Students encounter multiple model sentences that show a comma after an introductory element, for example: "Before you begin working on the project, read the rubric," "For this part of the project, decide what foods and beverages you want to serve," and "When you have finished, assess your project using the rubric." Students are asked to type a program and write a description of the setting, providing opportunities to produce sentences that could include introductory elements.

The homophones section includes the model sentence "From my window, I can clearly see the beach and the sea." which uses a comma after the introductory phrase "From my window." Students are also asked to write their own sentences for each homophone, giving them the opportunity to imitate sentence structures shown in examples.

Students encounter multiple sentences that use a comma after an introductory element, for example: the quoted dialogue "In the interest of diversity," she said, "I chose a brunette..."; the prompt "When you have a friendship with someone, what are your responsibilities to that person?"; and the question starter "In Chapter 2, what does Mrs. Olinski tell...". These instances show correct comma use after introductory prepositional or subordinate phrases within the reading and question text.

The lesson text explicitly tells students they may reference the "Handy Guide to Writing" if they forget "when to use a comma," indicating a resource for comma usage. The Writing Rubric mechanics checklist asks students to self-assess: "Do I use commas correctly?" which prompts students to consider comma use during revision. The rubric also asks about capitalization, end punctuation, quotation marks, and spelling, situating comma use within editing practice.

Students are given explicit examples of transitional words used at the beginnings of sentences with commas (e.g., "Meanwhile, we waited for our mom..." and "Otherwise, it would not be a good idea..."). Students are instructed to read a list of transitional words and to write a summary using at least five transitional words or phrases, circling them and using a comma after those that begin sentences. Students also see examples of commas used around interrupting phrases (e.g., "The woman, however, did not want to leave.").

Students encounter multiple sentences that use a comma after an introductory element in activity directions. Examples include: "To make the dough that will form your volcano, add the flour, salt, oil, and water to a large bowl..."; "Directions: Without looking at the book, cut the paragraphs apart and glue them in the correct order..."; and "Using each straw, make a necklace that will go all the way around your neck." These instances show the comma-after-introductory-element form in authentic instructional text students read.

Several teacher/instructional sentences in the text model commas after introductory elements, for example: "Before you begin reading, today you will learn more about the setting and context of the story," "On a map of South America, locate Venezuela and look for the Dutch Islands," and "After you have read about the island of Curacao, fill in the Venn diagram...." Students are also asked to write a travel-brochure paragraph and journal responses (Activity 2 Option 1, Day 2 journal questions), which require composing sentences where introductory elements could be used and separated by commas.

Students read sentences from The Cay that include an introductory element followed by a comma, for example the line "After a bit, lulled by the bobbing of the raft... I went to sleep again." Students are asked to record the first sentence of the book and to write first-sentence hooks in their journals, providing opportunities to create introductory phrases. Students are encouraged to write answers in complete sentences, which implies attention to sentence punctuation and structure.

Students encounter sentences that include introductory elements followed by commas, for example in Part B prompts: "On the raft, Timothy and Phillip ____." and "During World War II, many people ____." These items present commas after introductory prepositional and adverbial phrases. The provided sentence examples model the punctuation form in context while students focus on filling in verbs.

The activity page explicitly tells students to begin sentences with prepositional phrases and states: "After a prepositional phrase at the beginning, use a comma." It provides two model sentences with initial prepositional phrases followed by commas ("Beyond the beach, there was a great coral reef." and "Under the large leaves, the two slept restlessly."). Part C asks students to write sentences that begin with prepositional phrases and the parent notes say to check that the sentences begin with prepositional phrases that are followed by a comma.

The lesson includes multiple modeled sentences that place a comma after an introductory element (e.g., "Under the couch, we found the card we had been looking for."; "Alarmed, the man locked his door."; "Silently, the mouse scurried across the kitchen floor."; "Stopped by the policeman, the car had to pull over."). Students are asked to write sentences and a paragraph using specified sentence beginnings (prepositional phrases, adjectives, adverbs, verbals), giving them opportunities to reproduce those comma-marked patterns.

The rubric in the Mechanics section asks students to check whether they "use commas correctly" with items in a series, in direct address, and when starting a sentence with "yes" or "no," so students practice specific comma uses. The Sentence Structure prompts require students to begin sentences with prepositional phrases and varied sentence starts, so students practice creating sentences that may include introductory elements.

The lesson explicitly tells students: "If the dependent clause comes before the independent clause, insert a comma after the dependent clause," and gives the example "Because she felt sick that morning, she stayed home from school." Students practice adding commas in Part B (e.g., correcting "Although the immigrants thought life would be better, many of them were shocked...") and Part C requires students to combine dependent and independent clauses, with the parent answer key noting that commas should be inserted when a sentence begins with a dependent clause. The Clauses activity also asks students to identify dependent markers and to add commas where needed, providing direct practice on placing commas after introductory elements.

The activities require students to write sentences that are either two independent clauses or a dependent and an independent clause and instruct them to "include commas where they are necessary." The parent notes and Wrapping Up direct students to review the definition of independent and dependent clauses and to write and identify sentences that contain both clause types. Parent guidance repeatedly asks caregivers to check that student sentences include commas when needed.

