The English language has several parts of speech, and each part is equally important. Kids can often get confused when they hear the names of different parts of speech, like nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and so on. However, an effective lesson plan with a simplistic design can help students understand a concept well without much difficulty.
In our last blog post, we shared with you a lesson plan to teach adjectives to English learners. And today, we bring to you an engaging lesson plan to help students learn conjunctions.
What are conjunctions?
Conjunctions are also an important part of speech. Words that are used to join phrases, clauses, and sentences together are known as conjunctions. So, when we say, “I like eating cakes and chocolates,” the word ‘and‘ serves as a conjunction.
The role of conjunctions is to make the English language fluent without sounding choppy. Without conjunctions, our sentences would be short, with pauses every now and then. But with the addition of conjunctions, we are able to connect two or more short sentences to form one sentence, which may seem complex yet has an element of style and sophistication.
Types of conjunctions covered in our lesson plan
1. Coordinating conjunctions
These conjunctions are used to join two sentences, words, or phrases that are grammatically equal.
In the sentence, “I am going to buy apples and bananas,” ‘and‘ is a coordinating conjunction. Other than the word ‘and,’ there are six more coordinating conjunctions in the English language. These are for, nor, or, but, yet, and so.
2. Subordinating conjunctions
Words like if, because, since, while, and until fall into the category of subordinating conjunctions. These words are used to join a dependent clause with an independent clause. A dependent clause is a string of words that don’t form a complete sentence on their own and must always be connected to an independent clause to bring out the true meaning.
In the sentence “I can face the world when I see you smile,” ‘when‘ is a subordinating conjunction that connects the dependent clause “I see you smile’ with the independent clause ‘I can face the world.’
It is common for students to confuse between dependent and independent clauses. If you find your students struggling with it, conduct simple activities for learning-dependent and independent clauses before you start teaching subordinating conjunctions.
3. Correlative conjunctions
Word pairs that are used together to join two actual elements in a sentence are known as correlative conjunctions. Examples include neither nor, either-or, not only but also, and more. Word pairs forming correlative conjunctions are never used alone and are always used in unison.
Look at the following sentence – “Neither I nor my sister are interested in watching baseball.” See how the pair of correlative conjunctions ‘neither-nor’ are used in the sentence.
An engaging lesson plan that makes learning conjunctions easy!
Our conjunction lesson plan is curated, keeping in mind beginner conjunction learners. This means you can use it as a tool if your students are completely new to the concept of conjunctions.
Through this lesson plan, we aim to achieve three important objectives. The first is to introduce the topic to learners; the second is to teach them how they can use conjunctions for framing longer sentences; and lastly, to teach them about different types of conjunctions.
Before you start the lesson plan, have a whiteboard and some dry-erase markers ready to be able to write sentences on the board and explain to students what conjunctions are and how they can use them.
Here is the link to download our conjunction lesson plan:
Begin the lesson by giving a detailed introduction to conjunctions. Once you observe that your students have grasped the idea, you can move on to teaching the different types. While we have provided examples to help you explain, it would be a good idea to collect and use a variety of sentences as examples to help your students understand better.
Next, you can distribute the two activity worksheets provided in the lesson plan to each student so they can practice what they have learned. You can also include other activities for teaching conjunctions if you like. In case you notice your students facing a problem in solving the worksheets, take the lead and solve them together. You can always help them with answers if they are stuck somewhere.
Add a meaningful conclusion to the conjunction lesson plan
1. Summarize the main points of the lesson plan.
Before ending the session, recap the important points of the lesson with your students. This way, students will have key takeaways on the topic that will remain in their memory for a long time. You can have a short question-and-answer session to get an idea of how well your students have understood the concept.
2. Talk about the importance of conjunctions in oral and written communication.
Often, students question the need to learn a particular topic. So, take a moment to explain to students why learning conjunctions is necessary. Use the following points as a guide so your students learn the importance of conjunctions.
- Conjunctions create a logical relationship between words, phrases, or sentences.
- They enable language users to come up with a variety of sentence structures.
- They allow us to create rich and detailed sentences for improved information sharing.
- Conjunctions allow us to share consolidated information in fewer sentences.
- They impart a rhythm and flow to our conversations.
- They help us write well-organized essays, reports, and research papers and improve our written communication.
3. Encourage continued practice of conjunctions.
Self-practice and exploration can help students master the concepts they are learning at school. To make sure your students don’t forget about the things they learned in class, you can encourage them to read books or any other reading material at home and list down the conjunctions they find in a notebook. Or, you can tell them about a few online games for conjunctions that they can engage in at home during their free time. We bet your students won’t mind indulging in them!
Wrapping up,
Conjunctions are binding words. They bind words, phrases, and sentences to build longer, more detailed, and more meaningful sentences. Learning conjunctions is crucial for English language learners, as it allows them to convey their message in compelling ways that listeners and readers can understand.
Teaching conjunctions to students can be challenging for teachers if they do not have a proper plan. Our conjunction lesson plan can serve as a resource for teachers and parents who want to start instruction on conjunctions. As your students build a strong foundation on the topic, you will be amazed to see them become fluent writers and speakers who are capable of expressing themselves precisely and effectively.
I am Priyanka Sonkushre, a writer and blogger. I am the person behind “One Loving Mama,” a mom blog. Equipped with a Bachelor’s degree along with an MBA, my healthcare background helps me deeply understand learning difficulties. I know how challenging it can be for parents to find the right resources to help their children excel in life. So, here I am to blend my healthcare expertise with my parenting experience to create valuable and helpful resources for parents and teachers supporting children with learning differences. If you wish, you can follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn.