EXPANDING SENTENCES

“SUPER SENTENCES”

Early Back 2016

Common Core State Standards

Conventions of Standard English

1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
¨  Kindergarten
¤  f. Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities.
¨  First Grade
¤  j. Produce and expand complete simple and compound declarative,
interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences response to
prompts.
¨  Second Grade
¤  f. Produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound
sentences.
¨  Third Grade
¤  i. Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences.
How do you encourage your students to write longer,
more interesting sentences?

¨  Asking them to write more or add more details to

their writing most likely results in a long run-on
sentence.
¨  Students need to be explicitly taught how to write a

complete sentence with meaningful details.

 Before expanding sentences, first
review…

Students must know and

understand…
¨  The different types of sentences:
¤  declarative, interrogative, exclamatory, and imperative
¨  What makes a complete declarative sentence
¤  Subject and predicate
Complete Declarative Sentence

Ø  A complete declarative sentence

answers…
Ø  who the sentence is about. (Subject)
Ø  what the subject is doing. (Predicate)

Jason ran.
¤  Who?- Jason

¤  What did he do? - Ran

Complete or Incomplete Sentence

¨  Identify the subject/who and

predicate/what.
1.  Carlos had fun.
2.  Kim in the summer.
3.  The adorable kittens in the baskets.
4.  The dogs barked all night.
EXPANDING A SIMPLE SENTENCE I
Ø  Ask yourself questions about the sentence.
Ø  Who?, What?, Where?, When?, Why?, & How?
Ø  Revise the simple sentence by adding the answers to
the questions.
Expanding a Sentence
Example: The lady was surprised.
1.  Who? Nan was surprised.
2.  Why? Nan was surprised to see Dan runaway.
3.  When? This morning, Nan was surprised to see Dan
runaway.
4.  How? This morning, Nan was surprised to see Dan
runaway as fast as he could.
   
Let’s write a super sentence!
Questions
 Let’s review
EXPANDING A SIMPLE SENTENCE I
¨  What worked?
¨  What didn’t work?
 EXPANDING A SIMPLE SENTENCE II

Ø  Ask yourself questions about the sentence.

Ø  Who?, What?, Where?, When?, Why?, & How?
Ø  Revise the simple sentence by answering questions in
a one word response or small phrase.
Expanding a Sentence
When? This morning
Who? Isaiah
Did what? was excited
Why? because he was going swimming
Where? at his friends house
How? __________________
My super sentence
This morning, Isaiah was excited because he was going swimming to
his friends house.
Let’s write a super sentence!
Questions
EXPANDING A SIMPLE SENTENCE III

¨  Using post-it notes to expand sentences allows

students to manipulate the order of the details in a
sentence.
¨  You can use specific colors of poste-it notes for each

detail.
EXPANDING A SIMPLE SENTENCE III
During explicit/direct instruction, the teacher will be doing the entire process alone
while modeling their thinking process and students should be writing the teacher’s
answers on the post-it notes.
Ø  Have students label 6 post-it notes with the questions words listed
below.
Ø  Who?, What?, Where?, When?, Why?, & How?
Ø  Begin with the Who and What post-it notes.
Ø  During guided practice, have the students answer the questions who
and what about a(n) picture/image provided on the post-it notes
with a one word response or small phrase.
Ø  Students should manipulate the post-it notes’ order and read their
sentences to themselves and a partner until their sentence sounds
right.
EXPANDING A SIMPLE SENTENCE III
Ø  After the students have a simple sentence, explain that they are
going to expand/revise their simple sentence by answering questions
in a one word response or small phrase on each post-it note.
Ø  Begin by having the students answer one more post-it note’s question.
Ø  During the explicit/direct instruction and guided part of the lesson, the
teacher should choose the question to be answered on the post-it note.
Ø  The answers may vary during the guided and independent lessons.
Ø  Have students manipulate the order of the post-it notes as they read
their sentences to themselves, a partner, and teacher may also
choose to call on students to share out.
Ø  Have the students go through the same process until they have
answered at least 4 post-it notes. If students are able to write a
super sentence correctly, you may have them answer more questions
on the remaining post-it notes.
 Writing a super sentence with post-it
notes.
When?   Who?   What?  

Yesterday   Joseph  and  Giovanni     bounced    on  their  large  balls  

   

Where?   Why?   How?  

at  the  park   to  see  who  could  bounce  the  

highest  
 
 
Let’s write a super sentence with post-it
notes.
When?   Who?  

Where?   What?  

   

How?   Why?  

 
Questions/Ideas