Commas, colons, and semicolons in a series

General

Distinguishing between commas, semicolons, and colons can get confusing even for adults. It is a grammatical concept that is important to understand and constantly reference to ensure correct usage. This lesson lays out proper usage in a way that is clear and succinct. It begins with the foundational concept of using commas to separate items in a series and discusses the Oxford comma. A brief discussion of semicolons and colons is also included.

Standards

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.2a

Learning objective

Students will be able to punctuate items in a series using commas, colons, and semicolons.

Introduction

The lesson starts by asking students instances where they use commas in writing. It will explain how to use commas in a series.

Instruction

Students are introduced to the Oxford comma and where to put the comma. They will add commas to a passage about basketball camp and rewrite the passage. They will also write sentences with a provided list of objects. When writing lists, colons and semicolons are also used. Students will drag colons and semicolons to the correct places in sentences. They will then take part in a fun Spin the Wheel activity where they will write sentences with the punctuation mark (i.e., commas, semicolons, colons) on which they land!

Quiz

This lesson includes 10 questions reinforcing proper usage of punctuating items in a series.

Closing

The last slide contains an activity meant to be done in groups or pairs. Have one student write a paragraph that is 5-7 sentences long with no punctuation. Then, have their neighbor or other partners add correct punctuation.

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