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English lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 30 minutes

Order of adjectives (a lovely little old red box)

Grammar

CCSS L.4.1.DEngland: Y4 GPS (expanded noun phrases)England: Y3/4 Writing (noun phrases)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Order of adjectives (a lovely little old red box).

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Expanded noun phrases; Adjectives

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

Materials: Sentence strips, Highlighters, Mini whiteboards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Expanded noun phrases; Adjectives). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which group of words is the longest expanded noun phrase in the sentence? I read a scary book about ghosts. (I read / about ghosts / a scary book about ghosts / read a scary) → a scary book about ghostsPrompt: Find the main noun first.
  2. Which word is an adjective (it describes a noun)? We saw a shiny star. (shiny / star / we / saw) → shinyPrompt: Find the noun first.
  3. Choose the adjective that fits the gap. The ___ path led into the forest. (narrow / gently / forest / led) → narrowPrompt: The gap comes before a noun. What word could describe it?

Hook · 3 min

  • Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
  • Share the objective: Order of adjectives (a lovely little old red box). Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Which noun phrase has the adjectives in the natural order?
  • Step 1: Adjectives usually go in this order: opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin, material, purpose, then the noun.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: a tiny green frog
  • Answer: a tiny green frog
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Which noun phrase has the adjectives in the natural order? (a huge square table / a square huge table) → a huge square tablePrompt: Say both aloud. Which sounds natural to an English speaker?
  2. What kind of adjective is "tiny"? (size / colour (color) / origin (where from) / material (what it is made of)) → sizePrompt: Ask: does it say what someone thinks, how big, how old, what colour, where from, or what it is made of?

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Which noun phrase has the adjectives in the natural order? (a beautiful long dress / a long beautiful dress) → a beautiful long dressPrompt: Say both aloud. Which sounds natural to an English speaker?
  2. What kind of adjective is "wooden"? (size / age / colour (color) / material (what it is made of)) → material (what it is made of)Prompt: Ask: does it say what someone thinks, how big, how old, what colour, where from, or what it is made of?

Watch out for

  • Naming the feature but not using it in their own sentences.
  • Thinking a sentence is right because it sounds right when spoken casually.

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Expanded noun phrases.
  • Use concrete materials: sentence strips.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-4.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Order of adjectives (a lovely little old red box)

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Which noun phrase has the adjectives in the natural order?

    • A. an old lovely house
    • B. a lovely old house

  2. Question 2

    What kind of adjective is "French"?

    • A. opinion
    • B. size
    • C. origin (where from)
    • D. material (what it is made of)

  3. Question 3

    What kind of adjective is "beautiful"?

    • A. opinion
    • B. colour (color)
    • C. origin (where from)
    • D. material (what it is made of)

  4. Question 4

    What kind of adjective is "enormous"?

    • A. size
    • B. age
    • C. origin (where from)
    • D. material (what it is made of)

  5. Question 5

    What kind of adjective is "huge"?

    • A. size
    • B. age
    • C. colour (color)
    • D. origin (where from)

  6. Question 6

    What kind of adjective is "cotton"?

    • A. opinion
    • B. size
    • C. origin (where from)
    • D. material (what it is made of)

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Answer key: Order of adjectives (a lovely little old red box)

  1. 1. B. a lovely old house

  2. 2. C. origin (where from)

  3. 3. A. opinion

  4. 4. A. size

  5. 5. A. size

  6. 6. D. material (what it is made of)