Pendemonium
Cold Case: Adverbs
Teacher’s Guide
Grade Level: 6–8
Curriculum Focus: Language Arts
Lesson Duration: One class period
Program Description
Learn about adverbs when Dark Marker tries to realign the Earth's magnetic poles. Students visit the
Arctic and Antarctic as they pursue Dark Marker.
Onscreen Questions
•
What are adverbs?
•
Why do we use adverbs?
•
When do we use adverbs?
Lesson Plan
Student Objectives
•
Identify adverbs
•
Categorize various kinds of adverbs
Materials
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Cold Case: Adverbs video
•
Paper and pencils
•
Copy of The Call of the Wild
•
Print resources
Procedures
1. After viewing the video, reinforce the video’s concepts by presenting materials from books
about adverbs such as Up, Up and Away: A Book about Adverbs or other books listed under Print
Resources.
2. Review the various uses of adverbs. Ask students to provide examples of adverbs and write a
list on the board.
3. Discuss the importance of using adverbs. Read a short passage from The Call of the Wild,
pointing out the uses of adverbs. Write a few sentences from the text on the board. Ask students
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Cold Case: Adverbs
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to point out the adverbs in each sentence. Draw attention to the different adverbs that answer
the questions how, when, where, why, how much, and to what extent. After demonstrating the
need for adverbs, begin the lesson.
4. Review the setting of Cold Case: Adverbs and the characteristics of the Arctic mentioned by the
four characters in the video. Without presenting a full unit on the Arctic, Admiral Peary, or Jack
London, briefly discuss the harshness of the northern environment, the exploration of new
territories, and the heroism and bravery of the working dogs. Discuss the nature of courage,
adventure, and survival. Ask students what they think makes a hero.
5. Ask students to write a short biography of a brave person or an animal they know using their
knowledge of adverbs.
6. On the board, model adverbs with a few sentences. Write the sentences without adverbs,
leaving some space, and then insert the adverbs. Draw attention to how much more interesting
and descriptive the sentences become once they include adverbs.
7. Students should write a brief biography without using adverbs. They should then look through
each sentence in their biographies, looking for places where their writing could be strengthened
by using adverbs. Finally, students should insert adverbs to improve their writing.
8. When students have completed their biographies, have volunteers read them aloud and discuss
how adverbs were used.
9. Create a classroom bulletin board about adverbs and display students' biographies.
Assessment
Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students’ work during this lesson.
•
3 points: Students clearly identified the uses of adverbs presented in the lesson—to answer the
questions how, when, where, why, how much, or to what extent; wrote a brief biography without
adverbs; inserted adverbs successfully to improve their writing
•
2 points: Students identified the uses of adverbs presented in the lesson—to answer the questions
how, when, where, why, how much, or to what extent; wrote a brief biography without adverbs;
inserted some adverbs to improve their writing
•
1 point: Students were unable to identify the uses of adverbs presented in the lesson—to answer
the questions how, when, where, why, how much, or to what extent; failed to write a brief
biography without adverbs; could not insert adverbs to improve their writing
Vocabulary
adverb
Definition: A part of speech that modifies an adjective, a verb, another adverb, or a sentence
Context: Tyler quickly ran upstairs to get his book before the bus arrived at his house.
Published by Discovery Education. © 2006. All rights reserved.
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Cold Case: Adverbs
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comparative adverb
Definition: A part of speech that compares the extent of something
Context: Buzz draws skillfully, but Arturo draws more skillfully than he.
Print Resources
Heller, Ruth. Up, Up and Away: A Book About Adverbs. Grosset & Dunlap, 1991.
A book for all ages that introduces adverbs in an interesting and creative manner.
Sunley, Laura. Fun with Grammar: 75 Quick Activities and Games that Help Kids Learn about Nouns,
Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, and More. Scholastic, 2002. Classroom-tested activities and games
presented in a lively and memorable way. This is not a workbook, but rather a teacher's
resource for in-school presentation and practice. Grades 4-8.
Academic Standards
The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
The National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association have
developed national standards to provide guidelines for teaching the English language arts. To view
the standards online, go to http://www.ncte.org/about/over/standards/110846.htm.
This lesson plan addresses the following national standards:
•
Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and
punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and
discuss print and non-print texts.
•
Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g.,
for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
McREL’s Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K–12 Education
addresses 14 content areas. To view the standards and benchmarks, visit
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/browse.asp.
This lesson plan addresses the following national standards:
•
Language Arts: Writing—Uses adverbs in written compositions (e.g., to make comparisons)
•
Language Arts: Writing—Uses adverbs in written compositions (e.g., chooses between
forms of adverbs such as positive, comparative, superlative degrees)
Published by Discovery Education. © 2006. All rights reserved.
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Cold Case: Adverbs
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DVD Content
This program is available in an interactive DVD format. The following information and activities are
specific to the DVD version.
How to Use the DVD
The DVD starting screen has the following options:
Play Video—This plays the video from start to finish. There are no programmed stops, except by
using a remote control. With a computer, depending on the particular software player, a pause
button is included with the other video controls.
Video Index—Here the video is divided into sections indicated by video thumbnail icons; brief
descriptions are noted for each one. Watching all parts in sequence is similar to watching the video
from start to finish. To play a particular segment, press Enter on the remote for TV playback; on a
computer, click once to highlight a thumbnail and read the accompanying text description and click
again to start the video.
Standards Link—Selecting this option displays a single screen that lists the national academic
standards the video addresses.
Teacher Resources—This screen gives the technical support number and Web site address.
Video Index
I. The Need for Adverbs (6 min)
Dark Marker steals The Point’s adverbs and map to the North Pole. Penny explains the uses of
adverbs. Dark Marker reveals his evil scheme to be the center of the world.
Pre-viewing question
Q: If adjectives modify nouns, what do adverbs modify?
A: Adverbs modify adjectives, verbs, adverbs, or sentences.
Post-viewing question
Q: What questions do adverbs answer?
A: Adverbs answer how, when, where, why, and how much.
II. Adverbs Ending in “-ly” (4 min)
The four team members decode Dark Marker’s clue by inserting adverbs ending in “-ly.”
They go to the Arctic in search of Dark Marker.
Pre-viewing question
Q: How do you turn adjectives into adverbs?
A: You turn adjectives into adverbs by adding “-ly,” “-ily,” or “-y.”
Published by Discovery Education. © 2006. All rights reserved.
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Cold Case: Adverbs
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Post-viewing question
Q: What would life be like without adverbs?
A: Without adverbs, there would be absences of information about process, time, place, rationale,
and amount.
III. Comparative and Other Adverbs (6 min)
The team receives more clues from Dark Marker. Penny explains that not all adverbs end in
“-ly” and that some adverbs compare things.
Pre-viewing question
Q: What are some adverbs that do not end in “-ly”?
A: Responses may include always, never, here, there, somewhere, and now.
Post-viewing questions
Q: If not all adverbs end in “-ly,” then how do you know if a word is an adverb?
A: A word is an adverb if it modifies an adjective, adverb, verb, or sentence.
IV. Review of Adverbs (5 min)
After reviewing the uses and constructions of adverbs, the team defeats Dark Marker with its
accurate use of adverbs.
Pre-viewing question
Q: What are the different ways you can make an adverb?
A: You can make an adverb by adding “-ly,” “-ily,” or “-y” to a word, by adding more or most to
compare things, and by answering how, when, where, why, or how much.
Post-viewing question
Q: How can you use adverbs in a battle?
A: You can use adverbs to provide more information, to fill in information gaps, and to convince an
opponent.
Published by Discovery Education. © 2006. All rights reserved.