Behind Enemy Lines: Coordinating Conjunctions Teacher s Guide Grade Level: 6 8 Curriculum Focus: Language Arts Lesson Duration: One class period Program Description Learn about conjunctions when Dark Marker steals them along with the Declaration of Independence. Students travel back in time to 1776 to tour the Continental Congress, visit Fort Ticonderoga, and spy on British redcoats with the help of triple agent Nom de Plume. Onscreen Questions What are coordinating conjunctions? Why do we use coordinating conjunctions? When do we use coordinating conjunctions? Lesson Plan Student Objectives Identify coordinating conjunctions Categorize the various uses of coordinating conjunctions Materials video Paper and pencils Copy of the Declaration of Independence, Common Sense, or another Revolutionary War-era text Print resources Procedures 1. After viewing the video, reinforce the video s concepts by presenting materials from books about coordinating conjunctions listed under Print Resources. 2. Review the various uses of coordinating conjunctions. Ask students to provide examples of coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). Write a list of coordinating conjunctions on the board.
Teacher s Guide 2 3. Discuss the importance of coordinating conjunctions. Read a short passage from the Revolutionary War-era texts, pointing out the uses of coordinating conjunctions (e.g., life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness ). 4. Write a few sentences on the board. Ask students to point out the coordinating conjunctions in each sentence. Draw attention to the different types of coordinating conjunctions, especially and, but, and or, as these are the most frequently used conjunctions. After demonstrating the need for coordinating conjunctions, begin the lesson. 5. Review the setting of and the history of Benedict Arnold, mentioned by the four characters in the video. Without presenting a full unit on the Revolutionary War, explain that the war marked the beginning of the United States as a separate country, and that Arnold played a key role in the conflict. Mention that earlier in his career, Arnold distinguished himself in key battles as an American general, but became frustrated when he was not promoted. He invented the Arnold cipher, a code he used to send messages to the British army in an attempt to aid the British in taking over the fort at West Point, New York. The plot was thwarted; Arnold fled to England and fought for the British. He was buried in England wearing his Continental uniform. Emphasize that Arnold was a conflicted figure in American history who was at once a hero and a traitor. 6. Tell students that they will crack a code using their knowledge of coordinating conjunctions. They will fill in the blank, find the matching letter, and complete the code to reveal a secret answer ( Fourth of July ). 7. On the board, model coordinating conjunctions with a few fill-in-the-blank sentences. First, write 12 sentences, telling students that they will use their answers to complete the code. Ten of the sentences should be fill in the blank with answers from each of the seven conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). Two sentences should have to show similar things and to show a choice as answers. 8. Write 12 short lines in the style of the hangman game, and write the following italicized words under each line. These will be the spaces of the code. The key should be as follows: for=f; or=o; and=u; nor=r; but=t; so=h; to show similar things=j; to show a choice=l; yet=y. 9. Students should write a letter above each short line, corresponding to the correct answer for each question. The answer to the code is: F-O-U-R-T-H-O-F-J-U-L-Y. 10. When students have completed their codes, have them explain their use of coordinating conjunctions to the class. 11. Create a classroom bulletin board about coordinating conjunctions and display student codes. Assessment Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students work during this lesson.
