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- 10 Ways to Teach Like Ted Lasso: Part II - April 21, 2021
- 8 Tips So Your Substitute Plans Don't Suck - April 14, 2021
- 10 Ways to Teach Like Ted Lasso: Part I - March 12, 2021
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers: Habit 3 - First Things First - February 26, 2021
One thing students - and adults, for that matter - struggle with is the use of apostrophes. It's difficult to watch people of all ages butcher the proper use of this fickle piece of punctuation, but it seems to baffle those young and old. A simple way to teach apostrophe usage is to use holidays. First, let's explore how and why one uses apostrophes.
1. Use the apostrophe to show singular possession.
* New Year's Eve - celebrates the single last night of the year
* New Year's Day - celebrates the first day of the new year
* Lincoln's Birthday - celebrates the birthday of Abraham Lincoln
* Valentine's Day - celebrates the day of your one and only
* Saint Paddy's Day - celebrates the festival of Saint Patrick
* Mother's Day - celebrates the day for your mother
* Father's Day - celebrates the day for your father
2. Use the apostrophe to show plural possession.
* Presidents' Day - celebrates all of our Presidents throughout history
* April Fools' Day - dedicated to all the fools!
* All Saints' Day - a festival for all the saints
* We are going to the Jones's house to watch the fireworks on Independence Day.
3. Use the apostrophe to show contractions.
* It's soon going to be Valentine's Day! (It is)
* When's Ramadan begin this year? (When does)
* Don't you go to to church on Easter? (Do not)
* I'm not sure if we're going to be able to attend your Diwali party, but we'll be there for Holi. (I am; we are; we will)
4. Use the apostrophe to show plurals of numbers, symbols, and letters.
* How many S's are there in Passover?
* What #'s are popular on Twitter for Martin Luther King Day?
* Do you want to sit sit in 3's or 4's at the table for Thanksgiving?
5. Don't use apostrophes for plurals.
* Thanks for coming to our Memorial Day party! The Millers. (No apostrophe for Millers)
* Groundhog Day is for all the men and women of Punxsutawney. (No apostrophe for men and women)
* Labor Day is a day to celebrate for all the workers in all our states. (No apostrophe in workers or states)
6. Don't use apostrophes for possessive pronouns.
* Their house is decorated so well for Christmas. (No apostrophe for their)
* That Justin Bieber Halloween costume has lots its appeal. (No apostrophe for its)
* The Hanukkah gift is hers. (No apostrophe for hers)
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