Teachers notes Punctuation practice: Instructional texts

Transcription

1 Teachers notes Instructional texts IMAGE JULIENGRON/ WORDS EILEEN JONES Instructional texts demand clarity, so expect more short sentences than usual. Take the opportunity to practise relevant sentence endings: a full stop and an exclamation mark. If you point out the full stop already contained at the bottom of an exclamation mark, the children will recognise why only one of them appears at a time. Display the Poster, Punctuation Safari Park, a picture of the park keeper and his Today s orders notice. Write new orders daily, at fi rst unpunctuated. Let partners read them to each other, deciding on whether to use full stops and exclamation marks. Emphasise how effective the exclamation mark is if used sparingly. On safari Draw attention to the Poster, Punctuation Safari Park suggesting it is the venue for the next class outing. Everyone needs an instruction booklet for the day s safari. Invite the children to write the instruction booklet for you. Organise small groups to plan and allocate sections of the instructions to write. Sections may include: transport; food; organisation of time; safety; enjoyment, and animal highlights. Make sure that the children remember to use imperative verbs. Create an exciting On safari display of booklets. Jigsaw pelmanism All children, but particularly lower Key Stage 2 children, can have fun with Photocopiable 4, Punctuation practice: Jigsaw pieces. Partners should cut and lay out the jigsaw pieces face down on the table. Having shuffl ed them around, so neither knows what s where, they take turns turning over two pieces. If they think the pieces make sense together, they keep them; otherwise they return them face down to the same places and the turn passes to the other partner. Once partners stop claiming pairs, they must join their jigsaw pieces, setting them out as instructions and suggesting a colon or dash to connect them. If they fail, they forfeit the pieces. The winner is the person who fi nishes with more correctly completed sentences. Jigsaw jamboree For upper Key Stage 2 children, display Photocopiable 4, Jigsaw pieces. Challenge partners to create a new jigsaw page of two-part instructions, retaining their list of answers. Exchange pages for a jigsaw jamboree! Everyone must cut out and pair pieces, connecting them with a colon or dash. Do the inspecting puzzle makers judge them to be correct? Have any solvers discovered a new sentence? Let s investigate! Give pairs of children a page of instructional text. Use a wide range of texts: a recipe, onscreen instructions for sending an , or a leafl et telling the public what to do in an emergency. Let the children investigate the punctuation used, presenting their results in graphical representation. Challenge them to interpret their results with two comments about the use of punctuation marks in their text. For upper Key Stage 2 children, extend the task by asking children to make a PowerPoint presentation of their fi ndings. What conclusions about punctuating instructional texts in general have they reached? Follow the recipe The safari park café menu needs a wide range of dishes. Ask the children to write the safari park chef a recipe that will please some of the animals or visitors. Afterwards, let a reading partner offer an opinion about whether the punctuation is helpful. PHOTOCOPIABLE 1

2 Tell me more! Park rangers In groups, take it in turns to read the following sentences aloud. Can you work out which punctuation marks need to be inserted and where? Take care in these areas the monkey den the pool and the reptile house Visit the park favourites the greedy giraffe the lazy lion and the shy ostrich Keep an eye on these two the python and his pal Try his timetable hanging about swinging along having fun Watch the peacock sneak behind these three the little girl the messy boy and the waiter Dont forget the most important item a camera NOTE: ANSWERS CAN BE FOUND ON PHOTOCOPIABLE 5, PUNCTUATION PRACTICE: ANSWERS ; IMAGE JULIENGRON/ WORDS EILEEN JONES Park keepers In groups, take it in turns to read the following sentences aloud. Can you work out which punctuation marks need to be inserted and where? Dont forget to visit the parks most popular animals the greedy giraffe the lazy lion and the shy ostrich Keep an eye on the crocodiles Cuthbert Caroline and their friends Try out the monkeys timetable hanging about swinging along having fun Watch the peacock steal some food a sandwich some crisps and that little girls muffi n Look at the giraffe hes almost in the yellow car Dont park near the monkey he may hitch a ride Ring the bell its closing time PHOTOCOPIABLE 2

3 Don t overdo it! Can you write some instructions that could accompany the safari park keeper s pictures below? What punctuation marks will you include? ILLUSTRATIONS GUSTAVO MAZALI/BEEHIVE ILLUSTRATION; LOGO JULIENGRON/ WORDS EILEEN JONES PHOTOCOPIABLE 3

4 Jigsaw pieces Cut out and pair up the jigsaw pieces below, joining the sentences together with either a dash or a colon. Stop craning your neck Please leave my favourites Look at that Food here is never boring NOTE: ANSWERS CAN BE FOUND ON PHOTOCOPIABLE 5, PUNCTUATION PRACTICE: ANSWERS ; IMAGE JULIENGRON/ WORDS EILEEN JONES Play his game it s very high! showing off! Keep your eyes peeled you re almost inside that car! the menu changes daily. Look in the keeper s hand bread, raisins and chocolate cake. crumbs appear all the time. Mind the edge a monkey on our roof! food! PHOTOCOPIABLE 4

5 Answers Photocopiable 2, Tell me more! Park rangers Take care in these areas: the monkey den, the pool and the reptile house. Visit the park favourites: the greedy giraffe, the lazy lion and the shy ostrich. Keep an eye on these two: the python and his pal. Try his timetable: hanging about, swinging along, having fun! Watch the peacock sneak behind these three: the little girl, the messy boy and the waiter. Don t forget the most important item: a camera. Save the best place until last: the café! Photocopiable 4, Jigsaw pieces Stop craning your neck you re almost inside that car! Please leave my favourites: bread, raisins and chocolate cake. Look at that: a monkey on our roof! Food here is never boring: the menu changes daily. Play his game: showing off! Keep your eyes peeled crumbs appear all the time. Look in the keeper s hand: food! Mind the edge: it s very high. Park keepers IMAGE JULIENGRON/ WORDS EILEEN JONES Don t forget to visit the park s most popular animals: the greedy giraffe, the lazy lion and the shy ostrich. Keep an eye on the crocodiles: Cuthbert, Caroline and their friends. Try out the monkey s timetable: hanging about, swinging along, having fun! Watch the peacock steal some food: a sandwich, some crisps and that little girl s muffi n. Look at the giraffe: he s almost in the yellow car! Don t park near the monkey: he may hitch a ride! Ring the bell: it s closing time. PHOTOCOPIABLE 5