Duration
One 45 minute period
Instructional delivery
Instruction will integrate technology, thus providing a more interactive learning environment.
This instructional content was intended for use with a SMART Board, but it can also be used in any computer lab where the internet is available.
Lesson
Introduction: The teacher will begin by reminding students of the lesson the day previous. She will remind them that they were working on proofreading skills. The teacher will ask students when they need these skills, and they will answer that proofreading skills are helpful whenever they are writing something to hand in (applicable to all their subjects.) She will ask students what number step this is in the writing process (this is the fourth step.) Lastly, the teacher will explain that today's lesson will help improve their editing and proofreading skills.
Development: The teacher will explain that the English language is complicated but allows us to say exactly what we mean if we use it correctly. Writing with correct grammar and punctuation makes our writing clear and easy to understand. The teacher will put the following sentences on the SMART Board:
there going to the beach,
watch out for that whole
are you crazy
i going to the mall today.
She will have the students point out the obvious errors (capitalization and punctuation) and then she will point out the grammatical errors. The instructor will also ask the students to notice that the ending punctuation can change the feeling and understanding of the sentence.
Example: Are you crazy? and Are your crazy!
The teacher will then tell the class that they are going to practice their editing skills on the SMART Board. The teacher will bring up Grammar Blast. The teacher will tell the students that they will start out with simple tasks and work up to the harder ones. Students can work at their desks using the handouts while one student is at the SMART Board. (If using a computer lab, all students can work at the same time.)
Note: If the teacher does not want the students to know the grade level that is being worked on, he/she must load up all the pages before the students begin.
Supplementary Practice: At the beginning, the teacher will select a lower grade level to boost the students' confidence and to assist the lower achievers. She will play several rounds with them at several different grade levels to accommodate the diversity of learning levels in the classroom.
Closure: The teacher will ask the students to write three sentences with mistakes in them to give to another student. The students will then proofread their classmates' sentences and make the necessary corrections. The original writer will then check the work. This will lead into a discussion about when students should proofread their work. The teacher will guide the class to answer that their writing should be proofread any time it will be read by someone else. She will also ask why proofreading one's work is important. Answers will include, "It makes it easier to read" and "It will make sense and be easier to understand."
Independent Practice: Students will be given a worksheet of teacher-constructed paragraphs with up to 10 errors in them to proofread and correct for homework. Students will complete this and review it during the next class session. Any questions or problems will be addressed at that time.
Description
In this lesson, students will work with interactive sites to improve their editing and proofreading skills.
Website(s)
Smart Technologies
Grammar Blast
Materials and Resources
Grammar game.doc
proofreading homework 33006.doc
Power proofreading.doc
Goal
Students will improve writing performance.
Objective
Given a paragraph with errors in punctuation, grammar, and word usage, the student will be able to make corrections with 75% accuracy without teacher assistance.
Materials
- Student hand-outs (see attached)
- SMART Board or access to computer lab
- Access to internet
- Grammar Blast
Special Characteristics of Class
This lesson was written for a special education setting (15-1) where students require a multi-modal approach to learning. The lesson can be adapted to any general education setting.
