Punctuation Kung-Fu (Australian Curriculum)
Adapted from “Could Do Better: Helping Your Kid Shine At School” by Phil Beadle
Aim
Outcomes
Curriculum ties
Year level
Assumed knowledge
Resources
Time required
To explicitly and interactively teach students basic punctuation
Full stop, comma, question mark, exclamation mark, quotation marks,
ellipsis, parentheses, apostrophe, semi-colon, colon, dash
Will be able to identify and use basic punctuation
Australian Curriculum:
Understand the use of punctuation conventions, including colons,
semicolons, dashes and brackets in formal and informal
texts(ACELA1544)
Understand how coherence is created in complex texts through devices
like lexical cohesion, ellipsis, grammatical theme and text
connectives(ACELA1809)
Year 7
Year 8 (literacy support)
Year 9 (literacy support, depending on class)
Basic understanding of sentence structure (e.g. where they start and
end)
‘Punctuation’worksheet
‘Punctuation in Writing’ worksheet
Whiteboard and marker
Two lessons (REVISION: This actually took me three lessons- a double
and a single)
Punctuation Kung-Fu lesson plan (lesson 1)
Teacher activity (content)
Settle class
Take roll
Explain that we will do a short
amount of explicit whiteboard work
on punctuation followed by a
physical activity
Handout ‘Punctuation’ worksheet
and supervise students sticking it in
books
On whiteboard go through each of
the following forms of punctuation
Just give their name and what they
look like
Give time to fill in the first column
on the worksheet
Full stop, comma, question mark,
exclamation mark, quotation marks,
ellipsis, brackets, apostrophe, semicolon, colon, dash
Explain that we are going outside (or
large inside space) for an activity,
students are not to bring anything
with them
Relocate class to outside position,
set them up so all students can see
you and so they are not within
touching distance of each other
One at a time, go through each of
the punctuation marks with the
kung-fu action, letting students copy
you
Continue until you feel students
understand the shape of the
punctuation
Sit students in a circle and have a
kung-fu tournament:
Two students face each other
standing in the middle of the circle
Bow to each other
Teacher yells out one (can build up
Student activity
Listen
Resources
Roll
Stick in ‘Punctuation’
worksheet in books
‘Punctuation’ worksheet
(precut)
Books
Gluestick
Listen and participate in
lesson on punctuation
Whiteboard
Whiteboard markers
Work on worksheet
Worksheet
Follow teacher
instructions
Follow teacher
instructions
Teacher’s notes
to a series) of punctuation,
whichever student completes the
right action/s first wins
Punctuation Kung-Fu lesson plan (lesson 2)
Teacher activity (content)
Settle class
Take roll
Explain that we will be continuing
with the punctuation work
Read through the list of punctuation
again, asking for volunteers to stand
up and show the action
Write the punctuation on the board
as you go
Get entire class to stand up and go
through punctuation actions with
you
Instruct class to get out their books
and find their worksheet from the
previous lesson
On the board go through the use of
each of the punctuation marks,
asking for the class to help generate
examples of each
Student activity
Listen
Resources
Roll
Listen to revision
Whiteboard
Whiteboard markers
Volunteer to show action
Follow teacher
instructions
Follow teacher
instructions
Whiteboard
Whiteboard marker
Fill in the ‘Punctuation’
worksheet as they go
‘Punctuation’ worksheet
stuck in book from
previous lesson
Stick in ‘Punctuation in
Writing’ worksheet
‘Punctuation in Writing’
worksheet (precut)
Give time for students to fill in the
sheet as they go
This is where the double ended.
Explain that we will move on to the
next activity now
Handout ‘Punctuation in Writing’
worksheet and supervise students
sticking it in books
Read through each sentence and ask
students to do the kung-fu move
that corresponds to the correct
punctuation
Allow students to fill in the
worksheet with the correct
punctuation
Books
Gluestick
Participate in working out
the correct punctuation
Worksheet
Complete the worksheet
Worksheet
Teacher’s notes
Punctuation
Full stop
Comma
Question mark
Means/used
.
Ends a sentence
I like cats.
,
Shows a pause, or separates
items on a list
I like cats, crocodiles and
bunnies.
?
Ends a question
Do you like cats?
Exclamation mark
Quotation marks
!
Ends an exclamation
This is the best cat ever!
“”
Show direct speech
She said, “I like cats.”
