Cemetery Secrets Slides The Case of the Missing Letters
Investigating the Secret History of the Apostrophe
Punctuation Detectives Grades 5-7
Warm-Up: Contraction Surgery
Prepare for emergency surgery! We are operating on words to save space.
Operating Instructions
Write DO NOT on your sticky note.
Identify the "vitals"—which letter must be removed?
Snip! Cut out the 'O'.Suture! Tape the 'D-O-N' and 'T' together with an apostrophe bandage.
DO O T
DON'T
The History of the Apostrophe
Embedded media
Focus Section: 2:08 — 4:05
Watch closely: Who was Geoffroy Tory, and why did he hate extra letters?
The French Connection
Meet Geoffroy Tory
In the 16th Century, this French humanist decided that if a sound disappeared, its letter should too.
la heure
l'heure
The "Missing Letter" Rule:
The apostrophe is never just a space between words. It is a grave marker for the letter that vanished.
"An apostrophe represents something that is missing... standing in for absent letters."
The Graveyard of Lost Letters
1. Dig
Pick a full phrase (e.g., "I am" or "Could not"). Identify the letter that must "die" to make it shorter.
2. Bury
On your tombstone template, write the "Dead Letter" in the center. Write the full phrase at the top.
3. Mourn
Write the final contraction at the bottom. The apostrophe is the ghost of the letter you buried!
Glue your tombstones onto your construction paper to create your cemetery map.
Contraction Autopsy Example
Here Lies
A
Resting Place of the letter in
I AM
I'm
Surgical Punctuation Teacher Guide Surgical Punctuation
Teacher Facilitation Guide • Grades 5-7
Lesson ID: AMLL-01
Lesson Objective
Students will understand the historical function of the apostrophe as a marker for omitted letters (elision). They will demonstrate mastery of contraction placement by identifying which specific letters are removed from common phrases and replacing them with an apostrophe.
Materials Needed
• Sticky Notes (for warm-up)
• Scissors & Glue
• Construction Paper (dark colors)
• Lost Letters Tombstone Sheet
• Exit Ticket
Instructional Sequence
5 min Warm-up
Contraction Surgery
Distribute sticky notes and scissors. Have students write "DO NOT" in large letters. Ask: "If we want to make this word faster to say, which letter do we lose?"
Teacher Tip: Physically cutting out the 'O' and taping the 'N' and 'T' together helps students see that the apostrophe doesn't go *between* words, but *where the letter died*.
10 min Instruction
Video: History of the Apostrophe
Screen Khan Academy segment (2:08-4:05). Pause after Geoffroy Tory's introduction.
Pause at 2:50 (Visualizing Elision)
Ask: "In Tory's French example (la heure -> l'heure), why is the apostrophe there? What is missing?"
Pause at 3:45 (English Arrival)
Discuss: The apostrophe represents an absence . It stands in for "absent friends" (letters).
20 min Activity
The Graveyard of Lost Letters
Students use the provided tombstone templates to "bury" letters from phrases. They must identify exactly which letters are omitted.
Example Combinations:
You are: Lose the 'a'She will: Lose 'wi'Should not: Lose the 'o'They have: Lose 'ha'We are: Lose the 'a'It is: Lose the 'i'
10 min Closure
Exit Ticket & Reflection
Collect exit tickets. Ask: "If you were Geoffroy Tory, would you be happy with how we use apostrophes today?"
Exit Ticket Answer Key
1
I cant believe he didnt see us. I can't believe he didn't see us.
2
Theyre coming over for dinner. They're coming over for dinner.
3
If youve finished, its time to go. If you've finished, it's time to go.
Lost Letters Graveyard Activity Graveyard of Lost Letters
Bury the letters to create contractions.
Student Record
Name: _________________
Date: __________________
Cemetery Map Instructions:
1. Write the original phrase (like "I am" or "She will") at the top of the tombstone."Dead Letter" (the one being removed) in large, bold print in the middle.final contraction (like "I'm" or "She'll") at the bottom. Use an apostrophe bandage!
HERE LIES THE WORD:
FINAL CONTRACTION
HERE LIES THE WORD:
FINAL CONTRACTION
HERE LIES THE WORD:
FINAL CONTRACTION
HERE LIES THE WORD:
FINAL CONTRACTION
"Rest in peace, dear vowels. Your silence makes our words swifter." — Geoffroy Tory
Grave Mistakes Exit Ticket Grave Mistakes
Exit Ticket: Resurrection of the Apostrophe
Name: ________________
Task:
The following sentences are missing their "grave markers" (apostrophes). Rewrite them correctly, placing the apostrophe exactly where a letter died.
1. I cant believe he didnt see us.
2. Theyre coming over for dinner.
3. If youve finished, its time to go.
Unit: Punctuation Autopsy Goal: 100% Survival Rate
Grave Mistakes
Exit Ticket: Resurrection of the Apostrophe
Name: ________________
1. I cant believe he didnt see us.
2. Theyre coming over for dinner.
3. If youve finished, its time to go.
Unit: Punctuation Autopsy Goal: 100% Survival Rate
