Grammar Lesson Plan

A. Topic: Grade(s): Time:

Looking at Complex Sentences and Clauses 9th Grade 30-45 Minutes

Using To Kill a Mockingbird One Period

B. Essential Question(s):

What if when were moved before my brother? How does that change our reading?
What is a complex sentence?
What is a clause?
What are subordinating (dependent) clauses?
What are independent clauses?
How does language structure create mood, tone, feeling, argument?

C. Text: (attach if brief)

To Kill a Mockingbird
When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow. When it healed,
and Jems fears of never being able to play football were assuaged, he was seldom self-conscious
about his injury. His left arm was somewhat shorter than his right; when he stood or walked, the back
of his hand was at right angles to his body, his thumb parallel to his thigh. He couldnt have cared less,
so long as he could pass and punt. When enough years had gone by to enable us to look back on them,
we sometimes discussed the events leading to his accident. I maintain that the Ewells started it all, but
Jem, who was four years my senior, said it started long before that. He said it began the summer Dill
came to us, when Dill first gave us the idea of making Boo Radley come out.

D. Learning Goals & Outcomes: Students will

Students will understand what a clause is and its role in a sentence.

Students will understand what makes up a complex sentence.
Students will understand the role of subordinating (dependent) clauses in combining complex
sentences while also learning how emphasis and meaning are effected when sentence order is
changed.
Students will understand how the meaning of the first sentence in To Kill a Mockingbird is influenced
by the order of words and phrases within the sentence.
By placing the subordinating clause at the beginning of the sentence, more emphasis is placed on
Jems age at the time he broke his arm. If the subordinating clause were to be moved before my
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 brother more emphasis is being put on Jem breaking his arm instead of his age. The structure of the
sentence lends to the idea that Scout is reflecting back to when her brother was nearly thirteen and the
events that transpired at that time.
E. Types of Assessments: How will you check for understanding?

Summative: These occur after
instruction.
E.g., any length, genre or type of writing,
quiz, test, presentation, project,
performance assessment, report
For homework, students will
complete the Clauses Worksheet
Sections A and B, and sections A
and B of the Subordination
Worksheet to show their
understanding of independent and
dependent clauses as well as
coordination and subordination.
They will revise sentences that
change the emphasis of the
sentence, combine sentences using
coordination or subordination, and
will identify independent and
dependent clauses.
Formative: These occur during instruction. They let you
check for understandings and misunderstandings; they give
students critical feedback when they are saying, making,
and doing, and they allow for changes in the instructional
plan.
E.g., oral response, whole class cues, observation of pair work,
observation of group work, records of work, worksheets, notes,
annotations, drafts, organizers, outlines, journals, discussions
Students fill out T-Chart on board
Students participate in discussion during review of types
of sentences and clauses.
Students volunteer to identify the clauses within
examples
Students will collaborate and work together on the
worksheets in class and finish them for homework.
Check that students understand clauses and types of
sentences by circulating around the room to see that
they are completing their worksheets properly.
Students should be working with partner by sharing
ideas, asking questions, and completing the exercises
Engage prior knowledge by writing clause and sentence
on the board and asking students what they know about
each one.

F. Progression of Lesson Tasks (The G. Possible ELD Scaffolds and Strategies to Support
lesson could be a 3-5 hour learning Students and Address the Language Demands of each of the
segment): Lesson Tasks.

Consult ELD Standards. While these are not going into the
Engage prior knowledge by actual plan, consider extra steps that may be needed to support
making a cart of what students students in the doing part of the plan.
already know about sentences
and clauses. 1. ELD standards: How Language Works
Review of Types of Sentences a. 6. Connecting ideas Combine clauses in a few
handout and Phrases and Clauses basic ways (e.g., creating compound sentences
handout from Writing using and, but, so; creating complex sentences
using because) to make connections between
Handbook.
and to join ideas (e.g., I want to read this
Define key terms (Clauses,
book because it describes the solar system).
Independent Clause, Dependent
Using the chart to engage students prior knowledge
Clause, Simple Sentences,
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 Complex Sentences Compound Writing examples on the board so students can
Sentences, Compound Complex clearly see them
Sentences) When defining key terms, make sure the definitions
Teacher reads examples of are student friendly
different types of sentences and Checks for understanding circulating around the
clauses. classroom
Class Reads opening line of
TKAM and defines the type of
sentence and clauses used.
Class discussion about the order
of phrases in the opening line.
Students reorder the opening line
and discuss how it changes the
meaning.
Discuss how emphasis can change
in a sentence based on the order
of words and the type of clause
and sentence used.
Students analyze the first two
paragraphs looking at sentence
structure and the use of clauses.
Students work on Clause and
Subordination Worksheets in
pairs.
Homework: Students will finish
the worksheets for homework

H. Teaching Resources (Visuals, Materials, Handouts)

To Kill a Mockingbird
Types of Sentences Handout
Phrases and Clauses Handout
Clauses Worksheet (Section A & B)
Subordination Exercises Worksheet

III. THE LESSON PLAN

Agenda
Agenda Period 4
Sentences and Clauses Chart
Writing Handbook Review: Types of Sentences, Phrases and Clauses
To Kill a Mockingbird importance of word order
Clauses and Subordination Worksheet

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Learning Activities and Corresponding Activity Structures:

Into: 3 minutes. A hook. Purpose is to engage, access prior knowledge or experience, and make the
lesson matter.

A T-Chart will be drawn on the board with one side for sentences and one for clauses. Students
will volunteer to add a point to either side of the chart about something they know about the
category. After both sides have five to ten points, we will then go over the chart as a class.

Through:

1. 5-10 minute explanation/ definition

I will ask students to try and define what a sentence is and what types of sentences there are. I
will ask then to also try and define what a clause is and what types of clauses they know. By
reviewing the chart they made on the board and asking them to try and define the terms, we can
then build upon their prior knowledge.
We will review the Types of Sentences and Phrases and Clauses in the Writers Handbook.
Student volunteers will read aloud each section. After they finish a section, we will discuss and
then I will ask for students to give an example.
I will then ask for a volunteer to read the first paragraph of To Kill a Mockingbird. After they
read the paragraph, I will then ask them to read the first sentence again. I will have it written
up on the board for everyone to see.
We will then define the type of sentence it is and what clauses are used. (Complex sentence,
Subordinating clause) We will also talk about how the clause adds emphasis to the sentence and
what the purpose and emphasis of the sentence is.

10-20 minute student doing part (can include teacher demonstration, student group work)

I will then flip the sentence so that it reads He was nearly thirteen, when my brother Jem got
his arm badly broken at the elbow. As a class we will discuss how that changes the sentence
and where the emphasis is now.
Students will work in pairs to look at the first paragraph of To Kill a Mockingbird and note the
dependent and independent clauses in each sentence.

Beyond
2. 5-10 minute performance assessment

Once they have found the different clauses, I will read the paragraph aloud and ask the students
to say aloud the type of clause as I read it.
I will then explain how changing up the sentence type and structure can help make writing more
interesting and can change the emphasis of the ideas and topics written about.
Students will then have the remaining time to work on their homework worksheets (Clauses and
Subordination) that will be due the following day. These worksheets will help them not only find
the different clauses within a sentence but also the subject and verb. They will then get practice
by having to write their own revisions (Subordination worksheet).

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