Clause Cafe

We used the cafe routine last week as we are finishing our unit on clauses. Basically, each group of four to five boys rotates to each of four stations around the room and has a set time limit at each station. I used the four pictures below with the directions next to them, and each group had approximately ten minutes at each station. We used laptops instead of butcher paper for this cafe, and we all agreed that it worked much better because it was easier to read other groups' sentences. At the end, we all rotated to each station to review each group's work and put stickers on sentences we really liked. This routine is one of my favorites because it gives me a great picture of each student's understanding of the concept, and it also shows me how well they are able to collaborate with others.



Your picture is of the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland. If you were a witness describing what you saw, what would you say? Write 3 compound sentences. Circle the subject and underline the verb in each clause.



Your picture is of the iPad, a new product released by Apple this year. If you were an iPad, what would you say to convince people that you were an important innovation? Write 3 complex sentences. Mark each clause as dependent or independent. Circle the subject and underline the verb in each sentence.



Your picture is of a woman in Haiti. This picture was taken some time after the recent earthquake. Why is this woman crying? Try to write at least one compound-complex sentence (two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause). Mark your clauses as dependent and independent.



Your picture is of Phil Mickelson, who just won the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia. If you were to write a caption for this picture, what would it be? Write 3 creative captions. Use only one independent clause in each caption. Circle the subject and underline the verb in each clause.

Clause Cafe 4.21 from Courtney Humphreys on Vimeo.