Download LESSON PLAN Date: Class and Grade Level: Title/Subject of

LESSON PLAN
Date:
Class and Grade Level:
Title/Subject of Lesson: Imagery: Participial Phrases
Learning Goal(s): Students will be able to
identify participial phrases in texts, combine
sentences to create participial phrases, and use
participial phrases in their own writing.
Assessment(s): For the first objective, we will
go over the mentor text in which they
identified participial phrases as a class. For the
second, they will work on a sentence
combining exercise which we will go over as a
class (in a real class, I would have them turn
this in). For the last one, they will eventually
turn in their piece of writing.
State (or Common) Core Curriculum Standard(s): Students will be able to use various types
of phrases (including participial phrases).
Concept(s) to Be Taught: A key concept to be learned in this lesson is how to use participial
phrases to incorporate imagery into their writing.
Rationale: We are doing a workshop on imagery and participial phrases are a great way for
students to be able to increase imagery in a strategic way. Participial phrases will be a tool other
than normal adjectives that they can use.
Materials Needed: Excerpts from a mentor text, overhead of mentor text, overhead of sentences
to combine or to separate.
Strategies to Be Used: I will use a read and identify strategy using a mentor text. I will use
group discussions and class discussions, and I will use sentence combining. I will also have
students practice with a writing practice piece.
PERFORMING
Announcements: None
Continuation from Previous Lesson: I want everyone to think back to last week and the work
we did with your narrative writing piece. Do you remember last week when we talked about
adjectives and adjective clauses? Why do we add things like adjective to sentences?
We do this to create imagery. Why would this be something useful and important to use in your
writing pieces?
Let’s take a look at this sentence on the board: The tree fell. It is pretty boring isn’t it? What are
some adjectives or adverbs we could add to make it more exciting? (Get input from class and
improve the sentence). This is much better. Adjectives and adverbs are a great way to increase
imagery. Last week, we worked with these tools to increase the imagery in the narrative writing
pieces you are working on.
Lesson Presentation: But are there other ways to add imagery, or do we have to stick with
adjectives and adverbs? There is! Today, we are going to talk about a new strategy. We are
going to talk about participial phrases.
A)
Preparing for Learning: (Modeling) Show students these sentences with
participial phrases:
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Dropping like a stone, the unconscious boxer hit the mat hard.
The car, gaining speed on the straightaway, fought hard for the lead in the race.
The politician stepped to the podium, clearing his throat and unfolding his
speech.
Washed with soap and water, the dog looked like a drowned rat.
Stuck in the back of the closet, the forgotten toy looked lonely.
Ask them what they recognize about the italicized phrases. Do they notice any patterns?
Do they add imagery? In what way? How would the sentence be different if it did not
include the participial phrase? These phrases are participial phrases. Participial phrases
are phrases that usually start with the –ing or -ed form of a verb, but also past participles
for irregular verbs.
There are a couple of criteria/ clues that something is a participial phrase:

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phrase that begins (usually) with an -ing verb, but can also start with an –ed verb
(or other forms of the past participle).
it attaches itself to a complete sentence, where it actually serves as an adjective
phrase
it is (usually) separated from the main sentence with a comma
Notice that participles are usually adjective-esque, modifying a noun from the sentence's
main subject + predicate section.
They are a clever tool for inserting an extra verb into one's sentences.
Let’s quickly look back at our sentences with participial phrases:

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B)
Dropping like a stone, the unconscious boxer hit the mat hard.
The car, gaining speed on the straightaway, fought hard for the lead in the race.
The politician stepped to the podium, clearing his throat and unfolding his
speech.
Washed with soap and water, the dog looked like a drowned rat.
Stuck in the back of the closet, the forgotten toy looked lonely.
Directing the Learning:
 Mentor Text (Guided Practice): With a partner, look at this passage from
Charlotte’s Web, underline the participial phrases. Share with your partner
the clues that helped you identify it as a participial phrase. After you are
all done, we will talk about this passage as a class. Remember the criteria/
clues we talked about before. Also, remember that there will not be a
participial phrase in every sentence.
o Talk about each participial phrase. Ask students to identify the
criteria and clues that helped them know that it was a participial
phrase. Ask them how the participial phrase adds imagery to the
sentence.
 Sentence combining (Guided Practice): Tell the students that participial
phrases are often made out of two sentences. Remind them that at times,
they will have to make changes to the verb form. Ask the students to
combine these sentences into one phrase by using a participial phrase with
a partner:
o Examples:
 The clarinet player adjusted her fingers. The clarinet player
pursued the perfect note.
 Pursuing the perfect note, the clarinet player adjusted her
fingers again.
 That hymn is sung by many generations of churchgoers.
That hymn is my favorite.
 Come up with sentence as a class.
o We approached the top of the hill. We climbed slowly.
o The cheerleaders jumped up and down. The cheerleaders urged the
team on.
o Phil was worn out by his long trip. Phil slept for twelve hours.
o The cookies were baked this morning. The cookies were all gone
by five o’clock.
o Bob stared out the window at the rain. Bob became more and more
impatient.
The groups will then share with the class. Ask them what the
participial phrase does to add imagery.
Now, go back to the sentence that we wrote on the board, “A tree fell.” Have the students modify
it with a participial phrase. Ask them how it adds imagery. Ask them why participial phrases
would be a good tool for them to incorporate into their writing in order to add imagery.
C)
Reinforcing the Learning: Practice Writing Piece (Independent Practice): Have
students pull out their narrative writing practice pieces. Ask them to practice using
participial phrases. Remind them that they can use them as a way to add imagery and
to combine sentences.
ATAWT: Show an excerpt from this YouTube Clip that uses a lot of participial phrases. Have
students raise their hands when they hear a participial phrase:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTScRTNvIcI (start at 1:50)