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|Reading Lesson: Varied Sentence Structure |Grade Level: 6 |

|Lesson Summary: [Core. Lang. 3.a] Students learn to produce simple, compound, and complex sentences to vary the sentence patterns in |

|paragraphs. Advanced students make suggestions to improve their partners’ paragraphs. Struggling students identify simple, compound, and |

|complex sentences and vary the sentence structures in a given paragraph. |

|Lesson Objectives: |

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|The students will know… |

|that varying the sentence patterns in a paragraph adds style, meaning, and interest. |

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|The students will be able to… |

|use a variety of simple, compound, and complex sentences to add meaning, style, and interest. |

|Learning Styles Targeted: |

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|Visual |

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|Auditory |

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|Kinesthetic/Tactile |

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|Pre-Assessment: Display or project the pre-assessment sentences*. Ask each volunteer to read a sentence and name the sentence structure: |

|simple, compound, or complex. Note students who have difficulty identifying the different kinds of sentences. |

|Whole-Class Instruction |

|Materials Needed: presentation PowerPoint*; guided practice paragraphs*; On Your Own master*; pencils/pens |

|Procedure: |

|Presentation |

|Project the presentation PowerPoint* on the board. Have volunteers read the paragraphs. |

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|Ask students to decide which paragraph is more interesting to read. Have students identify the sentence types in each paragraph. |

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|Explain that using a variety of sentence structures adds meaning, style, and interest. |

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|Tell students the following: |

|Making a compound sentence out of two simple sentences (the second and third from the first paragraph) is a good way to add interest. Changing|

|the last sentence into a complex sentence (with the dependant clauses “that my eyes are pretty” and “[that] my nose is cute”) varies the |

|sentence structure and ties the paragraph together. Notice “Johnny” doesn’t start every sentence in the new paragraph. Changing the sentence |

|beginnings also helps create sentence variety. |

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|Explain that people do not generally speak in simple sentences only. Adding a variety of sentences makes writing flow smoothly, the way |

|someone might talk. Variety helps writers add their own styles or ways of talking into their writing. |

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|Guided Practice |

|Divide the class into small groups, and give each group the guided practice paragraphs*. |

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|Have students work together to create more interesting and meaningful paragraphs. |

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|Allow time for the groups to share their improved paragraphs with the class. |

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|Independent Practice |

|Give students copies of the On Your Own worksheet*. Explain the directions, and have them work independently. |

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|Closing Activity |

|Have each student read two sentences from current reading material in the classroom. Have him or her determine whether the sentences are the |

|same structure or varied. |

|Advanced Learner |

|Materials Needed: pencils/pens and paper |

|Procedure: |

|Have each student write a paragraph with five simple sentences about his or her favorite book. |

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|Tell students to exchange papers with partners and vary the sentence patterns in the paragraphs to add meaning, style, and interest. |

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|Have partners discuss the corrections they made and how the changes improved the paragraph. |

|Struggling Learner |

|Materials Needed: Show What You Know! master*;pencils/pens |

|Procedure: |

|Hand each student a copy of the Show What You Know! worksheet*. |

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|Read the directions. Allow students to work independently on the worksheet, and check on their progress. When the students finish, review and |

|discuss their answers. |

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|Have the students complete the On Your Own worksheet*. |

*see supplemental resources

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