Varying Sentence Construction

This lesson focuses on simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences, four sentence constructions that writers can use in their works. This lesson spans two class periods. On day 1, students will learn the features of simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences, see examples of them, examine how these sentence types are used in published writing, and consider the benefits of using them. On day 2, students will review key points about simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences, create examples of them, and reflect on the benefits of using each of these sentence types. At the end of the instructional process, students will answer an exit question about why simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences are important tools for strong writing. The lesson's objectives are: students will understand the features of simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences; students will understand the importance of simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to strong writing; and students will be able to use simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences in their writing and reflect on the benefits of using each of these sentence types.