Comma and Semi-Colon Usage Melissa Schlegel December 15, 2011

Comma and Semi-Colon Usage

Melissa SchlegelDecember 15, 2011

M.Schlegel Daemen College, 20111

Learning Experience Focus Question

How can I better integrate technology?

M. Schlegel Daemen College, 20112

Starpoint High School

Starpoint Central School District (Services Pendleton, Lockport, Wheatfield, Cambria, and Royalton)

Mr. Al Franco and Mr. Josh Jung (Special Education Teacher)


Grade Level/Ability of Students

This lesson was taught in three 11th Grade English Regents. There was a total of 70 students.

Abilities varied14 Students with IEPs1 Student with 504 plan


Time Frame

Implementation: One 41 minute class period

Assessment: 5 minutes for diagnostic test and summative test; 5 days to turn in the written assignment.

Schedule/Planning: Mini-lesson and can be taught at any time. This specific lesson was taught in between two literature units.

The timing elements for each part of the lesson will vary depending on the class.


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Objectives

Students will be able to correctly use a comma in a sentence with two independent clauses and a coordinating conjunction.

Students will be able to correctly use a semi-colon in a sentence with two independent clauses.


Common Core Standard: ELA

CCR Anchor: Conventions of Standard English

Strand: Language (L)

Grade: Ninth and Tenth

Standard: 2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

A. Use a semi-colon (and perhaps a conjunctive adverb) to link two or more closely related independent clauses.


Essential Questions

Why is proper grammar important?

Why do we use commas?

Why do we use semi-colons?


Enduring Understanding

Learn when and how to use a comma to link two closely related independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction

Learn when and how to use a semi-colon to link two closely related independent clauses


Student’s Tasks

Diagnostic Test

M.Schlegel Daemen College, 2011 10

Formative Group Work


Summative Test


Written Assessment

Students are asked to write a paragraph based on the New York State English Regents Exam Question 26. They establish a controlling idea between two passages and use at least one direct example from each passage to support their controlling idea. They must use at least two semi-colons and two commas with coordinating conjunctions correctly.

The paragraph will be graded using a Comma and Semi-Colon Usage Rubric.


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10

20

30

40

50

Number of Students

DiagnosticTest

SummativeTest

WritingAssessment

Assessment Type

Results of Student Work

Developing

Proficient

Distinguished



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Teacher Exemplar

Although this is a joyous time for the family, it is also very difficult for the narrator’s parents; they love their son very much, but they also know they must let him go to college so he will have greater opportunities than they had.

Developing Student Work


C1. Developing Level Student Work Developing 12/24 [Highlighting in the passage indicates the corrections I would have made if I corrected this by hand and not on the computer.] These two passages are similar in that they; both say that in everybody's life, they must decide what to do, and spread their wings and fly. Sometimes to improve yourself, you have to leave your parents, even thought they are a part of you, you grow and change. You are developing, growing wings, and there comes a time to move on. If you want to be your own person, you have to do it on your own, and not what everybody else is doing. You also have to take risks in life for you to get what you want. In the first passage, they didn't have anything, they were a discgrace.But when the sons got acepted in universities, both of the parents started crying and that shows that they have a strong bond and they came from being spit on to being respected. In the second passage,the daugthter is flying away from her dad, and he wrote a letter saying that even though they're far away from each other; he will still be in her heart. Both of the passages are similar in which they are talking about a strong bond between families and no matter how far they're going to be away from each other; they will always be in each others hearts.


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Comma and Semi-colon Rubric Attribute 4 3 2 1 Semi-Colon Usage (Out of 6 points)

Semi-colons are used correctly in two instances to link two or more closely related independent clauses.

The independent clauses are not closely related and do not need a semi-colon in one instance.

Or One sentence is missing semi-colons between two or more closely related clauses.

Or A coordinating conjunction is used in a sentence, in one instance, with a semi-colon.

Or Only one semi-colon is used.

The closely related independent clauses are not closely related and do not need a semi-colon in two instances.

Or Two sentences are missing semi-colons between two or more closely related clauses.

Semi-colons are not used.

Or A coordinating conjunction is used in all sentences with a semi-colon.

Comma Usage (Out of 6 points)

Commas are used correctly in at least two instances to separate two closely related clauses when they are joined with a coordinating conjunction.

There is no coordinating conjunction in one instance between two closely related clauses where a comma is being used.

Or A comma is forgotten in one instance between two closely related clauses linked with a coordinating conjunction.

A comma is forgotten in two instances between two closely related clauses linked with a coordinating conjunction but used correctly at least once.

Commas are not used to link two closely related clauses with a coordinating conjunction.

Proficient Student Work


Saying goodbye is never easy, whether its flushing a dead goldfish down the toilet, leaving for a business trip, death; whatever the case may be, goodbyes are just simply not easy. Both passages discuss children leaving for college and the bittersweet feeling the parents get when letting them go. In the first passage , the parents lost hope for their sons after doing poorly in school, ad not completing it. Then after some time, both were accepted into leading universities. In the second passage, the father has to watch his daughter go forward with her education. The parents in passage one and the father in passage two are really proud of their children, and hope for the best; they are going to miss them though. The bittersweet goodbye of letting their children go was the highlight and main point of both passages.


Comma and Semi-Colon Usage Rubric Attribute 4 3 2 1 Semi-Colon Usage (Out of 6 points)
















Distinguished Student Work Distinguished 24/24

The first passage by Da Chen and the second passage by Yvoy Winters are similar by having parents needing to let go of their children. Children need to learn new things when they go off to college or just need to move on. For example, in the first passage the entire family was always been treated badly; they were spit on by older farmers in the fields. Once they got accepted into college their parents cried because they didn't want to let them go. The narrator’s mother pulled him once more into her arms, and then gently pushed him away. Even though he is moving on in life they are still a family. In the second passage is writing a poem while writing a poem to his daughter; she is moving on in life to learn more skill. The writer does say that he is in the past, but they are still one. Even though he doesn’t want to see his daughter grow up and leave she has to move on in the future to become something better. Both of these passages teach people to let go of their children and let them move on even thought it’s hard.



Comma and Semi-colon Rubric Attribute 4 3 2 1 Semi-Colon Usage (Out of 6 points)
















Modification Table


Tasks Shorten writing assignment or reading passages

Students with learning disabilities may not be able write extended paragraphs and may need the requirement to be a few sentences rather than a whole paragraph. Students who have reading disabilities may need to have shortened passages or the works read to them to ensure comprehension.

Students use the punctuation marks in their writing, and are able to understand the effects without being overwhelmed by a writing task or passage which they cannot read.

Reflections

Thank you Procrastinators! The peer review gave me some

great ideas to enhance my lesson. Ben suggested using “School House Rock.” This is a great idea!Some other ideas I enjoy and

have added to my lesson are: games, different punctuation, and real-life reading assignments.


Documents

Comma and Semi-Colon Usage Melissa Schlegel December 15, 2011