Ellipsis
Brackets
Apostrophe
…
Shows a pause in thought.
The answer is… seven… I think.
()
To enclose words/numbers
that clarify or offer additional
information.
He finally answered (after five
minutes).
‘
Kung-fu action
Throw a short, right-handed
punch at the air in front of
you, and make the noise “Ha!”
With your right arm bent so
that your hand is in front of
your face, make a short
twisting motion at the wrist to
signify the comma shape, and
make the noise “Shi!”
Separate the curly bit into
three cutting movements with
the hand: one horizontal left
to right, one curved around,
and one vertical coming from
the bottom of the curved one,
then at the bottom of the
shape you have just drawn in
the air, put in a full-stop
punch, and make the noises,
“Shi! Shi! Shi! Ha!”
A long vertical slash, from top
to bottom, followed by a full
stop, and make the noises,
“Shiiiiii! Ha!”
Stand on one leg, extend your
arms diagonally to the skies
and wiggle your index and
middle fingers in an
approximation of speech
marks and make the noise,
“Haeeeee!”
Three punches along a
horizontal line, and make the
noises, “Ha! Ha! Ha!”
Using your left hand first, draw
a curved convex line in the air;
use your right hand to do the
opposite motion for the
closing bracket, and make the
noises, “Shi! Shi!”
With your right arm fully
Can show: letters left out of a
contraction,
ownership/possession
Semi-colon
Colon
Dash
I don’t know if that is
Rhiannon’s cat.
;
Separates two main clauses
I really love cats; cats are my
favourite animal.
:
Introduces items on a list or
additional information
We have to buy: milk, eggs,
and sugar.
–
Indicates extra information
It was a beautiful day – the sun
was out and there was a nice
breeze.
extended to the air, wiggle
your index finger, and make
the noise, “Blubalubaluba!”
Do the full-stop punch, then
the comma shape directly
underneath it, and make the
noises, “Ha! Shi!”
Follow the full-stop punch
immediately with one directly
beneath it, and make the
noises, “Ha! Ha!”
A long horizontal slash, from
left to right, and make the
noises, “Shi!”
Answers to the ‘Punctuation in Writing’ worksheet
There are multiple answers to each; use your expert judgement
Do you know the time?
Anyway, what was I saying… oh yeah- so on the weekend I drove a car for the first time.
The house is on fire!
On the shopping list I wrote: bananas, eggs, milk, bread, and peas.
I said to him “I never want to see you again.”
The dog – being very hungry – barked at his owner.
On Saturday I saw my new favourite film – Iron Man 3.
My favourite day of the year – apart from my birthday – is Christmas Day.
Jake knows the definition of hungry (to feel the need for food).
Don’t touch that dog; you could get fleas.
I just won a million dollars!
I think we have packed everything: towels, sunscreen, and hats.
She did a great job in the lesson; staying on task the whole time.
I owe you five hundred dollars ($500).
Sarah’s party (an annual event) was held last weekend.
She said to me “I cannot come to the party.”
PUNCTUATION
What is punctuation?
We add punctuation to a written sentence so that we understand its meaning and so we can
read it more easily.
Type of
punctuation
Full stop
Comma
Question mark
Exclamation mark
Quotation marks
(speech marks)
Ellipsis
Brackets
Apostrophe
Semi-colon
Colon
Dash
What does it
look like?
Use it in a sentence
Punctuation in Writing
Full stop
Comma
Question mark
Exclamation mark
Semi-colon
Dash
.
,
?
!
;
–
Quotation marks
Ellipsis
Brackets
Apostrophe
Colon
“”
…
()
‘
:
Add the correct punctuation to these sentences.
Do you know the time
Anyway what was I saying oh yeah so on the weekend I drove a car for the first time
The house is on fire
On the shopping list I wrote bananas eggs milk bread and peas
I said to him I never want to see you again
The dog being very hungry barked at his owner
On Saturday I saw my new favourite film Iron Man 3
My favourite day of the year apart from my birthday is Christmas Day
Jake knows the definition of hungry to feel the need for food
Don’t touch that dog you could get fleas
I just won a million dollars
I think we have packed everything towels sunscreen and hats
She did a great job in the lesson staying on task the whole time
I owe you five hundred dollars $500
Sarahs party an annual event was held last weekend
She said to me I cannot come to the party