The Literacy Project- Curriculum/Activity
Description
Date: June 16, 2003 |
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Submitted
by: Joe |
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Subject: Writing |
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Level: ASE |
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Brief
Description: Sentence Combining, sentencing strategies, and grammar skills |
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Duration: Variable |
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Materials
Needed: Attached:
Enlightened Sentence Combining,
20th Century Plus
Combining Supplementary
Materials: Sentence Structure Quiz |
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Lesson
Objective(s): Practice
Sentence Combining Skills (Develop awareness of grammar and syntax rules) Articulate
language strategies |
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Lesson
Procedure: Use these exercises (attached) as group activities,
small group activities, or individual exercise (or some combination of all of
these). Parts can also be done as
“homework”. Prompt learners to
identify the language strategies necessary for successful sentence
combining. (Those suggested are only
a “beginning”). Also prompt learners
to explain how they know a certain sentence is “correct” or “complete.” (You may have to talk about the dreaded
“subjects and verbs”, |
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Assessment/Evaluation: Their Sentences! . . . Student writing
(sentence structure) . . .Their ability
to articulate strategies . . . their ability to "hear" the
difference between awkward or un-parse-able constructions and more fluent
constructions |
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Massachusetts
ABE Curriculum Frameworks Strands
and Standards addressed: English
Language Arts: Awareness of rules for grammar & mechanics |
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Special
Comments: There is research indicating that it is easier to
connect advancements in writing skills with practicing “sentence combining” then
it is to make the same association with “teaching grammar rules”. It IS probably easier for learners to
articulate simple language strategies (and even some more advanced than those
indicated on these exercises: Enlightened
Sentence Combining, 20th
Century Plus Combining) than it is to correctly learn more abstract
grammatical terms. Perhaps it is more useful too, at first. These
exercises are an outgrowth of a unit on the “History of Scientific Thinking,”
specifically from group efforts to write short paragraphs about epochs in the
history of Western Civilization. The
unit, itself, was an outgrowth from discussions about “Habits of Mind”. The text for one of these
exercises was taken from Mr. Dowling’s website and its page on the French
Enlightenment http://www.mrdowling.com/705french.html
(Thank you Mr. Dowling!) |
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Other
Related Links and Resources: http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/combining_skills.htm http://a4esl.org/q/h/vm/m-sco01.html http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1981/4/81.04.06.x.html |