You are on page 1of 13

LESSON PLAN 3: Elaboration

Unit Title: Using Elaboration in Personal Narratives


Subject(s) & Grade Level: English 6

Teacher: Megan Lee

Title of Lesson: Moving Participial Phrases


Length of Class Period: 50 minutes
Standards of Learning & Essential Skills:
6.7 The student will write narration, description, exposition, and persuasion.
h) Expand and embed ideas by using modifiers and subordination in complete
sentences.
All students should:
compose with attention to elaboration.
To be successful with this standard, students are expected to
elaborate to give detail and add depth, and
incorporate variety into sentences, using appropriate participial phrases.
6.8 The student will edit writing for correct punctuation:
To be successful with this standard, students are expected to
use complete sentences with appropriate punctuation.
General Objectives:
1. Discover and discuss various positions of participial phrase within a sentence.
2. Learn to punctuate sentences with participial phrases, using principles of nonessential or
introductory items (Benjamin & Berger, 2010, p. 158).
Specific Learning Objectives
The student will be able to

Instructional Procedures
The teacher will

Introduction
1. be able to identify participles in sentences and
1. TO: The teacher will begin the lesson with the
phrases,
question, What did we learn yesterday about
participial phrases? Can anyone tell what a participle
2. recognize participial phrases in sentences,
is and what a participial phrase is? Write their
identifying that they begin with participles,
thoughts on the board while scaffolding them towards
todays lesson by writing their sentences with
3. discuss the difference between an essential and a
participles and participial phrases. The answers can
nonessential phrase in sentences and how they are
also be found on Slide 2 of the PowerPoint.
punctuated, and
Ex.: Beginning a participial phrase with a
participle is essential. Point out the participle and
4. distinguish these differences by answering the
the participial phrase.
formative assessment to show prior knowledge and
inferring.

2. Start the Day 2 PowerPoint. On Slide 1-2, ask


students about how they recognize participle and
participial phrases. Make sure they are familiar with
the concept that participles are verbs that modify the
subject they are referencing and that they also end in
ing.
3. WITH: On Slide 3, conduct a review of previous
knowledge. Every student will get asked at least one
question. There will be multiple questions for each
example; each example has multiple parts to
understand.
Can you pick out the participial phrase?
Can you tell me where the participle is? How do
you know it is the participle? (Their answer
should include something about how it ends in
ing.)
What does the participial phrase modify?
Is the participial phrase essential or
nonessential?
How do you know if the participial phrase is
essential or nonessential? (Their answer should
include something about commas or being able to
move the phrase.)
4. BY: Show Slide 4. Ask students to clear their
desks, with the exception of a pencil. The teacher will
then pass out the formative assessment. After they are
finished, pick up the assessment and ask each student
personally for their opinion on how they did.
5. Bring up Slide 5 with the answers to the
assessment and encourage students to ask questions
about why they got an answer right or wrong.
6. Transition into the main lesson by asking the
students if they noticed anything about the position of
the participial phrases. Try to lead them in the right
direction by pointing out the position of the
participial phrases in the examples on the first
handout.
Main Lesson

1. apply participial phrases to their own writing to add


detail and elaboration,
2. demonstrate moving participial phrases through
their application of this concept in their own writing,
3. identify participles in participial phrases, and
4. differentiate what value participial phrases can add
to their own writing.

1. TO: Show Slide 6, asking them if they can


remember the difference between essential and
nonessential. If they cannot, go back to Slide 3 with
examples to illustrate the difference between essential
and nonessential participial phrases.
2. WITH: Ask the student to take out their notebooks
and label a new page with the heading Moving
Participial Phrases. They will write the example in
the PowerPoint on Slide 7, then move into groups to
write two more examples of their own from Slide 8
while the teacher walks around the room, assisting
and correcting their writing as necessary.
3. The teacher will then call on a student to write one
of their examples on the board. As they write their
two sentences on the board, the teacher will ask
questions about their participial phrases.
Which part is the participial phrase?
How can you tell that this is the participial
phrase?
Which word is the participle and how can you
tell it is the participle?
4. After the student has finished their writing, the
teacher will draw a box around the participial phrase
in one color and draw a circle around the participle in
another color.
5. The teacher will call on more students to write
their examples on the board. After that student has
finished writing their example, the teacher will call
on another student to box the participial phrase and
circle the participle.

