Punctuation, Mechanics, Writing Conventions

Apostrophes
Twenty sentences for practice.

Be the Editor!
Students search for capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and grammar errors in a work sheet about famous African-Americans. Designed for grades 3-8.

Capitalization
This printable poster has examples to help kids remember the rules. Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader or compatible application for access.

Capitalization and Washington, D.C.
In this unit, students learn and practice capitalizing names of cities, states, countries, streets, buildings, bridges, and geographical places around the theme of Washington, D.C. This lesson is designed for grades 3-5 and could be modified for any city.

Choosing Punctuation
Students punctuate stories that have had all punctuation removed. At first they work individually, then they collaborate on a best draft.

Conversing with an Object
This lesson from the Smithsonian Museum combines practice in writing dialogue with history and creative writing. It includes a forum for sharing exemplary student work.

Every Punctuation Mark Matters: A Mini-Lesson on Semicolons
This lesson, designed for grades 6-8, uses "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and online resources to explore to use of the semicolon. Students also practice with their own writing.

"In Praise of the Humble Comma"
This essay by Pico Iyer celebrates the role of commas. High school and adult learners may appreciate it, as will any teacher who has just marked one comma error too many.

Grammar Girl
This series of podcasts provides "quick and dirty tips" for specific writing issues. Since the target audience is the general public, preview to make sure the podcast is appropriate for your classroom.

The Language Live Home for Abused Apostrophes
Real-world examples of what we hope our students won't do after they leave our classes.

Making a Successful Punctuation Lesson
Central to this teacher's article is the "Holistic Punctuation Chart" that approaches punctuation by purpose.

Pause for Punctuation
Students play with several methods to help them identify, use, and correct the improper use of punctuation.

Punctuation Scavenger Hunt
In this activity very young writers identify specific punctuation marks.

Using Comic Strips to Teach the Use of Quotation Marks
Students convert speech from bubbles to written sentences. This activity is designed for grades 1-3.