Teach Sentence Types Using Games and Technology

Objectives

1. I can identify the four types of sentences: declarative, imperative, interrogative and exclamatory.

2. I can create a digital selfie comic strip with the four types of sentences.

3. I can add punctuation to sentences and determine the sentence type using a color-coded system.

Download the Printable to Go With This Lesson (PDF)

Introduction

Introduce the lesson by talking with students about the fact that there are different types of sentences. Next, point to the sentence banners (featured in the printable linked above) and ask students if anyone can explain or give an example of the
sentence types listed. Then, go over the definitions of the four types of sentences: declarative, imperative, interrogative and exclamatory. Definitions: “The declarative sentence makes a statement. The imperative sentence gives a direction or a command. The interrogative sentence asks a question. The exclamatory sentence is a statement that shows strong emotion or excitement.”

Whole-Group Game: Four Corners

Instructions

1. Hang the sentence banners in each corner of the classroom.

2. Students choose a corner in which to stand.

3. Teacher reads a sentence.

4. If students think it is the sentence type designated by their corner, they sit down.

5. If students are wrong (they stand up in the wrong corner/don’t stand up in the correct corner), they are out of the game!

6. Students who are correct get a punctuation badge (sticker).

7. Teacher reads 10 sentences (included in the PDF). The student with the most stickers is the Sentence Champ!

Punctuation badges shown above: round color-coded label stickers with punctuation marks ( . ? ! ) drawn on them.

Independent Work: Digital Selfie Comic Strip Project

Using the Web 2.0 tool Chogger, students create a Selfie Comic Strip using the four types of sentences. Have students choose the four-box template on Chogger. Next, they take selfies of themselves
making different facial expressions to match each sentence type.

Facial Expression Examples:

Declarative – straight face

Imperative – finger pointing/stern face

Interrogative – thinking/wondering

Exclamatory – excited/smiling/thumbs up/cheering

After students have their head shots placed in the boxes, have them add speech bubbles and type a sentence in each one. Not only is this project fun, but teachers can assess the students’ writing and understanding of the four sentence types.
Once students finish their comics, take screenshots of their work. Then you do not have to worry about creating a login or password on Chogger. Have the students place their screenshot in a word document and create a title: Four Types of Sentences Comic.
Then, print it out for the students to share!

Four Types of Sentences Exit Slip

Pass out the Exit Slip featured below and have students use a color-coded system to write their punctuation and sentence-type names.

Example:

Declarative – orange

Imperative – yellow

Interrogative – blue

Exclamatory – red

Reinforcement: Real World Application of Four Sentence Types

For reinforcement, have students use their new knowledge and skills of sentence types by using four different highlighters and finding the sentence types in one of their writing compositions. Tell the children to choose one of their narratives in their writing notebook. They must choose a highlighter color to represent each type of sentence. Then, they highlight sentences
in their composition, color-coding them by type. Once they are finished, have them check with you to see if they were able to identify the different types in their own writing.