Grammar Fun

Prefatory Statement
      I intend to have this unit begin near the end of a short story unit, so students have a chance to first study, enjoy, and appreciate short stories without the emphasis of grammar. This unit will be an intense unit concentrating on grammar, reading and writing short stories. This is more of an improvement/refresher unit rather than an introduction unit. Some things will be new, but these things will be working toward the improvement of style; the use of improved grammar will improve writing styles.
      The unit will concentrate on verb tense consistency, subject-verb agreement, parallel structure and punctuation. We will also have mini-lessons for any problematic areas students may encounter. In order to maintain the element of fun and meaningfulness, we will do weekly, if not daily, activities/games focusing on the grammar element we are studying. We will begin by looking at my favorite short story, “Good Country People” by Flannery O’Connor, and from there I will let students choose which stories they would like to read. If students are not familiar with many short stories or would like suggestions, I will give suggestions based on how well I know them in hopes helping them find something they will enjoy. I am picking this literature because I want students to be able to make as much meaning out of this unit as possible and I believe that letting them have some control over how they learn a difficult subject will enable their learning.
      This unit will benefit the students immediately and later in life because they will be able to write correctly. Writing correctly and effectively directly influences how seriously people are taken by others. Whether they are writing for a career, writing a letter to the editor, or just filling out a job application, correct grammar is essential. Because everyone has ideas to express, it is important for them to have control over grammar. Without a working knowledge of good grammar, these expressions of ideas will not be taken seriously. In this unit we will look at the impact of bad grammar after gaining an understanding of good grammar. By doing this, students will see the importance and usefulness of having correct grammar in all they write.
      The issue of class will inevitably be an issue in the teaching of this unit and instruction can easily be adapted to students of lower classes because they are more likely to have less of a grasp of Standard English. They may need more time with the unit and more practice with correcting other basic grammatical problems.
Class Specification
      This unit is appropriate for all students. I am gearing toward the average 10th grade student because by that year they have had a good amount of reading and writing experience. At the same time there is always room for improvement, and they have a few years left to really apply and improve the skills before graduating. The only aspects that could potentially make it inappropriate for certain age groups would be the stories chosen for reading and analyzing. This could easily be changed and adapted to another author or set of stories. Also many of the stories will be chosen for students to allow for more adaptability for appropriateness. This unit would be most likely be needed more by students of lower socioeconomic groups, ESL students, and students with special needs, but is important for all. The major way to adapt this would be to slow down the pace, allow for more repetition and backtracking, and even not to assume some of my basic assumptions.
Significant Assumptions
      Some of my basic assumptions are that students are able to write and read with a moderate to high comprehension rate. I am also assuming they are familiar with, but not experts in, parts of speech along with what makes a simple sentence and how to write one. Because I intend to integrate this unit in at the end of a short story unit, I am assuming they have become familiar with major elements of story: character, plot, point of view, etc. I believe students learn through seeing, practice, and application and because of this I have included many opportunities to see, practice and apply content through a mode that will be most meaningful to them. I am also making the assumption that students have basic computer word processing skills and will use them periodically throughout the unit.
Outcomes/Standards/Objectives
This unit will specifically meet standards:
Writing
    1. Elements of Composition: The student will engage in a writing process with attention to audience, organization, focus, quality ideas and purpose.
        a. Generate, gather, and organize ideas for writing.
        b. Revise writing for clarity, coherence, smooth transitions and unity.
    2. Spelling, Grammar and Usage: The student will apply standard
English conventions when writing.
        a. Use an extensive variety of correctly punctuated sentences for meaning and stylistic effect.
        b. Edit writing for correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, verb tense, sentence structure, and paragraphing to enhance clarity and readability.

