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ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS RESOURCES

LANGUAGE ARTS :: SECONDARY RESOURCES :: RIGHT DIRECTION 3 :: PUNCTUATION PUZZLES

PUNCTUATION PUZZLES

Planning Points

Approximate Time Needed: 25-35 minutes

Lesson Objectives:

Students will consider the importance of punctuation and its impact on understanding meaning.

Materials Needed:

student work ready for proof-reading

Description

  • For students struggling with punctuation, share the following scenarios:
    • An English professor wrote the words, "Woman without her man is nothing" on the blackboard and directed his students to punctuate it correctly. The men wrote: "Woman, without her man, is nothing." The women wrote: "Woman! Without her, man is nothing." (from an urban myth)
    • A governor was taping a campaign ad and said "Do you hate New York? Drug dealers put me in office." (Spin City)
  • Give students the following letter and have them add the punctuation and determine the author's intent.

Dear John:
I want a man who knows what love is all about you are generous kind thoughtful people who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior you have ruined me for other men I yearn for you I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart I can be forever happy will you let me be yours Gloria.

Two versions of what students might create:

Dear John:
I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can be forever happy--will you let me be yours?

Gloria

Dear John:
I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsoever. When we're apart, I can be forever happy. Will you let me be?

Yours,
Gloria

  • As students proof-read and edit each others' papers, have them pay close attention to punctuation and clarity.

Additional Notes:

Punctuation Takes a Vacation, by Robin Pulver, is an engaging picture book about life without punctuation.

Teacher's Notes

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