Complex Sentences: Meta-Demo(GRADE 8)

MMDG III-17 BSE ENGLISH

OBJECTIVES

• At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

– Define subordinators

– Differentiate independent from dependent clauses

– Formulate complex sentences

PROCEDURE

ELICITATION

• The teacher will tap into the student’s memory of past science trivia learned in Science 1 class.

• The teacher will ask the students to try and explain something about what they can remember about the set of trivia.

Science Time!

Do you remember the science triviabehind these images/phrases?

The true color of a leaf?

Male human beings: their future on earth

Water on your Tongue

• From their answers, certain sentences will be lifted and written on the board and the teacher will ask the class to take note of the structure of the sentences/phrases.

• In this part, the students will be motivated and challenged by trying to recall past lessons from another class. Science trivia were utilized to elicit some sentences out of the learners. Not only is this fun (for most students), it also strengthens their previous schema from that class.

Procedure

Highlighting of Form

• The teacher will ask the class to recall what they know about Simple Sentences

…

Do you remember your…

How about…

Coordinating Conjunctions

F.A.N.B.O.Y.S.

For

And

Nor

But

Or

Yet

So

• Through the recall, the teacher may then be able to instruct the class to pin point the parts of a complete sentence from their classmates’ answers (Encircle the Subject; Box the Predicate). The students will eventually notice that there’s a part they can’t identify.

TYPES OF SENTENCES(According to structure)

• The teacher will now discuss Complex sentences by introducing Subordinators and Clauses (Independent and Dependent clauses)

What’s so “Complex” about Complex

Sentences?

Complex Sentences

Two or more clauses (independent+ dependent clause) joined with

a subordinating conjunction.

If you begin a sentence with a subordinating conjunction, there MUST be a comma after the first clause.

Ex.Unless you want trouble, you should stop.You should stop because I’m getting mad.

What are clauses?

Clauses:

• An independent clause is a clause that can stand on its own, by itself.

• An independent clause can be as simple as a subject and a verb:

Jim reads.

• A dependent clause is a clause that does not express a complete though

• There is either a:

Marker Word (Before, after, because, since, in order to, although, though, whenever, wherever, whether, while, even though, even if) or a,

Conjunction (And, or, nor, but, yet)

• Dependent clauses MUST be joined to another clause, in order to avoid creating a sentence fragment.

Because I forgot my homework.

Because I forgot my homework.

What are subordinators?

• Subordinators have an interesting effect on words in a sentence. A clause (S +V) without a subordinator can stand alone as a complete statement.

I went to the store yesterday.

(Complete statement)

• But…

… when a subordinator is added, the statement seems incomplete.

When I went to the store yesterday, . . .(Well, what happened?)

• The subordinating clause becomes dependent on something else to complete its meaning:

When I went to the store yesterday, I saw an old friend.

(Idea is complete)

Subordinating Conjunctions

Most common subordinators

After Now that When

Although Once Whenever

As Since Where

Because That Wherever

Before Though While

Even if Unless

If Until

• Let’s check your classmates sentences and see what

type (according to structure) is it

• For the highlighting of forms, the topic is slowly introduce by allowing them to piece together bits of information about previous lessons on simple sentences, subordinators (conjunctions), and the clauses (independent and dependent). It is necessary that the teacher prepares the students this way so that then idea of a longer and more “complex” sentence will be easier to learn.

PROCEDURE

Controlled Practice

• The teacher will ask the students to find a partner for the next activity.

• The students will be given worksheets to complete. (Southwinds, p. 41)

• They will take turns in answering.

• After completing the worksheets, each pair will summarize everything they’ve gathered and share them with the class.

• Collaboration is highly encouraged through this activity. Peer feedback is necessary in correcting errors.

• Practice will ensure that the students really did understood the previous concept.

PROCEDURE

Guided Practice

• The class will be divided into four or five groups. The teacher will let them compete in the “Menu Wars”/ MasterChef game.

Instructions:

• The class will be divided in two.

• Think of a name for your restaurant; choose your Executive Chefs

• Your teacher will be your host!

• Each group MUST outsmart the other in creating SENTENCES from their individual “Menu” (composed of both INDEPENDENT and DEPENDENT clauses)

Instructions:

• The teacher (host) will be presenting a “Secret Ingredient” (contains the SUBORDINATOR) first. This will be the BASIS for the “dishes” (clauses) that’ll be served by each team.

• Toss coin/rock, paper, scissors will determine who will be the first to “serve”

• Once the first restaurant finishes a turn, the other competitor must look for a corresponding dish (clause) that’ll go up against the other.

Instructions:

• There’ll be THREE chosen “Master Chefs” (judges). They will determine who will win based on these simple criteria:

– Does the dish (clause) complement the “Secret Ingredient” (subordinator)? (if so a point goes to the team who served first)

– Does the sentence formed make sense? (if so a point goes to the second team)

• Just like in the previous pair-work, collaboration is also strengthened here, in a larger group this time. This presents a suitable environment for the students and interactional feedback is at play.

PROCEDURE

Free Stage

• The students will have to write a short letter containing any concern they may have (personal, school/academics-related, socio-political/economical, environmental, etc.) to the editorial column “3AM Angst Club”. They must be able to utilize their newly learned knowledge on Complex sentences in forming longer (but meaningful) sentences. It must only be a paragraph or two long.

ASSIGNMENT

The teacher will provide this homework:Write a script for a children’s TV Broadcast that explains:• the importance of eating right• climate change/global warming and how do we make a

difference• the bad effects of playing too much computer

games/watching too much TVto a young audience (of age 10 or 11).Make sure that you will utilize longer sentences, especially Complex sentences.Be prepared for presentation next meeting.

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