Syntax Surgery Lesson Plan- Collazo

Original Sentence:
Adj Adj
Adv
Adj

Conj

Adj

Verb Tense: Simple Present

N

A bright and small tree frog crawls

along the
N

Pp Adj N

edge of a leaf.

Other key grammatical features: use

of adjectives, adverb after the verb

Syntax Rule:
Subject-Verb Agreement
Language Objective: We can create a sentence in the simple present tense
using the parts of speech and the rules of English Syntax.
Grammar Dissection Steps:
a) Display sentence out of order. Read words, explain unknown vocabulary
b) Construct Grammar Wall. Explain/review the parts of speech
c) Categorize words under parts of speech
d) Think aloud to construct sentence with students.

Guided reconstruction steps:

1. Find the possible verbs. (crawls)
2. Find the possible subjects. (tree frog, edge, leaf) Match tree frog to crawls
3. Find possible adjectives. (bright, small, A, a, the) Match A to bright or to
small
4. Match other adjectives to nouns. (the edge, a leaf)
5. Find possible prepositions. (of)
6. Match prepositions to nouns/noun phrases. (edge of a leaf)

Shuffles

New Sentence

(That address verb tense and grammatical

features.)

Shuffle 1:
Negative

Shuffle 2:
Interrogative

Shuffle 3:
Change it to plural

Shuffle 4:

A bright and small tree frog does

not crawl along the edge of a
leaf.
Does a bright and small tree frog
crawl along the edge of a leaf?
The bright and small tree frogs
crawl along the edge of a leaf.

Change it to present progressive

A bright and small tree frog is

crawling along the edge of a leaf.

Shuffle 5:

(Students choice of adjectives)

Change two adjectives

Poole
Original Sentence:
n
n
conj
n
v
Potassium, sodium, and hydrogen are
adv
v
prep
n
instantaneously reacting with
substances.

Verb Tense:
Present Progressive
Subject + am/is/are + verbing +
finisher.
Other key grammatical features:
Adverbs

Syntax Rule:
6. adverb verb adverb

Language Objective: We will create a sentence in the present progressive

tense using the parts of speech and the rules of English Syntax.
Opening:
-Connect previous chemical reaction lessons.
*Alkali metals (group 1 periodic table) are very reactive- one valence*
-Students choose ONE chemical reaction video
http://io9.com/5886602/ten-amazing-and-occasionally-explosive-chemical-reactions-caughton-video
1. Killer bananas
2. Death of a gummy bear
3. For elephants with bad breath

Grammar Dissection Steps:

e) Display sentence out of order. Read words, explain unknown vocabulary
f) Construct Grammar Wall. Explain/review the parts of speech
g) Categorize words under parts of speech
h) Think aloud to construct sentence with students.

Guided reconstruction steps:

7. Find the possible verbs.
8. Find the possible subjects.
9. Find possible adjectives.
10. Match other adjectives to nouns.
11. Find possible prepositions.
12. Match prepositions to nouns/noun phrases.

Shuffles
(That address verb tense and grammatical
features.)

New Sentence

Shuffle 1: Synonym for

instantaneously
Shuffle 2: Change position of
adverb
Shuffle 3: : Negative sentence

Shuffle 4: Interrogative sentence

Shuffle 5: Change adverb

Potassium, sodium, and

hydrogen are quickly reacting
with substances.
Potassium, sodium, and
hydrogen are reacting
instantaneously with substances.
Potassium, sodium, and
hydrogen are not
instantaneously reacting with
substances.
Are potassium, sodium, and
hydrogen instantaneously
reacting with substances?
Potassium, sodium, and
hydrogen are frequently reacting
with substances.