Maury Middle School Lesson Plan Punctuating Direct Quotes
Teacher: Becky McGaha
Grade/Subject: Seventh Grade Language Arts
Unit: Punctuation
Lesson Title: Punctuating Direct Quotes with Knock Knock Jokes
Identify what you want to teach. Reference State, Common Core, Standards,
STATE STANDARD(S)
and/or State Competencies (SPIs, GLEs).
SPI 701.1.15 Choose the correct use of quotation marks and commas (i.e., in direct quotations, with
explanatory material within the quotes, proper use with end marks).
LESSON OBJECTIVE
Clear, Specific, and Measurable – NOT ACTIVITIES
Student-Friendly: "The student will…"
Explicitly Stated for Students
Students will create a dialogue using knock knock jokes and correctly use quotation marks and commas
within the direct quotes.
ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION
Measures Student Mastery In More Than Two Ways
Aligned with the Lesson Objective
Includes Measurable Formative and Summative Assessments
Requires Written Task

Students will correctly reproduce their knock knock jokes into a dialogue format using direct quote
verbage and quotation marks, and write these correctly on the card stock paper.

Students will then punctuate their knock knock joke dialogue reproductions by clueing elbow
macaroni in the correct grammatical location for the commas and quotation marks.

Formative Assessment Slips will be filled out by each student during this activity so that I can check
for mastery. Reteaching and individual accommodations will be made based on student answers. If
time doesn’t allow for individual student accommodations during this lesson, the assessment slip
information will be used to plan additional practice in future instruction.

Students will be assessed based on their understanding and interpretations of today’s objectives.
Formative Assessment Slips will be used during today’s lesson and will guide future instructional
planning. Formative Assessment Slip example:
NAME:_______________________________
I understand completely how to punctuate quotes.
2 - I somewhat understand how to punctuate quotes.
3 - I do not understand how to punctuate quotes.

Summative assessment will take place at the end of the punctuation unit. The summative
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assessment will include multiple choice questions, essay questions, and short answer questions.
Students’ work will be checked for mastery using correct punctuation. The results of the summative
assessment will determine future planning instruction to reteach and do independent practice using
correct punctuation. A nine week’s exam will also be given at the end of the second nine week
grading period and these results will also guide future planning preparations to assure student
mastery of the content standards.
MATERIALS
Aligned with the Lesson Objective
Rigorous & Relevant
•
Promethean Board and Projector
•
Flip Chart – “Punctuation, Does it Matter?”
•
Correctly Punctuated Direct Quotes using Knock Knock Jokes (Copy Attached)
•
Knock Knock Jokes (Example Copy Attached)
•
Card Stock Paper
•
Glue Stick
•
Pencil
•
Elbow Macaroni (uncooked)
•
Formative Assessment Slips
ACTIVATING STRATEGY
Hook
Essential Higher Order Question(s)
Activates Prior Knowledge
Real-World Connections
Higher Order Thinking Prompts/Questions
•
What do the use of quotation marks represent? (Analyzing and Evaluating)
•
How do we know where to put the quotation marks? (Applying and Understanding)
•
When punctuating direct quotes with quotation marks, what other punctuation marks are used?
(Remembering)
•
Does the end mark (period, question mark, or exclamation mark) go before or after the end
quotation marks? (Understanding and Remembering)
Prior Knowledge:
•
Students will rely on prior basic knowledge from their elementary school years to correctly
punctuate the contraction “who’s” and to begin each sentence with a capital letter. Based also on
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prior knowledge, students will correctly use the appropriate end mark. More complex prior
knowledge will help students remember how to punctuate the end of declarative, exclamatory, and
interrogative sentences. Prior knowledge of today’s more complex earlier subobjective lessons (Daily
Oral Language and Skills Check) will be used to help relate to students’ lives and other curricular
disciplines, we will view a flip chart entitled, “Punctuation, Does it Matter?” This flip chart shows an
example of one particular letter with punctuation and without punctuation, and how the meaning of
the letter is totally misunderstood due to lack of punctuation. I will relate how the love letter
becomes a break-up letter due to no punctuation, and how misunderstandings between loved ones
and friends could arise due to misreading or misunderstanding due to no punctuation. I will relate
how important punctuation is in a science experiment, for example, and how dangerous a
misunderstanding could possibly be.
Real-World Connection:

