INTRODUCTORY CLAUSES LESSON
Paula Brock
Teacher preparation:
 Pull three different “mentor” sentences (ones with introductory dependent
clauses) from texts you are reading in class, from good YA books, or from
picture/trade books (choose sentences that begin with different subordinating
conjunctions).
 Choose a song that has lyrics that start with introductory clauses, and either
download or type the lyrics and the music. (I used “When I was a little bitty baby
. . . “ Copy enough for at least each pair of students in your largest class.
 Assemble materials you will need (such as butcher paper and markers,
transparencies, Vis aVis pens, or . . . ?)
Steps:
 Write one mentor sentence on the board or an overhead transparency.
 Have students copy the sentence into their Writer’s Notebooks, onto notebook
paper, or . . . ? (Do NOT prepare copies ahead of time for your students; it is
IMPORTANT that they do the writing themselves!)
 Read the sentence once out loud; have students choral read it out loud with you
two more times.
 Quickly explain any unusual vocabulary words so that the sentence is
comprehensible to all students in the class.
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INVITE THE STUDENTS TO NOTICE (You will make notes on the board
about what is said, continuing to ask, “What else?” or “What else do you notice?”
Nudge the “noticing” with questions about CRAFT [what’s effective or what the
writer is doing] and PATTERNS [punctuation and usage choices]. Be patient and
spend more time here than feels exactly comfortable to you because it is
important for the kids to discover all they can.)
During the discussion above, nudge, nudge, nudge to the discovery that this is not
a compound sentence and neither is it an example of the serial comma (use the
serious, correct grammatical terms - - this IS teaching grammar in context!)
At some point, insert the remark - - “Oh! It’s an AAAWWUBBIS!” (Say this as
a word, but yell it in an obnoxious whoop and you’ve got the idea.)
If students ask what THAT is, just say, “Oh, you know . . . you’re not ready yet.”
INVITE THE STUDENTS TO NOTICE (Mentor Sentence #2, and Mentor
Sentence #3 if you have enough time. OR - - you can stop the lesson and use
sentence two the next day and sentence three the day after that. In some classes,
you may need to spend SEVERAL DAYS “noticing” sentences that start with
subordinating conjunctions).
After several opportunities to “notice,” it’s time to do something new, innovative,
and fun (while still teaching); so get kids on their feet and clapping (singing along
if they will) to “Cotton Fields of Home” (put your lyrics on colored card stock
paper for a song of your choice). Add one line of “When I was a little bitty baby”
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(or the introductory clause from your song choice) to your list of mentor
sentences.
If you judge the time is right, put AAAWWUBBIS on the board VERTICALLY,
and beside each letter write the following: After, Although, As, When, While,
Until, Before, Because, If, and Since. Tell students that these words are regular
COMMA CAUSERS when they introduce clauses AT THE BEGINNINGS of
sentences. It is also useful to notice that these are time-related words, and this list
does NOT comprise the entire list of words that can be used to introduce
dependent clauses.
INVITE THE STUDENTS TO IMITATE: Brainstorm together on the board as
many introductory clause ideas as you can. (Examples: When I was little . . . ; If
I had a million dollars; Since I am . . . ; Because dogs are so smart . . .; After I
learned this lesson . . .)
Ask students to mark (sticky stars, highlighters) one clause idea that makes them
think of something in their own experience, and ask them to freewrite (quickly
and without stopping, write down every possible connection or thought that
comes to them) about that idea for three minutes.
Later - - at least the next day - - ask students to re-enter this freewrite and try to
add at least one additional AAAWWUBBIS sentence.
Share the results - - at first in pairs, with each writer reading his/her own
freewrite; then in fours; and then perhaps a few shared whole class. Certainly
these freewrites should be corrected and written on colored paper and displayed in
the room (or just the dependent clause sentences could be written and displayed).
PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE the students for the discovery and hard work they did
to learn how to write SOPHISTICATED AND EFFECTIVE COMPLEX
SENTENCES!
Please take the time to debrief this lesson with me in some way - - a quick phone
call or e-mail regarding what worked, what didn’t, how students responded.
ONCE LEARNED, YOU NEVER “DROP” THIS LESSON! Extensions include:
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Call attention to examples of introductory dependent clauses in every new thing you read. Add them to
butcher paper lists displayed in the room.
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Have students write great examples of AAAWWUBBIS sentences on transparency strips and put them up
for all to see (be brave and take examples where the authors DO NOT use the comma, and discuss craft,
effectiveness, and author’s style/intent).
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“Deconstruct” some complex sentences into simple sentences.
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Combine some related simple sentences into complex ones using AAAWWUBBIS words.
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Connect this lesson to TAKS test questions that ask about “the best way to express” or the “most effective
sentence,” (etc.)
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You have just taught the kids how to edit for one of the main comma errors we see in writing! GOOD JOB!
I used the following mentor sentences:
1. “When she turned seventy, Lady Bird helped establish the National Wildflower Research Center.” From
Lady Bird’s Wildflowers by Kathi Appelt.
2. “Because quasars are so powerful, they can be seen at greater distances than normal galaxies.” From
Exploring the Night Sky by Terence Dickinson.
3. “As his eyes met the eyes of the bear, the Great One seemed to nod his head before disappearing into the
woods.” From Beardream by Will Hobbs.