Teacher notes for this lesson. Two sides of A4, not for pupils.Mild sheetMedium sheetSpicy sheetAnswers
Teacher notes · not for pupils Grammar sequence

Join the Two Halves

Coordination and subordination

Lesson 4 of 14
Year 2 45 min

Objective

Join clauses using the coordinating conjunctions and, or, but and so, and the subordinating conjunctions when, if, that and because, choosing the conjunction that carries the meaning.

Board title: Choosing the joining word  ·  Say it: “Today we're joining two halves of a sentence with one little word, and choosing the word that says exactly what we mean.”

Curriculum

  • Y2: subordination, when, if, that, because, and co-ordination, and, or, but
  • Y1: joining words and joining clauses using and (revisited)
  • Terminology: join · joining word (conjunction is for you, not them)
  • STA domain: G3.1

Success criteria

  • join two halves with and, but, or or so
  • use because to give the reason
  • use when for the time and if for the condition
  • check the joining word against what I meant

Key vocabulary

join · joining word · half · reason · result · choice · surprise

Run of the lesson

5 min
Starter: write I was tired _ I went to bed. and I was tired _ I kept cooking. Take suggestions, write two or three up, and move on without choosing.
9 min
Model both kinds. Cover the joining word in We chopped the onions and we fried them and read each half alone, both stand up. Then I wore a coat because it was cold: the second half leans. Reason, time, choice, result or surprise, ask it for each of and, but, or, so, because, when, if. So gives the result: It was cold so I wore a coat.
8 min
Build the Bridge on the whiteboard, Mild band (the equal-halves set: and, but, or, so). Read both halves aloud before the class votes. If the game refuses a word a child can justify, tell them plainly they are right and the game is being fussy.
5 min
Trap and vote pairs on the board: say We chopped the onions because we fried them in a confident voice and ask who it was answering, nobody asked why. Then the four votes, a child says WHY before each reveal (answers: a-right, b-left, c-left, d-right).
15 min
Worksheet, independent. Circulate on Task 3: the tell is a because sentence where nothing asks why, so make each writer read their sentence and answer 'what question does your joining word answer?'
3 min
Plenary: two children read a Task 3 sentence, class names the job the joining word is doing. Then the class quiz: which word does Polpetta's specials board really need instead of because?
On screenSPAGhetti → Build the Bridge → Mild. One screen only; no pupil devices needed. Mild is the equal-halves set, and, but, or, so; the because / when / if bridges sit a band higher, so today's second half is taught from the slides and the worksheet rather than the game. One warning worth reading out to yourself first: a handful of Mild items accept only one word when the other option is also good English. We had no eggs so we went to the shop scores, but and is not wrong; I like apples but I don't like pears scores, and and would pass in a book. If a child argues for the other word and can justify it, tell them plainly that they are right and the game is being fussy. That conversation teaches more than the tick does. ~8 items in 10 minutes with discussion.
SPAGhetti · Grammar sequence · Lesson 4 of 14  ·  Teacher notes 1 of 2
Teacher notes · not for pupils Join the Two Halves · side 2

On the day

If the tech failsSkip the game entirely. Task 1 is the same content on paper, read the four pairs aloud and vote with thumbs. Two halves on two strips of card and a set of joining words on sticky notes does the same job. The lesson still works.
If they're on devicesLesson code LNKSB (on the worksheet footer) opens the right game, locks the café until 10 items are done, then unlocks it as the reward.

Misconceptions to watch for

Because as a filler. It is the first word they reach for whenever a gap looks explanatory: We chopped the onions because we fried them. Ask who asked why. If nothing in the sentence asks why, because has no work to do.

And-chaining. One sentence, six ands, no stops. Very common the week after this lesson because joining is new and satisfying. Cap it: one joining word per sentence until the habit settles.

Reason and result the wrong way round. It was raining because we stayed inside. They have so and because back to front. Test it by saying the sentence the other way: the reason always sits behind because, and the result always sits behind so.

A joining word can only sit in the middle. Because it was cold, I wore a coat. is correct and they will mark it wrong. When, if and because can start the sentence, and then the join takes a comma.

The three sheets

Same four tasks on every sheet, in the same order, with the same look. Only the demand changes. Print the one each child needs; nobody does two.

Mild

Same four tasks as every other sheet, same order, same look, the demand is lower, not the dignity. Shorter passage in Task 2, and in Task 3 a word bank or words to tick, with printed sentence starters. Give it to anyone who needs a way in, and expect them to move up.

Medium

The core sheet. Give this to most of the class. No word bank; in Task 3 pupils choose from a few close options, then use one in a sentence of their own.

Spicy

Same four tasks, more demand, a longer passage with a subtler error, and Task 3 asks for two things at once. Not extra work; harder work. Nobody should be doing Spicy and the Medium sheet.

Adaptive teaching

  • Support: Task 1, then build sentences from two card strips and a pile of joining words before any writing.
  • SEN: gentle mode on; read both halves aloud for them and let them point at the joining word they want.
  • Stretch: Task 3 extension, one sentence that starts with the joining word, comma and all.
  • EAL: pre-teach reason and choice. The joining words themselves are short and high-frequency, the meanings behind them are the hard part.

Play it

Lesson code LNKSB at playspaghetti.com. The code is printed on the bottom of every pupil sheet with a QR, and Class Quiz in your dashboard opens the plenary quiz for this lesson pre-picked.

SPAGhetti · Grammar sequence · Lesson 4 of 14  ·  Teacher notes, not for pupils 2 of 2  ·  Ludora