Olivia Werderman Grade: English 8 2/26/2014 Standards

Lesson topic: Pronoun-Antecedent agreement errors CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Objectives

Instructional Materials and Resources

SWBAT understand the relationship between pronouns and antecedents. SWBAT identify pronoun-antecedent agreement errors within a teacher-made worksheet. 1) PowerPoint presentation 2) White board with dry erase markers 3) Paper and pen for each student 4) Pronoun-Antecedent agreement error worksheet (Figure 1) 5) Agreement Error Chart (Figure 2) This lesson is interactive with technology, teacher instruction, individual and group work in order to attain understanding about Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Errors. The lesson aims to reach different developmental levels by creating different spaces for learning. Students will be in various sized groups at tables for ease of individual or group work. SW begin with a warm-up of fixing pronoun-antecedent agreement errors. TW address the sentences and show the updated sentences. TW review pronouns and antecedents from previous lesson then explain the types of agreement errors. TW direct students back to the sentences they did in the warm up to identify the agreement errors. SW work on an agreement error worksheet to be reviewed at the end of the lesson.

Learner Factors

Environmental Factors Instructional Activities and Tasks

Adapted from Brown University Teacher Education Lesson Plan Template (2008)

Assessments

Formative assessment: During the lesson, I plan to assess students by their interaction with the practice sentences. Summative assessment: After the lesson, I plan to review the students work to see their understanding of pronounantecedent agreement errors. (Since students were allowed to work in groups, it may be difficult to assess an individual level understanding. However, I would be able to assess the class as a whole and be able to distinguish if more lessons need to be enacted on this topic.)

Rationale

Grammar is an important aspect of language and writing. Pronoun-Antecedent agreement errors are sometimes common informal uses of social communication. While the use of agreement errors is acceptable in everyday speech, it is not acceptable in academic writing. In order for students to be able to avoid common agreement errors they must first be taught of their existence in order to be aware. Once they are aware, students will be less likely to make such agreement errors in their own writing. The worksheet is meant for students to see an applied version of such errors rather than a sentence worksheet. (I also included the agreement chart because some may have difficulty with identifying the classification of words.)

Adapted from Brown University Teacher Education Lesson Plan Template (2008)

Instructional tasks and activities What the teacher will be doing. Before Class: TW put worksheets on tables. What the students will be doing.

10:20 10:21 TW say, Good morning class its 10:20. Please bring out a piece of paper and a pen to begin the warm up. You can use the SW take out a piece of paper and pen backs of the papers on yours desks if youd like. On your piece then work on the warm up. of paper, write down these sentences then fix any error you might find. For the 1st sentence we are assuming Matthew is a boy. 10:21-10:22 TW ask students to speak out about the errors they found in the sentences and how they fixed the error. SW speak out about the corrections they made. 10:22-10:27 TW show students the updated sentences. Then say, Before we talk about the reasons for fixes in these sentences, lets SW state the definitions of a pronoun review pronouns and antecedents from Mr. Burkes class on and antecedent. Monday. TW clarify the specifics of pronouns and antecedents from a dictionary definition. The teacher will then explain the warmup sentences had a pronoun-antecedent agreement error. TW explain what a pronoun-antecedent agreement error is then ask students to identify which agreement errors the sentences from the warm up had. SW identify the pronoun-antecedent agreement errors from the warm up.

10:27-10:37 TW direct students to the worksheets on the tables. (Figure 1 SW listen to directions and modeled and 2 below) TW explain the contents and tasks of the sentence. worksheet, model the first sentence then ask students to work SW work on the worksheet. individually or in pairs with the rest of the sentences. TW walk around the room to answer any questions. 10:38-10:40 TW ask students to read what they found for the passage, ask for what types of agreement errors they found, then show the correct passage from the text. (Repeat for the 2nd and 3rd passages.) 1st TW then explain that the majority of agreement errors are rarely made while naturally writing. The ones you need to Adapted from Brown University Teacher Education Lesson Plan Template (2008)

watch out for are generally used in everyday language such as, Someone should lend you their car. That sounds perfectly normal to say in conversation. However, it is not acceptable in academic papers. The sentence should read, Someone should lend you his or her car because someone is singular and should therefore have a singular pronoun. Therefore, students should be careful when writing academic papers. (Extra Antecedent Agreement Error sentence practice just in case all of this is completed before 15 minutes or students need more practice/clarification.)

Adapted from Brown University Teacher Education Lesson Plan Template (2008)

Figure 1 Name:

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Errors The following passages have been taken from well-known texts. Pronouns have been changed to create pronoun-antecedent agreement errors. To complete this worksheet you must: 1) Identify the pronouns and antecedents. 2) Identify the agreement error. (Ex. Sentence #1: Gender, Sentence #2: Personetc.) 3) Fix the agreement errors by crossing out improper pronouns and adding appropriate pronouns. (Note some sentences may have more than one error while others may have none.) Passage #1 Agreement Errors: We lived on the main residential street in townAtticus, Jem and I, plus Calpurnia her cook. Jem and I found his or her father satisfactory: she played with me, read to me, and treated me with courteous detachment. -To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee Passage #2 Agreement Errors: `And now, comrades, I will tell you about our dream of last night. I cannot describe that dream to us. It was a dream of the earth as she will be when Man has vanished -Animal Farm, George Orwell Passage #3 Agreement Errors: In a gap between two tunnels, a nurse was delicately probing with a long fine syringe into the gelatinous contents of a passing bottle. The students and our guides stood watching her for a few moments in silence. -Brave New World, Aldous Huxley

Adapted from Brown University Teacher Education Lesson Plan Template (2008)

Figure 2

Pronoun Antecedent Agreement Chart Pronouns must agree in 3 ways: Gender: male, female or neuter 1st Person: 1st, 2nd or 3rd Number: Singular or plural Subject I you he, she, it we you they Object me you her, him, it us you them Possessive my, mine your his, hers, its our, ours yours their, theirs

Person Singular 2nd Person Singular 3rd Person Singular 1st Person Plural 2nd Person - Plural 3rd Person - Plural

Adapted from Brown University Teacher Education Lesson Plan Template (2008)

Adapted from Brown University Teacher Education Lesson Plan Template (2008)