Conjunctions are words that connect two independent clauses or sentences. Conjunctions always make me think about the Schoolhouse Rock song, Conjunction Junction, What’s Your Function? I am not sure why that one stuck in my head but it definitely did.
Image courtesy of Olga Berrios at flickr.com (scaled, cropped and text added)
I miss the days of educational breaks during Saturday morning cartoons. Those videos were such a fun way to throw in a few minutes of learning. Here is a link to that catchy, fun, and educational tune that has stuck with me for years!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODGA7ssL-6g
My daughter makes fun of these old videos but I also catch her singing them throughout the day. They are a great learning tool and I utilize them on a regular basis.
So besides corny old videos, that quite frankly make me feel a little old, what methods can we use to teach conjunctions? Although I do use the state standards from time to time while lesson planning and teaching I do not always write out long complicated objectives to go with them. For me, there are always two main objectives when teaching anything. The student will retain the information and the student will enjoy the learning process. My feeling is that if you meet those, all the others will fall into place. This is not always an easy task but is challenges me as an educator and makes me better.
So with all of that in mind how do I teach conjunctions?
One of my favorite ways to teach conjunctions is with sentence link up. Each person will write a variety of simple sentences using the current weather or a unit you may be studying. Then have them connect those using conjunctions. An example might be: The pilgrims sailed to the New World. They wanted religious freedom. The result may be: The pilgrims sailed to the new world, because they wanted religious freedom.
A conjunctions main job is to connect. So what better way to teach than with puzzle pieces? Attach each conjunction to a large puzzle piece or connector and allow the student to connect the two clauses or sentences. For example, the sentences “The weather was very cold. Claire wore gloves.” could be connected with the puzzle piece/conjunction so.
Books are always a great tool when teaching grammar. A couple of my favorites are:
Just Me & 6,000 Rats: A Tale of Conjunctions by Rick Walton
And But and For, Yet and Nor: What Is a Conjunction? (Words Are Categorical) by Brian P. Cleary
Spend time reading and finding the conjunctions together. This is also great bonding time!
ABCya.com is one of my daughter’s favorite learning sites. It is full of fun educational games. I highly recommend The Parts of Speech Quest on ABCya.com for teaching grammar. It is fun, challenging and engaging!
What fun methods have you been using to teach conjunctions?
Image courtesy of Jukka Zitting at flickr.com (scaled, cropped and text added)
Had no idea there were books on conjunctions either! Sweet
My kids love watching the School House Rock videos and listening to their CDs that we can get at the library. I miss those Saturday morning bits of learning too. We also like abcya.com. I will have to check out the books!
Wow, I had no idea there were books on conjunctions! That 6,000 Rats one sounds interesting! These tips will definitely come in handy when the kids get a little older. Great ideas!
I am saving all of your grammar and spelling lessons for the future with my kids. This is good stuff! Helps for me to read through them again to brush up too, thank you!
Thanks so much!
I agree, conjunctions can be confusing. This is a fun way to teach kids about conjunctions.