Teacher s Guide 3 3 points: Students clearly identified the uses of coordinating conjunctions presented in the lesson to show relationships between two or more words, phrases, or clauses; answered the practice sentences correctly; and completed the code successfully 2 points: Students identified the uses of coordinating conjunctions presented in the lesson to show relationships between two or more words, phrases, or clauses; answered some of the practice sentences correctly; partly completed the code 1 point: Students were unable to identify the uses of coordinating conjunctions presented in the lesson to show relationships between two or more words, phrases, or clauses; failed to answer the practice sentences; were unable to complete the code Vocabulary and Definition: a coordinating conjunction that joins related ideas Context: Tomorrow we're going to the beach and to the art museum. but Definition: a coordinating conjunction that joins different ideas Context: I'd love to come over and play this afternoon, but I've got a soccer game. coordinating conjunctions Definition: words that connect similar words, phrases, clauses, or sentences Context: The Declaration of Independence guarantees "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." or Definition: a coordinating conjunction that suggests a choice Context: Would you like to listen to reggae or classical music? Print Resources Larson, Randy. Hot Fudge Monday: Tasty Ways to Teach Parts of Speech to Students Who Have a Hard Time Swallowing Anything to Do with Grammar. Cottonwood, 1993. Funny, creative, and sometimes gross activities that teach students grammar in an exciting way. McKerns, Dorothy, et. al. The Kids' Guide to Good Grammar: What You Need to Know About Punctuation, Sentence Structure, Spelling, and More. Lowell House Juvenile, 1998. Makes connections to classical children's literature and offers creative practice exercises. Van Zile, Susan. Awesome Hands-On Activities for Teaching Grammar. Teaching Resources, 2003. Creative and versatile activities for students of all ages.
Teacher s Guide 4 Academic Standards The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) The National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association have developed national standards to provide guidelines for teaching the English language arts. To view the standards online, go to http://www.ncte.org/about/over/standards/110846.htm. This lesson plan addresses the following national standards: Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information). Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) McREL s Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K 12 Education addresses 14 content areas. To view the standards and benchmarks, visit http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/browse.asp. This lesson plan addresses the following national standards: Language Arts: Writing Uses coordinating conjunctions in written compositions (e.g., links ideas using connecting words) Language Arts: Writing Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions DVD Content This program is available in an interactive DVD format. The following information and activities are specific to the DVD version. How to Use the DVD The DVD starting screen has the following options: Play Video This plays the video from start to finish. There are no programmed stops, except by using a remote control. With a computer, depending on the particular software player, a pause button is included with the other video controls.
Teacher s Guide 5 Video Index Here the video is divided into sections indicated by video thumbnail icons; brief descriptions are noted for each one. Watching all parts in sequence is similar to watching the video from start to finish. To play a particular segment, press Enter on the remote for TV playback; on a computer, click once to highlight a thumbnail and read the accompanying text description and click again to start the video. Standards Link Selecting this option displays a single screen that lists the national academic standards the video addresses. Teacher Resources This screen gives the technical support number and Web site address. Video Index I. The Need for Coordinating Conjunctions (8 min) Dark Marker steals The Point s coordinating conjunctions and the Declaration of Independence. The team searches for Thomas Paine s Common Sense to decode Dark Marker s message. Q: How do you talk about more than one thing at a time? A: You use the words and and or, and you list things. Post-viewing question Q: What is a coordinating conjunction? A: A coordinating conjunction is a word that joins similar words, phrases, clauses, or sentences. II. FANBOYS (4 min) In Independence Hall, the team decodes Dark Marker s message with a copy of Common Sense. Penny lists the coordinating conjunctions and teaches the team to remember them using the acronym FANBOYS. Q: What are some coordinating conjunctions you know? A: Responses may include for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. Post-viewing question Q: What are the seven coordinating conjunctions? A: For, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so are the seven coordinating conjunctions. III. For and So : Double Agents (5 min) Nom de Plume, a quill, reveals a clue to the team. Penny explains that for can function as a preposition and so can function as an adverb.
Teacher s Guide 6 Q: In addition to being used as a coordinating conjunction, what can so be used as? A: So can also be used as an adverb. Post-viewing questions Q: Why is the or in give me liberty or give me death a coordinating conjunction? A: It is a coordinating conjunction because it joins two ideas. IV. Review of Coordinating Conjunctions (5 min) After reviewing coordinating conjunctions, the team members defeat Dark Marker at Fort Ticonderoga. Q: Why are these conjunctions called coordinating conjunctions? A: They are called coordinating conjunctions because they indicate a relationship between two things. Post-viewing question Q: How can using coordinating conjunctions make someone a better speaker and writer? A: Coordinating conjunctions allow someone to express complex ideas, to link ideas, and to be more specific.