“This was the best money I have ever spent on a teaching tool.” ~ a teacher in Wisconsin

Indiana ELA Standard: 7.W.6.c

Usage – Writing simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences; recognizing and correcting sentence fragments and run-ons; varying sentence patterns for meaning, reader interest, and style. (E)

Writing Compound Sentences
Writing Compound Sentences
Students work with subjects, predicates, and conjunctions to write compound sentences.
Gr 1-7
Parts of Speech Party – Fruit
Parts of Speech Party – Fruit
How many different ways can we use the word “fruit”? Let’s find out in this Parts of Speech Party!
Gr 1-8
Fancier Figurative Language: Move the Simile
Fancier Figurative Language: Move the Simile
What if we started a sentence with the simile?
Gr 3-8
Changing Coordinating Conjunctions
Changing Coordinating Conjunctions
What happens when we switch out a “but” with a “so”? An “and” with a “for”? How can such tiny words make such big differences?
Gr 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Writing Technique: Triple Anadiplosis!
Writing Technique: Triple Anadiplosis!
Have students mastered the art of anadiplosis: ending one sentence with the beginning of the next? Now it’s time to take it to the next level!
Gr 1-8
Doubling Up Writing: Anadiplosis
Doubling Up Writing: Anadiplosis
Repeating words can be what you want, if what you want is an interesting effect. (Psst, that’s an example of anadiplosis!)
Gr 1-8
Fixing Shakespearean Run-Ons
Fixing Shakespearean Run-Ons
Can your students help The Bard? We’ll fix five Shakespearean run-ons in three different ways.
Gr 1-8
Writing Technique: 3 Dependent Clauses
Writing Technique: 3 Dependent Clauses
A specific technique to help students add some spice to their writing. We’ll be writing sentences with three dependent clauses.
Gr 1-8
Writing Technique: Contrast With Synonyms
Writing Technique: Contrast With Synonyms
A specific technique to help students add some spice to their writing. We’ll be contrasting two ideas using synonyms.
Gr 1-8
Ambiguous Sentences
Ambiguous Sentences
Rather than just demand that students “write clearly,” we’ll explore the hazards of poorly written sentences… and maybe create one of our own!
Gr 1-8
Fancier Figurative Language: Advanced Repetition
Fancier Figurative Language: Advanced Repetition
Is your students’ use of repetition limited to, “The girl was very, very, very fast.”? Let’s borrow some ideas from Shakespeare!
Gr 2-8
Advanced Alliteration and Consonance
Advanced Alliteration and Consonance
When students learn about alliteration, it’s hard to steer them away from goofy tongue-twisters. Certainly, there must be more powerful and practical ways of using alliteration. In this lesson, I draw on delicious examples from Shakespeare to show how a very advanced writer used alliteration. Then, I break those ideas down so students can try them out.
Gr 2-8
What’s In My Brain – Independent vs Dependent
What’s In My Brain – Independent vs Dependent
These clauses are sorted into two groups. What’s the rule? No definitions given — just examples.
Gr 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7
Simple or Compound Sentences – What’s In My Brain?
Simple or Compound Sentences – What’s In My Brain?
Can your students spot simple sentences vs compound sentences?
Gr 1, 2, 3, 5, 7
Run On or Not? – What’s In My Brain
Run On or Not? – What’s In My Brain
Can your students spot the run-on sentences?
Gr 1-8
Complex or Compound – What’s In My Brain
Complex or Compound – What’s In My Brain
Can your class spot the complex sentences vs compound sentences?
Gr 1-7
Pronouns With Too Many Antecedents
Pronouns With Too Many Antecedents
What happens when a pronoun could refer to more than one noun? Big problems!
Gr 1-8
Ways to Start a Sentence – Part 3
Ways to Start a Sentence – Part 3
Your students’ sentences all start the same way. Here are three techniques that fix that overnight.
Gr 1-8
Ways to Start a Sentence – Level 2
Ways to Start a Sentence – Level 2
We’ll show students how to add more variety to their writing by starting sentences with a reason, a prepositional phrase, and a simile.
Gr 1-8
Ways to Start a Sentence – Level 1
Ways to Start a Sentence – Level 1
‘Add more variety!’ teachers say. But how? This lesson gives students actual techniques instead of vague advice.
Gr 1-6