     By the end of the unit students will have the skills:
           o to write and identify grammatically correct sentences of various structures.
           o how various sentence structures affect a story line.
           o to identify verb tense consistency, subject-verb agreement, parallel structure and   basic punctuation.
           o other grammatical rules.
           o how to work cooperatively with classmates and how to analyze and revise writing.
Possible Whole Class Activities
      There are a whole host of class activities that the class can do within this unit. I will be incorporating many weekly, if not daily. The activities will correspond with the element of grammar we are currently focusing on. See Fun With Grammar in Teacher Resources.
      Discuss findings of activities
      Make the rule to follow for element of grammar
      Find tips on how to remember the rule
Possible Small Group Activities
      Again there are a whole host of small group activities that small groups can do within this unit and they will be incorporated weekly, if not daily. Activities will correspond with the element of grammar we are currently focusing on. See Fun With Grammar in Teacher Resources.
      Peer review sessions
      Sentence writing/identifying buddies
      Discuss findings of whole class and small group activities
      Make the rule to follow for element of grammar
      Find tips on how to remember the rule
Possible Individual Activities
      Creative writing
      Identify sentence structures in a story of their choice (may focus on current grammar    element or all elements)
      Journaling on class activities
Ongoing Activities
      Spelling and grammar logs
      Vocabulary entries
      Creative writing exercises
      Journals-practicing grammar elements in story writing
Student Resources
      Access to short stories
      Paper and writing utensils
      Dictionary
      Access to computer lab outside of class time
If possible:
      Word processing program at home
      Inspiration or similar program at home
Unit Launch/Anticipatory Set/Set Induction
      I do not intend to introduce this lesson with any special hoopla because I do not want to have them immediately shut down by hearing the word “grammar.” Because this unit comes at the end of a short story unit, I am going to gradually ease them into learning about grammar through a variety of activities. The first activity will be on verbs: #7 Twenty Questions from Fun with Grammar. This activity is basically the traditional form of the game twenty questions but with a twist. (20 Questions = one student takes on an identity and the remaining students need to guess what the identity is in twenty questions or less) The twist is that students write down the questions that they have asked in order to discuss them in class the next day.
Organization of the Unit
      Before week one student’s will have started task one of the web quest.
Week One:
      First of all, students will begin to choose a short story that they are willing to read and work with for the rest of the unit. This work will be used to help the student compare his/her own writing to and to look at for analysis. This week will be focusing on verbs and keeping tenses consistent. This will begin with assessing what and how much students already know about verb tenses. If little is known we will spend time identifying verb tenses before focusing on verb tense consistency. Have students write short vignettes; each vignette should focus on a different verb tense. These vignettes can be in relation to the short story they are writing, in relation to an assigned topic, or about anything they want. By the end of the week all verb tenses should have been identified, discussed, and used. Discuss how often we switch verb tenses in a day and what the purpose of using different tenses is.
Day Two – Lesson Plan
Objectives: Students will be able to:
      ? Identify present and past tense verbs
      ? Consistently use present and past tense verbs
      ? Explain when present and past tense verbs are used
Method:
       ? Discuss what verb tense was used in the twenty questions game from the day before—What was it? Why was it used? When would a different tense be used? What effect would it have if a different tense would have been used? (10 minutes)
        ? Small group activity #3 from Fun with Grammar. Divide the class into small groups of three to four. Have groups do activity #3. Activity #3 asks groups to develop questions for a series of short answers each answer. Each group will have a different set of short answers. An additional way to do this would to be to have students write 5 questions for each answer. (20 minutes).
        ? Examples of short answers to make questions for:
                 • Yes, I did.
                 • No, I didn’t.
                 • Yes, they are.
                 • No, we aren’t.
                 • Yes, he did.
                 • Etc.
      ? Discuss the questions they wrote for their answers and whether the verb tenses are appropriate for the answer given. (5-10 minutes)
      ? Give assignment and allow the last few minutes to work. (5 minutes and remaining time)