The lesson explicitly explains that a comma is needed when a dependent clause precedes an independent clause and gives the example "When it got too late, we left the party." Activity 2's instructions discuss comma use with clauses and provide examples and practice combining clauses with commas and conjunctions. The Wrap Up and review prompts ask students to decide whether sentences need a comma and to identify coordinating conjunctions, reinforcing comma-placement decisions.

The "More Commas" activity asks students to insert commas where needed and includes the sentence "On July 5th, we left for our vacation in Idaho," which in the answer key shows a comma after the introductory phrase. Students are directed to write sentences that follow each comma rule listed at the top of the page, and one practice sentence in the exercise requires placing a comma after an introductory time phrase.

Several sentences in the lesson model a comma after an introductory element, for example: "For this activity, you will find the best way to describe each situation..." and "When Dina sees the men at her apartment, she is afraid...". The writing examples and directions for student journal and descriptive sentences include introductory phrases followed by commas in running text.

The lesson tells students to "Use a comma after the person's name" in the greeting and to use a closing remark followed by a comma, showing explicit practice placing commas in letter salutations and closings. The mechanics rubric asks "Do I use commas correctly?" and students are instructed to proofread and correct grammar and punctuation during editing, which prompts attention to comma use. Students are asked to produce final drafts and to edit (proofread) each line, providing opportunities to apply comma conventions.

Students are given Activity 2: Adding Punctuation which asks them to add punctuation to eight sentences and directs them to review comma rules on p. 32 of the Handy Guide to Writing. The answer key shows commas used to separate introductory adverbial clauses (e.g., "Before I had been there an hour, I was sent back..." and "Whenever Maria slept, I worked on her doll."). Students also punctuate an introductory adverbial word in dialogue ("Someday," he said...) and are asked to place commas in sentences that require introductory elements to be set off.

The text includes explicit sentences that use a comma after an introductory element, for example: On the 'Building a Campfire' page, you will find some of Smokey's fire safety rules. The Leaf Window Art instructions also contain an introductory clause set off by a comma: If unavailable, cut leaves from brown, yellow, green, red, and orange tissue paper.

The personal narrative contains the sentence When I went to live with my aunt, who was a Puritan, it was very challenging, which includes a comma after the introductory subordinate clause. Several instruction prompts use an introductory phrase followed by a comma, for example In your journal, write a short personal narrative. Students are asked to write personal narratives in their journals, which could produce opportunities to use introductory elements in their own sentences.

The Parent Plan's suggested rewritten paragraph contains explicit examples of commas after introductory elements (e.g., "To her surprise, she sees a boat..." and "Meanwhile, the townspeople believe..."). The lesson's directions for the editing activity ask students to "rewrite the paragraph and correct any mistakes," which includes punctuation correction. The student-facing paragraph and instructions present at least one introductory adverb with a comma that students can observe.

Students read model sentences that demonstrate a comma after an introductory element, for example: "As the ship neared the shore, I viewed an unknown coast." and "When Kit comes to Connecticut, she discovers a land and culture she could never have imagined." Students are also told to refer to the "Handy Guide to Writing" for any grammar or punctuation rules they're not sure about.

Several sentences in the lesson model commas after introductory elements (for example, 'In the previous lesson, you were introduced to Hugo.'; 'In today's chapters, you will learn...'; 'Then, in your journal, write the text...'). Students are asked to produce written sentences in activities such as 'Before & After' and 'A Story in a Picture,' which require composing introductory phrases and complete sentences.

Several instructional sentences in the lesson contain introductory elements set off by commas, for example: "In today's chapters, Isabelle and Hugo learn more about the automaton..." and "Before you begin Part 2 of the book, write three predictions in your journal...". Another sentence uses a similar structure: "In the introduction to Part 2, the author says that, '...stories lead to other stories.'" These examples demonstrate correct punctuation of introductory phrases within the text.

Students encounter sentences that use a comma after introductory elements in directions and narrative text. For example, Activity directions tell students, "On a blank sheet of paper, draw pictures and symbols to help your partner guess the word," and "In your drawings, you cannot include letters or numbers, and you cannot talk when you draw." The Getting Started narrative also contains "Today, you will meet a pioneer girl named California Whipple."

The lesson defines prepositional phrases and provides example sentences, including the sentence "After the play, we will go to the diner." which shows a comma after an introductory prepositional phrase. Students are instructed to write five sentences containing prepositional phrases and to underline the prepositional phrase and circle the preposition. The lesson also directs review of prepositions and prepositional phrases in the wrapping up section.

The Student Activity Page paragraph includes the sentence "Suddenly, Prairie appeared.", which uses a comma after an introductory adverb. The interjection definition in the Things to Know section states that interjections are followed by either an exclamation point or a comma, showing one explicit reference to comma usage.

