Using Coordinating Conjunctions to Create Compound Sentences

Engage your students in a fun and interactive learning experience with this hands on craft and writing activity. This resource is designed to help students explore the use of coordinating conjunctions (or ‘joining’ words) and their role in the structure of compound sentences. Reinforce understandings of sentence structure and grammar while fostering creativity and fine motor skills. With clear teacher directions and student steps, this hands-on activity encourages students to create personalised hand-shaped crafts that display compound sentences.

Through completion of this task, students will learn that simple connections can be made between ideas by using a compound sentence with two or more clauses usually linked by a coordinating conjunction.

How to Prepare this Conjunctions Activity for Your Class

Print enough hand templates for each student, ensuring they have the necessary materials for the activity. Each student will require a conjunction word and a clause strip from the provided template (print only the number of pages required, as each of these pages contains several of these components, saving you printing!). Based on student levels, assign either pre-printed or blank templates to allow for easy differentiation (more on differentiation below!).

Students will also need tape, a stapler or glue to assemble their crafts.

How Students Will Complete This Task

An easy-to-follow, illustrated student instruction sheet is included in this resource download. Students are directed to:

• Fold the hands template along the solid vertical line, ensuring the printed side is facing out.
• While keeping the paper folded, cut along the dashed line, forming a love heart-shaped hole between the hands. Unfold the page to reveal the heart-shaped opening.
• With the page unfolded, carefully cut around the outline of the hands.
• Choose two clauses to create a compound sentence. Cut them along the dashed line and glue each clause onto the arms of the hands.
• Select the appropriate coordinating conjunction to link your clauses, cut it out, and thread it through the heart-shaped hole formed by the hands. Attach the conjunction at the bottom of the heart using tape, glue or a stapler.
• Colour and personalise their hand-shaped creation!

Differentiation Options Supported by This Conjunctions Resource

This teaching resource has been differentiated for two levels of ability:

One-Star-Labelled pages are a lower level of difficulty, allowing the student to “piece together” two clauses of their choosing which are already printed on the clause strips, and to select the correct pre-printed coordinating conjunction to create their linking piece. Please instruct students to follow the instruction page with one star printed on the top right.

Two-Star-Labelled pages require students to write their own compound sentences on blank clause strips, and then write the correct coordinating conjunction on a blank copy of the conjunction link. Please instruct students to follow the instruction page with two stars printed on the top right.

This activity not only reinforces early grammar concepts but also promotes creative expression, manual dexterity, and an understanding of how coordinating conjunctions link ideas in sentences. Get ready to inspire your students’ creativity while reinforcing language skills with this enjoyable craft and writing activity!

More Coordinating Conjunctions Resources for Your Teaching Toolkit:

[resource:48151] [resource:6595] [resource:4922965]