Lesson plan of Subordination

Objectives (5 - 7 minutes)

1. Grasping the concept of subordination: Students should be able to identify and understand the idea of subordination in a sentence. They should be able to differentiate the main clause from the subordinate clause, as well as recognize the different types of subordinate clauses.

2. Identifying noun subordinate clauses: Students should be able to identify noun subordinate clauses within a text, differentiating them from other sentence structures. They should be able to recognize the characteristics that distinguish these clauses, such as the ability to replace a noun in the main clause.

3. Practicing the construction of noun subordinate clauses: Students should be able to correctly construct noun subordinate clauses by applying the knowledge acquired on the concept and the identification of these structures. They should be encouraged to use concrete examples to solidify their understanding.

Secondary objectives:

• Developing textual analysis skills: By working with noun subordinate clauses, students will have the opportunity to hone their textual analysis skills, as they will need to identify these structures within the larger context of a text.

• Enhancing grammar vocabulary: The class will provide an opportunity to introduce and reinforce grammar vocabulary related to subordination, such as the concept of main and subordinate clauses, as well as the different types of subordinate clauses.

Introduction (10 - 15 minutes)

1. Review of previous content: The teacher should begin the class with a quick review of the concepts of clause, subject, and predicate, which are fundamental for understanding the topic of subordination. They can use simple and clear examples to refresh students' memory on these concepts.

2. Problem situation 1: The Enigmatic Letter: The teacher can present students with an enigmatic letter in which some words have been replaced by blank spaces. The missing words are actually noun subordinate clauses. The challenge is for students to identify the missing clauses and fill in the blanks correctly. This will help pique students' interest in the topic and drive home the importance of noun subordinate clauses in the construction of a cohesive and coherent text.

3. Contextualization: The teacher should explain that noun subordinate clauses are commonly used in academic writing, opinion articles, college essays, among others. Therefore, the ability to identify and construct these clauses is crucial for effective written communication.

4. Curiosity 1: The Power of Noun Subordinate Clauses: The teacher can share with students that noun subordinate clauses are so powerful that they can even replace an entire paragraph. They can show an example of a text in which a paragraph has been substituted by a single noun subordinate clause, without changing the overall meaning of the text.

5. Theoretical basis: The teacher should introduce the idea that subordination is a relationship of syntactic dependence between two clauses, where one (the subordinate clause) depends on the other (the main clause). This theory should be presented in an engaging way, with the use of practical and clear examples.

6. Problem situation 2: The Truncated News: The teacher can present students with a truncated news article, in which some important information has been omitted. The missing information is, in fact, noun subordinate clauses. Students should identify the missing information and rewrite the text, incorporating the noun subordinate clauses appropriately.

7. Curiosity 2: Subordination and Music: The teacher can mention that subordination is also employed in music to create complex and meaning-rich lyrics. They can provide examples of famous songs that use noun subordinate clauses in their lyrics, such as "Let It Be" by The Beatles.

Development (20 - 25 minutes)

1. Activity 1: The Subordination Game (10 - 12 minutes)

   • For this activity, the teacher should prepare cards with different types of clauses (subordinate and main) and a base text that has spaces for the cards to fit into.

   • Students will be divided into groups of up to five members. Each group will be given a set of cards and the base text.

   • The goal of the game is for students to correctly identify the main and subordinate clauses and to fit them into the base text so as to maintain the text's cohesion and coherence.

   • The teacher should guide the students to carefully read the base text and the cards and to discuss in groups how best to fit the cards into the base text. The teacher should circulate the room, observing the work of the groups and clarifying any doubts.

   • At the end of the allotted time, the teacher should ask each group to read the text they have built, explaining the choices they made. The teacher should correct any mistakes and discuss the solutions presented by the groups, reinforcing the concepts of subordination.

2. Activity 2: Assembling the Puzzle (10 - 12 minutes)

   • For this activity, the teacher should prepare a set of cards with different parts of a text. Each card should contain a clause or a part of a clause.

