1)

PRELIMINARY INFORMATION
Name
Angelica Rinebarger
Date
October 4, 2015
Title of Lesson
Punctuation Takes a Vacation
Subject
Language Arts - Punctuation
Grade level
4th
Time frame for lesson
2 hours
Objectives

The learner will be able to use punctuation (commas, quotation

marks, question marks, exclamation points, periods, colons,
apostrophes) accurately on the Punctuation Takes a Vacation blank
letter by the end of class (as an exit ticket) with 80% accuracy.

Book

Title: Punctuation Takes a Vacation

Author: Robin Pulver
Illustrator: Lynn Rowe Reed
Publisher: Holiday House
Summary: Mr. Wrights class discovers the value of punctuation
and just how difficult life can be without the little fellows. Feeling
distinctly unappreciated, the commas, question marks, exclamation
points, periods, quotation marks, colons, and apostrophes take a
well-deserved vacation to Take-a-Break Lake, leaving the school
in big trouble. Mr. Wright and his students find that Nothing
makes sense without punctuation. The punctuation marks finally
return, and the book ends with a list of punctuation rules.

Citations

http://fabulousandfun4thgraders.blogspot.com/2012/09/
punctuation-takes-vacation.html

2)

STATE STANDARDS
4.L.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
b. Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and
quotations from a text.
c. Use a comma before a coordination conjunction in a compound
sentence.

3)

LESSON ACCOMMODATIONS
3.1 Lesson Content
The teacher must be able to use and explain punctuation (commas, quotation
marks, question marks, exclamation points, periods, colons, apostrophes)
accurately. Reference:
Quotation marks: belong at the beginning and end of words a person
speaks.
Question marks: come at the end of a question.

Commas: separate each item in a series or list; or separates two complete

thoughts in a sentence.
Exclamation points: are used after a word or sentence that expresses
strong feelings.
Apostrophes: take the place of a letter and changes two words into one
word.
Colons: let you know what time it is.
Periods: are the stop sign at the end of a sentence or complete thought; or
used in abbreviations.

3.2 Multiculturalism and Diversity

Scenario 1: Jake has difficulty paying attention during group instruction. He is on
an IEP. This lesson has been written in order to meet his needs. He will also sit
directly in front of the teacher for the lesson to help him focus. His parents have
been sent an email of websites to use in order to help him further his
understanding of these concepts. Collaboration with specialist is as needed.
Scenario 2: Caden and David are ELL and on IEPs. This lesson has been written
in order to meet their needs but it still may be difficult for them. Caden and David
will be paired with a partner during guided practice for assistance (Partners:
Caden and Hannah, David and Mark). Caden and David will not be scored on the
assignment, but the teacher will work with them during intervention time to repeat
the lesson in a small group for better understanding. Their parents have been sent
an email of websites to use in order to help them further their understanding of
these concepts. Collaboration with specialist is as needed.
4)

LESSON FORMAT
Set/Statement of Objective
Say: Raise your hand if you have ever been on a vacation. Turn to your partner
and quickly tell them where you went and what you did. Give students a couple
minutes to talk to each other. After a couple minutes say: Today we are going to
be reading a book to help us learn more about punctuation marks. What are some
punctuation marks you know already? Have a few students answer and write their
answers on the board if theyre correct. Make sure the board ends up having all of
the punctuation marks written with their symbols. The board should look like this:
Quotation marks

Question mark
?
Comma
,
Exclamation point
!
Apostrophe

Colon
:
Period
.
Say: This book is called Punctuation Takes a Vacation. Think in your head what
might happen in the story. Call on a couple students to answer. Say: Throughout
the reading, pay close attention to the punctuation marks because afterwards

youre going to be doing an activity in groups where you have to determine the
correct punctuation. Begin reading the book.
Input
1. Continue reading the story. Throughout the book, ask questions and discuss how
punctuation has a voice and how it tells us to read things correctly. Refer to the
punctuation marks on the board. Use these questions to guide your reading:
Pages 10-11: Discuss with students the way the punctuation speaks to one
another on this page. Do they talk in ways that use themselves? How does
the punctuation they use give them a voice?
Page 15: Read this phrase monotone and run-on. Ask: Why did I read like
that? (There is no punctuation so theres no voice in the phrase.)
Pages 17-20: These pages contain postcards from the punctuation. Do not
read these to the class because they will be using them in their activity
after the reading. Show students the pictures but dont read them.
Page 24: Read the letter with exaggeration to clearly show students the
misused punctuation. Tell students they will be correcting the same letter
later on.
Page 28: Read the phrases in white. Have students guess which
punctuation mark said each phrase. Tell students to use the punctuation
written on the board to help them guess. Ask: How do you know?
Page 31: Put this page under the doc camera so students can read the rules
of punctuation along with you.
Page 32: Read the phrases in white. Have students guess which
punctuation mark said each phrase. Tell students to use the punctuation
written on the board to help them guess. Ask: How do you know?
2. When the read aloud is finished, take out the example postcard from The
Timekeepers (postcard 6). Tell students theyre going to be doing this exact
same thing in groups so they need to be paying close attention. Display the
postcard under the doc camera and have students read it aloud with you.
3. Ask students: Think in your head about which punctuation mark could have
written this letter. Remember, the punctuation marks seem to like using
themselves in the things they say and write. Use the punctuation written on the
board to help you guess. Call on a student to guess until the correct answer has
been said. Display the Guessing Sheet under the doc camera and write colons
on the line next to postcard 6.
4. Tell students they are going to be dividing up into their reading groups to do the
next activity.
Guided practice/checking for understanding
1. Hand out the attached postcards to every group and blank guessing sheets to every
student. Each group is going to receive 6 copies of postcards from different
punctuation marks and their job is to figure out which punctuation mark sent the
postcard. They will write their answers on the Guessing Sheet. Since we did
postcard 6 together, they may write the answer on that line as well. They may use
the punctuation marks written on the board to help them.

