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English lesson plan · 3rd grade (Year 4 in England) · 30 minutes

Capital letters in titles (The Day the Robots Danced)

Punctuation

CCSS L.3.2.AEngland: Y3 GPS (capital letters)England: Y3/4 Writing (headings and titles)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Capital letters in titles (The Day the Robots Danced).

  • 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: Who or what? Did what? (subject and predicate); Common and proper nouns

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

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

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Who or what? Did what? (subject and predicate); Common and proper nouns). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which part is the SUBJECT (who or what the sentence is about)? A huge wave crashed onto the rocks. (A huge / the rocks / A huge wave / crashed onto) → A huge wavePrompt: Ask: who or what did something?
  2. Which word is a proper noun (the name of a particular person, place or day)? The children waved at Mrs Patel. (waved / at / children / Patel) → PatelPrompt: Proper nouns are special names.
  3. Which part is the PREDICATE (what the subject does)? The robot in the corner flashed its lights. (in the corner / flashed its lights. / The robot / The robot in) → flashed its lights.Prompt: Find the subject first: who or what?

Hook · 3 min

  • Read a short passage with no punctuation and let the class hear why it's confusing.
  • Share the objective: Capital letters in titles (The Day the Robots Danced). 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 book title uses capital letters correctly?
  • Step 1: In a title, use a capital for the first word, the last word and every important word. Small words like a, the, and, of, in, on, to and for stay small unless they come first.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: The Day the School Floated Away
  • Answer: The Day the School Floated Away
  • 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 book title uses capital letters correctly? (The girl who talked to bees / The Girl Who Talked to Bees / The Girl Who talked to Bees / The Girl Who Talked To Bees) → The Girl Who Talked to BeesPrompt: Check the small words: a, the, and, of, to, in, on, for.
  2. Every word in this title has a capital. Which word should NOT? When The Owls Came Home (When / The / Home / Owls) → ThePrompt: The first word always keeps its capital.

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 book title uses capital letters correctly? (The girl who talked to bees / The Girl Who Talked to Bees / The Girl Who Talked To Bees / The Girl Who talked to Bees) → The Girl Who Talked to BeesPrompt: Check the small words: a, the, and, of, to, in, on, for.
  2. Type this title with the correct capital letters. the day the school floated away → The Day the School Floated AwayPrompt: Start with a capital.

Watch out for

  • Using commas where a full stop (period) is needed.
  • Putting apostrophes in plurals (apple's).

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Who or what? Did what? (subject and predicate).
  • Use concrete materials: punctuation cards.
  • 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-3.

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

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Capital letters in titles (The Day the Robots Danced)

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Every word in this title has a capital. Which word should NOT? The Girl Who Talked To Bees

    • A. To
    • B. Who
    • C. Talked
    • D. Girl

  2. Question 2

    Which book title uses capital letters correctly?

    • A. A Robot named Pickle
    • B. A robot named pickle
    • C. A Robot Named Pickle

  3. Question 3

    Type this title with the correct capital letters. a map of the moon

    Answer

  4. Question 4

    Every word in this title has a capital. Which word should NOT? How To Train A Hamster

    • A. Hamster
    • B. Train
    • C. To
    • D. How

  5. Question 5

    Every word in this title has a capital. Which word should NOT? When The Owls Came Home

    • A. Home
    • B. The
    • C. Owls
    • D. When

  6. Question 6

    Type this title with the correct capital letters. the day the school floated away

    Answer

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Answer key: Capital letters in titles (The Day the Robots Danced)

  1. 1. A. To

  2. 2. C. A Robot Named Pickle

  3. 3. A Map of the Moon

  4. 4. C. To

  5. 5. B. The

  6. 6. The Day the School Floated Away