Teaching Notes: Subordinate Clauses and Complex Sentences Prepared by Jill Steinmetz

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Clifton Johnston
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1 Teaching Notes: Subordinate Clauses and Complex Sentences Prepared by Jill Steinmetz I. Targeted Student Group: This lesson is intended for a group of seventh grade students whose abilities range from below basic to advanced as determined by sixth grade MAP test scores. II. Overall Purpose of Lesson: Students will learn to go beyond just the simple sentence and compound sentence to make complex sentences by combining subordinate and independent clauses. III. Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to identify subordinate and independent clauses as well as enrich their writing by forming their own complex sentences. IV. Instructional Practice Timeline and Accompanying Handouts (Weaver s ninestep framework is followed, but I moved #6 to #8 to flow with the lesson.) 1. Share a model: Start the lesson by showing two versions of the paragraph on Michael Jordan (see page 3) on the smartboard/overhead. Students discuss the differences and why the second one is better. Discuss how the second paragraph flows better and is less choppy. Point out how the addition of the bold-faced words (subordinating conjunctions) allows us to combine two or more sentences into one. Explain that this is a complex sentence. Have students come to the board and point to the original sentences and then to how they were changed into complex sentences in the revised paragraph. Go through the entire paragraph. Students will take the following notes: a. Complex sentences are made up of an independent clause (complete thought) and one or more subordinate clauses (incomplete thoughts). b. Use a comma after a subordinate clause if the subordinate clause comes first in the sentence. Do not use a comma if the independent clause comes first. c. Subordinating Conjunctions: after, although, as, as if, because, before, even though, how, if, in order that, once, rather than, since, so that, than, that, though, unless, until, when, where, whether, while, and why

2 2. Create another model: Ask the students to make up and share their own complex sentences by writing them on the board. For every sentence shared, ask the class to tell if/why it is a complex sentence and to identify the independent and subordinate clauses. Students will underline the independent clause once and the subordinate clause(s) twice. 3. Small Group Activity: In groups of 4-5, students will rewrite the History of Basketball paragraph (see page 4) using complex sentences. Each group will be given six basketballs with subordinating conjunctions written on them. The groups must try to use all the basketball conjunctions in their paragraphs. 4. The students will compose two sentences on their own. One must have the subordinate clause at the beginning of the sentence. (Stress the use of a comma the end of these sentences.) The other must have the independent clause at the beginning. (No comma.) 5. The students will revise a previous journal entry to make complex sentences. They may combine existing sentences or write all-new complex sentences. They will identify complex sentences by underlining their independent clauses once and their subordinate clauses twice. 6. The next day, students will share selected complex sentences that they created from their journal entries. Classmates and teacher will evaluate and discuss the sentences. 7. Students will pair up to peer edit their paragraphs for complex sentence usage. 8. Students will add Complex sentences used with correct punctuation to their on-going edit/revision list that they will use for the Writer s Workshop piece they are working on. 9. Students will weave complex sentences into the major essays they are working on in Writer s Workshop.

3 Original Paragraph Michael Jordan was a star basketball player. He wasn t a stand-out basketball player as a child. He preferred baseball when he was very young. He liked it more than basketball. He tried out for varsity basketball during his sophomore year of high school, but he did not make the team. Then he finally made the team when he was a junior. He trained hard on his own. Then he played college basketball at the University of North Carolina. He moved on to the NBA three years later. He led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships in the 1990s. Michael Jordan was considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time. Jordan had widespread appeal among fans. He helped make basketball one of the world s most popular spectator sports. Revised for Complex Sentences Although he would eventually become a star basketball player, Michael Jordan was not a stand-out in the sport as a child. He preferred to play baseball over basketball when he was very young. He tried out for varsity basketball during his sophomore year of high school, but he did not make the team. Because he trained hard on his own, he finally made the varsity squad when he was a junior. Following high school, he played college basketball at the University of North Carolina until he moved on to the NBA three years later. After he led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships in the 1990s, Michael Jordan was considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time. Because of his widespread appeal among fans, Jordan helped make basketball one of the world s most popular spectator sports.

The History of Basketball Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball in 1891. He was the physical education teacher at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts then.

4 The History of Basketball Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball in He was the physical education teacher at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts then. He probably never guessed the sport would become so popular. He wanted a new game. He wanted a game to play indoors. New England winters were very cold. He created the game of basketball. It only took fourteen days. The original basketball teams started in They had nine players instead of five. Iron hoops with nets were introduced in The first baskets were made from peach baskets. A player had to climb up and retrieve the ball after each score. Thousands of teams across the world now play Dr. Neismith s game. (Print and cut out basketballs. Write various subordinating conjunctions on each one. I used six total: when, that, because, after, when, before. You may want to use others.)

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