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English lesson plan · 2nd grade (Year 3 in England) · 30 minutes

The lesson or moral

Reading Comprehension

CCSS RL.2.2England: Y2 ReadingEngland: KS1 SATs Reading

Objective and success criteria

Students will: The lesson or moral.

  • 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: Characters and setting

Leads to: Theme

Materials: A short text or extract (one copy each), Highlighters, Question cards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Characters and setting). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. On a snowy morning, Ollie and his sister built an igloo in the garden. When does this story happen? (on a hot night / on a snowy morning / on a rainy afternoon / in summer) → on a snowy morningPrompt: What does the character say and do?
  2. Bear yawned and stretched. "Time to sleep until spring," he said, and curled up in his cave. Who is the main character? (Spring / the cave / a bird / Bear) → BearPrompt: What does the character say and do?
  3. Gus the goat loved to climb. He climbed rocks, hills and even the farmer's shed! What does Gus love to do? (sleep / sing / swim / climb) → climbPrompt: What does the character say and do?

Hook · 3 min

  • Read the first lines of a short text aloud and ask what students predict will happen and why.
  • Share the objective: The lesson or moral. 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: Zack teased Mo for being slow at reading. Later, Zack got stuck on a maths problem, and Mo kindly helped him. What is the lesson?
  • Step 1: The lesson is what the character (and reader) learns.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: Everyone has different strengths, so don't tease others.
  • Answer: Everyone has different strengths, so don't tease others.
  • 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. Priya fell off her skateboard many times. Each time, she got back on. By the end of the month, she could ride all the way down the path. What is the lesson? (You should give up if you fall. / Skateboards are dangerous. / If you keep trying, you can improve. / Paths are too long.) → If you keep trying, you can improve.Prompt: What did the main character learn by the end?
  2. Zack teased Mo for being slow at reading. Later, Zack got stuck on a maths problem, and Mo kindly helped him. What is the lesson? (Mo is better than Zack. / Maths is easier than reading. / Reading is not important. / Everyone has different strengths, so don't tease others.) → Everyone has different strengths, so don't tease others.Prompt: What did the main character learn by the end?

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. Priya fell off her skateboard many times. Each time, she got back on. By the end of the month, she could ride all the way down the path. What is the lesson? (You should give up if you fall. / Paths are too long. / Skateboards are dangerous. / If you keep trying, you can improve.) → If you keep trying, you can improve.Prompt: What did the main character learn by the end?
  2. A crow was thirsty, but the water in the jug was too low to reach. It dropped in pebble after pebble until the water rose, and then it drank. What is the lesson? (Crows like pebbles. / Never drink from a jug. / Clever thinking and patience can solve problems. / Water is heavy.) → Clever thinking and patience can solve problems.Prompt: What did the main character learn by the end?

Watch out for

  • Answering from memory or opinion instead of evidence in the text.
  • Copying a long quote without explaining what it shows.

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Characters and setting.
  • Use concrete materials: a short text or extract (one copy each).
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Move on to: Theme.
  • 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-2.

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

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The lesson or moral

Name

Date

Score/ 6

The New Girl

On Monday, a new girl joined our class. Her name was Yuki. She had just moved from Japan and did not speak much English yet. At break time, Yuki stood by the wall on her own. She looked at the ground. I wanted to say hello, but I did not know any Japanese. Then I had an idea. I took my skipping rope over and held out one end. Yuki looked up. She smiled and took it. We skipped together until the bell rang, and we both laughed when the rope got tangled. Now Yuki is teaching me to count in Japanese, and I am helping her with English words. Ichi, ni, san – one, two, three!

  1. Question 1

    Read "The New Girl". What is the lesson of this story?

    • A. Japanese is easy to learn.
    • B. New pupils should stay by the wall.
    • C. Skipping is the best game.
    • D. You can make friends even without sharing a language.

Shelly and the Big Race

Every summer, the garden animals held a race from the old watering can to the strawberry patch. Shelly the snail always came last. "Why do you even try?" laughed Grasshopper. "You are the slowest animal in the whole garden." Shelly did not answer. This year, she had a plan. While the others slept late, she set off at sunrise. She did not stop to nibble leaves. She did not stop to chat. She just kept sliding, one little bit at a time. When the race began, Grasshopper bounced off in giant leaps. But it was a hot day. Soon he was thirsty, so he stopped for a long drink and then a nap in the shade. When Grasshopper woke up, he hurried to the strawberry patch. There was Shelly, already resting on the biggest strawberry. "How did you get here first?" he asked. Shelly smiled. "Slow and steady," she said, "and I started early."

  1. Question 2

    Read "Shelly and the Big Race". What is the lesson of this story?

    • A. Never take part in a race.
    • B. Grasshoppers are lazy.
    • C. Steady effort and planning can beat speed.
    • D. Strawberries are the best food.

  1. Question 3

    Priya fell off her skateboard many times. Each time, she got back on. By the end of the month, she could ride all the way down the path. What is the lesson?

    • A. Paths are too long.
    • B. If you keep trying, you can improve.
    • C. You should give up if you fall.
    • D. Skateboards are dangerous.

Bugs in the Code

Theo had been looking forward to Coding Club all week. Ms Rivera had promised they would make their own animated story on the classroom tablets. Theo chose a cartoon cat and wrote the code: when the green flag is clicked, move ten steps, then turn and wave. He clicked the flag. The cat spun round and round like a washing machine and never stopped. "It's broken!" Theo groaned, and he pushed the tablet away. Ms Rivera sat down beside him. "It's not broken," she said. "It's got a bug. Every coder gets bugs. The trick is to be a detective." Together they read the code one block at a time. Theo had put the turn block inside a forever loop by mistake, so the cat kept turning for ever. Theo dragged the block out of the loop and clicked the flag again. The cat walked ten steps, turned and waved. Theo cheered so loudly that the whole club looked up. The next week, a younger girl called Ivy was close to tears because her rocket would not take off. Theo pulled up a chair. "It's not broken," he told her. "It's got a bug. Let's be detectives."

  1. Question 4

    Read "Bugs in the Code". What lesson does Theo learn?

    • A. Computers never make mistakes.
    • B. You should give up when something goes wrong.
    • C. Coding is only for older children.
    • D. Mistakes can be found and fixed if you look carefully.

  1. Question 5

    A crow was thirsty, but the water in the jug was too low to reach. It dropped in pebble after pebble until the water rose, and then it drank. What is the lesson?

    • A. Crows like pebbles.
    • B. Never drink from a jug.
    • C. Clever thinking and patience can solve problems.
    • D. Water is heavy.

  2. Question 6

    Zack teased Mo for being slow at reading. Later, Zack got stuck on a maths problem, and Mo kindly helped him. What is the lesson?

    • A. Maths is easier than reading.
    • B. Everyone has different strengths, so don't tease others.
    • C. Reading is not important.
    • D. Mo is better than Zack.

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Answer key: The lesson or moral

  1. 1. D. You can make friends even without sharing a language.

  2. 2. C. Steady effort and planning can beat speed.

  3. 3. B. If you keep trying, you can improve.

  4. 4. D. Mistakes can be found and fixed if you look carefully.

  5. 5. C. Clever thinking and patience can solve problems.

  6. 6. B. Everyone has different strengths, so don't tease others.