MATERIALS COLLECTION FOR LESSON PLAN
Name: Ellie Nowak
Date: 9/27/2012
EDEL 200 Section: 3
EDEL 200 Group: A-1
Subject/Discipline: Language Arts
Lesson Topic: Distinguishing features of a sentence: punctuation and capitalization
Grade Level: 1st grade
Classroom Teacher Name: Mrs. Holder
Children’s Literature:
1. Pulver, Robin. (2003). Punctuation Takes a Vacation. New York: Holiday House.
This book can be found in Bracken Library, the Educational Resources section.
This book is about the punctuation in Mr. Wright’s class. The students did not appreciate
them. To teach them a lesson they went on vacation. The kids soon find out how
important punctuation is because they could not read their chapter book. They could not
reply to the punctuation’s postcards, so the students used Mr. Rango’s class punctuation
to get their punctuation home. This book could be used for motivation to make the
students realize how important punctuation is and to them get them asking more about
punctuation. The students can also do a scavenger hunt throughout the book; looking for
the correct sentences and incorrect sentences.
2. Bruno, Elsa Knight. (2009). Punctuation Celebration. New York: Henry Holt and Co.
This book can be found in Bracken Library, the Educational Resources section.
The punctuation marks come alive in this book. Each punctuation mark has a poem to go
along with it. At the end it combines all the punctuation together. This book can be used
in the lesson to further students knowledge about punctuation at the end of the lesson or
as extra activities if the lesson ends early.
3. Rubin, Jeff. (2006). Punctuation Rap. National Punctuation Day. Retrieved from:
http://nationalpunctuationday.com/playtimerap.html
This resource can be found by doing a Google search for “punctuation song”
This catchy song explains what each punctuation mark does. I could use this in the
classroom to incorporate the five senses and to give the students a catchy song to sing
while they write their sentences. This could be used at the beginning of the lesson as the
motivation or as an extension for them to hold onto that knowledge and remember it. It
would have to be played through the speakers of the computer or as a class we could read
the lyrics and sing it aloud.
Hands-on Activity:
1. Brooks, Susan & Byles, Bill. (2012). Capitalization and Punctuation.
Internet4Classrooms. Retrieved from:
http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skill_builders/capitalization_punctuation_language_
arts_first_1st_grade.htm
I found this resource by doing a Google search for “capitalization and punctuation
games”.
This website has twelve games about punctuation and capitalization that first grade
students can play. After I have taught the students the information about punctuation and
capitalization, they can go online and play these games to get more practice recognizing
correct sentences. This would also be a fun activity for the students while still teaching
them about the lesson. I could also use this activity as a extra activity if time is left over
at the end of the lesson.
2. I came up with this activity idea on my own.
The students can play punctuation red light, green light. This activity will get the students
up and out of their seats and help them understand what end punctuation marks mean.
This activity would be easiest if done outside, but you can adapt it to work in the
classroom. The students would line up facing me, as far away as wanted. I will say green
light and start to read the sentence. The students will start walking towards me. At the
end of the sentence, I will put up the punctuation mark: a question mark, period, or
exclamation point. If I put up a period, the students will stand as still as possible. If I put
up a question mark, the students will shrug their shoulders, tilt their head, and have a
confused look on their face. If I put up an exclamation point, the students will hop up and
down and make the biggest smile they can. I would use this activity while teaching them
the new information to get them thinking and to have a little fun with the activity.
3. I came up with this idea on my own.
Before class, I would write words on notecards that would create a sentence and cut out
end punctuation marks out of foam. During class, I would put the notecards together
creating a sentence. The students then decide what punctuation mark belongs at the end
of the sentence. Once they have put their foam punctuation mark at the end of the
notecard sentence, they will read the sentence aloud to make sure the end punctuation
makes sense. This guided practice will help the students learn after I have taught the
lesson. This will give them something to hold on to and can physically put the end
punctuation marks on the end of the sentence.
4. teacher143. (2008, November 15). How do you teach capitalization and punctuation?
[Msg 8]. Message posted to http://forums.atozteacherstuff.com/showthread.php?t=72890
This resource can be located by doing a Google search for “how to teach capitalization
and punctuation”.
The students write their own sentences on a piece of paper. They then take out a red and
green crayon. They circle the first letter, or capital letter, with a green crayon and circle
the end punctuation with a red crayon. This helps the students make sure they are starting
each sentence with a capital letter and ending with a punctuation mark. The students also
know that green means go and red means stop so when they see green at the front of the
sentence, they know to go (read). When they see red, they stop before reading the next
sentence. I would use this as practice with the students or this could even be part of my
assessment.
Visual Aid:
1. Punctuation Pointers: Bulletin Board Cut-outs. (1975). Trend Enterprises
These bulletin board cut-outs can be found in the Educational Resources in Bracken
Library.
This visual aid is a series of posters. Each poster has a punctuation symbol turned into a
person doing what the punctuation does. For example, the period poster is a big yellow
rectangle with a period in the middle, at the top is a police officers hat, and at the bottom
is the feet of the police officer and his hand signaling to stop. I could use this visual aid
when presenting the new information to the students. They could then relate each
punctuation symbol to an action. I could even have the students make faces or create
actions showing what each punctuation symbol emphasizes in the sentence. For example,
if I asked the students to create an action representing a question mark, the students may
make a puzzled face, shrug their shoulders, or put their hands up as if they do not
understand.
2. Rubin, Jeff. (2006). National Punctuation Day. Retrieved from:
http://nationalpunctuationday.com/products.html
I found this website by doing a Google search for “punctuation posters”.
This visual aid is a poster of the different types of punctuation including a period,
question mark, exclamation point, and comma. It provides a picture of each symbol, a
definition of each symbol, and an example of how each punctuation symbol is used. I
would show the students this poster or hang it in the room to remind them of what a
period, question mark, and exclamation point do in each sentence and when they should
be used.
3. Lynnnn725. (2008, November 15). How do you teach capitalization and punctuation?
[Msg 7]. Message posted to http://forums.atozteacherstuff.com/showthread.php?t=72890
This resource can be located by doing a Google search for “how to teach capitalization
and punctuation”.
The primary school teacher who wrote this message onto the forum says that when she is
teaching capitalization and punctuation see brings in Oreos and uses them as a fun way to
remember to capitalize at the beginning of each sentence and to put punctuation at the
end of a sentence. The top of the Oreo is the capital letter, the middle of the Oreo or the
stuffing is the words in the sentence, and the bottom of the Oreo is the end punctuation.
For my lesson, I would bring in a big picture of an Oreo and illustrate to the students the
different parts of the sentence and how it is like an Oreo. Throughout the lesson, I can
then remind them to be making yummy Oreo sentences. This would also help the
students connect the concepts of the lesson to something they are most likely familiar
with and with something outside the classroom in the real world.
Technology: I can incorporate technology through the online game described in the
hands-on activity section. This would allow not only me to use technology but for the
students to use technology as well. I can also use technology to play aloud the
punctuation rap shown in the children’s literature section.