Correct
Conrad, J. (1996). Heart of darkness. Charlottesville, Va.: University of Virginia Library.
7. Yes, he was certainly wonderfully handsome, with his finely curved scarlet lips, his
frank blue eyes, his crisp gold hair. Their was something in his face that made one trust
him at once. All the candour of youth was there, as well as all youth's passionate purity.
Incorrect, There
Wilde, O., & Elfenbein, A. (2007). Oscar Wilde's The picture of Dorian Gray. New York:
Pearson Longman.

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LINGUISTIC LESSON SERIES

Addressing Common Writing Errors Day 1

Computer with audio capabilities