Building Clear Sentences

Lesson Objective

Students will understand and apply the rules of pronoun-antecedent agreement to write clear and coherent sentences. This lesson supports Grade 6 English Language Arts Standards under the Conventions of Standard English (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.1), specifically focusing on the correct use of pronouns in sentences.

Materials Needed

• Mini whiteboards and markers (one for each student)
• Sentence strips or cards with pre-written sentences (some with pronoun-antecedent errors, some correct)
• A handout titled "Quick Pronoun-Reminder" listing types of pronouns (personal, possessive, reflexive) with simple examples
• A timer
• Chart paper (pre-written examples for discussion)

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Warm-Up Activity (3 minutes)

Objective: Activate prior knowledge of pronouns.
Activity:

• Begin by asking, "If you met a dog named Max, would you call it 'Max,' 'he,' or 'they' after introducing its name?"
• Write their responses on the board and reinforce the importance of how pronouns depend on their antecedents.
• Briefly explain antecedents: An antecedent is the word that a pronoun refers to or replaces.

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2. Introducing the Concept (5 minutes)

Objective: Teach the rules of pronoun-antecedent agreement.
Steps:

1. Write a Correct Example: On chart paper, write:

   Sarah forgot her coat in the cafeteria.

   • Highlight "Sarah" (antecedent) and "her" (pronoun).
   • Explain: "The pronoun 'her' matches Sarah in both number (singular) and gender."

2. Write an Incorrect Example:

   The students forgot his notebook under their desks.

   • Ask: “Does this sentence sound right? Why or why not?” (Students should notice the mismatch between "students" (plural) and "his" (singular)).

3. Direct Instruction – Pronoun Rules (1 minute):

   • Pronouns and antecedents must agree in number (singular/plural).
   • Pronouns and antecedents should align logically in gender (e.g., "she/her" for females, "he/him" for males, "they/them" can refer to singular if gender is unknown).

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3. Group Practice (7 minutes)

Objective: Identify and correct pronoun agreement errors.

Activity Structure:

• Distribute mini whiteboards and markers.
• Show transformed sentences (some correct, some with errors) one at a time on chart paper. For example:
  Sentence A: The girls brought her books to class.
  Sentence B: The dog wagged its tail after seeing the family.
• Students will respond by writing Correct or Fix it on their whiteboards and hold them up.

If “Fix it” is chosen by any student:

• Ask someone to rewrite the sentence correctly on their whiteboard (e.g., The girls brought their books to class).

Pro Tip for Teachers: Use some humorous sentences like:

• The elephant walked into the room, and they started to laugh.
  (Why might "they" confuse the meaning?)

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4. Independent Challenge – Sentence Creation (5 minutes)

Objective: Promote sentence generation skills using pronoun-antecedent agreement.

Steps:

1. Present a scenario related to their interests (e.g., sports, pets, school), such as:

   • Write a sentence about a basketball team winning a game. Make sure you use proper pronouns.
   • Write a sentence where a pet does something funny. Check that your pronouns match the pet's name.

2. Give students 2 minutes to create 1-2 sentences each on their whiteboards.

3. Go around the table and have each student share their sentence. Provide corrective feedback and reinforce correct examples.

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Wrap-Up (Slide into last 2 minutes)

Quick Recap and Exit Ticket:

• On the board: "Why is it important to match pronouns to their antecedents? Write one example sentence that shows you understand.”
• Each student shares verbally or writes on a sticky note.

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Differentiation and Teacher Reflection

• For advanced students: Provide more complex sentences with multiple antecedents (e.g., Neither Alex nor Jordan said they could finish their project on time.).
• For students needing additional support: Pair visuals with gender-neutral references like a crab waving its claw.
• Teacher reflection: After class, note which students required more scaffolding and adjust future lessons to include more examples with common errors.

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Optional Extension for Next Class: Create a class pronoun-antecedent "puzzle game" where students race to correct or rewrite sentences that have errors.