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English lesson plan · 5th grade (Year 6 in England) · 30 minutes

Active or passive? Who did the action?

Grammar

CCSS L.8.1.BCCSS L.5.3England: Y6 GPS (passive voice)England: KS2 SATs GPS

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Active or passive? Who did the action?.

  • 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: Helping verbs and main verbs (is, has, can, will, must)

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 (Helping verbs and main verbs (is, has, can, will, must)). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which word is the HELPING verb? The baby was sleeping soundly. (baby / sleeping / was / soundly) → wasPrompt: Find the main action word first.
  2. Which word is the MAIN verb? The baby was sleeping soundly. (soundly / sleeping / baby / was) → sleepingPrompt: Which word names the action or state?
  3. Choose the helping verb that fits the meaning. You ___ wear a helmet when you cycle. It's the rule. (must / would / might / could) → mustPrompt: Read the sentence after the gap for clues.

Hook · 3 min

  • Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
  • Share the objective: Active or passive? Who did the action?. 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: Is this sentence active or passive? A new species of frog was discovered.
  • Step 1: Active: the doer comes first (The dog chased the ball). Passive: the thing the action happens to comes first (The ball was chased by the dog).
  • Step 2: So the answer is: passive
  • Answer: passive
  • 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. Is this sentence active or passive? Mia left the window open. (active / passive) → activePrompt: Who or what does the action? Is it at the start of the sentence?
  2. This sentence is passive. Who or what did the action? The parcel was delivered by a drone. (the door / the parcel / the shop / a drone) → a dronePrompt: The doer is not at the start of a passive sentence.

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 sentence is the passive version, with the same meaning? The bees made the honey. (The honey was made by the bees. / The honey is making the bees. / The bees were made by the honey. / The honey made the bees.) → The honey was made by the bees.Prompt: Move the thing the action happens to to the front.
  2. Is this sentence active or passive? Scientists discovered a new species of frog. (active / passive) → activePrompt: Who or what does the action? Is it at the start of the sentence?

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: Helping verbs and main verbs (is, has, can, will, must).
  • 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-5.

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

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Active or passive? Who did the action?

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    This sentence is passive. Who or what did the action? The match was won by the visiting team.

    • A. the referee
    • B. the visiting team
    • C. the home team
    • D. the match

  2. Question 2

    Is this sentence active or passive? The leaves were blown away by the wind.

    • A. active
    • B. passive

  3. Question 3

    Which sentence is the passive version, with the same meaning? Engineers built the robot.

    • A. Engineers were built by the robot.
    • B. The robot built engineers.
    • C. The robot is building engineers.
    • D. The robot was built by engineers.

  4. Question 4

    This sentence is passive. Who or what did the action? The lost kitten was found by a firefighter.

    • A. the tree
    • B. the lost kitten
    • C. the owner
    • D. a firefighter

  5. Question 5

    Is this sentence active or passive? Mia left the window open.

    • A. active
    • B. passive

  6. Question 6

    Which sentence is the passive version, with the same meaning? The storm damaged the roof.

    • A. The roof was damaged by the storm.
    • B. The storm was damaged by the roof.
    • C. The roof damaged the storm.
    • D. The roof is damaging the storm.

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Answer key: Active or passive? Who did the action?

  1. 1. B. the visiting team

  2. 2. B. passive

  3. 3. D. The robot was built by engineers.

  4. 4. D. a firefighter

  5. 5. A. active

  6. 6. A. The roof was damaged by the storm.