A Note from Ms. Ganley: Each mission provides "teaching" mini posters and answer keys to ensure comprehension. Printing these mini posters is optional if you choose to create a personalized grammar notebook. The content is appropriate for students through middle school; however, younger students may need parental support to get started.

This is a FUN way to learn grammar with practical application using children's picture books (in video format).  Learn what it truly means to REVISE and practice writing "better" sentences.   (Even "older" students who slept through their grammar lessons will benefit from this class.)  

You'll receive the first Mission when you sign up for the class.

Searching for "evidence" as a WORD DETECTIVE  engages learners to gain a deeper understanding of its grammatical structure in a REAL LIFE example aka:  CLUE  (mentor sentence) from the TOP SECRET MISSIONS (picture books).  Picture books are an effective tool for teaching grammar and writing because they engage students in a visual and narrative way, making complex concepts more accessible and memorable.

Detectives will learn how the parts of speech like nouns, verbs, prepositions, and articles work together and relate to each other in a mentor sentence.*   The content of this class is appropriate for any student learning grammar or who may need extra ELA support.   ("Older" students do not need to "play" detective... the material will still teach grammar concepts... it just won't be as "FUN".  🕵️‍♀️)


** Students truly enjoy this class and really get into their "role" as a word detective.   They look forward to the weekly missions and comment that the activities are FUN.  Every activity is supported with teacher examples to ensure understanding and success. I am always available to meet live to help learners get started.**

TOP SECRET Missions

Each mission will involve detecting similar elements each week such as: using a capital letter to begin a sentence, ending punctuation, subjects, predicates, basic parts of speech, etc., with additional challenges of identifying a couple of new things in the form of figurative language or learning how to use dialogue.  You’ll notice a reduction in the number of grammar mini posters - TEACHING MINI POSTERS - so as not to duplicate what was already sent in previous missions.  ANSWER KEYS ARE INCLUDED with each Mission.

---  "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" (Charles Caleb Colton, English writer) ---
 - Each mission will also include a sentence crafted by the author as a guide for learning how to revise and make improvements. Throughout these missions, you'll receive suggestions, such as transforming ordinary verbs into vivid verbs to “SHOW”  the action, or incorporating repeating sounds to create alliteration for enhanced impact and style - in “student friendly” language.

EXAMPLE are ALWAYS included to make this easy to understand and encourage reluctant writers.


**TOP SECRET MISSIONS**  PARENTS ONLY **  Below is an inside look at our covert operations!  Mission texts include fiction and nonfiction books / video links (books read aloud to the viewer.)

Week 1:  Stargazers, by Gail Gibbons
Teaching  MINI POSTERS in this lesson:
common nouns, verbs/ verb tense, prepositions, articles, capital letter, ending punctuation, types of sentence, alliteration, simple subject & simple predicate, homophones, plural nouns

Week 2:  The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Teaching MINI POSTERS in this lesson:  linking verbs, adjectives, conjunctions

Water Dance  - a poem by Thomas Locker
Teaching MINI POSTERS in this lesson:  pronouns, point of view, compound words, personification

The Honey Makers by Gail Gibbons
Teaching MINI POSTERS in this lesson: adverbs, possessive pronouns, contractions

My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother by Patricia Polacco
Teaching MINI POSTERS in this lesson: transition words & phrases, similes
ENRICHMENT:  simile poetry activity

The Umbrella by Jan Brett
Teaching MINI POSTERS in this lesson: onomatopoeia

Miss Nelson is Back, by James Marshall
Teaching MINI POSTERS in this lesson: hyperbole, dialogue, quotation marks
BONUS:  100 Synonyms for “Said”

Duck for President by Doreen Cronin
Teaching MINI POSTERS in this lesson: introductory phrases, commas in a series

Remember - each week, students will pracitce and reinforce what previous Missions "taught".   

Once the first mission is complete (with parent guidance,) students will learn how easy it is to self-check.

This class was created just for you!  I am just an email away to support your learning journey and I am always willing to meet LIVE in the classroom!


NEED more DETAILS?

***  WHY TAKE THIS CLASS?  
When students learn how to identify the role each word plays in a sentence based on its function and placement, they are also learning how to write better sentences.   Through these missions, students will improve their writing skills while visually understanding grammar and syntax (the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences).

By the end of each MISSION Detectives will have...
> Weekly writing practice:  revising, editing, creative imitation, handwriting
> Learn the types of sentences
> Practice correct punctuation
> Write a compelling sentence
> *Grammar:  nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, articles, homophones, subject, predicate, types of sentences, commas, capitalization, conjunctions, compound words,  figurative language use such as alliteration, personification, onomatopoeia, and more!
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Mission Tasks - Plain Directions
1)  Read the title of the book and the CLUE (Mentor Sentence) you'll find inside.
2) Click on the video link and read along silently as the story is read to you.
3) *SNAP* fingers together when you hear the CLUE in the story.  
**  Remember where you heard the CLUE (Mentor Sentence) - was it in the beginning, middle, or end of the story?

