Lesson Plan

Introduction:
Most people take for granted the meaning of punctuation and do not realize how interesting a reader can become if they pay more attention to punctuation signs.

Activities:

• In this reading lesson, the teacher walks into the classroom dressed in a police uniform. She or he quizzes the students on the action they take at a stop sign, and yield sign.
• Then the teacher tells the students that there are sign in books that every reader should follow as well. These signs might be called the "Highway of Words" signs. For example, a comma is like a yield sign and a period is like a stop sign.
• The teacher reads two paragraphs from a book breaking all the rules. Next, the teacher reads the same text, putting emphasis on the signs. The teacher polls the students to find out which way sounded more interesting.
• Ask for two volunteers to sit in the "driver's seat" (chairs) at the front of the room. The students read two paragraphs while the "police officer" listens. The officer gives citations if a student reads with punctuation errors, blows the whistle if a student "speeds" (reads too fast) and presents a safe driving awards to the student who reads the paragraph correctly.
• Have students break up into groups of three or four. Each student takes turns reading and being the police officer. The police officer in the group has citations to give out for "traffic violations" (punctuation errors). The teacher walks around the classroom, making sure there is "law and order." Optional activity: Later in the lesson, give students the n opportunity to read a paragraph with the police officer.

Students will be assessed according to the number of citations they have. (Teacher's note: I tried this concept with some children I was reading with and they loved it.)

Lesson Plan Source

Submitted by: Cindy Folga, ([email protected] ) ESD, Erie, Pennsylvania

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