Grade 1 - Animals and Habitats

Animals and Habitats: Supplemental Guide 3B | Animals of the Sonoran Desert Habitat 63

 Syntactic Awareness Activity^5 minutes

Making a List Using the Conjunction and

Note: The purpose of these syntactic activities is to help students

understand the direct connection between grammatical structures

and the meaning of text. These syntactic activities should be used

in conjunction with the complex text presented in the read-alouds.

There may be variations in the sentences created by your class.

Allow for these variations, and restate students’ sentences so

that they are grammatical. If necessary, have students repeat the

sentence after you.

1. Conjunctions are a kind of word we use to connect words and
   phrases.


2. We use the conjunction and to join words and phrases that go
   together. Today we will use the conjunction and to make a list.
    Show image 3A-7: Cactus bloom
   Listen to Rattenborough’s sentence about the cactus bloom. I will
   emphasize the conjunction and as I read:
   At night, when the desert cools down, these fl owers open for
   butterfl ies, bats, and birds to feed on before the fl owers close the
   next day when it once again becomes very hot.


3. [Write butterfl ies, bats, and birds on the display, and read it to
   the class.] Notice that in this sentence, Rattenborough uses
   the conjunction and when he lists the kinds of animals that
   feed on the cactus fl ower’s nectar.


4. The conjunction and is used to join the last item on a list.
   Let’s listen to another sentence.
   [Write dry, hot, and sandy on the display, and read it to the
   class.]
   The desert is dry, hot, and sandy.


5. Now you try making a list using and to join the last item in the
   list.

• Tell your partner three or more things about the Arctic habitat.