Closure
1. compose participial phrases in their own writing
1. BY: Finish PowerPoint by displaying Slide 8. Ask
without the assistance of a teacher,
the students to take out their agendas and write down
2. identify these phrases as participial phrases, and
that their homework assignments are a worksheet and
3. rearrange nonessential participial phrases in their
a composition.
own writing and real-world examples.
2. Give out the worksheet and the directions to the
composition. Each worksheet will have:
a quick run-through of what we learned,
problems where the student circle the participial
phrase, box the participle, and write if it is
essential or nonessential, and
directions for the composition.
3. Conclude the lesson evaluating the students
knowledge by asking specific questions:
What is a participle?
What is a participial phrase?
What does the participial phrase do in writing?

What does the participial phrase begin with?

Extension:
Name___________________________________________

Date_______________________

Participial Phrases Review


Circle the participial phrase in each sentence. Draw a box around the participle in the participial
phrase.

1. The homeless man holding out a tin cup was asking for money for food.

2. Reading a book, Ms. Lee began to feel sleepy and started to prepare for bed.

3. Juniper growing in the flower bed can treat sore throats and be boiled down to a tea.

4. Carrying her own books, Megan began to tire and dropped them on her boyfriends feet.

5. Ann Marie, sashaying into the room, began her book report on lemurs and monkeys.

6. Brandon studying in the library was engrossed in his textbook until his thoughts began to
wander aimlessly.

7. Glancing at the time, Nina prayed and wished that class would end early today.

Assignment:
Name___________________________________________

Date_______________________

Moving Participial Phrases Worksheet Assessment and Composition

A participial phrase begins with a participle (a word that ends in ing and modifies a noun)
and add elaboration to sentences without making them sound choppy Participial phrases
can be moved around if they are nonessential. Remember that nonessential participial
phrases are separated by commas.
Circle the participial phrase in each sentence. Draw a box around the participle in the participial
phrase. Then, write the sentence after moving the participial phrase to another place.
1. Holding her close, I embraced her gently.

2. The flowers, blossoming in the spring, were the most beautiful sight Eliza had ever seen.

3. Henry, infuriating her with his pompous attitude, strut around the room like a peacock
during mating season.

List accommodations/provisions for individual differences:


ELL & students with a dialect other than EAE: write in their home dialect or language

Gifted students: They will find three sentences in the first chapter of a book that use
participial phrases to add elaboration. They will then write it down in their notebooks on
the page entitled Moving Participial Phrases. After that, they will move the
nonessential participial phrases in the sentences, changing the order in the sentence
without destroying the meaning. They will then write down their modified
Special needs students: See IEP or 501

Describe evaluation:
Formative: Review assessment in class
Self: Participial phrase homework handoutwhile doing it and when we go over the
work
Peer: Peer evaluation of construction of sentences
Summative: Final draft of personal narratives
Rationale:
Why is the topic of this lesson important for students? The purpose of this lesson is to add
elaboration to sentences through the use of essential and nonessential participial phrases.
If the students are able to move nonessential participial phrases, then it demonstrates a
higher level of understanding and a more advanced writing structure.
How will this specific instruction be effective in helping students learn? It gives students
a sense of freedom in writing. As educators, we have a duty to present our students with
alternate ways to write effectively. Through this lesson and its implementation in their
writing, the students can see that they can elaborate on their own at an advanced level
without demeaning the essence of their writing. It helps clarify their personal voice in
writing and speaking.
Sources for ideas/materials:
Benjamin, A., & Berger, J. (2010). Teaching grammar: What really works. Larchmont, NY: Eye
on Education.
ASSESSMENTS
Summative Self-Evaluation
Lesson 3 Checklist for
Instructional Design
Instructional procedures model, scaffold, and teach, using the to, with, by
methodnot just test and have students practicea specific identified
grammar writing skill. (10)
Instructional procedures clearly explain what the teacher will do, including
discussion questions, prompts, sample sentences, lecture notes. (10)
Instructional procedures on right match specific learning objectives on the left
and should assure that students learn the identified skills. (10)
Specific learning objectives use appropriate Bloom verbs from all levels. (10)
Contents & Materials
Rationale explains why concepts are important and why the activities will be
effective. (5)
All materials needed to teach the lesson are included and are instructionally

Points

40/40

appropriate and effective for the stated objectives. (10)


The handout clearly explains concepts and directions and provides useful
examples. (25)
The plan and handout use relevant concepts from B & B, but all samples and
materials are original. (5)
Editing
Mechanics and usage are edited to professional standards.
Evaluation
Self-evaluation of the unit is accurate with comments on strengths and
weaknesses.
Total Points
Comments:

45/45

10/10
5/5
100/100

You might also like