Photo of an iguana sneezing while in water
Tui De Roy/Minden Pictures
Grammar,

What Happens When You Sneeze?

Turns out, a lot!

From the December 2023/January 2024 Issue

Learning Objective: to practice using plurals and possessives

Featured Skill: Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics,
Common Core Standards
  • Anchor Standards
    L.3
  • Grade 6
    L.6.3
  • Grade 7
    L.7.3
  • Grade 8
    L.8.3
TEKS Standards
  • Grades 6, 7, 8
    2b, 10c, 10d (ix)

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Directions:

Read the hint below. Then read the blurbs that follow. Pick the correct word in each bolded word pair.

PLURALS AND POSSESSIVES

A plural noun refers to more than one person, place, thing, or idea. A possessive noun shows ownership. Both plurals and possessives usually require an “s” at the end of a noun. Only possessives need an apostrophe.

To form a singular possessive, add an apostrophe and an s: That is my dog’s collar.

To form a plural possessive, add the apostrophe after the s: Those are my dogs’ collars.

For irregular plural nouns that don’t end in s, add an apostrophe and an s to form a possessive: Let me show you the children’s rooms.

Tui De Roy/Minden Pictures
Marine iguanas sneeze out more than snot; they also sneeze out salt. In other words, they “snalt!”

Nose Blasts

Sneezing is one of the bodies/body’s ways of protecting itself. Your brain signals you to sneeze, your eyes/eye’s close, and—achoo!—droplets of saliva and mucus get blasted out of your nostrils. These droplets contain germs and other tiny invaders/invader’s that can make you sick. One sneeze can launch up to 40,000 droplets of saliva and mucus into the air. And get this: Your body produces enough mucus every day to fill almost three soda cans!

 

Good Manners

While sneezing is a natural defense, it can also spread illness if other people touch or inhale infected droplets. That’s why sneezing into a tissue or the crook of your arm isn’t just good manners/manner’s—it’s also good hygiene. It keeps germs from flying into other peoples’/people’s faces or onto objects and surfaces that they might touch.

BSIP SA/Alamy Stock Photo

Well Wishes

In many culture’s/cultures, it’s considered polite to wish someone well after they sneeze. Here in the U.S., you might hear “Bless you.” In China, you might hear an expression meaning “May you live 100 years!” In Germany, people simply say, “Health.”

 

 

This article was originally published in the December 2023/January 2024 issue.

video (1)
Activities (2)
Skill-Building Activities
Answer Key (1)
video (1)
Activities (2)
Skill-Building Activities
Answer Key (1)
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

Close Reading, Critical Thinking, Skill Building

Download the Lesson Plan

Table of Contents

1. Prepare to Read

2. Read and Discuss

3. Write

1. PREPARE TO READ (5 MINUTES)

Watch a Video

  • Watch Grammar Hack: “Do You Need That Apostrophe?,” a short animated video with tips about how to correctly form possessives. 

Set a Purpose for Reading

  • Direct students’ attention to the hint box and directions on page 2 or at the top of the digital story page. Read each aloud.

2. READ AND DISCUSS (10 MINUTES)

  • Have students read the three boxes of text independently or with a partner, circling the correct word in each bolded word pair. Optionally, share the interactive version of this article, which contains drop-down menus. Then discuss the answers.

  • Find an anchor chart and an additional skill-reinforcement activity in your Resources tab: Polish Your Possessives.

3. WRITE (5 MINUTES)

  • Have students practice using this grammar skill in context. Project this Exit Ticket prompt on your board for students to respond to on a sticky note before they leave class:

    Write a short description for a new animated movie called The Chase: A Cat and Mouse Story. Use the following possessive nouns in your description: mice’s, cats’, cat’s.

Text-to-Speech