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Contents
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Each Aha! is an example of how to get students into a
certain content area by giving them an unusual insight into the essense
of that content.
The Setup
The prospect of beginning a unit or mini-unit on punctuation
thrills few students. One entry point into this mundane topic is
to show the kids how little they really understand the nature and function
of punctuation.
The teacher begins class with this simple, direct question:
"What punctuation mark is the most heavily used in English?" She
then fields answers. Everyone will have one and most of them will
pick the comma or period as their answer of choice.
Wrong, wrong, wrong, says the teacher, with growing mock-exasperation.
After the usual gang of suspects has been rounded up ó the
comma, the period, the semicolon ó and disposed with, students move into
the lesser-used marks.
"Quotation marks!" someone suddenly yells. The teacher
rolls her eyes.
"Brackets!" "Yeah, right," the teacher responds with
heavy sarcasm: "Brackets are used all the time. I'll bet I
even used them today."
Soon the kids are out of guesses. They think they've
been tricked. In a way, they have but not really.
The teacher gives a hint: "Think hard: it's on a computer
keyboard."
More guesses (Tilde! Percent sign! Parentheses!)
but no right answers.
Aha!
Finally, a better clue: "It's the most obvious key
on the keyboard."
Thinking, then: "The spacebar?" a student will say,
hesitantly.
"Well, not the spaceBAR."
"The space!"
"That's right."
"But that's not a punctuation mark," a chorus of voices protest.
"Wanna bet," says the teacher. At this point she holds
up a copy of an early New Testament manuscript. "This is how ancient
classical writings were punctuated: with no spaces."
It astonishes students to realize spaces have not always
been used.
Enrichment
At this point you might want to field a debate on whether
or not capitalization qualifies as punctuation (it does). Ask students
if a keyboard has a key dedicated for that purpose (it has two in most
case: the Shift and the Caps lock).
You can further the discussion by asking students if they
know of any new punctuation marks that have arisen in recent years.
Many have, thanks to computers: the entire set of emoticons (those sideways
combinations of existing marks that add up to a message. Example:
; ^ ) is a winking smiley face.) In fact, point out that the
smiley face itself has become a new handwritten mark. Ask if any
of them have a font that can do smiley faces. Now ask how the smiley
is used (It has several uses. One is just to indicate an upbeat tone.
Another is to indicate an ironic, or wry, tone.)
Finally, ask them if there is any gender preference to punctuation
marks. Usually students will say that females are more apt to use
exclamation points, and punctuation in general. Some males will brag
that they don't use any.
The Aha! moment has reached its peak. Ask the students
to try to define punctuation. Conclude by having them write down
this definition: "Punctuation is the use of standard marks and signs
in writing in order to clarify meaning." Make the following sub-points
about this definition.
1. "Standard." Unless the marks are standardized,
only a few would understand them. These standards are constantly
evolving and subject to change.
2. "Signs." Capitalization is not a mark
but it is a sign. Ask students whether the space is a mark or a sign.
The answer is: it's both. But, it's an empty mark, much as in math
one can have an empty set.
3. "In writing." Spoken language does not
carry punctuation per se. It does, however, have punctuation equivalents
in the form of nonverbal cues (raising voice, using hand gestures, etc.).
4. "In order to clarify meaning." Over-punctuating
is just as improper as under-punctuating.
Presently English is undergoing a trend toward simplification
in punctuation. Commas are now recommended to be used only when they
clarify meaning. Semicolons are often not used at all because people
generally distrust them. Internet chat and email usage is both simplifying
usage and complicating it. Many emailers no longer capitalize, spell
correctly, or use much punctuation at all. On the other hand, the
use of emoticons and other cryptic devices (such as the use of initializations
like ROFL for "rolling on the floor laughing") keep newbies wondering what
is being communicated.
Followup
Give the kids an ungraded quiz. Each question requires
them to tell how we presently punctuate the following:
1. Sarcasm (using quotation marks around a sarcastically
stated word)
2. An interruption (usually with a dash or long
dash --)
3. Trailing off (the ellipsis . . .)
4. Exceptions (usually an asterisk* with corresponding
explanation at the bottom of the page)
5. Separation between minutes and seconds (the
colon:, which also separates hours from minutes)
6. Volume (all capitals)
7. Increased volume (all capitals plus underlining)
8. Generic information which the reader will need
to convert into specific data (the greater-than>, less-than signs<.
Like this: <Your name>
9. Siamese items, that is, two items brought together
like a compound (the slash/, as in "The participant/fan is more involved
than just one of the other.")
10. A change of scene, as in a book (usually just
a blank line)
Activity summary:
1. Question and answer session concerning the Space.
2. Teacher-led discussion about the essense of what
punctuation is.
3. Definition with explanation.
4. Ungraded quiz.
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