Homework
      Have students get into pairs and assign each pair a topic from #5 in Fun with Grammar. Activity #5 asks that one person from each pair will write out a series of ten questions that would coincide with the assigned topic and the other will write out a series of ten answers that would coincide with the assigned topic. Each set will include five questions/answers using present tense verbs and five questions/answers using past tense verbs.
           Topics to assign:
                  Mall information desk
                  Airline information
                  Ticket booth
                  County fair information
                  Bus information
                  College information line
                  Library
                  Hospital information desk
                  Local tourist attraction
Assessment: I know students will have met the objectives/standards if:
      o The students have identified present and past tense verbs in their questions and answers from the group activity—they will have done this through using a tense consistent with what the answer contains
      o The students come to class with a set of ten questions, five containing past tense verbs and five containing present tense verbs.
      o The student can explain why the question is more appropriate asked in the tense used.
Activities # 3 and # 5 are adapted from Fun with Grammar by Suzanne W. Woodward.
Week Two:
      By now students should have chosen a story to read and analyze for the rest of the unit. This week will build upon verb tenses and focus on subject-verb agreement. We will analyze our past writing and short stories for subject-verb agreement. Through our analysis we will identify the rules used for subject-verb agreement and discuss how we can identify discrepancies. Activities will include correcting paragraphs with subject-verb agreement problems and writing exercises like sentence combining exercises that focus on verb tense and subject-verb agreement. Small groups will review each other and assist each other in the comprehension of the concepts.
Day Two – Lesson Plan
Objectives: Students will be able to:
      o Identify and correct subject-verb agreement problems
      o Write a paragraph keeping subject verb agreement consistent
Method:
   o On an overhead or PowerPoint have a series of 5- 10 short passages with inconsistent subject-verb agreements. As a class correct the passages. (7-10 minutes)
      o Possible sentences: (some can be corrected in two ways)
           ? I don’t know where my keys is.
           ? I went to the farm tomorrow.
           ? She play soccer and had a piano lesson last night.
           ? Jill send a letter to her cousin in California.
           ? We talked and laugh all through the evening.
           ? Dan make a cake for Sarah’s birthday.
      o After all of the passages are correct, have each student write down some ideas of what they think the rule is/tips are to keeping subjects and verbs consistent. (5 minutes)
      o As a class discuss what they came up with for rules and tips. Vote or somehow agree upon a rule and tips for helping them keep consistent and have them write this down to help them in their writing. (5 minutes)
      o Give assignment. (5-7 minutes)
      o End by playing the game in Fun with Grammar: Section 6.5 #3 “Error Analysis Draw.” Split the class into two teams. Each team member will have an opportunity to come up, draw a sentence from the hat, read it aloud and identify it as correct or incorrect. (one point for identifying it correctly) If the sentence is incorrect they can receive one more point for correcting it. If they are unable to correct it the other team gets a chance to correct it for one point. Answers will only be accepted by the student who drew the strip or by the next team member in line from the other team. The team that has the most points by the time the bell rings wins. Examples of possible sentences is attached, Worksheet 44 – Error Analysis Draw, but own sentences can be used and/or added. (Remaining time)
Homework:
      Give students Worksheet 42B to correct at home, asking them to rewrite the passage correctly. Show students that the number of mistakes in the paragraph is given; they just have to identify them and correct it. Have them write a short paragraph, 2-3 sentences, to coincide with each passage. Remind students to keep verb tenses consistent as well.
Assessment: I will know if the objectives have been met if:
      o Students are able identify and correct errors of subject-verb agreement, both in the class activity and in their homework assignment.
      o Students are able to write sentences keeping subject-verb agreement consistent.
The activity and part of the homework is adapted from Fun with Grammar by Suzanne W. Woodward.
Week Three
      Students should have finished their short story and are ready to have a short discussion about their story. This week will build upon the verb tense and subject-verb weeks but will focus on parallel structure. During this week we will be identifying adverbs and adjectives and using them to address parallel structure. We will discuss how reading aloud can help us identify sentence structures that are not parallel. We will show sentences that are parallel compared with ones that are not and discuss how they can identify the sentences that are not. Again come up with rules and tips on how to identify and correct unparallel structures. Through reading, writing, and class activities we will apply the elements of writing parallel sentences. We will look at parallel structures in “Good Country People,” their story of choice, and their own writing. This may be a short week depending on how fast they catch on. If they catch on fast, spend time reviewing everything up to this point and have them apply the knowledge in writing. This week can also include time to work on writing their short story.
Day One—Lesson Plan
Objectives: Students will be able to:
      o Identify adverbs and adjectives
      o Make use of adverbs and adjectives in paralleled sentences
      o Identify and correct unparallel sentences
Method:
      o Give students the definitions of adverbs and adjectives
      o As a class identify adverbs and adjectives in a snippet from “Good Country People”
      o Ask students to get into groups of two or three and make a list of 15 adverbs and 15 adjectives.
      o Have two groups get together and share their lists and check for correctness
      o Give assignment.
      o As a group (now the two groups together), write 15 parallel sentences using the adverbs and adjectives from their lists. Have them bring these sentences to discuss in class tomorrow.
Homework:
      Have students find 10 parallel sentences in the story they are reading. Tell them if they can find any unparallel sentences in their story write them down and correct it for extra credit.
Assessment: I will know if the objectives have been met if students:
      o Can list adverbs and adjectives of their own
      o Write their own parallel sentences using adverbs and adjectives
      o Find parallel sentences in the story (of their choice) they are reading and possibly find unparallel sentences and correct them
Week Four
      This week will focus on identifying parts of speech (all 8), basic punctuation, and review of previous content. This will not be testing memorization, but rather the understanding of their usage to improve their writing. We will start working with appositives, absolutes, and etc. (See Image Grammar) This is when students may give their mini-lessons that concentrate on other problem areas. This week we will begin task two of the web quest and after task two is complete, task three may be started. Another great idea would be to use the Stop, Look, and Write! book to help generate descriptive paragraphs for their stories.
Week Five
      Tasks two and three should be complete by the middle of this week and task four can be started. Class time can be spent working on tasks two and three, working on their short story, and revising with classmates. One day will be spent on instruction for revision techniques and then students will be assigned writing groups for help with revision. If students seem to be struggling with their writing more mini-lessons may be required. This time can also be spent conferencing with students about their writing.
Teacher Resources
Bernays, Anne and Pamela Painter. What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction

          Writers.New York: Longman, 1995.

Leavitt, Hart Day and David A. Sohn. Stop, Look, and Write! : Effective Writing

          Through Pictures. New York: Bantam, 1964.

Noden, Harry R. Image Grammar: Using Grammatical Structures to Teach Writing.

           Portsmouth: Heinemann, 1999.

O’Connor, Flannery. The Complete Stories. New York: Farrar, 1971

Strunk, William Jr. and E.B. White. The Elements of Style. Third ed. New York:

           Macmillan Publishing Co, 1979.

Woodward, Suzanne W. Fun with Grammar: Communicative Activities for the Azar

           Grammar Series. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1997.

Worksheets

from Fun with Grammar

Worksheet 44: Error Analysis Draw

Answer Key:

1. women and a men = women and men or a woman and a man

2. and entire body = and the entire body

3. correct

4. a teacher and policemen = teacher and policeman or teachers and policemen

5. correct

6. see the people's eyes = see people's eyes or see the person's eyes

7. correct

8. correct

9. can cause the serious = can cause serious

10. correct

11. correct

12. correct

Worksheet 42B: Error Analysis (Higher level)

A. I has lived in Poland most of my life, and there is a places that I remembers very well.  It is a shor, dark streets with building on both side.  The buildings are very tall-- at least four floor.  There are an entrance, but no exit from these street.  The windows looks dirty, but it is only shadow and window coverings that makes them look dark.  Most people keep them clean and nice.  I thinks about these place often because I spent most of my lives there with many good friends.

6 subject-verb agreement errors                8 number-agreement errors

B.  Explorers has lived in almost all times and in almost every countries.  There is many interesting books written and lots of adventure movie made about them.  We can se that an explorer's life is not just interesting, but it is also dangerous.  In my opinion, explorers should be strong and brave, smart and experienced, and also has a sense of adventure.

3 subjent-verb agreement errors                2 number-agreement errors

C.  All the government of democratic nations makes laws according to the necessity of the social life of the country at the moments the law is enacted.  After many year, some of that laws becomes inadequate, and there are an attempt by citizen to change them.  This is what is happening in the U.S. now regarding gun control.  In my opinion, a law that control guns is necessary because it reduce slaughters, gun accidents and violence in general.

5 subject-verb agreement errors                   5 number-agreement errors

D.  Dreams--these interesting topic have been on people's minds for a long time.  Everybody have the ability to dream in one way or another.  Some peoples even says that dreaming is a sign that we are sleeping the perfect sleep.  Throughout time, it have always been a top priorities to figure out the nature of dreams.  Although our knowledge of dreams are still in primitive stage, we has already managed to divide them into category.  The majority of people will agree that nightmares, daydreams and visions are the most common types of dream.

6 subject-verb agreement errors                    5 number-agreement errors