Semicolons Lesson Plan: Conventions of Standard English

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

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This lesson accompanies the BrainPOP topic Semicolons, and supports the standard of demonstrating command of the conventions of standard English punctuation when writing. Students demonstrate understanding through a variety of projects.

Step 1: ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Display sentences that use different types of punctuation, including semicolons, like the ones below: 

Tim went to the county fair; he rode the Ferris wheel.

Time went to the county fair and rode the Ferris wheel.

Ask students:

  • How are the two sentences alike? How are they different?

Step 2: BUILD KNOWLEDGE

  • Read the description on the Semicolons topic page.
  • Play the Movie, pausing to check for understanding. 
  • Assign Related Reading. Have students read one of the following articles: “Personalities” or “Did You Know?”. Partner them with someone who read a different article to share what they learned with each other.

Step 3: APPLY and ASSESS 

Assign Semicolons Quiz, prompting students to apply essential literacy skills while demonstrating what they learned about this topic.

Step 4: DEEPEN and EXTEND

Students express what they learned about semicolons while practicing essential literacy skills with one or more of the following activities. Differentiate by assigning ones that meet individual student needs.

  • Make-a-Movie: Produce a grammar tutorial that explains how to use semicolons in your writing.
  • Make-a-Map: Create a concept map identifying and explaining different ways to use semicolons. Include an example sentence for each use. 
  • Creative Coding: Code a comic about a topic of your choice that uses semicolons in at least two different ways. 

More to Explore 

Grammar Unit: Continue to build understanding around conventions of standard English by exploring more BrainPOP grammar topics.

Teacher Support Resources:

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Related:

    Filed as:  3-5, 6-8, 9-12, BrainPOP, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.2a, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.7