Students encounter at least one explicit example of an introductory element separated by a comma in the sentence: "When you lose someone special to you, it is important to find ways to remember the person and what he or she meant to you." Students are asked to write directions for the raccoon craft and to "list the materials and write and illustrate the directions," which gives them an opportunity to produce sentences that could include introductory elements. The parent plan also asks to "discuss the difference between writing directions and writing sentences in a paragraph," which may involve attention to sentence-level conventions.

Students read modeled body-paragraph sentences that use commas after introductory elements, e.g., "When we recycle, we are able to reuse many of these resources." and "If we do not take recycling more seriously, our natural resources might be in great jeopardy." The Persuasive Essay Rubric asks students to check "Do I use commas correctly?" and students are directed to edit and revise their drafts using the rubric and a "Handy Guide to Writing" resource.

The lesson contains an example sentence that uses an introductory element correctly: "Although it was written many years ago, children continue to enjoy this science fiction book...", showing an introductory subordinate clause followed by a comma. Activity 1 asks students to create first sentences for novels and suggests beginnings like dialogue, character description, action, or questions, which can involve introductory elements. These parts provide an implicit model and an opportunity for students to produce sentences that might require commas after introductory elements.

The lesson lists many transitional or introductory phrases and provides example sentences that include commas after introductory elements (e.g., "In conclusion, we now realize the error...", "Finally, the two characters returned...", "On the other hand, she might have..."). Students are instructed to rewrite sentences using transitional words and to combine short sentences by adding transitions, which requires inserting introductory elements. The student practice pages provide spaces for rewriting sentences with transitions and show model rewrites that use introductory phrases.

Students read multiple sentences that model a comma after an introductory element (for example: "In this chapter, the children tesser to a very unusual planet." and "In most stories, the antagonist is a specific person."). Students encounter other instructional text that uses introductory phrases followed by commas (for example: "On the page, 'Elaboration,' you will find..."). Students work on rewriting and elaborating sentences, which could involve adding introductory phrases that appear in the exemplar sentences.

Students read summaries and a student activity page that contain multiple introductory elements set off with commas (e.g., "On the contrary,", "Out of nowhere,", "Next,"). Students are asked to circle transitional words and phrases in the summary, which requires them to recognize introductory elements that often appear with a following comma. In the editing activity students are directed to add transitional words or phrases and to rewrite the paragraph; the provided answer key shows corrected sentences that include commas after introductory elements (e.g., "However, Meg...", "In spite of the man's apparent evil intentions, Charles Wallace...").

Multiple sentences in the lesson model the comma after an introductory element, for example: "On Earth, each person uses his or her own brain to make decisions..." and "In this activity, you will think about the setting for your science fiction story." The sentence "On the page, 'The Brain,' you will find a picture of a human brain..." also places commas around an introductory phrase. These sentences show correct comma placement after introductory elements.

Several sentences in the lesson model commas after introductory elements, for example: "As you write, remember to follow your plot diagram…," "As inspiration, look back at A Wrinkle in Time…," and "Before you finish, be sure to proofread your story." The lesson also tells students to proofread punctuation and to refer to the Handy Guide to Writing for grammar and punctuation rules.

The lesson defines participles and asks students to identify participles in sentences and to write sentences that contain participles. One of the example sentences for students to analyze is "Crying, she knelt down at the grave," which shows a comma separating an introductory participial phrase from the main clause. Students are also asked to insert or use participles in sentences, providing opportunities to produce introductory participial phrases.

Students are shown explicit rule statements such as "If the phrase comes at the beginning, you need to put a comma after it," and Step 3 gives placement rules for participle phrases. Examples with commas separating introductory participle phrases are provided (e.g., "Running past her competitor, Jane saw the finish line." and "Working under cover, the police made many arrests."). Students are asked to underline participle phrases, circle the participle, and write their own sentences that require inserting the comma after an introductory participle phrase.

Activity 2 asks students to combine two sentences by rewriting one as a participle phrase and places that participle phrase at the start of the sentence. The provided example "Standing on the balcony of my hotel, I watched the sunset across the city skyline." models an introductory participle phrase followed by a comma. The Parent Plan's possible answers also show multiple combined sentences with a comma after the introductory participle phrase (e.g., "Holding her side, the girl ran...").

Students encounter multiple sentences that use commas after introductory elements, such as "Below, you can read the Gettysburg Address," "At the top, there are two flags," and "In this lesson, you learned about the war." The Gettysburg Address passage includes an example with a comma after an introductory conjunction/phrase: "But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate..." These instances appear in reading and activity texts that students read aloud or memorize.

The Parent Plan Option 2 includes the sentence "Less than a week after his second term, Lincoln was assassinated," which shows a comma separating an introductory prepositional phrase from the main clause. The Student Activity Pages ask students to write sentences with participle phrases and to compose newspaper leads, tasks that could require or invite use of introductory elements at the beginnings of sentences.

Activity 3 directs students to check that they "used commas and quotation marks correctly when they were needed," prompting students to attend to comma use during editing. A sample introductory sentence in the model paragraph uses a comma after an introductory clause: "While these unusual animals are different in real life than in the movies, they are really amazing and entertaining creatures," providing an example of an introductory element set off by a comma.