   • Students will again be divided into groups, and each group will receive a set of cards.

   • The goal is for students to assemble a cohesive and coherent text with the cards they have been given, ensuring that the subordinate clauses are correctly subordinated to the main clauses.

   • The teacher should guide the students to read all the cards before starting to assemble the text so they can plan the structure of the text. The teacher should circulate around the room, helping the groups and clarifying any doubts.

   • At the end of the allotted time, the teacher should ask each group to read the text they have assembled. The teacher should correct any mistakes and discuss the choices made by the groups, reinforcing the concepts of subordination.

3. Activity 3: Creating a Story (optional, if time allows)

   • If time allows, the teacher can propose an activity to create a story in which students must use a minimum number of main clauses and a maximum number of noun subordinate clauses.

   • The teacher should guide students to plan the structure of their story before they start writing and to use different types of noun subordinate clauses to enrich their narrative.

   • At the end, students can exchange their stories with other groups and try to identify the noun subordinate clauses used.

Feedback (8 - 10 minutes)

1. Group Discussion (3 - 4 minutes)

   • The teacher should organize a group discussion with all the students, where each group will have the opportunity to share the solutions or conclusions they came up with during the activities.
   • Each group will have a maximum of 3 minutes to present. During the presentations, the teacher should encourage participation from all the members of the group, ensuring everyone gets to speak.
   • While the students are presenting, the teacher should ask questions to stimulate their reflection and to check that they have understood the concepts of subordination and noun subordinate clauses.

2. Connection with the Theory (2 - 3 minutes)

   • After all the presentations, the teacher should review the theoretical concepts discussed at the beginning of the class, connecting them to the solutions or conclusions presented by the students.
   • The teacher should reinforce the importance of practice in consolidating theoretical knowledge and should highlight the common mistakes observed during the activities, providing guidance to students on how to avoid these mistakes in the future.

3. Final Reflection (2 - 3 minutes)

   • To wrap up the class, the teacher should ask students to take a minute to reflect on the following questions:
     1. What was the most important concept learned today?
     2. What questions have not yet been answered?
   • After the minute of reflection, the teacher should ask some students to share their answers with the class.
   • The teacher should pay attention to the unanswered questions and to the concepts that students found most important, as this can help guide the planning of upcoming classes.
   • The teacher should encourage students to continue reflecting on what they have learned during the class and to search for answers to questions that have not yet been answered.

Conclusion (5 - 7 minutes)

1. Summary of the Content (2 - 3 minutes)

   • The teacher should summarize the main points covered during the class, reinforcing the concept of subordination, the identification and construction of noun subordinate clauses, and the importance of these structures in the construction of cohesive and coherent texts.
   • They can use the practical examples from the activities to illustrate each point, and they should emphasize the common mistakes students should avoid when working with noun subordinate clauses.

2. Connection between Theory, Practice, and Application (1 - 2 minutes)

   • The teacher should explain how the class connected the theory, practice, and applications of noun subordinate clauses. They can highlight how the practical activities allowed students to apply the theory they had learned and how discussing the applications of these structures helped contextualize the learning.

3. Supplementary Materials (1 minute)

   • The teacher should suggest supplementary materials for students who would like to deepen their knowledge of subordination and noun subordinate clauses. These materials could include grammar books, educational websites, explanatory videos, and online exercises.

4. Significance of the Subject (1 minute)

   • To conclude, the teacher should stress the importance of noun subordinate clauses in everyday life, especially in academic writing and formal communication situations. They can explain how the ability to identify and construct these structures can improve students' writing clarity and coherence and can help them express their ideas more effectively.
   • The teacher should also reinforce that the ability to analyze and understand noun subordinate clauses can be useful in different fields, not only Portuguese language, but also other disciplines that require reading and interpreting texts, such as history, sciences, and mathematics.