Explicit Lesson Format

Background Information: The past few weeks we have been working on writing
simple sentences and the parts of it that make it a sentence.
Group being taught: 3rd graders
Prerequisite skills: Know how to write and identify simple sentences
Skill/strategy to be taught: How to write and identify compound sentences, and how
differentiate from simple sentences
Goal of Lesson: After the lesson, students will be able to write compound sentences,
and students will be able to differentiate compound sentences from simple
sentences.
Larger Goal: 3.L.1.i Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
grammar and usage when writing or speaking; Produce simple, compound, and
complex sentences.
Prerequisite skills: Know how to write and identify simple sentences.
Opening of the Lesson
Gain Students attention: Okay class, put the things you are working on away its
time for language arts! Can I have someone tell me what they ate for supper last
night? [calls on student] What did you have for supper last night? [Students
answer] Anything else? [Student answers]. Can anyone take what he had for
supper, and turn it into a sentence? Jordan had spaghetti for supper Excellent job!
Preview: State the goal of the lesson. Now today, we are going to be learning
about a special type of sentence that I bet each of you have used before, and
havent even realized it. We are going to be learning how to write compound
sentences! Has anyone heard the word compound before? Please raise your hand if
you have heard the word compound before, and its okay if you havent.
Discuss the relevance of the target skills. Compound sentences are something
that we say all the time whenever we say the special words that make it compound.
And when we write paragraphs, we can write compound sentences to make them
more interesting and to connect more than one idea.
Review: Review critical prerequisite skills. Now, lets go back to what Suzy
said about Jordans supper, can anyone tell me what kind of sentence that was?
Simple Right, and what did we say all simple sentences need? a subject, verb,
and period Good job! And thats true for compound sentences too, but they need a
few more things to make it compound.

