Lesson Focus: Sentence Fluency (sentence lenghts)
Focus Grade Level: 2nds Grade
Time Frame: 20-30 min.
Focus Text/Author: Fireflies by Julie Brinckloe
Other Materials: oversized six sided dice, overhead, dry erase marker
Ohio Academic Content Standards Lesson Focus:
Standard: Writing Process
K-2 Benchmark: E. Edit to improve sentence
2nd Grade Level Indicators: 6. Use a range of complete sentences, including declarative, interrogative and exclamatory.
Book Summary: This book follows the reader as he catches fireflies and releases them. It modes sentence variety and shows different types of voice.
About the Author: Julie Brinckloe is a children’s book writer and illustrator. She is also the illustrator of the popular book Sideway Stories from Wayside School.
1. Call the students over and hold a small discussion about the six trait they are working on (sentence fluency). Explain to them that good writers vary the lengths of their sentences. Tell them they are going to be reading a book today where the author uses different lengths of sentences to keep the story interesting. Ask them to pay attention to how the author does this.
2. Read the book Fireflies by Julie Brinckloe.
3. After reading the book call on the students to answer open ended questions such as “What did you notice about the sentence lengths?” etc.
4. Ask the children to help you come up with a topic such as “The day I found A Million Dollars” and record it at the top of the overhead paper.
5. Roll the dice and tell the students to call out the number it lands on. Use this number to make the first sentence of as many words.
6. Repeat this process until the class feels the piece is finished.
7. Read the end product aloud to the class and reiterate the importance of varying sentence length.