As a teacher, you know that writing is an essential skill that students need to develop. And one of the crucial components of good writing is the ability to vary sentence structure and style. One of the best ways to do that is by introducing introductory elements into sentences.
Introductory elements are words or phrases that come at the beginning of a sentence to provide context or background information. These can include adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases, and dependent clauses.
When students learn how to incorporate them into their writing, it can significantly improve the readability and flow of their work. Here are some activities you can use to teach students to rewrite sentences using introductory elements.
1. Analyze Examples
Begin by providing students with examples of sentences that use introductory elements. Ask your students to identify the element and explain how it contributes to the meaning of the sentence. Discuss how these elements can add depth, complexity, and interest to writing.
2. Sentence Scavenger Hunt
For this activity, give your students a list of introductory elements and challenge them to find examples in a piece of writing. Alternatively, you may give them a few examples of sentences and ask them to identify the introductory elements.
3. Sentence Shuffle
This activity involves dividing your class into small groups, and each group receives a set of cards containing phrases or clauses that could serve as introductory elements. Next, students must work together to create sentences using the elements on their cards.
4. Collaborative Writing
Divide the class into pairs, and each student takes turns writing a sentence. The objective is for each subsequent sentence in the story to begin with an introductory element, building upon the previous sentence. Encourage students to be imaginative, and creative in their writing.
5. Sentence Surgery
Provide your students with a piece of writing containing a few sentences that lack introductory elements. Ask students to identify these sentences, cut them out of the text, and rework them by adding suitable introductory phrases or clauses. This will give them a hands-on opportunity to apply what they’ve learned.
Rewriting sentences using introductory elements may seem like a simple task, but it requires careful thought and practice. These activities provide some excellent opportunities for you to teach your students this technique, and improve their writing skills. With practice, I am confident that your students will master this skill and transform their writing.
