5. Point out that the second sentence, “They covered the floor of his bedroom and piled up in his closet,” is a long sentence that includes a coordinating conjunction: and . 6. Tell students that Shannon uses different types of sentences to present the story’s conflict. When he gets to the action, he uses dialogue. Turn to pages 18 and 19, which begin, “One day, Spencer’s mom had had it up to here . . . .” Read aloud both pages so students can hear how the dialogue sounds. 7. Point out that page 18 includes external dialogue (what Spencer’s mom says out loud: “SPENCER! . . . YOU HAVE TOO MANY TOYS!”) and internal dialogue (what Spencer says in his head: That’s impossible! ). This is another way to vary sentences. 8. Hand out Go-Along Page 2: Diving Into Dialogue, and ask students to think about a conversation between Spencer and his mother. Have them write what might have been said (external dialogue) in the left column and what might have been thought about what was said (internal dialogue) in the right column. For example:
Student-Friendly Scoring Guide
Sentence Fluency
I’VE GOT IT! ★★ My sentences are well built and have varied beginnings. ★★ I’ve varied the length and structure of my sentences. ★★ My sentences read smoothly. ★★ I’ve tried to write using interjections or fragments to create variety. ON MY WAY ★★ My sentences are working pretty well. ★★ I might put some sentences together or I could cut a few in two. ★★ When I read my piece aloud, there are a few places that need smoothing. ★★ I’ve tried a couple of ways to begin my sentences differently, but could do more.
JUST STARTING ★★ My sentences aren’t working well.
★★ I’ve used words like and or but too many times. ★★ I’m having trouble reading my piece aloud. ★★ My sentences sound the same.
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SENTENCE FLUENCY: Varying Sentence Types
Go-Along Page 2 Diving Into Dialogue
Write what might have been said in a conversation between Spencer and his mom about the toy problem. Identify what each character is saying (external dialogue) in the left column and what each character is thinking (internal dialogue) in the right column.
External Dialogue Internal Dialogue Mom: “Spencer, I really mean it.” Spencer: Oh no, this could be bad!
External Dialogue: Mom: “Spencer, I really mean it.” Internal Dialogue: Spencer: Oh no, this could be bad!
9. Explain that the words being spoken should be set off with quotation marks, the words being thought should be underlined, and both should be separated by colons from the speaker. (Because this lesson focuses on varying sentence types and not conventions, don’t worry too much about correct formatting. You can cover the conventions of dialogue in greater depth later.) 10. Have students read back their internal and external dialogues in small groups and discuss how using dialogue is a powerful way to vary sentence types. 11. Distribute Write-On Sheet 2: The Box Rocks. Ask each student to write an opinion piece about Spencer’s decision to save the cardboard box rather than the toys. Have them write the piece as a dialogue between Spencer and his mother, providing strong reasons why he chose the box. 12. Have students read their opinion pieces with a partner, each taking the role of Spencer or his mother, and then revise their writing for clarity as necessary.
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SENTENCE FLUENCY: Varying Sentence Types
Write-On Sheet 2 The Box Rocks
Write an opinion piece about Spencer’s decision to save the cardboard box rather than the toys. Write your piece as a dialogue between Spencer and his mom, providing strong reasons for choosing the box.
THINK ABOUT ● Did I include different kinds of sentences?
● Are some of my sentences complex? ● Are some of my sentences simple? ● Did I intermingle sentence types?
GOING FURTHER WITH THE KEY QUALITY
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Tell students, “Parents everywhere are looking for an invention to help their kids keep their toys organized. You are going to invent a machine to help them out.” Give large sheets of paper to students to sketch out their inventions. When they’re finished, have them each write a paragraph or two stating why they each think their invention is the best and how it will be the most effective solution to “the toy problem.” Remind students to vary the lengths of their sentences. Invite parents to come into the classroom to vote on the invention they think would work best.
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