Lesson Plan: Sentence Diagrams

Author: Sarah Pederson

Date Lesson to Be Taught: November 27, 2017
Grade level: 7th
Source of the Lesson: Based on Common Core State Standards

Concepts:
Sentences have different parts – subjects, verbs, objects, adjectives, adverbs, phrases, etc. – and
the sentences can be broken up to find these parts. Diagrams are used to separate out the words
in a sentence so that the parts can be identified.

Performance Objectives:
Students will be able to:
 Locate the different parts of a sentence, mainly subject, verb, and object.
 Diagram the different parts of a sentence.

Idaho State Standards:

Conventions of Standard English
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing
or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1.a
Explain the function of phrases and clauses in general and their function in specific sentences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1.b
Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal
differing relationships among ideas.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1.c
Place phrases and clauses within a sentence, recognizing and correcting misplaced and dangling
modifiers.
Materials List and Advanced Preparations
For each student:
 Diagram worksheet
For each group of 4:
 Worksheet with sentences of various types and a second one of diagram types
 Bag containing slips of paper with words/phrases matching those on the worksheet
Advanced Preparation:
 Teacher will print out a list of sentences of varying types and a second one of matching
diagram types (do not label them, the students need to figure it out on their own).
 Teacher will print out a list of words/phrases matching those on the group worksheet and
cut them out, mixing them up into plastic bags.
 Make PowerPoint slides with various diagrams or draw them out on the board.
Supplementary Materials: Assessment Quiz

5Es

ENGAGEMENT Time: 5 minutes

Probing/Eliciting Student Responses and

What the Teacher Will Do
Have students separate into
groups of 4.
Say, “You told me how you
think this works. Now I’m
going to give you some
materials and let you show
me how it works.”
Questions
Ask the students to list the 5
basic parts of a sentence.
Ask the students how they
know this. (They should
offer explanations of each
part of a sentence.)
Misconceptions
Subject, Predicate (verb),
clause, phrase, modifier.
Subject – word defining
who or what the sentence
is about
Predicate – verb telling
what the subject is doing
Clause – additional info
Phrase – dependent clause
Modifier – the general
additional info given in a
sentence
EXPLANATION
What the Teacher Will Do
Review the various
sentence types.
Introduce the various
diagram types.
ELABORATION
What the Teacher Will Do
Write out sentences on the
board, and ask the students
to help you label the
various parts. Begin with
simple, then compound, and
work your way up to
complex.
EXPLORATION
What the Teacher Will Do
Have one student from each
group come up and get the
sentence worksheet, the
diagram worksheet, and a
bag of words.
Have each group work
together to identify the parts
of the sentences and
organize the words into the
shape of the correct
diagram. Walk around and
Probing/Eliciting
Questions
What type of sentences are
there?
Probing/Eliciting
Questions
What is the subject of this
sentence?
What is the predicate?
Are there any phrases or
clauses?
What about modifiers?
Probing/Eliciting
Questions
Time: 10 minutes
Student Responses and
Misconceptions
Simple, Compound,
Complex, Compound-
Complex
Time: 5 minutes
Student Responses and
Misconceptions
Students will answer and
ask any questions they need
for clarification.
Time: 20 minutes
Student Responses and
Misconceptions
Students work together to
diagram the sentences.
check that each group is
doing well.
When all students have Students will comply.
been successful, ask that
they put their materials
back in the bag and one
person from each group
return the bag to Teacher’s
desk.

EVALUATION Time: 5 minutes

Probing/Eliciting Student Responses and
What the Teacher Will Do Questions Misconceptions
Hand out worksheet so that
students can work by themselves
and diagram examples.
Possible Diagram Types

Simple Sentence

Modifiers

Compound Sentences