Language Unit: Sentences conjoined with and
This unit was written for elementary students, however, if you have younger or older students who need to develop this concept, you can use a similar format with age-appropriate materials and activities.
As you develop this language structure, use only language components, structures, and concepts the students already know.
Tell students what they will learn and why
- Show students some early reading books. Have them look at a few pages. Ask what they think about the sentences. Elicit: Sentences are short, easy.
- Show them a more advanced reading book and note the longer sentences.
- Tell students that they will learn one way to make sentences longer. Learning about these sentences will help make their reading and writing better.
Teacher Demonstration/Modeling
Have a chart prepared with three pairs of sentences, for example:
Mom made some soup in a pot.
Dad ate the soup for lunch.
Dad bumped the table.
The soup splashed out of the bowl.
Dad tasted the soup.
It was very hot.
Students read the first pair of sentences.
- Tell students that the sentences are short, but they can be combined into longer sentences that are more interesting.
- The sentences can be combined using the word and.
Under the first pair of sentences, write:
- Mom made some soup.
- Dad ate the soup for lunch.
- Mom made some soup and Dad ate the soup for lunch.
Tell students that the first two sentences are short, but when the two sentences are combined with and, the sentences become one long sentence which is more fluent and interesting.
Guided practice
If your students have some usable hearing, in all guided practice activities, encourage them to notice how the words/sentences look when lipreading and how they sound. If appropriate, present lipreading and auditory discrimination activities using the words and sentences from the unit.
Present the second pair of sentences.
- Dad bumped the table. The soup splashed out of the bowl.
- Students read the sentences and tell how to combine them to make a longer sentence.
- Write response on the board: Dad bumped the table and the soup splashed out of the bowl.
- Students read the two short sentences and the longer third sentence. Emphasize that the longer sentence is more fluent and interesting.
Continue with the same steps for the third pair of sentences.
Independent practice
Have another chart prepared with 3-4 pairs of sentences. For example:
Mom gave Dad a cloth.
Dad cleaned up the soup.
Bella went out the door.
Tony went out, too.
Bella sat down near a tree.
Tony sat down, too.
Divide the class into two teams (if you work with two children, have one child on each “team;” if you work with one child, you be one “team” and the child the other).
Give each team a paper with the same 3 - 5 pairs of short sentences. The students on each team work together to combine the short sentences and write the conjoined sentence underneath the pair.
When the teams have finished their papers, each team should write their conjoined sentences on the board.
The two teams compare their sentences to see if they are the same. If not, they discuss, decide which ones are incorrect, and make corrections.
Independent Application
Students read stories that include frequent uses of the targeted structure.
Incorporate the targeted structure into language experience stories and all other activities during the school day and emphasize its use.
Encourage the children to use the targeted structure whenever appropriate throughout the day in speech/sign/writing.
Tell students what they will learn and why
Teacher demonstration/modeling
Have a chart prepared with three pairs of sentences, for example:
The dog ran across the yard.
The dog jumped the fence.
The girl sat at the table.
The girl ate lunch.
The boy hit the ball.
The boy ran to first base.
The cat climbed up the tree.
The cat could not get down.
Ask the students how we can combine these sentences into one longer sentence. Possible response: The dog ran across the yard and the dog jumped the fence.
- Write the sentence on the board. Underline the two subject phrases the dog. Tell the students that because the phrase is repeated, it can be deleted.
- Write the new sentence on the board: The dog ran across the yard and jumped the fence.
- Students read the sentence and explain why the second phrase (the dog) is deleted.
- Ask: What ran across the yard? What jumped the fence? Emphasize that even though the subject (the dog) is not right next to the verb (jumped), the phrase jumped the fence still tells what the dog did.
Guided Practice
Present the second pair of sentences.
- The girl sat at the table. The girl ate lunch.
- Students read the sentences and tell how to combine them to make a longer sentence.
- Students may respond: The girl sat at the table and the girl ate lunch.
- Write the response on the board.
- Underline the subject of each clause (The girl…and the girl…). Reinforce that you don’t need to repeat the phrase; you can delete it.
- Write the new sentence on the board: The girl sat at the table and ate lunch.
- Ask: Who sat at the table? Who ate lunch?
Continue with the same steps for the rest of the sentence pairs.
Independent Practice
Students work individually or in pairs.
Give each individual/pair 3 – 5 sets of sentences similar to those used in Guided Practice.
Zola jumped up in the morning.
Zola saw the bright yellow sun.
Grandpa bought some bird seed.
Grandpa gave the seed to the birds
Grandma bought a new car.
Grandma drove the new car home.
Mom put a lunch in a paper bag.
Mom gave the bag to Ahmed.
Students conjoin the sentences using and and write their responses on the board.
Individuals/pairs compare sentences, discuss differences, and make corrections.
Independent Application
Have the students read stories that include frequent uses of the targeted structure having them explain what the sentence means.
Incorporate the targeted structure into language experience stories and all other activities during the school day and emphasize its use.
Encourage the children to use the targeted structure whenever appropriate throughout the day in speech/sign/writing.