Fun with Compound Sentences!

We have been studying how to identify and how to make compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences.  First, we practiced making the different types of sentences by dancing around the room in different dance styles.  Students were given a card that told them what part of the sentence they were (the independent, dependent, or punctuation part).  They had just a few minutes to dance around and match up with other cards to form the three different kinds of sentences.  This was a fun and crazy way to practice the sentence structures.  Naturally 5th period insisted on having a dance off to see who was the best performer.  The winners were Cooper, Alema, Haley, and Marissa.  You can see their great dance skills in the following clips along with my other classes. 

Hawaii 5-0

Chariots of Fire

I like to Move It 1

I Like to Move It 2

Stayin' Alive

Complex Sentence Example

Compound Complex Sentence Example

Dance Off Videos

Stayin' Alive Dance Off

Chariots of Fire Dance Off

Hawaii 5-0 Dance Off

How Santa Got His Job

As a final project for our Compound/Complex Sentence Unit, we read the book How Santa Got His Job.  This book details all the previous jobs Santa had before becoming Santa.  All of his previous jobs helped him to develop the skills he needs to be Santa, such as staying up late, slipping in and out of chimneys without getting all black, and developing a very round belly.  After reading the book, students worked in groups to write their own stories about other characters and how they got their jobs. They had to include 5 compound sentences, 4 complex sentences, and 2 compound-complex sentences.  See if you can identify those sentences in their "dramatic readings."

The groups working on their projects whilst listening to Holiday music

How the Easter Bunny got his job #1

How Mother Nature got her job #1

How Batman got his job

How Cupid got his job #1

How the Tooth Fairy got her job #1

How the Easter Bunny got his job #2

How the Easter Bunny got his job #3

How Mother Nature got her job #2

How the Geico Gecko got his job

How Aphrodite got her job

How the leprechaun got his job

How the Minions got their job

How Cupid got his job #2

Sock Drive Update!

WOW!!! Way to go COLTS!  We ended up collecting nearly 3,000 pairs of socks that we took to the Road Home.  Great job!  Mrs. Park's class was our winner! They donated over 400 pairs of socks!  On the following Tuesday, Mrs. Park's TA class came down to the faculty room where the SBOs gave them a round of applause and served them donuts and hot chocolate.  Here are some pictures from our sock drive.