Sylphie's Squizzes: The Spanish Dollar

Learning intention:

I am learning to understand the difference between main and subordinate clauses.

Success criteria:

• I can identify complex sentences in the article.
• I can discuss the types of additional information provided by subordinate clauses.
• I can compose main and subordinate clauses to create complex sentences.

 

Discuss features of complex sentences, ensuing students note that they include the following:

• a main clause that makes sense on its own
• a subordinate clause, that adds further information to the main clause but that does not make sense on its own

Identify examples of complex sentences in the article, noting the main clause and the dependent clause in each example. Sample responses include:

• To make them go further, each coin would have a piece punched out of its middle.
• This would make two new coins: the holey dollar and the dump.
• But where was Governor Macquarie going to find someone with the skills to mint these new coins?

Answers are provided below:

The main clauses are:

• Each coin would have a piece punched out of its middle
• This would make two new coins
• But where was Governor Macquarie going to find someone

The subordinate clauses are:

• To make them go further
• the holey dollar and the dump
• with the skills to mint these new coins?

For each of these examples, discuss the additional information provided by the inclusion of the subordinate clause. For example:

Subordinate clause 1: to explain why

Subordinate clause 2: the provide further information about what they are

Subordinate clause 3: to give specific information about what they are looking for

Place students in pairs or small groups and instruct them to repeat this process with further examples of complex sentences from the article, discussing the additional information provided by each subordinate clause.

Inform students that they will be conducting research into the convict era before composing complex sentences of their own.

Begin by viewing the information on People of Port Arthur. Provide students with Worksheet 1. Discuss the first question. Use the information from the website to compose a response to the first question. Instruct students to work with their partner/group to continue responding to the remaining questions in section one.

Sample responses are provided on the worksheet.

Once students have had time to gather information from the website, refer them to the second section of the worksheet. Draw students’ attention to the sentence starters. Inform students that they have been provided with the main clauses on the worksheet. Tell students that they will be creating complex sentences, using the information gathered from research to add subordinate clauses to the main clauses.

Collaboratively complete the first example, composing the sentence, ‘Robert worked as a soldier, in 1840, responsible for ensuring the safety of the convicts as they worked and moved around the settlement.’

Instruct students to work with their partner/group to compose the remaining subordinate clauses to complete the complex sentences on the worksheet.

Once complete, share responses.

Extension:

Instruct students to select another convict’s history from People of Port Arthur. Tell students to make brief notes using the information on the website to identify key points of their life. Instruct students to compose complex sentences featuring information about the convict’s life. Remind students that they will need to include a main and a subordinate clause in each sentence. Emphasise that the focus here isn’t on copying information directly from the website. Instead, students should use the information to compose their own sentences.