4)  On the printed handout, CIRCLE where the CLUE was in the story.
5)  Complete Mission #1  - Use highlighters to search for evidence in the CLUE (Mentor Sentence)
Example:  highlight VERBS orange, draw a box around PREPOSITIONS, circle the ENDING PUNCUTATION, etc.

 -- NO PREVIOUS GRAMMAR KNOWLEDGE IS REQUIRED --
Each Mission includes specific GRAMMAR POSTERS to "teach" the parts of speech related to the CLUE (Mentor Sentence).   
A MAGNIFYING GLASS and RED TEXT will identify the evidence = answer.
Images of the teacher's spiral notebook (ANSWER KEY) are also included at the end of each mission.

Print the Grammar Posters and attach them to a different spiral notebook or at the end of the current mission for future reference - OR - save and download the file to view online.

Detective Kit Materials:  
8.5 X 11  COLLEGE RULED spiral notebook (plastic cover is best, I like the Five Star brand) 
Fine or chisel-tipped highlighters work best,  in assorted colors (such as the Sharpie Highlighters)
Pencils, pencil sharpener, erasers
Scissors
Glue stick or rubber cement
WEEKLY - printed copies of a few pages from the MISSION ATTACHMENT  (3 single sheets)
OPTIONAL:  Grammar mini-posters
The “mini-posters” provide visual support to help students grasp everything from parts of speech to sentence structure!  Adding the grammar “mini-posters” to the Detective Log transforms it into a reference tool where students can refer for quick answers. 

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NO WORKSHEETS in this class!

The weekly mission tasks are broken down into a one-page step-by-step organizer that is easy to read.  Each mission task is structured the same and should take no more than 10 - 15 minutes to complete each day.  [Learners catch on quickly!]  Enthusiastic detectives may choose to complete multiple tasks at a time, or follow the plan for one task a day (for 5 days.)
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WHAT TO EXPECT when you sign up for this class:
New Detectives will receive a Welcome email and LETTER Attachment to print. 

The Welcome Letter directs new Detectives to create an alias name using the Code Name Detective Manual for assistance, decipher a Secret List by visiting a gadget lab (to locate a reflective surface), assemble a Detective Kit (acquire supply tools), obtain a sturdy SAFE (to protect mission materials), locate a SECURE ROOM to perform mission tasks (to prevent sabotage when work is exposed on a table or desk), and finally, to memorize the content of the Welcome Letter before destroying and disposing of it properly.   You know the drill…  

[In adult terms, new detectives are asked to gather a few materials for class and to find a good place to work.  The material list is below - but don't tell them what's on the list.  You'll discover the purpose of this when you receive the WELCOME Letter attachment.]

New Detectives will also receive the first week's Mission in a separate attachment.   Eager Detectives who have created their alias name (using the included manual),  have assembled their Detective Kit, and located a Secure Room ...  may embark on their first mission before the Start Date.  

Outschool families, Do Not Fear accepting this mission, as the tasks are much easier to complete than the detailed description below expounds!  In fact, these mission tasks are ideal in the form of a FLEX class.  (Especially since pictures of the HEAD DETECTIVE Log are included each week which models everything!)

MISSIONS are structured to be completed independently within 10 - 15 minutes per day and will be labeled Days 1 - 5, rather than Monday - Friday.  Of course, the enthusiastic or "seasoned" Detective may decide to complete multiple Missions in a day, which is perfectly fine!  ***** This FLEX class is for YOU and I will accommodate all learning requests to the best of my ability. 

Recommendation:
Combine Mission Tasks Days 1 - 3 
Combine Mission Tasks Days 4 & 5 

("Seasoned"  = older students)
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Grammar is best taught through authentic reading and writing, therefore, Detectives will be introduced to a story each week and have the option to view "video footage" of the SOURCE read aloud to them.  Detectives are asked to use their observation skills as they seek the location of the CLUE. (Was the mentor sentence pulled from the beginning, middle, or end of the story?)  They are to SNAP THEIR FINGERS when they hear the CLUE, so as to NOT interrupt the video footage.

Detectives will then begin to search for specific "evidence" from within the CLUE (nouns, subject/predicate, punctuation, determining the type of sentence, figurative language, etc.) within a Mentor Sentence FROM that story.  The missions are all guided with lots of visual examples to follow.  Detectives master the steps quickly!

Basic Class Format Example:
Day 1  MISSION TASK: “Searching for Evidence” in the CLUE (mentor sentence)
common noun - highlight yellow			
article - highlight green
verb - highlight orange					
capital letter - underline twice in pencil
preposition:  draw a box around it in pencil	

Day 2 MISSION TASK:  “Search for more Evidence”

Day 3 MISSION TASK:  "REVISE" (This means make it "sound" better!  The Head Detective will make suggestions.  Soon, Detectives begin to have their own ideas of "how" to REVISE and make it sound better!
Add an adjective to describe the sky.  			Suggestion:  immense or gorgeous
Add an adjective to describe the stars.  			Suggestion:  twinkling or glowing
Add an adverb to tell  “how”  the sky sparkled.  	Suggestion:  brightly

Day 4 MISSION TASK:  "IMITATE"  ~  the greatest form of flattery!
Detectives write a sentence about anything they want using the same EVIDENCE CRITERIA that the author used in the mentor sentence  - the CLUE - that Detectives have been analyzing.