2. Use the fist to five method to make sure students know what theyre supposed
to be doing in their reading groups (fist=no idea, five=got it). Make sure to
specifically look at Caden and Davids (ELL students) hands to make sure they
understand what they should be doing. Also, keep a close eye on Jake to make
sure he is following along and paying attention.
3. During this time, walk around the room and listen to the discussions to make sure
students are on track. Also answer any questions they may have.
4. Give students 15-20 minutes to complete their assignment in groups.
5. When students are finished in their groups, display each postcard one by one
under the doc camera. Have students read the postcard aloud with you and raise
their hands to answer which punctuation mark sent each postcard (use the
attached answer sheet if needed). Write the answer on the original Guessing
Sheet from the beginning of the lesson. Students may grade their own Guessing
Sheets and change their answers if needed.
6. When finished, students will turn in their Guessing Sheets for participation
points and go back to their desks.
Closure
1. Display the blank letter under the doc camera and tell students they will be filling
in the correct punctuation marks for the letter. Write the number 27 on the board
and tell students there are a total of 27 mistakes on the letter, but you have written
how many mistakes are in each paragraph in small letters.
2. Model the first part for students. The letter says Dear Punctuation. What is
missing from this phrase? Answer: A comma after the word Punctuation.
Students are to fill in the rest of the blank letter in the same manner. Use the fist
to five method to make sure students know what theyre supposed to be doing.
(fist=no idea, five=got it).
3. Students will complete the attached blank letter with at least 80% accuracy.
Students will turn this in as their exit ticket. Work with Caden and David (ELL
students) during this time in order to help them achieve at least 70% accuracy.
4. When all students are finished filling in the letter, they will turn it in as a graded
exit ticket.
5. Once all students are finished, ask them to turn to their partner and say a sentence
that ends in a question mark.
6. Ask students to turn to their partner and say a sentence that ends in a period.
7. Ask students to turn to their partner and say a sentence that has at least one
comma in it.
8. Ask students to turn to their partner and say a sentence that has at least one
apostrophe in it.
9. Ask students to turn to their partner and say a sentence that has at least one colon
in it.
10. Ask students to turn to their partner and say a sentence that has quotation marks in
it.
11. Ask students to turn to their partner and say a sentence that ends in an
exclamation point.

5)

ASSESSMENT
Method Written assessment
Students will fill in the blank letter with the correct missing punctuation to assess
their understanding of the concept.
Criteria for Mastery 80 out of 100 possible points.
Intervention Plan Students who do not master the objective will work with the
teacher to review punctuation marks. The teacher will work with the two ELL
students at this time as well.

6)

MATERIALS/ATTACHMENTS
Punctuation Takes a Vacation
Postcards (6 for each group, 1 for example)
Guessing sheet (blank)
Guessing sheet (with answers)
Letter (with no punctuation)
Letter (with answers for grading answers are open to interpretation)

Postcard 4:
Greetings to Mr. Wrights
class. This postcard doesnt take
the place of a letter. If anybody
takes the place of a letter, thats
us. Its our job. We know were
possessive, but thats the way we
are. Dont forget us while were
gone.

Mr. Wrights Class

Hometown
USA 46738

Substitutes

Postcard 5:
A big hello from vacation paradise,
where the water is as clear as a
well-punctuated sentence. We
Mr. Wrights Class
talk all day. We talk all night.
Hometown
Too busy talking to write any
USA 46738
more.
The Yackity Yaks

Postcard 6:
Kids:
Writing this on schedule at
1:15. Yummy lunch at 11:55.
Mr. Wrights Class
Going swimming at 3:00 sharp. Hometown
USA 46738

The timekeepers

Postcard 7:
Wow! What a ride!
You should try tubing!
Scary! Fun! Yikes!
Hold on! We want
Mommmmmmmmeeeeeeeeee!
Emotional Us

Mr. Wrights Class

Hometown
USA 46738

GUESSING SHEET
NAME: __________________

DATE: ________

Postcard 1: __________

Postcard 5: __________

Postcard 2: __________

Postcard 6: __________

Postcard 3: __________

Postcard 7: __________

Postcard 4: __________

---------------------------------------------------

GUESSING SHEET (answers)

NAME: _____ANSWERS_____

DATE: ________

Postcard 1: QUESTION MARKS Postcard 5: QHOTATION MARKS

Postcard 2: PERIODS

Postcard 6: COLONS

Postcard 3: COMMAS

Postcard 7: EXCLAMATION POINTS

Postcard 4: APOSTROPHES

NAME: ____________________________
(1 mistake)

Dear Punctuation
(5 mistakes)

Please come back We need you We

miss you too Life at school is
difficult without you
(12 mistakes)

We can t do reading writing or

riddles without punctuation
Chapter 4 of our book Ace Scooper
doesn t make sense We will never
take punctuation for granted again
Won t you please come back before
10 00 on Friday
(6 mistakes)

Mr Wright says Punctuation

please come home
(3 mistakes)

Sincerely
Mr Wright s Class

(ANSWER SHEET)

Dear Punctuation,
Please come back! We need you! We
miss you, too. Life at school is
difficult without you.
We cant do reading, writing, or
riddles without punctuation.
Chapter 4 of our book, Ace Scooper,
doesnt make sense! We will never
take punctuation for granted again.
Wont you please come back before
10:00 on Friday?
Mr. Wright says, Punctuation,
please come home!
Sincerely,
Mr. Wrights Class