Conventions: Punctuation Takes a Vacation by Robin Pulver

Lesson Focus: Using a mentor book and interactive writing to teach students how to use correct punctuation and grammar.

Title & Author of Book: Punctuation Takes a Vacation by Robin Pulver          
Grade Level: First Grade
Materials Needed: Punctuation Takes a Vacation by Robin Pulver, chart paper, different colored markers, a copy of a story without punctuation, student journals or previous writing
Ohio Academic Content Standards K-12 English Language Arts: 
Writing Processes
Ohio Benchmarks K-12 English Language Arts:
E. Edit to improve sentence fluency, grammar and usage.
Grade Level Indicators:  
6. Construct complete sentences with subjects and verbs.
12. Proofread writing to improve conventions (e.g. grammar, spelling, punctuation and capitalization).

Book Summary: Mr. Wright's students become frustrated with punctuation and wish it away. Punctuation takes a vacation and the students miss it immediately. When trying to respond to a postcard, the students learn that writing is very difficult without punctuation. A straightforward list of punctuation rules is given in this fun, inventive picture book.  

Introduction: 
The conventions trait includes all the rules of language- spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. These rules help the reader make sense of the writing. In this lesson, we will read Punctuation Takes a Vacation by Robin Pulver to help students see the importance conventions are to writing. Students will also participate in an interactive writing activity and work together to edit a piece of writing.  Some techniques that can help students with the trait of conventions include: writing on every other line to save room for editing, reading slowly, reading aloud, and looking for one error at a time.

Before the Lesson:
Read the book Punctuation Takes a Vacation by Robin Pulver. As you read through the story, ask students the following questions:
                   1) Why is it important to use punctuation?
                   2) How do the students feel when Mr. Wright makes punctuation take a vacation?
                   3) Why is it hard for the students to write without punctuation?
Guide students to understand that without punctuation, the reader has a difficult time understanding and making sense of the writing.

Lesson: 
1) Remind students about reading the book and review the reasons why conventions are important in writing.
2) Copy or create a story on chart paper that has no punctuation marks. Read over the story with the students.
3) Students will then participate in an interactive writing activity in which they individually come up to the chart paper and add a piece of punctuation to the story. Use different colored markers to indicate the different types of punctuation (ie. red for periods, blue for exclamations, green for question marks, purple for capitalization).
4) Once students have corrected all the errors, read the story again. Ask the students if the story is more understandable with the punctuation in the story.
5) Now have students practice on their own. Allow them to use their writing journals (or a previous piece of writing) and go through and edit their writing. Remind them to add end marks, use complete sentences, and use capitalization.
6) Help them edit their writing by teaching them editing techniques such as reading from bottom up, looking for one type of error at a time, and reading slowly.