Activities

1. List all the forms of punctuation you might use while writing.
   
   
2. Match particular punctuation with its purpose.

3. Distinguish how each end punctuation mark changes the effect of the sentence.

4. Revise sentences using different types of punctuation for effect.

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Student lists all the forms of punctuation they are familiar with based on their experiences.  Examples can be the period, the question mark, the exclamation point, the comma, the semi-colon, the colon, the dash, quotation marks.
   
   
2. Students will match each punctuation mark with its purpose:

• Period – an end to a declarative sentence; is used at the end of an abbreviation
• Question mark – an end of a question or interrogative sentence
• Exclamation point – used for emphasis, extreme emotion
• Comma – used to separate ideas in a sentence or a list
• Semi-colon – used to separate two independent clauses in one sentence
• Colon – used after a word introducing an explanation or an example
• Dash – (emdash) – used to indicate a break In thought or to introduce a phrase added for definition of explanation
• Quotation marks – when not used in a dialogue, quotation marks around a word can indicate the author means to indicate the exact opposite meaning of the word in quotation marks

3. Student will identify situations when punctuation marks can be changed to change the effect of the sentence. Students can experiment with sentences to see how changing the punctuation mark changes their meaning.  Teachers can provide examples or student can examine a written text.
   
   
4. Student will revise sentences written with one punctuation mark to change the effect of the sentence.  Similarly, student can demonstrate understanding of the power of punctuation marks in their authentic writing assessments including revision and editing of original texts.