Coordinating Conjunctions Craft Activity

Conjunction junction, what’s your function? were the famous Schoolhouse Rock words. (And it’s still impossible to talk about conjunctions without hearing them.) There are three categories of conjunctions: coordinating, subordinating, and correlative. They are all specific words that connect phrases, words, and clauses. This post focuses exclusively on coordinating conjunctions. 

There are seven coordinating conjunctions that can be easily remembered using the acronym FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. A good visual is what always helps me most, so I designed this coordinating conjunction fan to demonstrate the usage of these conjunctions for all those other visual learners out there. Also, kids LOVE putting these together.  To make this handheld fan, follow these simple steps:

What You’ll Need

  • Standard size (8.5in x 11in) sheet of paper

  • Marker

  • Ruler

  • Tape

How To

  1. Use a rule (or you can eyeball it!) to make roughly 1.5in marks

  2. Make six horizontal folds. This will then allow for seven spaces, one for each conjunction. There is enough space to also include the purpose for and / or an example of each coordinating conjunction. 

  3. Write each conjunction and purpose (see below for details) in each space.

  4. On the bottom where the conjunction FOR is written, you can flip up the to the opposite side and write COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS.

  5. Tape the bottom folds together to create a fan.

  • For a set-by-step video, you can hop on over to my Instagram page and watch it the reels section.

final 2.JPG

For

Purpose: To give a reason.

Example: I brought my umbrella with me when I left the house, for it was supposed to rain.

 

And

Purpose: To join words, phrases, or sentences that show a similar idea.

Example: Sam finished his homework, and then he ate his dinner.

 

Nor

Purpose: To introduce or present a further negative idea or statement.

Example: Jen does not like to travel in airplanes, nor does she like to travel on trains.

 

But 

Purpose: To show contrasting or opposite ideas. 

Example: They wanted to bake muffins, but they didn’t have all of the ingredients. 

 

Or

Purpose: To show a choice or different options.

Example: We can go to the beach this morning, or we can go this afternoon.

 

Yet

Purpose: To join two ideas that are opposite. Similar to the use of the word but.

Example: Pete studied every day for the test, yet he still did not do as well as he had hoped. 

 

So

Purpose: To show the result or effect of something (not to be confused with so as an adverb, meaning to a great extent)

Example: Three feet of snow fell last night, so we were not able to leave the house today. 

 

I hope these examples and demonstration help your learners master coordinating conjunctions a bit more easily!

STAY CONNECTED

 

 

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April is National Poetry Month

Poetry was always a part of every classroom I’ve taught in. It was integrated into lesson plans with students I tutored. I made sure it had a place in my students’ learning, regardless of their age or learning level. Once during independent reading time, a first grader approached me and said, “I’m reading this book. It takes place at a school, and in this chapter one kid wrote a poem. I wanted to read you the poem he wrote because I know you like poetry.” I do like poetry, but more so, I like sharing poetry with my students, and I was THRILLED that this kid had picked up on that.

Here’s why:

  1. Poetry lends itself well to teaching students about rhythm and rhyme.

  2. Poetry is a great way to introduce and work with figurative language and literary devices.

  3. Poetry encourages self-expression while honing verbal skills. (You can read more here about why I especially love teaching cinquain writing.)

  4. Poetry introduces students to a form of art and entertainment — slam poetry, anyone?

  5. Poetry fosters social and emotional learning.

  6. Poetry allows for flexibility, and students enjoy exploring the ways they can “break the rules.” When writing poetry, it is often perfectly acceptable to abandon certain writing conventions that are expected in written prose.

  7. Unless we’re talking lengthy works like the Odyssey, poems can be used as snapshots of bigger stories, life events, or teaching points to introduce students to a myriad of topics.

With April being National Poetry Month, it is the perfect opportunity to expose students to various forms of poetry and different poets; to engage students creatively and challenge them as they create pieces of their own. At the end of the month (this year: April 30) it is Poem in Your Pocket Day. A few years ago I created this poetry craft activity so that students can cut out paper pockets and sized to fit paper to carry around their poetry and share with others. The finished product also makes an attractive bulletin board display (for when we’re back in the classroom).

How do you bring poetry into your young writers’ lives? I’d love to hear!

4 Ways to Encourage Descriptive Writing

Descriptive writing is important. It’s a game changer for the writer and the reader. It builds stronger writers, and makes readers want to read what they have to say. The recipe for descriptive writing is two-part: 1) having that spark of creatively to elicit content, and 2) word choice. In this post I’ve outlined 4 ways I encourage descriptive writing with my students.

Adjectives, Nouns, and Verbs. But mostly Nouns and Verbs.

Adjectives help describe nouns that you are writing about, but I always talk about nouns and verbs as being the powerhouses of descriptive writing. When properly chosen, they have the potential to elevate your writing. Take this sentence, for example:

James asked his friends to come over to his house. 

What if we eliminate some of the wordiness and replace those words with one strong verb, like this:

James invited his friends to his house. 

Here is another example:

The man was really upset when he realized the deer had gotten into his garden and eaten his flowers.

Now, let’s switch out the underlined words again.

The man was furious when he realized the deer had invaded his garden and devoured his hydrangeas. 

I have been known to compare this strategy to a storage ottoman. I know what you’re thinking, but hear me out. When I lived in my studio apartment in New York City, I needed furniture that served multiple purposes. In other words, my nightstand needed shelves and a drawer. My ottoman needed storage. Both pieces of furniture were required to serve multiple purposes to eliminate the need for other unnecessary pieces in a small space. THAT is what strong nouns and verbs do. They make sentences more succinct and less crowded, while making them more inviting to the reader.