The HEAD Detective will make some suggestions of what to include in the new sentence:  vivid verbs, two common nouns, make the sentence interrogative

Day 5  MISSION TASK: "EDIT"  &  KAHOOT Mission Assessment ~ Kahoot Game (standardized test-prep practice)
Detectives will be guided to use editing marks to correct the sentence - this time, the mentor sentence will have mistakes.  But that's ok - Detectives have already worked with the CORRECT version for several mission tasks.   Next, Detectives will rewrite the sentence correctly - in their best handwriting - as an entry in their DETECTIVE LOG.
Finally, Detectives will click on the KAHOOT link in the Day-by-Day directions to automatically play a game (aka FINAL MISSION Assessment)

----  This is an 8-week class ----  WHEN WILL THE 8 MISSIONS ARRIVE? ***
On Sundays, (or no later than early Monday morning,) Detectives will receive a new mission. Again, each week it will be important to PRINT the first two pages - indicated with a printer icon in the upper right-hand corner of the pages. 

HEAD ADULTS in the home:   Please read through all the materials before printing attachments. Typically, the first two pages of each weekly Mission are the only pages that need to be printed to complete the tasks in the Detective's Log each week.  (There will be a small icon printer in the upper right-hand corner of those pages, as a reminder.)

The weekly attachment will also include live links to access the "not-so-top-secret" video footage of the SOURCE (the story read-a-loud), Final Mission Task Kahoot games, a one-page, simple day-by-day breakdown of mission tasks, and grammar review "mini-posters".  (Easy, peasy! Honest.)

TO PRINT -or- NOT TO PRINT the Grammar Mini-Posters 
The purpose of the grammar "mini-posters" is to use them as a reference to review background prerequisite skills related to the CLUE - the Mentor Sentence.  

By 3rd or 4th grade, it is assumed that most students have been exposed to a basic grammar curriculum and should be able to complete missions with minimal to no adult support.  Please review the "mini-posters" each week to fill any gaps in learning or refresh memories of previous learning.

The "mini-posters" can be printed and included in the Detective's Log, but it is NOT necessary. Simply refer to them in the attachment to remind Detectives what they most likely already know, or to quickly fill a learning gap.   (For example, a common noun names a person, place, or thing.)  



-------- More Details -------- 

WHY TAKE THIS CLASS?
Any student who would like to study Language Arts in an authentic format, will easily increase their skills and boost their writing and grammar confidence through these exercises.  ELA Detective Missions are perfect for all learners, whether they are reluctant writers or voracious creative writers.   All Missions have additional support materials to ensure "painless" completion (scaffolding).

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Remember, this is a FLEX class and does not meet live.  However, I am quick to respond to emails and am always available to meet LIVE for additional support.  When you sign up for the class and introduce yourself, it would be helpful to know your time zone and the days and times Detectives will be at work (so that I can double-check email communication during that time.)  If you need or want to meet live, please ask!

I highly recommend the OPTIONAL OUTSCHOOL interactions with the HEAD DETECTIVE  (the teacher)  to support and celebrate the completion of Mission Tasks.  (They are described for each Mission.)

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Everyone loves a good story.  This is why we begin with a favorite children's book and "pull"  the Mentor Sentence from the story. Mentor sentences create an opportunity to take that love of a good story and use it to build student confidence as writers, develop an understanding of sentence structure in context, and overall strengthen and improve speaking, writing, and reading skills.  Basically, Mentor Sentences become a scaffold when asking students to write by changing elements in a sentence to develop and craft a new sentence.

*What is a Mentor Sentence?
A “Mentor Sentence” is a properly written sentence from a text (children’s book)  that is used to help students learn and practice correct grammar and sentence structure. Mentor sentences provide a structure that gives them confidence in expressing themselves both orally and in written form.  (This is especially helpful for reluctant writers, students who need extra ELA support, speakers learning English, or young learners.)

“Research says that students need to see correct sentences rather than incorrect sentences so that it's ingrained in their brains correctly, rather than incorrectly.” 

* Some Mentor Sentences may break conventional rules. Those are opportunities for students to learn how grammar can change over time. Sometimes, rules are contested, and language changes. Mentor sentences provide an avenue for that discussion.

In addition to allowing for a conversation (through email - this is a FLEX class)  about the changes to grammatical conventions, mentor sentences also provide a bridge between grammar, reading, and writing. 

Grammar is not effective in isolation. For example, a prepositional phrase can be used as a transition and interrupter. Students need to think about why an author might purposefully use a prepositional phrase for effect or emphasis. When students see how grammar is present in what they are reading, they become better writers.


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Lesson activities are adapted from the ideas of Jeff Anderson - https://www.writeguy.net/