Why Pause? Exploring the Power of Commas

Use the attached Lesson Slides to facilitate the lesson. Begin by displaying slides 2-4 to present the title, essential questions, and the learning objectives in as much detail as needed.

Distribute the attached Cooking Hacks handout to every student. Display slide 5 and invite students to listen and follow along as you read the text through one time. Transition to slide 6 and introduce students to the instructional strategy Grammatically Correct to review what students already know about comma rules. Next, pass out one Grammatically Correct card to each student which will assign them a Comma Role (FANBOY, INTRO, or OXFORD). Each card provides information about a comma rule found in the passage you just read as a class. Then, have them reread and reflect on how their comma role is being used and what influence it has over the entire text. Provide a few minutes for students to read their description and develop their character as if they were that comma. Students should assume the role described on their card and talk to each other about how they influenced the text. 

Have students get up and move around the classroom to “mingle.” Display slide 7; review the instructions and start the K20 10 Minute timer. Periodically (we suggest every 2-3 minutes), have students rearrange and talk to a new group of students. Repeat this process until students have had a chance to mingle for ten minutes.

Have students return to their seats and transition to slide 8 and review the different commas being used (see “speaker notes” at the bottom of the slide for color coding key and the attached Cooking Hacks Answer Key handout as an additional reference). Ask for volunteers to share some ways in which commas influenced the purpose of the text. Have a brief class discussion about how the text may be different if there were no commas or another form of punctuation was used. This can be used as an informal formative assessment to address any reteaching needs you may discover.