To relate to students’ lives and other curricular disciplines, we will view a flip chart entitled, “The
Importance of Punctuation”. This flip chart shows an example of one particular letter with
punctuation and without punctuation, and how the meaning of the letter is totally misunderstood
due to lack of punctuation. I will relate how the love letter becomes a break-up letter due to no
punctuation, and how misunderstandings between loved ones and friends could arise due to
misreading or misunderstanding due to no punctuation. I will relate how important punctuation is in
a science experiment, for example, and how dangerous a misunderstanding could possibly be.
INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN
Step-by-Step Procedures and Times
Modeling Strategy – “I Do”
Planned Questioning (Knowledge/Comprehension, Application/Analysis, Creation/Evaluation)
Multiple Thinking and Problem Solving Strategies
Grouping Strategies
Differentiated Instructional Strategies to Provide Intervention & Extension
Class time Required: Approximately 50 minutes
Procedures:
 To relate to students’ lives and other curricular disciplines, we will view a flip chart entitled,
“Punctuation, Does it Matter?” This flip chart shows an example of one particular letter with
punctuation and without punctuation, and how the meaning of the letter is totally
misunderstood due to lack of punctuation. I will relate how important punctuation is in a science
experiment, for example, and how dangerous a misunderstanding could possibly be.

The correctly punctuated dialogue using direct quotes with knock knock jokes will be taught,
explained, viewed, and discussed.

With partners, students will pick two knock knock jokes to correctly punctuate.

Students will get card stock paper, a glue stick, and a handful of elbow macaroni.
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Accommodations for Individual Students:

Accommodations will be made for students by peer tutoring in the high/low group pairing and with
individual assistance from me. I will frequently monitor student work and will check for
understanding. I will use the formative assessment understanding slips as an indicator to assist
individuals. I will reteach and reword the lesson as necessary. I will display correctly punctuated
direct quotes using knock knock jokes on the Promethean Board.
Grouping:

High-Low Pairing in Groups of 2 or 3
Higher Order Thinking Prompts/Questions
•
What do the use of quotation marks represent? (Analyzing and Evaluating)
•
How do we know where to put the quotation marks? (Applying and Understanding)
•
When punctuating direct quotes with quotation marks, what other punctuation marks are used?
(Remembering)
•
Does the end mark (period, question mark, or exclamation mark) go before or after the end
quotation marks? (Understanding and Remembering)
GUIDED & INDEPENDENT PRACTICE
“We Do”-“You Do”
Student Work Encourages Higher Order Thinking & Problem Solving
Relevance to Students' Lives
Differentiated Strategies for Practice to Provide Intervention & Extension

Students will correctly reproduce their knock knock jokes into a dialogue format using direct quote
verbage and write these correctly on the car d stock paper.

Students will then analyze their dialogue examples and evaluate their quotes for correct placement
of commas, end marks, and quotation marks.

Students will view correctly punctuated direct quotes with two knock knock joke examples. These
will be displayed on the Promethean Board.

Students will then punctuate their knock knock joke dialogue reproductions by clueing elbow
macaroni in the correct grammatical location for the commas and quotation marks.

I will relate this activity to students’ lives by explaining how a love letter could become a break-up
letter due to no punctuation, and how misunderstandings between loved ones and friends could
arise due to misreading or misunderstanding when punctuation is lacking or misplaced.
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
Accommodations will be made for students by peer tutoring in the high/low group pairing and with
individual assistance from me.
CLOSURE
Reflection/Wrap-Up
Summarizing, Reflecting, Restating, Connecting
Provides for Student Engagement
When all students have finished punctuating their jokes, all peer group members will analyze each others’
dialogue sentences before turning the assignment in.
Students will share their individual knock knock jokes with the class and restate why they punctuated the
quotes as they did with correct comma and quotation mark placement.
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