Body of the Lesson

Introduction to the strategy A compound sentence takes two sentences, and

puts them together into one long sentence. But both sentences must be complete
sentences, otherwise it wont work. So each individual sentence needs a subject
and a verb; so, in total, the compound sentence needs at least 2 subjects and 2
verbs. Does anyone know where we could put a compound sentence? A paragraph
or a passage.
Modeling (I do it.)
{Introduce vocabulary, with examples and non-examples, and at least one
rule} passage, symbol, and conjunction; A passage is a part of something
that you would read; now, it could be as short as a paragraph or as long as a few
pages, or another meaning for the word passage is it could be like a passage way
that you could go through because we know that sometimes words have different
meanings, and its our job to figure which one to use. If I said to you, read page 2 of
your book, another way I could say it is to read the passage of the book found on
page 2. So, if I was going to read a part of the book we would call that a.
passage Right! But if I told you to read a whole magazine, that wouldnt be a
passage because it has to be just a part of something you read, not the whole thing.
Can anyone tell me what else might be a passage [student answers] right! A [what
the student said] would be a passage. Okay lets look at the next word, lets say it
together, first part, sym like Simba if you have seen The Lion King, and bol like
a bowl you eat out of, now together symbol. Symbol. [write a plus sign, comma,
period on the board] Can anyone tell me what this one is plus sign and what does
it mean? that you are going to add something And what about this one? its a
period and when do we use it? at the end of a sentence perfect! Does anyone
know what they have in common? They are all used to show something! They are
symbols! Symbols are kind of like signs because they represent something. A
subtraction sign symbolizes what? you are going to take away! Right! When you
see that symbol you know what it means! If I told you to stop doing what you are
doing, would that be a symbol? No, but if I put up my hand to mean stop that means
its a symbol right! Can anyone else think of a symbol? Hmmm Ive got a good
one! [call on students to get their symbols]. Okay Im going to show you all my
symbol and you all get to guess what it means. [do sign language for thank you]
thank you does anyone know what it is Ive just done is called? Its called sign
language; people who are deaf use it as their way of talking just like how we talk
with our voices. Pretty cool right? Now, Im going to write one last symbol on the
board, [writes comma] can anyone tell me what this is? This is called a comma.
When we make compound sentences, we have to use a comma instead of a period
in between them along with a conjunction. Lets say that word together. Con-junct-
ion. Lets break up this big word into our pieces. Con we remembered means to
come together, so we know something is goes to be coming together and junct,
means to join. So a conjunction is something that brings to things together or joins
them. In this case, a conjunction is what we put with the comma between two
sentences to make them compound. Some of our conjunctions are and, or, but
[write them on board]. So if I have these two sentences on the board, [Jordan likes
spaghetti. Samantha doesnt] Rule The rule for compound sentences is that if you
have a compound sentence, you must have a comma and conjunction to make it
right. So, the first step to making this a compound sentence is to cross off the
period at the end of the first sentence. Then add a comma right below it or next to
it if you have room, and then add a conjunction, we are going to use but because
thats how we would say it [model while saying]. So now lets all say our compound
sentence together Jordan likes spaghetti, but Samantha doesnt If I wrote on the
board [writes Jordan likes spaghetti but Samantha doesnt] that isnt correct
because we need the conjunction to make it compound. If there isnt a conjunction,
its called a run-on sentence, and those arent allowed in good writing. So, what is
our rule about compound sentences? it needs a comma and a conjunction If you
have a comma and a conjunction between two sentences, what does it make it? a
compound sentence Oh I thought maybe I would trip you up on that one, but Im
glad you all got it! Lets try this one, [Is Suzy line leader today? Is it her turn next
week?] We would do the same thing with these two sentences even though they are
questions. We would take out the question mark, and put in a conjunction of or
this time because its asking a question about when her turn is. Then what we
would do is make the I of is uncapitalized because it isnt the start of a sentence
anymore. We didnt do that last time because Samantha is a name, which is always
capitalized because its what? a proper noun Does anyone remember our other
conjunction that we havent used yet? And right! Now, Im going to write a
sentence on the board, and I want you to give me a thumbs up if I wrote it right and
give me a thumbs down if I did it wrong. [writes Jen likes being a cheerleader, and
Jen likes being a dancer; wait a bit for students to all figure out if its right]. Now
this one, although its written right, we would only make one change. Instead of
saying Jen again, you could just write she since you already know who Jen is.
Alright lets try another one. [writes Ellie is a tutor, but she also works at Target].
What would you think of this one [give time for thumbs to appear] Great, its right
because since we already know we are talking about Ellie, you can put in the
pronoun so that you dont repeat so much. Now, if I wrote Andrea is a dancer and
she likes to sing. Thumbs up if its right, and thumbs down if it wrong [wait for
thumbs] Now I understand why a few of you would put your thumbs up because we
made sure that we werent too repetitive, but we forgot one of the things that
makes a compound sentence right. A comma, right! And where does that comma
go? [student answers before the conjunction] You all know this. So lets go through
all of our words quickly, so if we see them in the homework or later on, we know
exactly what they mean. If I say to read a part of your book, I would say to read a
passage right! What is something that brings two things or sentences together?
a conjunction right! And then what is something that is shown to mean something
else? a symbol you all are rock stars!
Prompted or guided practice (We do it.) {Include a variety of responses
and a correction procedure.} Now, lets try some activities on the board! [write
I like dance on the board] Please write this sentence on your paper. Can someone
give me another sentence that we could add on to this simple sentence? [call on
student and student gives another sentence to add on]. Good! Can you come up
here and write it on the board next to the other sentence? Now I want you all to
write it on your paper as a simple sentence right next to it, and we are going to
make it a compound sentence together. Whats our first step when turning simple
sentences into compound sentences? [student answers get rid of the period] Good!
We get rid of the period, but what do we change it to that we cannot forget?
[student answers a period] Good! Can you all please cross off the period of the first
sentence and write a comma underneath it so we dont forget it. Okay, what is our
next step? [student answers make the first letter uncapitalized] Perfect, now when
wouldnt we uncapitalize the first letter of the second sentence? [students answer
things like proper nouns, names, and important places]. Right! And what is our last
step in making this a good compound sentence? [students answer to add a
conjunction] Right, now what conjunction should we add here? [students give a
conjunction] Good, and what are the other two conjunctions? [students answer with
the other two] Good job! Now lets say the sentence aloud together [students read
the full sentence]. Okay now what I want you to do is take this sentence [write
sentence on board] and make it into a compound sentence on your own. Make sure
to remember our steps so that way it turns out right. [teacher walks around
correcting students work as well as making sure students stay on task while
working] Okay great job! Lets try one more [teacher writes sentence on the board
as well as continuing monitoring like before].
Unprompted or independent practice (You do it.) Nice job! Now, what you are
going to do is work on these five sentences on your own [passes out worksheet].
Lets read the directions together. [reads directions] Please work quietly and eyes
on own papers. You can raise your hand if you have any questions. [students work
on homework while teacher monitors progress and walks around to keep control of
the students]

Closing of the Lesson

Review Critical content Okay, our time is about up! Lets review really quickly
what we learned. What kind of sentences are we learning? compound Right! And
what does every compound sentence need? Whats our rule? it needs a comma
and a conjunction between the two. Perfect! And what are the three conjunctions?
and, or, but Great job!
Preview the content in the next lesson Tomorrow in language arts we are going
to work on using compound sentences in paragraphs for our writing!
Assign independent work. But for tonight, I want you to take out a piece of paper
and write five compound sentences, and they can be about anything! And then at
the beginning of the lesson we are going to share a few of them!