Classroom Activities: Commas with Adjectives and Lists

These classroom activities are designed to complement the Commas with Adjectives and Lists topic on BrainPOP Jr.

Pasta Punctuation
On the board, write a list without using a comma, such as “I am nuts for peanuts walnuts and almonds.” Then invite student volunteers to add commas to correct the sentence. Next, challenge the class by writing a sentence such as, “I ate carrots and celery and raisins.” Have student volunteers rewrite the sentence using commas. Finally, have each student create his or own sentence and write it without any commas in large print on paper or a chart strip. Provide uncooked elbow macaroni for children to put on top of their papers in the places where commas belong. Have students switch papers and try to place the macaroni commas correctly in their friends’ sentences. After the activity, you may wish for children to glue the macaroni to their papers and display them as a reminder of correct comma placement.

Describe It!

Bring a fun item into class, such as a stuffed animal or other toy. Then have students describe the item using two or more adjectives, such as “The soft, fuzzy teddy bear is on the table.” Record student responses on the board, have volunteers write their responses on chart paper, or have small groups write and check over each others’ work. Who can create the most descriptive sentence? Challenge students to use precise vocabulary.