EDPG #2- Learning Differences

The competent, caring, professional educator recognizes individual differences, diverse cultures
and communities to design inclusive learning environments that enable all students to meet high
standards.

Rationale for EDPG #2

For EDPG #2, I chose a detailed instructional material to assist English language learners to use
verbs correctly. For those learning English as a second language, proper use of verbs is very
important in sentence structure and learning how English is written and spoken. This
instructional guide demonstrates my ability to create materials that give students a systematic
guide to assist them in learning in a diverse environment that includes their new language.

Verb Study Guide

What is a verb? Verbs are words that refer to actions or states of being.
Action verbs: are followed in a sentence by a direct or indirect object
Example of Action Verbs:
Whiskers chased the mouse. Direct object of the verb
The cat stopped the mouse with a paw. Indirect and direct object of the
verb
States of Being: verbs that do not show an action. These verbs link the
subject to a word or words that give information (a description) about it.
Verbs appear in six different forms or
tenses:
Present Tense: The cat pounces.
Past Tense: The cat pounced.
Future Tense: The cat will pounce.
Present Perfect Tense: The cat has pounced
many times today.
Past Perfect Tense: The cat had pounced only once before it rained.
Future Perfect Tense: The cat will have pounced more than one hundred
times by next Sunday.

Active and Passive Voice

Active voice: the subject of the sentencethe person, animal, or thing
performing the actionis present before the verb.
Passive voice: the subject of the sentence is usually not present. If the
subject is present, it is often at the end of a prepositional phrase.
Active Voice
The dog chased the ball.
The boy hit the ball.
The girl read the book.
The girl popped the balloon.

Passive Voice
The ball was chased.
The ball was hit.
The book was read.
The balloon was popped.

Are verbs important in writing?

YES!
Verbs are perhaps the most important words in a sentence. They can turn a
boring sentence into something much more exciting!

The girl ran through the woods.

The girl scampered through the woods.
She saw a deer running nearby.
She spied a deer running nearby.
The girl stopped to catch her breath, and then ate an apple.
The

girl paused to catch her breath, and then devoured an

apple.

Specific verbs can make your sentence more vivid, which makes it
more interesting to read! Be sure to use specific nouns and vivid
verbs to make your sentences pop! Write down your general verb,
and then create a WORD WALL of all the different specific verbs you
can use.
RUN
dash, scamper, scoot, scurry, sprint, race, bustle, hurry, hasten
Create sentences that show action! Combine vivid verbs and specific
nouns!
The girl ran through the woods to the tree, and climbed up high.
ON THE OTHER HAND
The girl scampered down the wooded path, raced to the tree, and scrambled up the
bark.
In the first sentence, the girl is running through the woods and climbed a tree, but
there is no excitement. The second sentence shows a sense of urgency.

Sound-Lists and Synonym Poems

Use a poetic structure to find vivid
verbs.
Sound-List Poem

Synonym Poem

Using animal and city sounds, create

a poem. Think of different animals
and items in a city and the noises
they make.

Think of verbs that have synonyms

and choose one. List seven
synonyms for it.

Noisy animals, noisy animals

everywhere.
Crickets chirp.
Moths flutter.
Mice squeak.
Doves coo.
Hawks screech.
Chickens cluck.
Noisy animals, noisy animals
everywhere.

How to walk on the sidewalk:

Stroll on it.
Amble on it.
Trudge on it.
Plod on it.
Trek on it.
Mosey on it.
But never, ever stand on it.

City noise, city noise fills the air.

Jackhammers chatter.
Tires squeal.
Sirens wail.
Crowds roar.
Moving trucks moan.
Trains hiss.
City noise, city noise fills the air.