The best way to practice this skill is to start with simple sentences and switch out less descriptive words for better ones.

Here are a few more examples:

  • Charlie played in the music recital. —> Charlie performed in the music recital.

  • Lisa spoke quietly  in the library.  —> Lisa whispered in the library. 

  • Reuben moved quickly across the field. —> Reuben darted across the field. 

Figurative Language

Figurative language adds depth. Here are some types of figurative language that students can easily incorporate into their writing:

  1. Simile: comparing two unlike things using “like” or “as”.

    EXAMPLE: The snow sparkled like a diamond in the sun.

  2. Personification: Giving human traits to something not human.

    EXAMPLE: The leaves danced in the wind.

Vocal Verbs

When using dialogue, said is a very overused word. Sometimes it is just the right word to use, but many times, it can be replaced with a more appropriate and descriptive vocal verb.

EXAMPLES:

  • “It’s best that you get a good night’s sleep before the test,” suggested Brian’s mother. 

  • “Don’t forget to study for the quiz,” reminded Mr. Miller.

  • “I’d be happy to help!” exclaimed Kayla.

    —> Check out a list of alternative vocal verbs here.

Show, Don’t Tell

Instead of directly telling the reader what you are writing about, leave the reader to draw their own conclusions about what is happening based on your descriptions. Look at the examples below:

TELLING: It was Kayla’s birthday. She had a party with her friends and family. Kayla had a great time. 

vs.

SHOWING: Kayla’s eyes lit up as she saw the cake. Her friends and family sang while she thought about a wish she would make. When everyone stopped singing, she blew out the candles and smiled. 

Here is another example.

TELLING: Dan is on the basketball team. He made the winning shot. His teammates were so happy. 

vs.

SHOWING: The score was tied and there were three seconds left on the clock. Dan let go of the ball and watched as it sailed across the court towards the hoop. The buzzer went off. The crowd went wild. Dan’s teammates raced over to him. They hugged him. They high-fived him.

SO…How do we implement these strategies?

There are three important things to do for implementing the above descriptive writing strategies.

  1. Build Vocabulary. The bigger the student’s vocabulary, the more choice they have when it comes to choosing better words.

  2. Use Mentor Texts. Read books that demonstrate descriptive writing. Keep these books accessible for students to refer back to on their own.

  3. Model and Practice. Provide amble opportunity for students to see it in action, and to practice different types of descriptive writing.

 

How do you practice and implement descriptive writing with your students?

 

Winter Words from A to Z

Winter — you either love it or you don’t. Here in New England, our winters can be brutal. But they can also be beautiful and a whole lot of fun.

This post is a compilation of winter words. Here are a few ideas on how to use them:

  1. Choose several words to alphabetize. This is a skill that ALWAYS needs some practice. For younger students that need extra support, choose only a few words that begin with different letters. With students that need less support and are up for more of a challenge, choose words that begin with the same letter, encouraging students to alphabetize by second and third letters.

  2. Choose a few nouns from the list and ask students to list as many adjectives as they can think of to describe each noun.

  3. Pick 8-10 words and ask student to write a short winter story using all of the chosen words. For students needing more support, they can write a descriptive sentence for each word.

  4. Choose several words and write each one on a separate scrap of paper. Fold the papers and put them into a bag or container. Students take turns choosing a paper and describing the word on the paper for others to guess.

  5. What words may students not know? Choose a handful of words that might be new. Discuss the meaning of the word and have them use it in a sentence, and illustrate it. Have them discuss with a partner how each word relates to winter.

A: anorak; arctic; aroma; avalanche

B: balaclava; bare; bells; black ice; blanket; blizzard; bobsled; boots

C: candles; celebrations; Chanukah; Chinese New Year; Christmas; coat; cocoa; cold; cookies; comforter; cough; cozy; crackling; curling

D: dark; December; draft; dreary; dreidel

E: earmuffs; eggnog; evergreen

F: February; fireplace; flannel; flashlight; fleece; freezing; frigid; frost; frostbite; frozen; fruitcake

G: gaiter; generator; generous; gingerbread; giving; glacier; gloves; gusty

H: hat; heater; hibernate; hockey; holly; holidays; hot chocolate; howling; hypothermia

I: ice; ice skates; icicle; insulation

J: Jack Frost; jacket; January

K: Kwanzaa

L: latkes; log; luge

M: March; marshmallows; Martin Luther King, Jr., menorah; mittens

N: New Year; nor’easter; north

O: ornament; overcoat

P: parka; peppermint; pinecones; plow; polar; powder

Q: quilt

R: radiator; reindeer; rink

S: scarf; shiver; shovel; skates; skating; skiing; sled; sleet; sleigh; slippers; slippery; slopes; sneeze; snow; snowball; snowblower; snowboarding; snowflake; snowman; snowplow; snowshoeing; solstice; soup; spices; stockings; storm; sugarplum

T: tea; thaw; thermals; thermometer; toasty; toboggan; tree; turtleneck

U: umbrella

V: Valentine’s Day; vest

W: wet; whipped cream; windy; wintertime; wool; wreath

X: eXtra layers; x-country skiing

Y: Yule log

Z: zero; zippers

Are there any other winter-related words that you would add to this list? Let me know!