Grammar in Popular Culture Mini Lesson

Mary Toth
LAE 4332-01
Professor Witte
Purpose, rationale
If have found that many students today use passive verbs because it is easier. But
unfortunately this can lead to boring writing or apathetic writers. There of course is
a time and place to use passive verbs, but I want to show my students how much
better and lively writing can be made when striving to use active verbs rather than
passive ones.
Grade level
8th grade, English Language Arts
Florida State Standards
LAFS.8.L.1.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage
when writing or speaking.
a) Explain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives) in general
and their function in particular sentences.
b) Form and use verbs in the active and passive voice.
c) Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional,
and subjunctive mood.
d) Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood.
LAFS.8.W.2.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations
for writing types are defined in standards 13 above.)
LAFS.K12.W.3.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection,
and research.

Objectives (what the students will be able to do)

SWBAT:

Write a short narrative

Identify active and passive verbs in their short narrative
Rewrite the short narrative using only active verbs

Write a reflection on the difference between active and passive verbs and
how they change the writing dynamic

Materials List

paper/notebooks (students should have this already)

Writing utensils
2 different colored highlighters

Anticipatory set (likely very short for a mini-lesson)

Teacher will have objectives written on the board prior to class starting. During this
mini lesson students will watch 2 video clips to delve into the topic of active and
passive verb usage. After watching the videos and having small class discussion on
active versus passive verbs students will take writing that they wrote last class
during bell work (small narrative) and identify the active and passive verbs in their
narrative. They will do this in order to see just how often they use active verbs as
compared to how often they choose to use passive one. They will then be instructed
to rewrite their narrative using only active verbs. They will be allowed to change
their current active verbs with more vibrant ones if they so choose, but the main
goal is for them to change their passive verbs at least. At the end of the mini lesson
they will write a one to two sentence reflection on how changing the passive verbs
to active verbs created a more interesting (or simply different) narrative. They will
then answer the question: why is it important to use active verbs in writing?
Tick-tock (the minute by minute strategy/procedure/activity that describes
what both the student and teacher are doing at all times)
Time
5 minutes

Teacher will be doing

Greeting students as they
arrive to class and then start
talking to them about what a
difference using active verbs
versus using passive verbs
makes. Teacher will show
class the video clip and tell
them to make note of the
active and passive verbs
being used. After watching
the clip teacher will ask them
if they prefer reading novels
with fun, vibrant active verbs
or with passive verbs. Ask
them when it might be
appropriate to use passive
verbs instead of active ones
and vice versa. Talk about
how Yodas use of passive
verbs is a style choice by the

Student will be doing

Listening to teacher explain;
watch video; raise hands to
answer discussion questions

1 minute

5 minutes

4 minutes

producer of the movies. Tell

students that when using
active and passive voice, to
choose them for a reason.
Dont just use passive verbs
because it might be easier.
Instructs students to open
their class journals to the
short narrative they wrote
during bell work the previous
class. Tells students to take
out their high lighters and
using one color to highlight
passive verbs while using the
other to highlight active ones.
Teacher will then tell students
to start rewriting their
narrative and replacing dull
verbs with more vibrant ones;
teachers tells students that in
the final product there should
be no passive verbs used
Teacher is pacing, answering
any questions and making
sure students are on task

Teacher instructs students to

write in their class journals a
one to two sentence reflection
on how changing the passive
verbs to active verbs created
a more interesting (or simply
different) narrative.
Teacher also instructs
students to answer this
question (teacher writes
question on board as she
explains): Why is it important
to use active verbs in
writing?
Teacher tells students they
have 4 minutes to complete
this.

Students are listening to teacher

explain next set of directions

Students begin identifying verbs

and then rewriting narrative using
on active verbs replacing
passive verbs with active ones
(and if they so choose, also
replacing active verbs with
different active verbs)
Students are listening to teacher
and following instructions; they
are writing their reflection and
answering the question on the
board. Students should then turn
in their class journals to the
journal bin (this is daily routine,
they should know to do this
already)

Summary/closure
Students are turning in their class journals into the journal bin for teacher to look
over at a later time. No homework tonight.
Assessment (if any for the mini-lesson)
Informal Assessment: Teacher is assessing students understanding by the questions
they are asking her. She will later check journals for completion and comprehension.
Accommodations (for SPED, ESL, other demographic groups and needs)
1. ELLs: allowed to work with a partner
2. Visually impaired: seated close to board in order to read question that is
written
Attachments (the materials you use)
https://youtu.be/YEuA5Y_Cc88

Citations (the materials you use and cite)

"The Force Is My Ally." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 June 2015.
<https://youtu.be/YEuA5Y_Cc88>.