• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (What makes a sentence?; Who or what? Did what? (subject and predicate)). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. Which one is a complete sentence? • the cat chased • chased a mouse • The cat a mouse. • The cat chased a mouse. (the cat chased / chased a mouse / The cat a mouse. / The cat chased a mouse.) → The cat chased a mouse.Prompt: A sentence needs someone or something AND what they do.
2. Which part is the SUBJECT (who or what the sentence is about)? Grandma and Grandpa grow tomatoes. (grow tomatoes / Grandma and Grandpa / and Grandpa grow / Grandma and) → Grandma and GrandpaPrompt: Ask: who or what did something?
3. Which part is the PREDICATE (what the subject does)? Three red balloons floated into the sky. (balloons floated / red balloons / floated into the sky. / Three red balloons) → floated into the sky.Prompt: Find the subject first: who or what?

• Show two openings to the same piece of writing and ask which makes them want to read on.
• Share the objective: Complete sentence or fragment?. Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: Is this a complete sentence or a fragment? After lunch on Friday.
• Step 1: A complete sentence has a subject and a verb and makes sense on its own. A fragment is missing something.
• Step 2: So the answer is: fragment
• Answer: fragment
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. Is this a complete sentence or a fragment? When the bell rang. (complete sentence / fragment) → fragmentPrompt: Does it say WHO or WHAT, and what they DO or ARE?
2. Which is the best way to fix this fragment? When the lights went out. (The lights when went out. / When, the lights went out. / When the lights went out, we lit a candle. / When the lights went out suddenly.) → When the lights went out, we lit a candle.Prompt: Adding more describing words does not fix a fragment.

• Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
• Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. Which one is a fragment? (I was hungry. / Because I was hungry. / I ate because I was hungry. / Eat something if you are hungry.) → Because I was hungry.Prompt: Read each one aloud. Which leaves you waiting for more?
2. Is this a complete sentence or a fragment? The bus was late. (complete sentence / fragment) → complete sentencePrompt: Does it say WHO or WHAT, and what they DO or ARE?

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-3.