Written active to passive flips

Appropriate Population: 

• School-age 10-12 years old
• Ability to read and write in sentences. 
• Able to attend tabletop/structured activities. 

Goal: 

• Understand and use the passive voice appropriately in writing. 

Steps:

1. Introduce the idea of passive sentences to the student. Write a list of active sentences with them, have them make up their own. Discuss and explain to them why the sentences are active. Make sure you keep space next to, or underneath each active sentence you write (you will need this to rewrite the sentence in the passive voice).
2. Explain that you are going to flip the sentences around to use the passive voice. Provide a few examples of this with sentences you have made.
3. Create some fill in the blank exercises underneath or next to a couple of the sentences you have written.  These should flip the active sentences to a passive voice. E.g  The __________ was glared at by _______________. The __________ is run by ____________.
4. For the remaining sentences, have the student independently rewrite these in a passive voice.

Step up: 

• Have the child write a short paragraph that includes both the active and passive voice.  Have them share with you the parts are active and the parts which are passive voice and explain why this is.
• Adjust the types of sentences you are using to be more complex. E.g “A committee was set up by the two head students in year 11”  vs “ the ball was thrown by the boy”

Step down:

• Simplify the types of sentences you are using. E.g the ball was thrown by the boy”
• Focus on changing active sentences to passive voice, creating more fill in the blank sentences.

Resources:

• Active to passive flips worksheet (year 5 and 6).