Understanding and Using Conjunctions
Understanding and Using Conjunctions Objective: Students will learn to identify and use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions to connect words, phrases, and clauses in sentences.
Learning Objectives
- Identify coordinating and subordinating conjunctions in sentences.
- Understand how conjunctions connect parts of a sentence.
- Write sentences using conjunctions correctly.
Materials Needed
- Paper
- Pencils
- Printed worksheet with sentences missing conjunctions
- List of common conjunctions (and, but, or, because, although, since)
Key Vocabulary
- Conjunction
- A word that joins words, phrases, or clauses together.
- Coordinating Conjunction
- A conjunction that connects words or groups of equal importance, such as ‘and’, ‘but’, or ‘or’.
- Subordinating Conjunction
- A conjunction that connects a dependent clause to an independent clause, like ‘because’, ‘although’, or ‘since’.
Detailed Activities
Introduction to Conjunctions
- Explain what conjunctions are and why we use them.
- Show examples of coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.
- Read sentences aloud and identify the conjunctions together.
Conjunction Identification
- Provide a worksheet with sentences missing conjunctions.
- Ask the student to choose the correct conjunction to complete each sentence.
- Review the answers together and discuss why each conjunction fits.
Sentence Creation
- Have the student write three sentences using coordinating conjunctions.
- Then have them write three sentences using subordinating conjunctions.
- Read the sentences aloud and discuss how the conjunctions connect ideas.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- Conjunctions help ideas flow smoothly in speech and writing.
- Encourage your child to listen for conjunctions in everyday conversation and books.
- Be patient if your child mixes up conjunction types; practice helps.
Assessment Questions
- Can you find the conjunction in this sentence: ‘I want to play outside, but it is raining’?
- What conjunction would you use to join these two ideas: ‘I like apples’ and ‘I like oranges’?
- Write a sentence using the subordinating conjunction ‘because’.
Extension Ideas
- Read a short story and highlight all the conjunctions found.
- Create a conjunction matching game with cards for coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.
- Write a short paragraph using at least three different conjunctions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Coordinating conjunctions join parts of a sentence that are equal, like two main ideas, while subordinating conjunctions join a less important idea to a main idea.
Yes, sentences can have multiple conjunctions to connect several ideas.
Use songs, rhymes, or daily conversations focusing on words like ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘because’ to make learning fun and memorable.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Students may confuse coordinating and subordinating conjunctions or use them interchangeably.
- Some students might omit conjunctions, making sentences incomplete or choppy.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Start with coordinating conjunctions before introducing subordinating ones.
- Use visual aids like sentence strips to physically connect clauses with conjunction words.
For Advanced Students:
- Challenge them to combine multiple clauses using different conjunctions.
- Introduce correlative conjunctions like ‘either/or’ and ‘neither/nor’.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Spend about 15 minutes on introduction and examples.
- Use 15 minutes for the identification worksheet and review.
- Reserve last 15 minutes for creative sentence writing and discussion.
Standards
- 6.L.3 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
Printable Worksheet
Plan Your Own Lesson
Looking for a custom lesson plan? Try our Lesson Planning Generator — create standards-based plans for any topic, instantly!
Common Core Aligned Lesson Plans
Looking for another common core lesson? See all of the lesson plans here.
More Free Lesson Plans
We’re adding more every week! Check back soon or explore all our lesson plans here.
Leave a Reply